"When churches begin opening, social distancing will allow fewer people to attend Mass at the same time, which means more services will be required. Granted the scarcity of Catholic priests, and their average age, there will not be enough priests with sufficient stamina to do all these services. Therefore, some of the services will not be Masses but Communion services."
A Communion service looks very much like a Mass but is presided over by a deacon or layperson rather than a priest, because it does not have a moment of consecration, which only the priest can perform. At a Communion service, you will not hear the words, "This is my body. … This is my blood. … " Instead, the deacon or layperson distributes hosts that have been consecrated at a Mass, then stored in the tabernacle until needed.
"Communion services are very common in areas where there are few priests. ....When the priest is absent, a deacon or layperson (man or woman) presides over the Communion service."
The Communion service begins with a liturgy of the Word that is almost exactly like that at a Mass. Songs are sung, prayers are recited, Scriptures are read and a sermon is given. Those paying attention will notice slight differences, such as the absence of references to "sacrifice," because a Communion service is not a sacrifice as the Mass is."
The noticeable changes begin after the general intercessions (aka prayers of the faithful). There is no presentation of gifts (what Catholics used to call the offertory) nor is there the Eucharistic prayer, which includes the consecration of the gifts. Instead, after the general intercessions, the presider and the community recite the Lord's Prayer, exchange the sign of peace, and then receive Communion. There can be songs at the appropriate times plus a final prayer, blessing and dismissal.
"The faithful should be instructed carefully that, even when they receive communion outside Mass, they are closely united with the sacrifice which perpetuates the sacrifice of the cross," states the Vatican Congregation for Divine Worship in its 1973 document " Holy Communion and Worship of the Eucharist outside of Mass.....They are sharers in the sacred banquet," the document continues, in which "by communion in the body and blood of the Lord the people of God shares in the blessings of the paschal sacrifice."
This subject segues in with Jack R's previous post in which he discusses house churches as a possible solution to the fact that it's going to be a long time until people can go to their parish church and fully participate. A communion service could easily be part of the worship in a "house church".
Father Reese goes on to say "...On the positive side, the expansion of Communion services will contribute to declericalization of the church. It will also allow parishioners to see how well or badly laypeople can preside at liturgical ceremonies. If married men and women do just as well as the priests, we will see a growing groundswell for ordaining them. The bishops will not want to expand the number of Communion services, but COVID-19 gives them little choice."
My reaction to that last paragraph is that I am 100% sure the Powers That Be won't buy into any groundswell for the ordination of women. But for Communion services, it doesn't matter, because women already do them, as religious sisters and EMHCs.
Mass Lite. I imagine some heads are exploding. And not only where The Sacrament will be seen as being snatched from the sacred & anointed hands of the reverend father but also among liturgists, who labored long and hard to pull the Mass out of the rumpus of Marian devotions, Eucharistic processions, Benedictions and assorted whoop-de-dos to make it central again.
ReplyDeleteOur deacons do communion services during the three days each year when the priests go on a retreat with the bishop. I don't have a problem with that, but some people feel they are only getting a half-Jesus if they don't see a consecration. Look: We haven't even effectively catechized the pew sitters about the post Vat II Mass; how long do you think it will take to catechize the dwindling few about a major change like a quasiMass without an elevation?
My husband and the other deacons have done Communion services for the local assisted living facilities (though they aren't doing that now because of the virus). The services seem to be well accepted and not causing undue confusion.
DeleteYears ago when my mother was in the hospital and they asked her if she wanted to go to communion, she would ask if the priest or the deacon was giving communion. If the priest she said no thanks, if the deacon she said yes because the deacon took time to talk to her and pray with her before giving communion. The priest just came in and gave it to her as if she was in a communion line.
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