How often do you receive communion? - Page 3

[PatienceAndLove]

Originally Posted by ChasingPeace

I'm Roman Catholic, but not allowed to receive communion because my dh refuses to get an annulment so our marriage can be convalidated in the Church. So my answer is "never."

I saw your post, but wanted to answer first.
I am so sorry, sweetie.
I have several copies of Acts of Spiritual Communion, if you would like them.

[lilyka]

we have to do both to be properly prepared for communion - go to regular confessions with our spiritual father and we do a general confession right before receiving.

and just a note on confessing to a priest for those of you unfamiliar with the practice. for us our whole life is a journey towards holiness and salvation. You are saved by grace but true salvation will grow and produce fruit. If you are failing to grow or produce fruit than you have issues. Confession and guidance from a spiritual father are two things that help push us along the path of growth and towards bearing good fruit. we confess in front of the priest but only to God. Sometimes our spiritual fathers (who know us and have a relationship with us) will direct us to certain actions (not penance but more restitution and towards better habits that help us learn discipline and resist temptation) to help us get past our sins, he assures us of our forgiveness (let me tell you it is good to see him not at all shocked or scandalized and to assure me that God forgives me). Occasionally a priest will instruct you to refrain from the Eucharist not as punishment but while you heal from the consequences of your sin. everything they do is for our benefit (of course there are crazies but the majority of priests are sweet kind people who are truly doing Gods work) and not for our punishment. if they refuse a stranger the Eucharist it is to be on the safe side. If a child were staying at my house I would never give her medication without checking it out with her parents. if she was sick and needing something I would send her home to her parents or at least call them and see if it was ok for her to take said medicine. it doesn't matter how much I think she needs it or if she tells me "yeah I can have that" all that matters to me is what her parents want to do. we kinda view communion the same way. the priest will only give it to someone he knows and if he knows they are currently in the middle of unrepented sin he will withhold it from them for their benefit. for their protection. if you are on the outside looking in it can seem really harsh buit from within the family it is easy to see it for the loving protective thing that it is.

[robertandenith]

I only receive it on special occasions. I don't go to the Church services every Sunday but I do consider myself very spiritual. I have been also considering to wearing a veil for mass.

Originally Posted by spero

Actually, I think that maybe we agree. I meant that, while I DO believe that we should decide for ourselves, we don't have the right to decide for others.

I agree with this.

[lumom]

Originally Posted by ChasingPeace

I'm Roman Catholic, but not allowed to receive communion because my dh refuses to get an annulment so our marriage can be convalidated in the Church. So my answer is "never."

I'm so sorry. ((hugs))

I think at most Baptist churches, communion is just a memorial. It's not a "means of grace" or something that helps strengthen a Christian's faith. It's just something Christians are to do because Jesus said to do it "in memory of me." I think that is one reason they usually don't have it all that often.

At the Baptist church we used to go to we had it once a month. I admit that I didn't really look forward to it, because it made the service that much longer, and it was hard on the kids to have to be quiet for so long.

At the Presbyterian church we went to before that, we had it once a quarter (once every three months).

At the Lutheran church we visited while looking for another church, they had it every other week. It was at that church that I grew to love and appreciate communion. We were not allowed to take it there because in that particular Lutheran denomination you had to be a member to partake. It was so hard to see the other people in the church go forward and not being able to take communion ourselves. And the first time I took it after that (at a different Lutheran church), I almost felt like crying. I felt such joy.

Now we attend a church that has it every week, and it's never meant so much to me, so my personal experience did not follow the idea that having it more often makes it mean less to a person. Our church is an independent church (no denominational affiliation), but it's very similar to a Presbyterian (PCA) church. I love the way we do it. At this church we are taught that it's a means of grace and helps strengthen one's faith.

It seems like at a lot of churches that communion is just kind of tacked on the end, but at this church it's an integral part of the service and the rest of the service seems to build toward that special time when we commune with our Lord.

For communion the deacons and elders who are giving out communion stand at the front of the church, and a row at a time the people in the congregation stand up and form two lines (one for the right side of the church and one for the left) and walk to the front of the church. Each family goes up together and first partakes of the bread. As we do it, we are told "____ family, this is my body broken for you, take, eat." And then we walk over to partake of the wine or juice (we have both available). And I love it especially when this one elder says it. He looks at each of us and says our names, and then says, "This is my blood spilled out for you for the forgiveness of your sins." It really helps impress upon me how much God loves me and how gracious and good and merciful He is, and I love being able to partake with my family (so far just my two older children and my dh and I partake, but our whole family walks up together).

[lumom]

I also wanted to say thank you, lilyka, for sharing about how it's done in your church. That really helps me understand better.

[PatienceAndLove]

Dh's parents' church does something I have never seen before... "Come and Go Communion".
Is anyone else familiar with this practice?

[spero]

Originally Posted by PatienceAndLove

Dh's parents' church does something I have never seen before... "Come and Go Communion".
Is anyone else familiar with this practice?

What does that mean? I've never heard of it. It sounds like Communion drive through.

Eucharist without Liturgy is rather meaningless IMO. Even in extraordinary circumstances (like hospital or home Communion), ministers are instructed to at least include a liturgical prayer (like the Our Father).

[anjelika]

I'm Lutheran (ELCA), and communion is offered each week, but at alternating services. So, if you go to a specific service, you would receive it every other week.

[PatienceAndLove]

Originally Posted by spero

What does that mean? I've never heard of it. It sounds like Communion drive through.

Eucharist without Liturgy is rather meaningless IMO. Even in extraordinary circumstances (like hospital or home Communion), ministers are instructed to at least include a liturgical prayer (like the Our Father).

I know! I don't understand the concept. From what DH told me- a minister is there with communion and the participants take it and then pray by themselves in the worship area. It goes on for 2-3 hours. Just... coming and going...

[spero]

Originally Posted by PatienceAndLove

I know! I don't understand the concept. From what DH told me- a minister is there with communion and the participants take it and then pray by themselves in the worship area. It goes on for 2-3 hours. Just... coming and going...

Whaaaaaaaaa? Is this a Catholic Church?

I mean, I'm pretty theologically liberal but this is even beyond my ability to grasp!

[PatienceAndLove]

Originally Posted by spero

Whaaaaaaaaa? Is this a Catholic Church?

I mean, I'm pretty theologically liberal but this is even beyond my ability to grasp!

Um... First Missionary Alliance?

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

The way communion is done in the Missionary Baptist church is the Deacons walk down the isle with the tray of bread and then the first person in each row takes the tray and passes it down. Then they go back for the tray of grape juice repeat. Then the preacher does the prayer over it and everyone eats and drinks.

In the Seperate Baptist church the same thing happens then everyone who is to partake in the foot washing gets up and goes to the front of the church next to the pull-pit (preachers stand) where the seating has been set up on one side for the woman and the other side for the men (though it is perfectly acceptable for the men and woman to cross places but for everyones comfort they seperate initially) then the feet washing commences. Dosnt take very long and most of the woman wear their panty hose during it

It is done in memorial of what Jesus did with the Deciples and the grace they received from it.

[NicaG]

It's so interesting how communion varies so much, in frequency and philosophy, from church to church.

I attended a church (Episcopal) in NYC for several years that had a very liberal stance on receiving communion. At every service, the officiating priest would explain that communion was open to everyone, not just baptized Christians, because the gifts on the altar were gifts from God and not property of the Church. And then they would say, there are rules, and if you wish to partake regularly they would teach you the rules and prepare you for baptism, but if someone was being called for the first time to receive communion, they should come forward.

[spero]

Originally Posted by NicaG

I attended a church (Episcopal) in NYC for several years that had a very liberal stance on receiving communion. At every service, the officiating priest would explain that communion was open to everyone, not just baptized Christians, because the gifts on the altar were gifts from God and not property of the Church. And then they would say, there are rules, and if you wish to partake regularly they would teach you the rules and prepare you for baptism, but if someone was being called for the first time to receive communion, they should come forward.

I heard almost the exact same thing at an Episcopal church in my small home town.

[Gnatty]

We're Reformed Evangelical/Protestant.

Our church practices weekly communion, open to all who are baptized and members in good standing of a Christian church. We use bread (usually baked by one or another family, and very tasty), and wine.

Our family (DH, DS (10 months), myself) all take communion.

On the view that says that communion should be infrequent "to keep it special"- my view is that if I only fed my family dinner once a week, it would definitely make that dinner special... but they'd also be going hungry.

[lilyka]

Originally Posted by Gnatty

On the view that says that communion should be infrequent "to keep it special"- my view is that if I only fed my family dinner once a week, it would definitely make that dinner special... but they'd also be going hungry.

I like the way you put that

[PatienceAndLove]

Dr. Scott Hahn (brilliant Catholic theologian and convert to Catholicism from Presbyterianism) began doing weekly communion at his little church when he was a Presbyterian minister. Someone said that having it more than 4 times a year would make it less special.
His response- would you only tell your wife that you love her four times a year?

[Lollybrat]

Originally Posted by Gnatty

On the view that says that communion should be infrequent "to keep it special"- my view is that if I only fed my family dinner once a week, it would definitely make that dinner special... but they'd also be going hungry.

Very true. As Catholics we believe the Eucharist is "food for the journey". This applies both to the communion we take every week to strengthen us in the journey we walk through our everyday life life and to the viaticum, which strengthes our souls for the final passage from this life to the next.

I do believe that we must make the effort to keep the Eucharist special, but that this is a function of HOW we receive it as opposed to HOW OFTEN we receive it.

[spero]

Originally Posted by Lollybrat

Very true. As Catholics we believe the Eucharist is "food for the journey". This applies both to the communion we take every week to strengthen us in the journey we walk through our everyday life life and to the viaticum, which strengthes our souls for the final passage from this life to the next.

Actually, viaticum translates to "food for the journey", and this applies specifically to the Sacrament of the Sick, not to "regular" Eucharist.

[Lollybrat]

Originally Posted by spero

Actually, viaticum translates to "food for the journey", and this applies specifically to the Sacrament of the Sick, not to "regular" Eucharist.

You are correct that "food for the journey" is the literal translation of viaticum and viaticum specifically refers to the reception of the Eucharist by one who is dying. This is actually different from the Sacrament of the Sick (sometimes called the Anointing of the Sick or Last Rites), although they are often done together. However many Catholic theologians teach that the regular (i.e. weekly) reception of the Eucharist is our food for the journey of faith throughout this life. As the Angel said to Elijah: "Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you." (1 Kings 19:7).

In the conclusion of his Encyclical Letter Ecclesia de Eucharistia, Pope John Paul II wrote:

"In the humble signs of bread and wine, changed into his body and blood, Christ walks beside us as our strength and our food for the journey, and he enables us to become, for everyone, witnesses of hope."