Do you communicate?

[Loki]

I don't. I believe in transubstantiation as much as I believe anything else, but through a strange set of circumstances, I made my first communion without first confession, and am sort of still a really agnostic Catholic.

So I go up with my arms crossed.

As there seem to be others in the no-man's land that I'm in, do you stay seated, or go up for a blessing?

Going up with one's arms crossed may not be that widespread; I've seen some parishes where it's not practised at all, and some where it's fairly common, and still some where some will stay seated, some will go up for a blessing. I asked a priest at my parish specifically if they were okay with it there, and he responded that it was absolutely okay, and welcomed everyone to participate as fully as they're able.

It really is something special, and will have to suffice until I figure out what I believe and make my confession. It's not much, but it's something.

And I hate having to make people climb over me in the pews.

[Fish and Bread]

I don't take communion when I attend mass from time to time in Roman Catholic parishes. I wonder if I could go up for a blessing, but because those things vary by local custom, and because there are so many lay distributors of communion (Who shouldn't be able to give blessings, I would think, at least traditionally -- though feel free to correct me if they do nowadays), I am hesitant. The safer thing seems to be not go up rather than risk disrupting things by trying to explain to a confused priest, deacon, or confused lay distributer, but it is always very awkward trying to get out of people's way and to wind up back in my original spot and so forth. No real perfect solution.

Anyone know if things worked differently in the pre-Vatican II days when so many fewer people took communion on a weekly basis?

[Protinus]

Loki,
I'm an EM and I would say 10% come up with blessings requested (including children). I love it! please come up next time...I will be there with you.

[UberLutheran]

Absolutely — unless I'm in a bad space emotionally or angry with someone, in which case I wait until I'm calmer and use the reserved Sacrament at home.

As such, I've communed in Catholic, Episcopal, Lutheran and Methodist churches: Sunday Communion really is that important to me.

[Cat59]

I stopped communicating when I stopped believing in transubstantiation, along with other things, partly as I felt it would dishonour my family, who are serious believers and who would not want me to receive "unworthily" for want of a better word. Usually when I go to church, I'm playing guitar, and I don't go up for a blessing, though have been blessed by a roving priest more than once, when I have indicated I am not receiving. But like you, once I got to a certain level of uncertainty, I felt I could not say the "Amen", the "I agree" to what to me was a question posed- "The Body of Christ?" nor could I go up for a blessing as emotionally for me, it would have been a difficult step.

[Loki]

though have been blessed by a roving priest

I LOLed

[Fish and Bread]

Usually when I go to church, I'm playing guitar, and I don't go up for a blessing, though have been blessed by a roving priest more than once

That happens to me even when I don't go to mass. ;) In fact, there's a roving priest right now. Arrggghhhh, nooooo, not again! ;)

Actually, had things worked out differently, I might have one day wound up in a situation where I wouldn't have been joking about that. :) I dated a woman for a while who was considering entering seminary for the Episcopalian priesthood after she completed her college studies. Really wonderful girl in a lot of ways, I was very deeply in love with her. Ultimately she decided, though, that I would be too much of a financial strain on her and that my situation (disabilities and not being able to work) was too much of a social stigma for her to handle (i.e. what her family and friends would think) if things ever worked out and stopped seeing me. I can't say I really blame her, though things did get a little heated towards the end when she spent many months not seeing me while telling me she'd love me forever but couldn't decide if she wanted to change her mind and maybe would see in a few years (Ultimately I kind of blew up at her and told her not to change her mind, and we don't talk -- I'm not sure I did the right thing there, but I'm Irish and just couldn't take the "leading on" aspect of things anymore, I just had this vision of me suffering silently as she dated other guys and then in a few years her marrying someone else and reminding me that she promised nothing and I couldn't handle going through all that.).

[QuantaCura]

If you cannot receive Communion, you should always still make a spiritual communion :) . Here is a great prayer to make a spiritual Communion:

Soul of Christ, sanctify me.
Body of Christ, save me.
Blood of Christ, inebriate me.
Water from the side of Christ, wash me.
Passion of Christ, strengthen me.
O good Jesus, hear me.
Within Thy wounds hide me.
Suffer me not to be separated from Thee.
From the malignant enemy, defend me.
In the hour of my death, call me.
And bid me come to Thee.
That with Thy saints I may praise Thee.
Forever and ever. Amen

:crossrc:

[Diane_Windsor]

I rarely go to Mass anymore, and I usually leave before communion.

[HyacinthBouquet]

When I am in the Roman Catholic Church I do not receive Holy Communion. It just would not seem right to me because of the Roman Catholic rules on schism, dissent, etc. When I started going to the Anglican Catholic Church and receiving Holy Communion there, I was aware that in the RC Church's eyes I was in schism with Rome. So I did not feel welcome or worthy to receive their (the RCC) Eucharist.

I'm so depressed at the moment that it even seems sacrilege to go to communion in the Anglican Church. However, I always say "I'm sorry" to God before going. And last time, although I did not feel worthy, after receiving Holy Communion I felt "good" and "healed", well, at least for a while. (I had to go to communion because my children wanted me to go with them. I wondered whether that was the wrong motive but then, afterwards, the sacrament had such a good effect on me, that I thought that maybe it was OK.)

[MikeK]

Do you communicate?I do most of the time and more often than I probably should. I'm kinda unsure about that right now. I don't have a problem sitting in a pew and just deciding not to go up - but I'm in front of the Church playing somesort of instrumenmt on most Sundays - everybody near me goes up, so I do too. Weak, eh?

I don't ask for a blessing, because I've never seen it done and I doubt any of our EM's would know what to do. I'm not usually in the Priest's line.

[Rochir]

If you cannot receive Communion, you should always still make a spiritual communion :) . Here is a great prayer to make a spiritual Communion:

Soul of Christ, sanctify me.
Body of Christ, save me.
Blood of Christ, inebriate me.
Water from the side of Christ, wash me.
Passion of Christ, strengthen me.
O good Jesus, hear me.
Within Thy wounds hide me.
Suffer me not to be separated from Thee.
From the malignant enemy, defend me.
In the hour of my death, call me.
And bid me come to Thee.
That with Thy saints I may praise Thee.
Forever and ever. Amen

:crossrc:

Is that only for Catholics?:scratch:

[Loki]

When I am in the Roman Catholic Church I do not receive Holy Communion. It just would not seem right to me because of the Roman Catholic rules on schism, dissent, etc. When I started going to the Anglican Catholic Church and receiving Holy Communion there, I was aware that in the RC Church's eyes I was in schism with Rome. So I did not feel welcome or worthy to receive their (the RCC) Eucharist.


I'm sorry that it has hurt you, but I would like to thank you and say I respect you for your respect of the the Sacrament.

[Loki]

I don't ask for a blessing, because I've never seen it done and I doubt any of our EM's would know what to do. I'm not usually in the Priest's line.

It's sort of odd; I'm not sure how old the practice is. I think that the posture of having one's arms crossed one's chest is at least a few centuries old, indicating a penitent, but this is just from putting bits and pieces of oblique references together.

It's not the easiest thing to google "going up with your arms crossed" :P

[boughtwithaprice]

Is that only for Catholics?:scratch:
While it is a Catholic prayer, I would say, if the sentiments match your own, by all means use it. God speaks all languages and cares more about what is on your heart when you pray, than that actual words that you use:)

[MikeK]

Your search - "going up with your arms crossed" - did not match any documents.

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[QuantaCura]

When I am in the Roman Catholic Church I do not receive Holy Communion. It just would not seem right to me because of the Roman Catholic rules on schism, dissent, etc. When I started going to the Anglican Catholic Church and receiving Holy Communion there, I was aware that in the RC Church's eyes I was in schism with Rome. So I did not feel welcome or worthy to receive their (the RCC) Eucharist.

Maybe I can help you understand why we have such rules--it is not to be mean or hurtful or holier than thou or anything like that, which I have seen some non-Catholics make it out to be. Approaching Holy Communion is a sign of just that, communion, it is that sacrament of unity. When one approaches Holy Communion, one is professing that firm visible bond of unity in faith and charity. For one to approach communion without being united in faith or charity (being in mortal sin breaks the bond of charity) would be to essentially lie before God.

Given the reasons you state, the fact that you do not approach Communion shows great humility and honesty, for which you should be praised :) . Other people in your situation may have acted with a sense of entitlement and received anyway--this would be one of the worst attitudes one could have when receiving this Sacrament. I know our Heavenly Father appreciates your humility and honesty and you should definitely still unite yourself to Christ in a spiritual communion and maybe say a prayer for the visible unity in faith of all Christians (as we all should). :)

[RadicallyTransformedMom]

when in a Catholic church i always go up for communion (even though i never got an anulment from my first marriage). i don't think i ever admitted that in OBOB all the years i posted there, which is why i am relieved this forum is here..i can finally talk candidly on things i agree or disagree on.

i go up for communion because i believe that God blessed my current marriage. i dont feel i need a piece of paper to tell me so.

[UberLutheran]

I've also communicated in Roman Catholic churches.

For me, it's simple:

1) Do I believe the Eucharist is a Sacrament which communicates God's grace through a physical medium (bread and wine)? Yes.

2) Do I believe the bread and wine become the actual Body and Blood of Christ during Communion. Yes.

3) Do I believe the Catholic (in the sense of "worldwide") church includes Roman Catholics, Anglicans, Lutherans [and add 35,000 denomination] and despite doctrinal differences and different emphases on Scripture, that we're all one in Christ? Yes.

So I commune. For me, it's a no-brainer. And when Catholic friends are visiting us and attend church with us, I enthusiastically invite them to join us in Communion!

[Protinus]

Your search - "going up with your arms crossed" - did not match any documents.

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please define your comments and their relevance to this discussion.

[longhair75]

When I reached the point where I realized that I was in disagreement with the Roman Catholic Church, I stopped receiving Communion while I worked out my issues. I continued to try to work them out for almost a year. During that time, I attended Mass every Sunday, but stayed back praying during communion. I was unable to reconcile my differences. Since then I have attended Mass at funerals. I still stay back.

[Protinus]

longhair: thank you so much for that testimony and I hope that you contribute more!

[tashiseisei]

I've always, for whatever uneducated reason, thought that since the word is "communion" then you would "commune" or have "communed," so I had no idea what this thread was about. Communicate with who? About what? Talking to a priest? What? ^_^

I haven't since I was quite young, and have only done it once or twice in my life. I'm not a baptized member of any church, so I can't, anywhere, now, while being completely honest, so I don't.

[Protinus]

I've always, for whatever uneducated reason, thought that since the word is "communion" then you would "commune" or have "communed," so I had no idea what this thread was about. Communicate with who? About what? Talking to a priest? What? ^_^

I haven't since I was quite young, and have only done it once or twice in my life. I'm not a baptized member of any church, so I can't, anywhere, now, while being completely honest, so I don't.


Said Jesus to his disciples, - "Do this in remembrance of Me."

I am bound to my church as to what I can do- receive communion, after steady inventory of grave sin...daily, weekly and seeking confession before hand if guilty of grave sin.

When Jesus called his disciples to the upper room...we were all there and worthy of the communion....but it is not possible at this time. I can not invite a friend to church without them feeling excluded.

[JasonV]

It's sort of odd; I'm not sure how old the practice is. I think that the posture of having one's arms crossed one's chest is at least a few centuries old, indicating a penitent, but this is just from putting bits and pieces of oblique references together.

It's not the easiest thing to google "going up with your arms crossed" :P

That's because it's a very obscure topic Loki.

The action is actually more than a few centuries old. It is actually a pre-Christian gesture, dating back at least to the sixth century BC (and probably much older). So you could say it's thousands of years old. Among the ancients, the sign was called: "The Sign of the Good Shepherd".

It was adopted by Christianity, as was the term "The Good Shepherd". The Eastern Churches actually use this sign when taking the Eucharist, as opposed to the West which uses this sign as a symbol of a non-communicant.

Here's a nice pic for everyone to see: http://rationalrevolution.net/images/moschophoros.jpg

So....there you go.

when in a Catholic church i always go up for communion (even though i never got an anulment from my first marriage). i don't think i ever admitted that in OBOB all the years i posted there, which is why i am relieved this forum is here..i can finally talk candidly on things i agree or disagree on.

i go up for communion because i believe that God blessed my current marriage. i dont feel i need a piece of paper to tell me so.

I am so please you can share this with us RTM. God bless you. :clap:

[Loki]

I've always, for whatever uneducated reason, thought that since the word is "communion" then you would "commune" or have "communed," so I had no idea what this thread was about. Communicate with who? About what? Talking to a priest? What? ^_^

Using communicate instead of commune is just a bit of archaism on my part. I sort of prefer the older word, though.

Thanks Jason for the info; I'm sorta glad it's obscure, because I feel less culturally illiterate for not knowing the origins.

The world keeps wobbling, so I should probably go to bed now, or very soon.

[JasonV]

You're very welcome Loki.

As an aside, the "Sign of the Good Shepherd" is also the gesture used by Freemasons when praying to the Great Architect of the Universe.

[MikeK]

please define your comments and their relevance to this discussion.

No.