But just as physicians when curing the same disorder receive from some person a hundred gold pieces, from others half, from others less and from some nothing at all: even so Christ received from the centurion a large and unspeakable degree of faith, but from this man less and from the other not even an ordinary amount, and yet He healed them all. For what reason then did He deem the man who made no deposit of faith worthy of the benefit? Because his failure to exhibit faith was not owing to indolence, or to insensibility of soul, but to ignorance of Christ and having never heard any miracle in which He was concerned either small or great. On this account therefore the man obtained indulgence: which in fact the evangelist obscurely intimates when he says, “for he wist not who it was,” but he only recognized Him by sight when he lighted upon Him the second time. — para. 4
From CNA: Communion in hand should be revised, Vatican official says
Archbishop Albert Malcolm Ranjith, Secretary of the Vatican’s Congregation for Divine Cult and Discipline of the Sacraments has said that the policy of giving Communion in the hand should be revised.
Receiving Holy Communion in the hand “produces a growing weakening of a devout attitude toward the Most Holy Sacrament,” wrote Archbishop Ranjith in the preface of a book from the Auxiliary Bishop of Kazakhstan, Bishop Athanasius Schneider.
The book’s title, printed by the Vatican Editing house, is —Dominus Est: Meditations of a Bishop from Central Asia on the Sacred Eucharist.”
Archbishop Ranjith says in the preface that the Eucharist should be received “with reverence and an attitude of devout adoration,” and claims that the practice of receiving Communion in the hand “was introduced in some places in an abusive and hurried manner.”
The Archbishop also highlights that the Second Vatican Council never promoted or legitimated such practice.
—I believe it is time to evaluate and reconsider such a practice, and if necessary, abandon it all together,” Ranjith concludes.
That and the whole idea of “Extraordinary ‘Ministers'” should be done away with
I know of what I speak because in my R.C. days, back in Buffalo, I was one. Our parish had 3-4 priests at any one time and 20+ “Extraordinary ‘Ministers.'” The priests sat back and let the EM’s do the work – and there were no huge crowds at any one Mass. Beyond that, whenever I attend a R.C. Church (family funerals, other occasions) I sit back and am amazed at what I see during the distribution of the Holy Eucharist.
The most recent example was a woman with a walker. She could not possibly let go of the walker with both hands so as to follow protocol.
As I recall the protocol
As she could not do that, she let go of the walker with the right hand. The ‘minister’ placed the Eucharist there. Then she brought her hand up to her mouth and literally ‘hoovered’ the Eucharist into her mouth. I almost fell over.
In the U.S. the extraordinary is the ordinary. It is merely a subterfuge for, as Catholic Church Conservation would call, stealth priestesses and other abuses. The Young Fogey has mentioned that clown masses are a thing of the distant past – and perhaps so. What they’ve been replaced with makes those look absolutely Tridentine (check out the photos at CathCon and marvel at the inventiveness of it all).
If people have to “wait” and few extra seconds for the Eucharist – so what. Seek forgiveness, approach with joy and expectation, and most of all build up the desire within yourself. After all, you are approaching God.
Happy Candlemas Day – the traditional end of the Christmas season.
This weekend we will bless candles – the traditional Gromniczna or Thunder Candle. The candle is kept in the homes of faithful Catholics and is used to ward off danger from storms and other threats. It is also used when the Holy Eucharist is brought to the home for distribution to the ill and home bound.
O Lord, Jesus Christ, Who wast presented by Thy parents in the temple, and Whom the venerable Simeon, illuminated by the light of Thy Spirit, recognized as his Savior, took into his arms and blessed: vouchsafe graciously to grant, that following the holy example of Simeon, we may always recognize Thee as our light and life, that we may always love Thee and follow Thee toward our way to salvation and eternal happiness. Who with the Father, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, livest and reignest God, world without end. Amen.
Upon all this that righteous man, waxing bold and yielding to the exhortation of the mother of God, who is the handmaid of God in regard to the things which pertain to men, received into his aged arms Him who in infancy was yet the Ancient of days, and blessed God, and said, “Lord, now let Your servant depart in peace, according to Your word: for my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared before the face of all people; a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel.” I have received from You a joy unmixed with pain. Receive me rejoicing, O Lord, and singing of Your mercy and compassion. You have given unto me this joy of heart. I render unto You with gladness my tribute of thanksgiving. I have known the power of the love of God. Since, for my sake, God of You begotten, in a manner ineffable, and without corruption, has become man. I have known the inexplicable greatness of Your love and care for us, for You have sent forth Your own bowels to come to our deliverance. Now, at length, I understand what I had from Solomon learned: “Strong as death is love: for by it shall the sting of death be done away, by it shall the dead see life, by it shall even death learn what death is, being made to cease from that dominion which over us he exercised. By it, also, shall the serpent, the author of our evils, be taken captive and overwhelmed.” — VIII
If any one affirms that Christ is saved, and refuses to acknowledge that He is the Saviour of the world, and the Light of the world, even as it is written, let him be anathema. — Topic 7
If any one affirms that He who suffered is one, and that He who suffered not is another, and refuses to acknowledge that the Word, who is Himself the impassible and unchangeable God, suffered in the flesh which He had assumed really, yet without mutation, even as it is written, let him be anathema. — Topic 6
If any one affirms that the Son of God who is before the ages is one, and He who has appeared in these last times is another, and refuses to acknowledge that He who is before the ages is the same with Him who appeared in these last times, even as it is written, let him be anathema. — Topic 5
If any one affirms that Christ was born of the seed of man by the Virgin, in the same manner as all men are born, and refuses to acknowledge that He was made flesh by the Holy Spirit and the holy Virgin Mary, and became man of the seed of David, even as it is written, let him be anathema. — Topic 4
If any one affirms that Christ, just like one of the prophets, assumed the perfect man, and refuses to acknowledge that, being begotten in the flesh of the Virgin, He became man and was born in Bethlehem, and was brought up in Nazareth, and advanced in age, and on completing the set number of years (appeared in public and) was baptized in the Jordan, and received this testimony from the Father, “This is my beloved Son,” even as it is written, let him be anathema. — Topic 3
If any one affirms that the flesh of Christ is consubstantial with the divinity, and refuses to acknowledge that He, subsisting Himself in the form of God as God before all ages, emptied Himself and took the form of a servant, even as it is written, let him be anathema. — Topic 2