Receiving a Blessing instead of Communion

Started by kayla_veronica, January 03, 2013, 11:16:08 AM

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kayla_veronica

Hey Folks,

I've been curious about this for a while. I had always thought that one could go up the communion rail, crossing your arms, and receive a blessing if you were unable to communicate. I can't remember how I came to think this, though. At the Diocesan TLM I used to attend, the children who came up with their parents would receive a blessing, although I had never seen an adult do this.

I once learned the hard way at an SSPX chapel that this was not that case (I confused the priest thoroughly). After that, I noticed that the children at our SSPX chapel do not receive a blessing either when going up with their parents.

Can anyone shed some light on this?
May the most holy, most sacred, most adorable,
most incomprehensible and ineffable Name of God
be forever praised, blessed, loved, adored
and glorified in Heaven, on earth,
and under the earth,
by all the creatures of God,
and by the Sacred Heart of Our Lord Jesus Christ,
in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar.
Amen.

Lyubov

Quote from: kayla_veronica on January 03, 2013, 11:16:08 AM
I had always thought that one could go up the communion rail, crossing your arms, and receive a blessing if you were unable to communicate. I can't remember how I came to think this, though.

It's a common practice in Novus Ordo Masses.

Really, though, there is no reason to approach the altar if you are not intending to receive Communion. It is confusing for the priest and distracts from the main purpose of the Communion line. If you want a personal blessing, you can approach your priest after Mass. Otherwise, everyone recieves a blessing at the end of Mass, anyway. :)
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kayla_veronica

Quote from: Lyubov on January 03, 2013, 11:52:55 AM
Quote from: kayla_veronica on January 03, 2013, 11:16:08 AM
I had always thought that one could go up the communion rail, crossing your arms, and receive a blessing if you were unable to communicate. I can't remember how I came to think this, though.

It's a common practice in Novus Ordo Masses.

Really, though, there is no reason to approach the altar if you are not intending to receive Communion. It is confusing for the priest and distracts from the main purpose of the Communion line. If you want a personal blessing, you can approach your priest after Mass. Otherwise, everyone receives a blessing at the end of Mass, anyway. :)

Yes I know there is a blessing at the end of Mass. I have no opinion on that matter, just curious.  I wonder where I heard of that now, because I had never attended a NO until after I had become Catholic, and they never did that when I grew up Lutheran because the only prerequisite for receiving was that you had gone through confirmation.
May the most holy, most sacred, most adorable,
most incomprehensible and ineffable Name of God
be forever praised, blessed, loved, adored
and glorified in Heaven, on earth,
and under the earth,
by all the creatures of God,
and by the Sacred Heart of Our Lord Jesus Christ,
in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar.
Amen.

Hat And Beard

Quote from: Lyubov on January 03, 2013, 11:52:55 AM
Quote from: kayla_veronica on January 03, 2013, 11:16:08 AM
I had always thought that one could go up the communion rail, crossing your arms, and receive a blessing if you were unable to communicate. I can't remember how I came to think this, though.

It's a common practice in Novus Ordo Masses.

Really, though, there is no reason to approach the altar if you are not intending to receive Communion. It is confusing for the priest and distracts from the main purpose of the Communion line. If you want a personal blessing, you can approach your priest after Mass. Otherwise, everyone recieves a blessing at the end of Mass, anyway. :)
In the Maronite tradition(which goes back longer than the Pope being in Rome  ;)), the Priest places the Chalice on top of the child's head for a blessing. I think this is excellent and doesn't detract from Communion at all. Plus, it's a sign that not everyone should be communicating(something that's frequently lost with multitudes of sacrilegious receptions of Communion at NO parishes). 

Bonaventure

I've only seen this practice in the NO. I don't know if it has a counterpoint or precedence in the traditional Mass or any other rite.

The way I see it, it's another way to have everyone "actively participate." It's very difficult to stay sitting in the pew during communion time at a NO. Everyone looks to the left, or right, and exits as a group. If someone stays, people may ask "is everything okay." I never learned that one was supposed to refrain from receiving if in a state of mortal sin until the 7th or 8th grade, and was always pressured to receive at every NO I went to.

As I found out later, if one didn't want to receive, just don't leave the pew.
"If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me."

Mithrandylan

Quote from: Bonaventure on January 03, 2013, 12:42:00 PM
I've only seen this practice in the NO. I don't know if it has a counterpoint or precedence in the traditional Mass or any other rite.

The way I see it, it's another way to have everyone "actively participate." It's very difficult to stay sitting in the pew during communion time at a NO. Everyone looks to the left, or right, and exits as a group. If someone stays, people may ask "is everything okay." I never learned that one was supposed to refrain from receiving if in a state of mortal sin until the 7th or 8th grade, and was always pressured to receive at every NO I went to.

As I found out later, if one didn't want to receive, just don't leave the pew.

I think that's a cynical way of looking at it.

There is nothing wrong with a blessing, in fact, it is very good to be blessed by a priest, and for one who isn't receiving communion, all the more reason to be blessed by a priest, along with your spiritual communion.

I can't imagine why anyone would fight against this practice simply because it *could* be viewed as "too inclusive."  The Church is inclusive, for sinners, etc.  We're not talking about everyone receiving communion here, we're talking about those who can't wanting to get as many graces as they can.

I won't put up a fuss that this isn't necessarily a traditional practice, but I will say that it seems to be a thoroughly Catholic one.
Ps 135

Quia in humilitáte nostra memor fuit nostri: * quóniam in ætérnum misericórdia eius.
Et redémit nos ab inimícis nostris: * quóniam in ætérnum misericórdia eius.
Qui dat escam omni carni: * quóniam in ætérnum misericórdia eius.
Confitémini Deo cæli: * quóniam in ætérnum misericórdia eius.
Confitémini Dómino dominórum: * quóniam in ætérnum misericórdia eius.

For he was mindful of us in our affliction: * for his mercy endureth for ever.
And he redeemed us from our enemies: * for his mercy endureth for ever.
Who giveth food to all flesh: * for his mercy endureth for ever.
Give glory to the God of heaven: * for his mercy endureth for ever.
Give glory to the Lord of lords: * for his mercy endureth for ever.

-I retract any and all statements I have made that are incongruent with the True Faith, and apologize for ever having made them-

Bonaventure

It can be a Catholic practice, but is that why it was implemented?

Everyone is recommended to get in the communion line. Non-Catholic or Catholic. Even lay ministers stretch out their hands and say "God bless you."

I think this was another part of the "active participation" program. I should investigate further.
"If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me."

totiusque

At our parish, one of the priests will bless babies and toddlers at the Communion rail, but the other priest won't.  I don't know the reasoning for or against it, but it's interesting that even in just our parish, the priests have different views on it. 

I've never seen an adult try to receive a blessing during Communion.
"Whenever anything disagreeable or displeasing happens to you, remember Christ crucified and be silent."
—St John of the Cross

Lyubov

Quote from: Mithrandylan on January 03, 2013, 08:48:29 PM
There is nothing wrong with a blessing, in fact, it is very good to be blessed by a priest

This is true. No one is disputing this.

The issue is that some people think that during Communion they should for some reason receive a special, personal blessing. Why? If you want a blessing, approach your priest and ask for one. There is no reason to distract from the main purpose of the Communion line (i.e. the Eucharist) to satisfy personal desires. You're going to be receiving a blessing five minutes later, anyway.

No one is saying that people shouldn't receive blessings from priests. The problem is with people insisting on using the Communion line to receive these blessings. It smacks of selfishness.
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Bonaventure

Quote from: Lyubov on January 04, 2013, 01:55:00 AM
No one is saying that people shouldn't receive blessings from priests. The problem is with people insisting on using the Communion line to receive these blessings. It smacks of selfishness.

Yep, and the other question is why it was implemented when it was implemented. Of course, there is a reason.
"If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me."

The Harlequin King

The blessing during Communion exists primarily so you don't have to feel bad about not getting up for Communion.

Ideally, it wouldn't matter, but try telling that to someone who thinks it matters. My solution: restore the kiss of peace via pax-brede. This was the medieval way for everyone to be individually blessed at Mass without receiving Communion. Admittedly, it often became a substitution for the Eucharist, but I don't think we need to worry about that anytime soon.

kayla_veronica

Thanks for the responses!

I feel like a few people are projecting a bit on me here...I just wanted to know if it was a traditional practice and you have answered my question  :)

May the most holy, most sacred, most adorable,
most incomprehensible and ineffable Name of God
be forever praised, blessed, loved, adored
and glorified in Heaven, on earth,
and under the earth,
by all the creatures of God,
and by the Sacred Heart of Our Lord Jesus Christ,
in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar.
Amen.

poche

I think it was set up to cause confusion and to distract people from the belief in the true presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.