Subject: Re: extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist (EME)
Father Gene,
Where's the reverence in that?
I think it confuses who is whom on the sanctuary. Blurs who is a worshipper and who is the priest.
It is ok to use extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist but why do they need to be on the sanctuary before the celebrant has consumed the Eucharist themselves?
I am sure there is no reason for EME's to be saying anything other than 'Body or Blood of Christ,' and not blessing children as well:
So, the blessing of anyone by an EME at Communion time is a vain
gesture, which does nothing for the recipient. Furthermore, by a gesture
which suggests priestly authority in a sacramental setting, it confuses
the role of the laity and the ordained minister, something prohibited by
the
Certain Questions Regarding the Collaboration of the Non-Ordained
Faithful in the Sacred Ministry of Priests.
Father Gene, not 'busting your chops' as much as I think it important to keep the sanctuary sacred and the Mass Holy. I've seen and not just here, some of the lay members try to extend their authority over the parish.
Thanks
Gerry
6 comments:
Sent: Monday, May 21, 2007 4:15 PM
Subject: RE: extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist (EME)
> Dear Gerry,
>
> In response to your email, Msgr Jeremial Kenney, Judicial Vicar and Vicar
> for Canonical Affairs for the Archdiocese, said that it is okay the way we
> do that here at Our Lady of the Fields.
>
> Thank you for your interest. God Bless, Fr. Gene
Sent: 5/20/2007 2:24 PM
> Subject: Re: extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist (EME)
>
> This neglect of the rubrics of the Church continue not to be followed
> properly here at OLF. I continue to witness EME's taking and returning
> Communion vessels from the altar. I have no idea why they are on the
> Sanctuary before the priest has received Communion. Why are they
> designated as being different than the rest of the congregation? I also
> saw today EME's doing blessing's during Communion??
>
Sent: 5/20/2007 2:24 PM
> Subject: Re: extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist (EME)
>
> This neglect of the rubrics of the Church continue not to be followed
> properly here at OLF. I continue to witness EME's taking and returning
> Communion vessels from the altar. I have no idea why they are on the
> Sanctuary before the priest has received Communion. Why are they
> designated as being different than the rest of the congregation? I also
> saw today EME's doing blessing's during Communion??
Sent: Sunday, April 15, 2007 6:01 PM
> Subject: extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist (EME)
>
> Fr Gene
>
> Carl Smith: Eucharistic Ministers;
>
> I have cited several Church resources from the GIRM to the Vatican's,
> EWTN, and USCCB's websites, regarding extraordinary ministers of the
> Eucharist which is nicely laid out in black and white. It has occurred
> to me that along with some of our lectors that some blur the line of
> being lay-personnel to perhaps thinking they are higher than the rest of
> the congregation. EME's are not per se Eucharistic ministers. And
> never got why at Our Lady of the Fields they need to walk in with the
> priest and sit in a specially marked pew.
>
> EME's are there to serve the priest. They are not supposed to be
> entering the sanctuary before the celebrant has received communion. I
> have also noticed some of these EME's making blessings to some of the
> children/ non-receivers of the Eucharist. Also, EME's are not to
> cleanse the communion vessels, which I have also continued to notice.
>
> Thanks
>
> Gerry >
> >
> Liturgy of the Eucharist:
>
>
> * As the Agnus Dei or Lamb of God is begun, the bishop or priest
> alone, or with the assistance of the deacon, and if necessary of
> concelebrating priests, breaks the eucharistic bread.
>
>
> * As the Agnus Dei or Lamb of God is begun, the Bishop or priest
> alone, or with the assistance of the deacon, and if necessary of
> concelebrating priests, breaks the eucharistic bread. Other empty
> ciboria or patens are then brought to the altar is this is necessary.
> The deacon or priest places the consecrated bread in several ciboria or
> patens, if necessary, as required for the distribution of Holy
> Communion. If it is not possible to accomplish this distribution in a
> reasonable time, the celebrant may call upon the assistance of other
> deacons or concelebrating priests.
>
> * If extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion are required by
> patoral need, they should not approach the altar before the priest has
> received Communion. After the priest has concluded his own Communion, he
> distributes Communion to the extraordinary ministers, assisted by the
> deacon, and then hands the sacred vessels to them for distribution of
> Holy Communion to the people.
>
>
> * All receive Holy Communion in the manner described by the
> General Instruction to the Roman Missal, whether priest concelebrants
> (cf. GIRM, nos. 159, 242, 243, 246), deacons (cf. GIRM, nos. 182, 244,
> 246), or Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (cf. GIRM, no. 284).
> Neither deacons nor lay ministers may ever receive Holy Communion in the
> manner of a concelebrating priest. The practice of Extraordinary
> Ministers of Holy Communion waiting to receive Holy Communion until
> after the distribution of Holy Communion is not in accord with
> liturgical law. (NDRHC, 39; GIRM, 160).
>
>
> * After all Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion have
> received the Eucharist, the bishop or priest celebrant reverently hands
> vessels containing the Body or the Blood of the Lord to the deacons or
> extraordinary ministers who will assist with the distribution of Holy
> Communion. The deacon may assist the priest in handing the vessels
> containing the Body and Blood of the Lord to the Extraordinary Ministers
> of Holy Communion. (NDRHC, 40).
>
>
> * The proper and only permissible form for distributing Holy
> Communion is to offer the consecrated bread by saying, "The Body of
> Christ" and to offer the consecrated wine by saying, "The Blood of
> Christ." No other words or names should be added; and the formula should
> not be edited in any way. (Cf. GIRM, 161; 284-287).
>
>
> * If the Eucharistic bread or some particle of it falls, it should
> be picked up reverently by the minister. The consecrated bread may be
> consumed or completely dissolved in water before being poured down the
> sacrarium.
>
>
> * Should there be any mishap, for example, if the consecrated wine
> is spilled from the chalice, the area should be washed and the water
> poured into the sacrarium.
>
>
> * In those instances when there remains more consecrated wine than
> was necessary, if needs dictate, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy
> Communion may consume what remains of the Precious Blood from their cup
> of distribution with the permission of the diocesan bishop. The sacred
> vessles are to be purified by the priest, the deacon or an instituted
> acolyte. The amount of wine to be consecrated should be carefully
> measured before the celebration so that none remains afterward. It is
> strictly forbidden to pour the Precious Blood into the ground or into
> the sacrarium. (NDRHC, 51-55).
>
>
> * Similarly, "consecrated hosts are to be reserved in a ciborium
> or vessel in sufficient quantity for the needs of the faithful; they are
> to be frequently renewed and the old hosts properly consumed" (Code of
> Canon Law, no. 939). Burying hosts or consecrated Eucharistic bread is
> strictly forbidden.
>
> Notes
>
>
> 1. Norms for the Distribution and Reception of Holy Communion Under
> Both Kinds for the Dioceses of the United States of America [NDRHC]
> (August, 2002), no. 26 and cf. GIRM no. 162 and NRHC, no. 28
>
>
>
>
> So, the blessing of anyone by an EME at Communion time is a vain
> gesture, which does nothing for the recipient. Furthermore, by a gesture
> which suggests priestly authority in a sacramental setting, it confuses
> the role of the laity and the ordained minister, something prohibited by
> Certain Questions Regarding the Collaboration of the Non-Ordained
> Faithful in the Sacred Ministry of Priests.
>
>
> Answered by Colin B. Donovan, STL
>
>
> *
>
> * "Extraordinary ministers may distribute Holy Communion at
> eucharistic celebrations only when there are no ordained ministers
> present or when those ordained ministers present at a liturgical
> celebration are truly unable to distribute Holy Communion. They may also
> exercise this function at eucharistic celebrations where there are
> particularly large numbers of the faithful and which would be
> excessively prolonged because of an insufficient number of ordained
> ministers to distribute Holy Communion."
>
> * "To avoid creating confusion, certain practices are to be
> avoided and eliminated where such have emerged in particular Churches:
>
>
> * extraordinary ministers receiving Holy Communion apart from the
> other faithful as though concelebrants;
>
> * association with the renewal of promises made by priests at the
> Chrism Mass on Holy Thursday, as well as other categories of faithful
> who renew religious vows or receive a mandate as extraordinary ministers
> of Holy Communion;
>
> * the habitual use of extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion at
> Mass thus arbitrarily extending the concept of "a great number of the
> faithful"."
>
> HOW COMMUNION IS TO BE DISTRIBUTED
>
>
> Practical considerations for priests, parish liturgy committees and
> extraordinary ministers of the eucharist
> Preparing the assembly to receive communion under both kinds.
>
>
> * The practice of receiving communion from the cup should be
> introduced with great care. It should be done with reverence and in a
> manner worthy of the eucharist.
>
> * Parishioners should be carefully prepared to understand the
> signs of the eucharist: eating the body of Christ and drinking from the
> cup of Christ's blood. Children and adults should be instructed that
> communion under both kinds is highly desirable because in that form the
> sign of the eucharistic meal appears more clearly.
>
> Preparing the Altar
>
>
> * Following the general intercessions, the table is prepared. It
> is the responsibility of the priest to see that a sufficient amount of
> bread and wine is brought forward to serve the assembly at that
> celebration.
>
> * The wine is presented in one large chalice and/or in one chalice
> with one or more carafes; never in many cups or chalices.
>
> * Judging from experience, enough wine is consecrated at each Mass
> for all those who will wish to drink from the cup. In addition, enough
> bread is consecrated so that the assembly does not regularly receive
> from the reserved sacrament. In most parishes this will be fairly
> consistent for a given Mass from week to week.
>
> * The bread on one large paten or ciborium, the wine in one carafe
> and the Sacramentary are all that are placed on the altar. The
> containers may be of any worthy non-absorbent material. Preference is to
> be given to materials that do not break easily. ("General Instruction of
> the Roman Missal #290-291")
>
> Preparing the Eucharist for Distribution
>
>
> * During the Lamb of God, the eucharistic bread is broken into a
> sufficient number of plates and the eucharistic wine is poured into a
> sufficient number of cups. Extraordinary ministers of the eucharist may
> assist as needed. ("This Holy and Living Sacrifice" #43)
>
> * Extraordinary ministers and deacons received communion after the
> concelebrants.
>
> * A sufficient number of ministers of communion is provided so
> that the communion rite is performed with dignity and without prolonging
> the liturgy. Normally, there will be two ministers of the cup for each
> minister of the eucharistic bread. Ministers should stand some distance
> apart.
>
> * The minister who distributes the body of Christ to the people
> should make eye contact with the communicant and hold the eucharistic
> bread briefly before the communicant. As states in the "General
> Instruction of the Roman Missal," the appropriate exchange between the
> minister and the communicant is "The body of Christ" and "Amen." These
> words are not to be adapted. The minister then places the eucharistic
> bread in the communicant's hand or on his or her tongue depending upon
> the preference of the communicant.
>
> * The minister of the cup should make eye contact with the
> communicant and present the cup. As stated in the "General Instruction
> of the Roman Missal," the appropriate exchange between the minister and
> the communicant is "The blood of Christ" and "Amen." These words are not
> to be adapted. Except for a good reason (a parent holding a child, a
> person who does not have full use of hands), the minister does not
> attempt to guide the cup but places it entirely into the hands of the
> communicant. After the communicant has received, the minister takes the
> cup, wipes both sides of the rim with the purificator, turns the cup
> slightly and addresses the next communicant.
>
> * The body and blood of Christ are always given from a minister.
> The body and blood are never left on the altar for communicants to take
> themselves, nor are they passed from one communicant to another.
> Communion directly from the cup is always to be preferred to any other
> form of ministering the precious blood. Those who receive the host are
> not to dip it into the cup; such a practice weakens the symbol of eating
> and drinking. Intinction (dipping the host) and the use of a straw or
> spoon are not customary within the Roman Rite in dioceses of the United
> States.
>
>
>
> After Communion
>
>
> * Depending on local architecture, the consecrated bread is taken
> to a side table or to the place of reservation and put in one container.
> It is then reserved for distribution to the sick or for private
> devotion.
>
> * Depending on local architecture, the consecrated wine is taken
> to a side table or to the place of reservation and consumed reverently
> by the ministers.
>
> * The purification of the sacred vessels may take place after
> communion or after Mass and is done by the priest, deacon.
>
> * This purification involves the same reverence shown anytime one
> handles the Body and Blood of Christ or the sacred vessels and is
> carried out in a prayerful manner.
>
> * The purification of the sacred vessels should take place in the
> following manner:
>
> * Consume any remaining precious blood
>
> * Rinse the cups/chalice with a small amount of water and consume
> it or pour it in the sacrarium
>
> * Consume any remaining particles of the eucharistic bread.
>
> * Rinse the ciborium or paten in a small amount of water and
> consumWash and dry all vessels thoroughly
>
> Communion to the Sick
>
>
> * It is most appropriate for extraordinary ministers to the sick
> to be sent directly from the Sunday celebration of the eucharist.
> Recognizing that this is not always possible, the minister is to follow
> the guidelines established in the parish.
>
> * Communion should be taken to the sick in an appropriate sacred
> vessel. A worthy, yet inexpensive, pyx can be purchased at a religious
> goods store.
>
> * When it is necessary for the minister to the sick to approach
> the tabernacle to obtain the hosts(s), it should be done shortly before
> the visit to the sick or homebound and in a spirit of prayer and
> reverence. Genuflection is the appropriate gesture of reverence before
> the reserved sacrament.
>
> * The ritual found in "Holy Communion and Worship of the Eucharist
> Outside Mass" is followed by the extraordinary minister.
>
>
>
> Copyright © 1999 Roman Catholic Diocese of Youngstown
>
>
> This item 1168 digitally provided courtesy of CatholicCulture.org
>
>
>
> >
>
> The sign of peace
>
> 49. By its nature the Eucharist is the sacrament of peace. At Mass this
> dimension of the eucharistic mystery finds specific expression in the
> sign of peace. Certainly this sign has great value (cf. Jn 14:27). In
> our times, fraught with fear and conflict, this gesture has become
> particularly eloquent, as the Church has become increasingly conscious
> of her responsibility to pray insistently for the gift of peace and
> unity for herself and for the whole human family. Certainly there is an
> irrepressible desire for peace present in every heart. The Church gives
> voice to the hope for peace and reconciliation rising up from every man
> and woman of good will, directing it towards the one who "is our peace"
> (Eph 2:14) and who can bring peace to individuals and peoples when all
> human efforts fail. We can thus understand the emotion so often felt
> during the sign of peace at a liturgical celebration. Even so, during
> the Synod of Bishops there was discussion about the appropriateness of
> greater restraint in this gesture, which can be exaggerated and cause a
> certain distraction in the assembly just before the reception of
> Communion. It should be kept in mind that nothing is lost when the sign
> of peace is marked by a sobriety which preserves the proper spirit of
> the celebration, as, for example, when it is restricted to one's
> immediate neighbours (150).
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
Sent: Monday, May 21, 2007 5:28 PM
Subject: Lectors and EME's
Msgr. Jeremial Kenney
Judicial Vicar and Vicar for Canonical Affairs;
I am concerned the lay ministers at my parish church: Our Lady of the Fields are neglecting some of their duties.
I have no idea why the lector needs to be present on the sanctuary during the Liturgy of the Eucharist?
As I have addressed to the pastor, I also believe the rubrics of the Church are not being followed in regards to the extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist. I am not sure why they need to be on the sanctuary right after the sign of peace and before the celebrant has consumed the Eucharist as well. They generally carry on the 'sign of peace' to the sanctuary which is at the least distracting. I continue to witness the EME's taking and replacing Communion vessels from the altar as well. I am not sure why the EME's are blessing children during Communion as well.
It seems to me that what is coming out of Rome is not being distributed to the proper people responsible for these ministries.
Thanks in advance
Gerry
Sent: Tuesday, May 22, 2007 3:33 PM
Subject: Re: extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist (EME)
> Fr Gene,
>
> Not sure how you read into this that I am unhappy here--unhappy with the
> role of the laity perhaps, but this is the parish I chose for my family to
> lay our roots down. We have been parishioners here since we moved back to
> area in late 1990's or so. I am happy to call OLF home.
>
> But not sure what to do when I read about the rubrics of the Church whether
> in the CCC/ GIRM/ or some other Church resource and see it different than
> what we are celebrating here at OLF. I don't understand why if the
> Authority in Rome says things should be done in one way why are we doing
> them perhaps differently? Am I supposed to remain quiet and not question?
>
> I am not a 'casual Catholic' but an ardent and faithful follower of the
> Traditions and Authority of the Church. I also love going to Mass and try
> to go as often as I can. But, lately perhaps these 'little things' during
> the Mass have been disrupting to me and I've returned from Mass angry, which
> cant be healthy for my spiritual growth.
>
> I appreciate your help.
>
> Thanks
>
> Gerry
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