Catholic blogs take issue with many different things. CMR is no exception. Most of the time, we take exception with patently preposterous, the harebrained, or heretical. Less frequently (amounting to never) do we look at something from a pastoral perspective. I don’t write this post with any great insight into historical liturgical practice, or any great insight on anything for that matter. I write it from the perspective of my Catholic gut. Minor though it may be, I take some issue with orderly, row by row, usher micromanaged communion.
In the parish of my childhood communion was un-choreographed, unsystematic, and chaotic. Each communicant would present themselves for communion at a time which suited them and more importantly sometimes not at all.
Back then, at communion time, everyone approached the communion rail (yeah, the good ol’ days) randomly. We had all types, there were those who ran to the communion rail quicker than Marlon Brando to a Sizzler buffet. Others moseyed. Still others sashayed (we will leave these for another post). Random and anonymous. With all the randomness to it, if someone chose not to present themselves for communion, that choice was not readily apparent to those sitting in proximity. No one knew who got up when, so if someone was already kneeling in the pew already when you returned, it might mean that they simply had found a faster line with the quick Priest working the left side of the communion rail. Remember when priests were the ordinary ministers of holy communion? Point is, you had no idea if the person sitting next to you presented themselves for communion or not.
But something changed when standing became the ordinary posture for reception of Holy Communion. Somehow, the randomness of approach became unacceptable disorder. Like Jedi knights (or maybe Sith), these polyester clad warriors were called in to quell the rebellion. The empire of the usher had begun. They came out of the woodwork to bring sequence to the procession. The ugliness of the random banished forever. The jacketed juggernaut wrestled contumacious communicants into line. Everyone in their turn, pew by pew, rise, turn, proceed.
But banished with disorder was anonymity. No longer could you hold your place in the pew without telegraphing to all that would not receive communion. The effect of this is a strange sort of peer pressure to receive communion, prepared or not.
There was a time in my life when I was not properly prepared for communion. This usher enforced pew peer pressure made me very uncomfortable. I can easily imagine that someone who wants to attend mass but has not yet conformed their lives to the teachings of the church might find this orderliness a temptation to sacrilege or even a barrier to mass attendance. I know I did.
Now I am certainly not saying that all ushers are evil (not all) and that orderliness is to be avoided. No. But in the random and disorderly perhaps there was approachability that now seems lost. It seems that while the trains now run on time, the passengers are less important. I, for one, prefer the former ways. Ugly and anonymous.
This is my case for chaos. Does anyone else have an opinion on this?
May 6, 2008 at 12:49 am
What a great topic of discussion.
The ushers and the service they provide are great. I love the ushers. The issue here is not the ushers; the issue is that not everybody is ready to present themselves for communion at the same time.
I have a perfect example from this past weekend. My plan was to make confession on Saturday before a Holy First Communion on Sunday. Construction fun went until 9pm Saturday, so I missed the opportunity for reconciliation. There were 40 family and friends at Mass on Sunday, and I went to communion even though I should not have. Okay, yeah I need to grow a backbone.
The point is that it really bothered me to receive communion, but it really bothered me not to receive. As I try to deepen my faith this type of issue becomes more important.
Before, I never thought about my state of grace, and by having nice orderly rows for communion, I wonder how many others receive communion with a thought to their spiritual readiness.
May 6, 2008 at 2:58 am
Damien,
Thanks for the example. I suspect there are many folks who receive just because everyone else is doing it.
I was having a little fun at the ushers expense, but truth is most do a fine job. The real issue is the row by row communion really necessary? The orderliness has a downside which you have highlighted.
Reception of communion is a public act, so therefore unlike confession in its requirements for anonymity. But I do think that people should not have to worry about how it might look if they don’t get up with everyone else.
May 6, 2008 at 5:43 am
Good topic.
At the TLM I attend we don’t have ushers – but the row by row thing seems to happen by mutual agreement and I hate it!
I will admit to naturally being a Marlon Brando rusher to the front if left to my own devices (on the theory that I might lose my nerve otherwise).
But I do think the pressure to receive even unworthily is very real, particularly in these days when confession is so neglected.
In fact I’ve actually heard people on a number of occasions upbraid others for not receiving. Now one could interpret this as an admonition to go to confession, but this seems like very dangerous ground to me.
In the good old days, I’m told the eucharistic fast always provided a way out for those desirous of preserving their privacy on these matters.
But there is one other issue that isn’t much mentioned these days, and that is ‘right intention’.
When Pius X urged frequent reception in Sacra Tridentina Synodus, apart from a state of grace (and preferably freedom from venial sin) he also emphasised the importance of right intention, including not just acting out of routine or to please others.
I used to be an advocate of infrequent communion in the interests of making sure it didn’t becme a matter of routine, but having read the Church’s teaching on this, don’t now think that position is open.
But there can surely always be times when we find ourselves in a state of grace, but not in a suitable frame of mind to receive, and perhaps reminders of intention and proper disposition issues would be a way of leading people away from making improper assumptions and the reducing sacriligous receptions?
May 6, 2008 at 6:25 am
Ha ha! I agree that chaos seems a bit more home-made and personal, and wouldn’t mind a bit more of it myself. The first time I encountered chaos communion reception was in Europe. With all the old ladies rushing up around you to get to communion, and the priests just going up and down the communion rail distributing to whoever was closest or seemed ready. At first, t was off-putting, and then I decided I liked it! If you’re excited and ready, come forward! If you’re holding off a bit, do that, too. It’s Jesus–react to him the way you need to, by obediently lining up in a straight row for your “turn”!
Really, queuing up for communion or, frankly, anything else seems to be an American thing. Italians would laugh at Americans who lined up to get gelato, and walk right up to the front of the line. It’s something as an American you had to unlearn.
May 6, 2008 at 10:36 pm
PUPPETS ANYONE? SEE CHARLOTTE WAS BOTH BLOG MAY 6
May 7, 2008 at 12:53 am
Good post. I agree. It’s not like we still need ushers to tell us how it goes – you just stand up after the row in front goes. Not like I care what people think any more when I don’t feel ready to receive. But I wouldn’t mind more anonymity. And I don’t want to go forward and receive a “special blessing”, especially not from an EM. Where do lay people get off “blessing” anyone, anyway?
May 7, 2008 at 5:06 am
Count me in! There’s some wisdom in the “old” way: the chaos gradually sorts itself out by the time one gets to the communion rail (yes, this assumes a communion rail). It has the added benefit of taking far less time than the regimented queue. Besides, it also reminds me (in a wonderful big disorderly family kind of way) that, as Chesterton would have it, “Here comes everybody!”