Why a woman has chosen to stop receiving Communion on the tongue

From the National Catholic REGISTER.  My emphases and comments:

Why I’m Giving Up Communion On the Tongue
Share BY DANIELLE BEAN

I have always received the Eucharist on the tongue.

This is not something I usually get all political or righteous about. I understand that many devout people hold different opinions on this topic and that “good” Catholics are free to receive on the hand or on the tongue. [That is, for now, the Church’s law.  But let us not forget that Communion in the hand is a departure from the actual norm.] For me, though, receiving on the tongue has always felt like the most appropriate way to recognize and respect Christ’s real presence in the Eucharist.

But now I’m not so sure anymore.

While I still very much prefer to receive on the tongue, I am afraid that option is becoming a less reasonable choice for me. And, ironically, it’s becoming a less respectful way to receive the Eucharist. [?]

At the Masses I attend, more often than not, I receive Communion from an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion. These EMHCs, more often than not, have no idea what to do when a person presents herself to receive Communion on the tongue. I am not blaming them for this problem so much as whatever training they have received. I know that their training for Communion on the tongue is inadequate because …

—Some of them place the host on my tongue along with what feels like their entire hand.

—Some rush to jam the host into my mouth even as they are still saying “Body of Christ” and I am hurrying to respond “Amen.”

—Some ignore my children’s open mouths and opt instead to force the host between the fingers of their folded hands.

—And finally, some, like the poor lady who gave me Communion yesterday, are so flustered and anxious in the face of an on-the-tongue situation, that they fail to place the host anywhere near my tongue. They let go of it somewhere on the approach to my face and it winds up on floor.

[From Redemptionis Sacramentum: “[92.] … If there is a risk of profanation, then Holy Communion should not be given in the hand to the faithful.”]

The woman yesterday apologized and immediately picked it up. Thoroughly defeated, I offered my hands for her to place it in.

It shouldn’t be this hard.  [Where is the pastor?]

I know I could “solve” this problem by only attending Mass in the Extraordinary Form where receiving on the tongue while kneeling is the norm. But that is just not a realistic option for me. [This isn’t an Extraordinary Form v. Ordinary Form question.]

I could be stubborn and insist upon receiving on the tongue because I have a right to, even when the challenges it causes become a distraction to myself and others. But that doesn’t seem like something Christ would want me to do. [Hmmm…]

Jesus is Jesus, in my hand or on my tongue.  [Yes.]

And that is why I am 90% convinced that from now on, when I receive the Eucharist from an EMHC, I should put my own preferences aside and receive in the way that is least likely to cause confusion and distraction—in the hand.

O Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart like yours!

Surely this will cause some discussion.

Off the top of my head a few questions pop up.

Where is the pastor?  If the is what the EMHC are doing, the pastor should intervene.  If the pastor won’t, then the bishop must.   They must be informed.

If the writer is concerned about her children, and their experience of receiving Communion, what does she teach them about giving in when it comes to receiving Christ in a way that she clearly thinks is less reverent?

We have to get the word out more and more.

If you are going to contribute to a conversation here, exercise some self-editing and try to raise the level.  Blast away and I will blast you right out of the combox.

Posted in Our Catholic Identity |
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The Pope will follow up with the British people on Christmas

In case you haven’t see this… from AFP:

Pope to deliver Christmas message on the BBC

LONDON (AFP) – Pope Benedict XVI will deliver a brief message for BBC radio’s “Thought for the Day” programme on the morning of Christmas Eve, the broadcaster said Wednesday. [When you start on a “new evangelization”, you have to stick with it.]

In what is believed to be his first personally scripted broadcast, the pope will address listeners in the short slot which traditionally goes out during the corporation’s flagship Today programme.

Benedict recorded the message in Rome on Wednesday.

Gwyneth Williams, the controller of BBC Radio 4, said he was “delighted Pope Benedict is sharing his Christmas message with the Radio 4 audience.

“It’s significant that the Pope has chosen Thought for the Day to give his first personally scripted broadcast — and what better time to do so than on the eve of one of the biggest celebrations on the Christian calendar.”

“Thought for the Day” consists of some five minutes of personal reflection from faith leaders and believers from other denominations.

The pope’s broadcast comes three months after he made a state visit to Britain.

Britain’s National Secular Society attacked the BBC’s move.

“The BBC is giving the Pope an unquestioned slot to continue whitewashing his Church’s disgraceful record on covering up child abuse by its priests,” said the group’s president, Terry Sanderson.d

Posted in New Evangelization, Pope of Christian Unity |
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WDTPRS 23 December Collect (2002MR)

Here is the first prayer for the Mass of 23 December, the last full day of Advent before the Vigil of Christmas.

COLLECT:
Omnipotens sempiterne Deus,
nativitatem Filii tui secundum carnem
propinquare cernentes,
quaesumus, ut nobis indignis famulis tuis
misericordiam praestet Verbum,
quod ex Virgine Maria dignatum est caro fieri,
et habitare in nobis.

This is an ancient prayer from Rotulus 24 published with the Veronese Sacramentary.

A LITERAL VERSION:
Almighty everlasting God,
as we are discerning that the Nativity of Your Son according to the flesh
approaches,
we beseech You, that the Word grant mercy to us Your unworthy servants
for it deigned to be made flesh from the Virgin Mary
and dwell amongst us.

That use of dignatum est isn’t very common, and so it should spark interest right away.  In looking around for how this has been used by ancient writers, I found an interesting passage in a letter of Fulgentius of Ruspe (ep. 7.18):

Deus ergo factus est Christus ut Christus esset deus homoque perfectus, quia verbum dignatum est caro fieri, ut caro posset verbi, hoc est dei, nomine nuncupari. … God therefore became Christ so that Christ might be the perfect God and man, for the Word deigned to become flesh, so that flesh could be proclaimed by the name of the Word, that is God’s.

Nuncupo, as your own copy of the Lewis & Short Dictionary will tell you, is not merely “to call by name, to call, name”,, but also “to name publicly before witnesses as one’s heir” and “to announce publicly, proclaim formally”.  The naming is critically important here.  The Word becoming flesh resounds.  It is God’s manifest claim of paternity over humanity, an indestructible bond.

What catches my attention in the Collect is the interplay between the form of indignus with dignatum est.

We are unworthy (nos indigni) but it was deemed a worthy thing (dignatum est) that the Word should become flesh (Verbum caro fieri).

REVISED VERSION:
Almighty everlasting God,
as we see how near is your Son’s birth
according to the flesh,
we your unworthy servants pray
that mercy may flow to us from your Word,
who chose to become flesh of the Virgin Mary
and to dwell among us,
Jesus Christ our Lord
.

Posted in SESSIUNCULA, WDTPRS |
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A little arm-chair medicine and the Phoenix Affair

It is hard to make long-distance determinations about the facts of a case when those facts are sketchy.

That said, a reader sent the following:

Just a bit of medical knowledge related to the abortion/Phoenix scandal:

I spoke with the head of Ethics/Chief Medical Officer at my place of work on the issue.  He-a retired Ob/Gyn surgeon and Catholic/pro-life-stated after ~5000 deliveries he personally performed and overeeing more as an administrator at Catholic hospitals, never has he seen a case where a mother was in danger of losing her life with an abortion as the answer[Guess there is case 5001, but it doesn’t look good for those who prescribe abortion, does it?] In the recent case-to his limited knowledge on the said situation-the doctors could have gotten her through a few more weeks and decided which was a safer place for the life: in the womb or in an intensive care unit.  Again, he cannot imagine in his experience that an abortion would even help the mother-and even if id could, you still do not perform [it].  (I am not even sure if an action of “double effect” could be done, like, for example, with an ectopic pregnancy.)
It’s diffiult once people know you are Catholic-they usually only see their individual rights!  I am very tired-but extremely glad-to defend Mother Church.
Some food for thought when considering the Phoenix Affair.

If there are some Catholic physicians reading, they might chime in.

Posted in Emanations from Penumbras, The Drill | Tagged
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An upcoming film about a Catholic priest during the “Rape of Nanjing”

Via CMR I read this:

This looks pretty interesting. MTV reports:

Bale will headline “Nanjing Heroes,” a period drama about the Massacre of Nanjing, also known as the”Rape of Nanking, from award-winning Chinese Zhang Yimoufilmmaker Zhang Youmi [Zhang Yimou] (“Hero,” “Raise the Red Lantern”)…  [If you haven’t seen his films…. see them.  You could do worse than to start with The Road Home, a gorgeous film about tradition and continuity.]

In the film, Bale will play an American Catholic priest who shelters a group of prostitutes and female students in his church during the Massacre of Nanking, a 1937 invasion in which Japanese soldiers stormed China’s then-capital and murdered and raped thousands of Chinese citizens.

Based on Yan Geling’s novel “The 13 Women of Nanjing,” the film will begin shooting in China in January, with roughly 40 percent of the dialogue spoken in English and the rest in Mandarin.

Posted in The Campus Telephone Pole | Tagged ,
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An upcoming beatification

ManelliIn the Italian daily La repubblica there is an article about an upcoming beatification.

Vatican City – In spite of the fact that only his salary was coming in, they had 21 children: an example of Christian “faithfulness” and “acceptance” which the Church points to also for every family today with the beatification of the couple.  ….

I don’t have time to translate the whole thing, but with the beatification Holy Church will hold up Settimo Manelli (1886-1978) and Licia Gualandris (1907-2004) as “exemplary spouses and parents”.

In a time when families are being called upon to tighten the belt, in a time when the decline of the number of children being brought into families with a loving father and mother in the home, in a time when more and more children are being exposed less and less to a life of Christian faith well-lived, this beatification takes on its own importance, much as did the beatifications of Bl. Luigi Quattrocchi and Maria Corsini, or that of St. Gianna Beretta Molla.

Posted in Saints: Stories & Symbols | Tagged
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Have yourself a multicultural little Christmaaaaas…

From Religion Law Blog comes A Politically Correct Nativity Play:

Characters: Mary and an Angel.

(Please note that the role of the Angel is Non Gender specific and therefore the person playing the role must be chosen in accordance with an approved diversity procedure)

(Mary is sitting on the floor crosslegged with her eyes shut and her hands on her knees palms up. She is chanting)

MARY: Ohmm, Ohmm, Ohmm,

(The Angel enters Stage Left (or Stage Right depending on cultural preferences)

ANGEL: Mary

(Mary stands up startled, she adjusts her Hijab to cover her face and speaks)

MARY: Who are you ? You interrupted me when I was allowing my Kharma to flow forth and develop my Krishna Consciousness

ANGEL: I am Ahura Mazda, Lord of Light and a messenger of Allah. I have come to tell you that you are to have a child and in his honour every year children everywhere will be given presents regardless of their race, colour, creed, sexual orientation or transgender inclinations

MARY: But how can this be, I am a good Jewish Girl, though I hasten to add not a member of the international Zionist conspiracy or involved in the suppression of the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people

ANGEL: All things are possible to Allah. He has the power to turn Teddy bears into Criminals or Global Warming into snowy blizzards so this will be easy for him. The child will be born just after the festival of Divalli. Farewell Mary and may the force be with you.

MARY: Wait, you have not told me what the name of the baby will be

(The Angel thinks for a minute)

ANGEL: It’s funny you should say that but with everything else that’s going on these days I’ve completely forgotten who the baby is

THE END ?

Posted in Lighter fare | Tagged
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Yummmm!

Cookie break.

Espresso with the best Chocolate Chip Cookies in the cosmos, made by and sent by my mother.

I, not my mother, made the espresso, by the way.

Posted in Lighter fare | Tagged
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Reminders about Christmas and Holy Communion

First, if you are not in the state of grace, don’t just go to Holy Communion anyway.  That’s a sacrilege and a mortal sin.  Those of you who are lax about Mass attendance need to remember that not going to Holy Mass on Sundays and other days of obligation, when you could go, is a mortal sin. Go to confession and then make your good Holy Communion.  We all know the bit about making a perfect act of contrition… maybe you can do that and maybe you can’t.  That’s up to you.  But God cannot be fooled.  If you know you shouldn’t receive then don’t.

Second, if you know you cannot go to Holy Communion that does not mean you are excused from going to Mass.  You still have the obligation to attend Mass on Sundays and days of obligation even if you can’t receive.  That’s why they are called days of obligation.  It is your attendance that is obligatory, not Communion.

Third, observe the Eucharistic Fast, which is one hour before Communion not one hour before the beginning of Mass.  If you want to fast longer, fine.  One hour is the law, unless you are sick, etc. etc.  Remember, to receive Communion we have to be disposed in our souls (by being in the state of grace) and in our bodies (by observation of the fast which pertains to our state in life).

Fourth, if you are in the state of grace you may receive Holy Communion at Midnight Mass and also receive once more if you also go to Christmas Mass during the day (even if “Midnight Mass” begins at or after Midnight, that is, on the same calendar day).

The 1983 CIC c. 917 for the Latin Church states that you can receive twice in a day, “iterum… again”.  Iterum doesn’t mean “repeatedly”.  So long as the second time is in the context of a Mass you attend, you can receive one more time.  A third time must be in death of your death.

Fifth, all this this pertains both to the old Mass, the Extraordinary Form, as well as the new Mass or Novus Ordo.

I write this because I noted the 2011 Ordo for the Extraordinary Form put out by the SSPX states (and here I make the assumption that their 2010 Ordo says the same thing):

Those receiving Communion at this Mass after Midnight may not receive again at Masses attended on Christmas Day.

That is not what Holy Church’s law says for Latin Church Catholics.  Eastern Catholic laws are probably stricter, I don’t know.  I don’t doubt for a moment that Easterners will chime in.

That doesn’t mean that you must receive.  It only means that you can receive, contrary to what is printed in that Ordo.  It is otherwise a pretty good source.

If you hear an announcement or read something about that in a bulletin, now you know the truth of the matter.

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, The Drill | Tagged , , , ,
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We have seen this movie before, and it ain’t The Bells of St. Mary’s.

We have seen this movie before, and it ain’t The Bells of St. Mary’s.

The conflict in Phoenix between Bp. Thomas Olmsted and St. Joseph’s Hospital exemplifies a deeper problem, which more and more is going to tear the unity of the Church in the United States.

St. Joseph’s Hospital, run by the Religious Sisters of Mercy with the administration of Catholic Healthcare West based in San Francisco, at the okay of their ethics panel, did a direct abortion.  They have also provided contraceptive services and, apparently, done other abortions, according to the statement made by Bp. Olmsted.

Since the Hospital’s administration will not obey the local bishop in these matters, the local bishop has determined that the hospital is not Catholic and may not identify itself as such.

The ultra-liberal National Catholic Reporter, condemned by the local ordinary in Kansas City, Bp. Charles Helmsing as long ago as 1968, today published that the Catholic Health Association has backed the hospital against the bishop. Under the direction of Sr. Carol Keehan, the CHA gave cover to pro-abortion “Catholic” Democrats to vote in favor of health care legislation which the Catholic bishops warned would provide taxpayer money for abortions.

Sr. Keehan parroted the statement released by St. Joseph’s Hospital after Bp. Olmsted’s decree, “They carefully evaluated the patient’s situation and correctly applied the ‘Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services’ to it, saving the only life that was possible to save.”  Of course, it is the local bishop who makes these determinations, not Sr. Carol and the Catholic Health Association, and the bishop disagrees.

Just as an aside, the Chairman of Catholic Health Association’s board is Catholic Healthcare West’s CEO, Lloyd Dean.

To our eternal shame there were also Catholics on the side of the Holocaust.

The liberal, small-c catholic left in the USA is evolving a parallel church, once again in this case under a “Magisterium of Nuns“, claiming the right to teach over and against the legitimate pastors of the Church, the bishops.

St. Joseph’s Hospital will go on functioning.  Many people will seek care there.  Many of those who are paying attention will decide to back the hospital against the bishop, determine that the administrators are the authentic interpreters of Catholic teaching, not the bishop.  This has played itself out in the past one more than one occasion.  The Donatist Church and Priscillianism come to mind.  Groups which break off from the Church will always have a following.

But the fact remains that St. Joseph’s Hospital in Phoenix is no longer a Catholic Hospital and it was the bishop who made that determination, not some corporate board who decided to jettison the baggage of the heritage of which they are so proud… when they are fund-raising.  The bishop removed the title.

“So what?”, some cynics will snicker.  “So the bishop took away their title.   Big deal.”   Others, perhaps of the more conservative stripe will fume that the bishop should have done even more, that his measures didn’t go far enough.

No.   This isn’t a “big deal“.  This is a huge deal.

“This changes very little”, some will say, “and it is only a symbolic move.”

Of course it is symbolic!  Symbols are, for Catholics, important and powerful.

You may be tempted to think, “Is that all the bishop can do?  Remove this symbol?  Remove the title ‘Catholic’?”  But, had this been a Methodist Hospital, would it matter if the hospital lost its “Methodist” title?  Would it matter if it kept it?  No, because symbols are not important to Methodists in the way they are to Catholics.  Catholicism is immersed in a profoundly symbolic world, like no other religion in history.

When a Catholic bishop issues a formal decree to confirm that you have stripped yourself of your Catholic identity, that is monumental.   This is what schism smells like, friends.

Be clear: the administration of the hospital stripped itself of its Catholic identity and Bp. Olmsted confirmed their decision.

Bp. Olmsted’s move reaches far beyond that one hospital.

Our proximity to Christmas, and this sad tale of conflict, leads me to the image of Bp. Olmsted playing the role The Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come, pointing his finger at a dismal future for “Catholic” institutions, hospitals, universities, which have eroded their Catholic identity to the point where they no longer accept the authority of the bishops to teach and discipline.  Instead, they embrace, once again, a Magisterium of Nuns.

We have seen this all before.

Posted in Emanations from Penumbras, Magisterium of Nuns, New Evangelization, Our Catholic Identity, The Drill, The future and our choices, Wherein Fr. Z Rants | Tagged , , , ,
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