Thursday, May 11, 2017

On How Bad Things Have Got

I told my office mate of something I'd seen in my local parish; somebody, while receiving Communion, took several Hosts and put them in his pocket. This man is an altar server.

Should I have complained? Maybe I failed in my duty by not complaining.

The point is, my office mate is not a Catholic, not even a Christian as far as I know, and he was visibly shocked by this story. It makes me realize just how normalized this is becoming, when non-Catholics are more shocked than Catholics.

6 comments:

  1. At the risk of sounding sensationalist this is extremely worrying. Why should anyone do this? I fear these hosts may end up being desecrated , perhaps as part of a satanic ritual. The holy father regularly reminds us of the reality of satan.

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    1. The man is an altar server and seems very devout in his own way. I imagine he was bringing them to others. That doesn't make it any better, but I doubt there's any satanic ritual involved.

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  2. Hopefully not. I know of a priest who had to stop a "devout "sacristan who regularly topped up the tabernacle with unconsecrated hosts lest the priest ever run out of hosts ! Good intention but woeful catechesis. Let your priest know discretely. The parish can organise a proper organised dignified method of bringing communion to the house bound or sick. God bless

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  3. Séamus' AustraliaMay 11, 2017 at 5:59 PM

    I assume there was a pyx?
    I've seen lay people take the Hosts like that here to bring to the sick,I don't know if it's for convenience or theological reasons(they might think it has more meaning if the extraordinary minister takes the Host as part of Mass)
    St Justin, in the second century, mentioned that the deacons took Communion to the sick straight from the actual Mass, but I can see it being done with a bit finesse somehow

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  4. Did he put his hand into the ciborium? Is he insane?

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    1. I can't remember exactly-- I fear the priest handed them to him, although I'm not sure about that. I don't think he's insane, just very badly catechized.

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