Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion

[coeyannie]

Hi Father Joe,

The other day I went to Mass and after the distribution of Holy Communion, and while the EMHC was waiting for the priest to return to the altar, she did a little housekeeping with the Hosts in the Chalices. She was moving them around and it looked like she was trying to make them level. I was a little taken aback. It's bad enough that lay people are distributing Holy Communion, but the liberties they take with the Eucharist is disgusting. I'm a woman, but I just cannot get the idea that women have the run of the altar in a lot of the parishes. Years ago, the priest opened the tabernacle, the priest reposed the Blessed Eucharist, the priest distributed Holy Communion, and yes, sometimes it took longer than usual, but so what. The Masses are pretty well spaced out time-wise, 8 and 10, 9 and 11, etc. Week-day Masses are usually 8:00, so what is the hurry that you have to have EMHC's all over the place. I go to a parish that has only priests and deacons distributing Holy Communion, male altar servers, no lay people prancing around the altar. Sorry, but I just had to vent.

Thanks and God Bless.

[holyjoe]

I can certainly empathize with your unease regarding liturgical changes. I'm still trying to figure out the new system of "purification of the vessels" after communion at St Thomas More parish.

It might help, however, to keep in mind that there is a very real difference between being annoyed by the fact of change itself, and being indignant about a perceived evil. When an EMHC gives Holy Communion to another EMHC, that makes me smolder with indignation, because the Church has explicitly forbidden that, and I await the proper time and place to do something prudent about it. On the other hand, when the EMHC's crowd around the altar and help each other collect the remaining hosts into a single ciborium, that annoys me because they never used to do that... but I don't think that it's forbidden, so I'm trying very hard to get less annoyed each time.

Please feel free to vent here any time you wish. It costs nothing, and feels SO good.

[Steph]

I'm still trying to figure out the new system of "purification of the vessels" after communion at St Thomas More parish.

I get confused about it too because each priest does it a little differently. We were told that the new way of "purification of the vessels" came down from the Diocese in response to the directives from the Vatican.

On the other hand, when the EMHC's crowd around the altar and help each other collect the remaining hosts into a single ciborium, that annoys me because they never used to do that... but I don't think that it's forbidden,

I haven't seen that at STM but it seems to me that if you're at the altar and the EMHC's start doing that that you ask them to stop.

I know there are a lot of people who do not like EMHC's. I don't like those that don't have the proper reverence for the Eucharist. If I was in charge of them (which I'm not) I'd require annual re-training and recertification. We were certified initially and then it gets automatically renewed.

That leads me to a question I've been meaning to pose. If after communion when the remaining hosts are placed in the Ciborium and the EMHC is asked to return it to the Tabernacle, does the EMHC bow before the altar? I think not because you're carrying Jesus. Others disagree and say you're reverencing the altar. I would think Jesus would have precedence...

My pet peeves revolve around the way so many people approach to receive the Eucharist and/or how they return to their seats. (We won't even mention those who head straight for the exit). The other is when the priest, deacon or EMHC is walking by with the ciborium. Jesus is going by us -- we should reverence by a bow and the sign of the cross.

God bless!
Steph

[holyjoe]

If after communion when the remaining hosts are placed in the Ciborium and the EMHC is asked to return it to the Tabernacle, does the EMHC bow before the altar? I think not because you're carrying Jesus. Others disagree and say you're reverencing the altar. I would think Jesus would have precedence...

Correct. Anyone carrying the Blessed Eucharist (in a chalice or ciborium or on their palm or whatever) should NOT bow or genuflect or offer any similar gesture of reverence towards anything or anyone other than He Whom they carry. For example, when people enter an ordinary church pew, they genuflect towards the tabernacle... EXCEPT after receiving Holy Communion.

... when the priest, deacon or EMHC is walking by with the ciborium. Jesus is going by us -- we should reverence by a bow and the sign of the cross.

Interesting factoid: At the recent Men's and Women's CRHP weekend retreats, Fr John began the Saturday evening events in the church by exposing the Blessed Sacrament in a monstrance on the altar. When Fr John entered with the Blessed Sacrament, some immediately knelt, and some did not. Strangely, the division was almost exactly along gender lines. Why is that? I have no idea. 'Tis a puzzlement.

[Steph]

Interesting factoid: At the recent Men's and Women's CRHP weekend retreats, Fr John began the Saturday evening events in the church by exposing the Blessed Sacrament in a monstrance on the altar. When Fr John entered with the Blessed Sacrament, some immediately knelt, and some did not. Strangely, the division was almost exactly along gender lines. Why is that? I have no idea. 'Tis a puzzlement.

I think it has to do with the dearth of good, authentic, true Catholic teaching. God bless the nuns who taught me! I'm trying to carry on those lessons to my Confirmation students. Perhaps the whole topic might someday be something for a "killer homily"!

[Carlos]

Anyone carrying the Blessed Eucharist (in a chalice or ciborium or on their palm or whatever) should NOT bow or genuflect or offer any similar gesture of reverence towards anything or anyone other than He Whom they carry. For example, when people enter an ordinary church pew, they genuflect towards the tabernacle... EXCEPT after receiving Holy Communion.

Often I see people before receiving Holy Communion bow towards the altar and then receive, next they bow again toward the altar. I assume this bow after receiving should not be done? (By the way, the bow before because it is a Communion line and they are not kneeling to receive. )

[holyjoe]

That's right: After receiving Holy Communion, it makes sense NOT to bow towards the altar or tabernacle. However, if doing so is somebody's personal devotion, they should NOT be made to feel guilty for doing it. It's a good and pious devotion, but one that can be replaced by the even better and more pious devotion of focusing on Our Lord who is "really present" in His just-received Body and Blood. If presented in a gentle, loving, and understanding manner, such changes are made willingly and happily, unlike changes mandated with a heavy hand, which cause confusion, anger, and bitterness.

[richgr]

When an EMHC gives Holy Communion to another EMHC, that makes me smolder with indignation, because the Church has explicitly forbidden that, and I await the proper time and place to do something prudent about it.

Hi Fr. Joe, can you tell me where the Church has forbidden EMHCs to give Holy Communion to another EMHC? Also, when you say Holy Communion, do you mean only the Body or the Precious Blood or both? I'm asking because I see EMHCs give Holy Communion to other EMHCs all the time at my parish when they're gathered around the altar. The priest gives the Body to each Minister, then the cup with the Precious Blood to one or two so that those two may go and give the Precious Blood to the other EMHCs. My father is regularly a EMHC, and I would feel guilty if I knew that the Church forbade something explicitly, and I did nothing to tell my father about it. Thanks!

[holyjoe]

Fr. Joe, can you tell me where the Church has forbidden EMHCs to give Holy Communion to another EMHC?

The GIRM says in #160, "The faithful [including EMHCs] are not permitted to take the consecrated bread or the sacred chalice by themselves and, still less, to hand them from one to another." This allows an EMHC to administer Holy Communion to another EMHC if and only if the former keeps the ciborium or chalice, and does not "pass it off" for the latter to administer Holy Communion from. Did that make sense? I'm having trouble putting it into readable English. What galls me is when a line of EMHCs pass a chalice or ciborium from one to the next (which is forbidden) instead of the first EMHC taking the ciborium or chalice and then using it to administer Holy Communion to all the other EMHCs in the line (which is allowed). I hope that helps make it clear.

When you say Holy Communion, do you mean only the Body or the Precious Blood or both?

I mean the consecrated bread or the consecrated wine or both. As you know, of course (but I love saying it), the consecrated bread is both the Body and Blood of Christ, and the consecrated wine is both the Body and Blood of Christ. They differ only in appearance, but are substantially identical.

[richgr]

Yes, I understand. Thanks, Fr. Joe! My parish is safe, haha.