Maronite Priest- What is He Doing?

ringil · #1 Apr 24, '12, 8:43 am

When I take my 3 year-old with me up for Communion the Priest puts the Ciborium on top of her head. What is that?

RyanBlack · #2 Apr 24, '12, 8:49 am

He is giving a blessing.

ringil · #3 Apr 24, '12, 9:12 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by RyanBlack

He is giving a blessing.

I know that the practice of blessing kids on the communion line is frowned upon by many in the Latin rite. Is this not the case in the Maronite?

sllhouette · #4 Apr 24, '12, 9:40 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by ringil

I know that the practice of blessing kids on the communion line is frowned upon by many in the Latin rite. Is this not the case in the Maronite?

Different kind of blessing. Priest's don't give blessings when in the presence of the Eucharist. It just doesn't make sense to give a priestly blessing when in the presence of God. In this case however, the blessing is a Eucharistic blessing. Nothing wrong with that.

ringil · #5 Apr 24, '12, 9:46 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by sllhouette

Different kind of blessing. Priest's don't give blessings when in the presence of the Eucharist. It just doesn't make sense to give a priestly blessing when in the presence of God. In this case however, the blessing is a Eucharistic blessing. Nothing wrong with that.

Thanks.

It's a nice practice.

CB Catholic · #6 Apr 24, '12, 9:49 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by ringil

I know that the practice of blessing kids on the communion line is frowned upon by many in the Latin rite. Is this not the case in the Maronite?

It is frowned upon for the EMHC's to give blessings to the children, but most priests do in all the churches I have ever been in. I don't know about the EF or the Maronites.

ringil · #7 Apr 24, '12, 9:54 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by CB Catholic

It is frowned upon for the EMHC's to give blessings to the children, but most priests do in all the churches I have ever been in. I don't know about the EF or the Maronites.

My understanding is that in the Latin rite many priests are questioning or frowning upon the practice of blessing kids in the communion line.

Of course Eucharistic ministers shouldn't be doing anything like that. I wouldn't approach one with my kid for concern that they may do this.

MissBorgia · #8 Apr 24, '12, 10:00 am

that is so awesome !

Cristiano · #9 Apr 24, '12, 10:05 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by ringil

My understanding is that in the Latin rite many priests are questioning or frowning upon the practice of blessing kids in the communion line.

Of course Eucharistic ministers shouldn't be doing anything like that. I wouldn't approch one with my kid for concern that they may do this.

The problem is that in the Latin parishes people expect the priest to give a blessing while in this case it is a Eucharist blessing. Two different things, it is also important to look at the understanding of proper reception of communion according to Latin vs. eastern theology.

Jim Dandy · #10 Apr 24, '12, 10:08 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by CB Catholic

It is frowned upon for the EMHC's to give blessings to the children, but most priests do in all the churches I have ever been in. I don't know about the EF or the Maronites.

Blessings in the Communion line

Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments (Protocol No. 930/08/L):

Quote:
1. The liturgical blessing of the Holy Mass is properly given to each and to all at the conclusion of the Mass, just a few moments subsequent to the distribution of Holy Communion.

2. Lay people, within the context of Holy Mass, are unable to confer blessings. These blessings, rather, are the competence of the priest (cf. Ecclesia de Mysterio, Notitiae 34 (15 Aug. 1997), art. 6, § 2; Canon 1169, § 2; and Roman Ritual De Benedictionibus (1985), n. 18).

3. Furthermore, the laying on of a hand or hands — which has its own sacramental significance, inappropriate here — by those distributing Holy Communion, in substitution for its reception, is to be explicitly discouraged.

4. The Apostolic Exhortation Familiaris Consortio n. 84, “forbids any pastor, for whatever reason to pretext even of a pastoral nature, to perform ceremonies of any kind for divorced people who remarry”. To be feared is that any form of blessing in substitution for communion would give the impression that the divorced and remarried have been returned, in some sense, to the status of Catholics in good standing.

5. In a similar way, for others who are not to be admitted to Holy Communion in accord with the norm of law, the Church’s discipline has already made clear that they should not approach Holy Communion nor receive a blessing. This would include non-Catholics and those envisaged in can. 915 (i.e., those under the penalty of excommunication or interdict, and others who obstinately persist in manifest grave sin).

REDEMTIONIS SACRAMENTUM
CHAPTER VIII

REMEDIES
2. Grave Matters[173.] Although the gravity of a matter is to be judged in accordance with the common teaching of the Church and the norms established by her, objectively to be considered among grave matters is anything that puts at risk the validity and dignity of the Most Holy Eucharist: namely, anything that contravenes what is set out above in nn. 48-52, 56, 76-77, 79, 91-92, 94, 96, 101-102, 104, 106, 109, 111, 115, 117, 126, 131-133, 138, 153 and 168.

This ritual appears nowhere in the approved liturgical books of the Church. In fact, a person, on his own authority, cannot invent a ritual and insert into the Mass.

The Documents of Vatican II, Sacrosanctum Concilium, III. The Reform of the Sacred Liturgy, A. General Norms: 3:

Therefore no other person, even if he be a priest, may add, remove, or change anything in the Liturgy on his own authority.

Redemptionis Sacramentum:

[11.] The Mystery of the Eucharist "is too great for anyone to permit himself to treat it according to his own whim, so that its sacredness and its universal ordering would be obscured".27 On the contrary, anyone who acts thus by giving free rein to his own inclinations, even if he is a Priest, injures the substantial unity of the Roman Rite, which ought to be vigorously preserved,28 and becomes responsible for actions that are in no way consistent with the hunger and thirst for the living God that is experienced by the people today.

Catechism of the Catholic Church:

1125 For this reason {lex orandi, lex credendi, the Church believes as she prays] no sacramental rite may be modified or manipulated at the will of the minister or the community. Even the supreme authority in the Church may not change the liturgy arbitrarily, but only in obedience of faith and with religious respect for the mystery of the liturgy.

malphono · #11 Apr 24, '12, 10:21 am

It's a blessing, but it has absolutely nothing to do with the reprobated practice of "blessing" in lieu of communion in the Latin Rite Novus Ordo.

In any case, unfortunately, the Maronite Church has not restored the practice of communion with infant baptism, so what is done is simply a blessing imparted to children who have not yet been admitted to the Eucharist. The practice is of very long standing (dating, I believe, to the late 16th century). When it is done (and it is not universal any longer -- many of the more "modern" clergy hardly even know of the practice), it is only done for children, and even then, only to children whose parents bring them forward in the communion line.

englishredrose · #12 Apr 24, '12, 10:24 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by sllhouette

Different kind of blessing. Priest's don't give blessings when in the presence of the Eucharist. It just doesn't make sense to give a priestly blessing when in the presence of God. In this case however, the blessing is a Eucharistic blessing. Nothing wrong with that.

aren't we always in the presence of God?

in that we can call his name and he is with us anywhere where we are - we cannot hide from God because he is so amazingly always with us. Amen

Cristiano · #13 Apr 24, '12, 10:27 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by englishredrose

aren't we always in the presence of God?

in that we can call his name and he is with us anywhere where we are - we cannot hide from God because he is so amazingly always with us. Amen

Yes but if I follow your logic I can state that people should not ask for a blessing at all and I can bring it to the extreme and say that we also do not need to receive communion. Sacraments and sacramentals have very specific functions and effects.

Corki · #14 Apr 24, '12, 10:43 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by englishredrose

aren't we always in the presence of God?

in that we can call his name and he is with us anywhere where we are - we cannot hide from God because he is so amazingly always with us. Amen

Different concept of "presence". As Catholics, we believe in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist - Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity. It's a different theology than many Anglicans have.

ringil · #15 Apr 24, '12, 10:47 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by malphono

It's a blessing, but it has absolutely nothing to do with the reprobated practice of "blessing" in lieu of communion in the Latin Rite Novus Ordo.

In any case, unfortunately, the Maronite Church has not restored the practice of communion with infant baptism, so what is done is simply a blessing imparted to children who have not yet been admitted to the Eucharist. The practice is of very long standing (dating, I believe, to the late 16th century). When it is done (and it is not universal any longer -- many of the more "modern" clergy hardly even know of the practice), it is only done for children, and even then, only to children whose parents bring them forward in the communion line.

Very informative- thank you.