www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life The Christian East & West Can my children recieve communion?

Hello all I'm new to this forum as of today. I just learned about the existance of Byzantine Catholics a few days ago. And similar to other posts I've read in here, I have to say "I wish I knew about this a long time ago!!!!"


Now for my question. From what I understand so far, we are in full communion with one another. I just finished the RCIA course in my parish a few months ago, and it was the most painful process I have ever gone through in my life. I was baptised as a Catholic, but had to wait and sit through classes that I already knew.... I cried through the whole thing when I was alone because I couldn't understand why I was being kept from recieving communion with Jesus when I was alread baptised as a Catholic. I was never raised in a different religion really. It just hurt so much to sit there and not be able to recieve until someone else said so.

I remembered the whole time "let the children come to me". After I finally was able to recieve, I began to bring my children to mass with me, and it pains me so much for them to walk through the communion line, for them to see mommy recieve, and they are looked over. One time my daughter looked up at the priest and held up her hand and the priest just looked at her and then looked away at the next person in line. I felt such a pain in my heart when my son said "I want one".


Now if I was to begin going to a Byzantine Catholic Church, would my children be able to recieve? We are all part of one church now, would we have to take another profession of faith? I wouldn't technically be "leaving" the church.. because we are all connected now.... and you only get baptised once. Would my children and I have to go through classes similar to the RCIA for a whole year or more?

Dear OLOS,

Welcome to the forum and welcome to the Church. The only difficulty that might arise in referrence to your children receiving Holy Communion is that in the Eastern Churches (Catholic or Orthodox) a person is supposed to be Chrismated (or as Latin Catholics say "Confirmed") before receiving Holy Communion. The Catechism of the Catholic Church touches on this point. Other than this, there is no reason why they could not receive Holy Communion in any Catholic Church (Eastern or Western).

Hope this helps,
Ghazar

Dear OLOS,

It's not clear in your post above when you were baptized, but if you were baptized in the Roman Catholic Church as a child or before you took the RCIA classes the only prerequisite for you to receive Communion should have been the reception of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Your priest or the person conducting the classes should have known this. This is assuming you were taking RCIA classes to prepare for Confirmation.

As for your children,if they are under seven years old, in the Latin Church, two years of catechesis are usually required before they can receive Communion.

I cannot speak for the Eastern Churches, but my guess would be that Chrismation (Confirmation in the Latin Church), which is administered with baptism, would be required, or if the child is of the Latin Rite, they should have received First Communion in the Latin Rite before requesting Communion in tne Eastern Churches.

Bill

Hello Our Lady of Sorrows,

Welcome to the forum! Be sure to keep checking back as more will gradually read your topic and answer your questions - and they will be able to answer you from their Byzantine perspective. I am still very new to it all myself. However, after reading your post I have a few concerns.

You wrote:
I just learned about the existance of Byzantine Catholics a few days ago.

From what you have written I am wondering if there is a Byzantine Catholic Church in your area for you to visit. There, you can learn much from talking to parishoners after one of their services and arranging to discuss your situation with the Byzantine parish priest. You'll find them a friendly community.

As for the R.C.I.A. process in the Roman Catholic Church, some parishes enroll baptised Catholics in the R.C.I.A. process along with those entering the church for the first time -- My experience is that this is only if you have never had instructions to prepare you for confession, communion, or confirmation(sometimes just when you have not been confirmed) and are returning to the church after being away. I worked in the R.C.I.A. several years ago when I was attending a Roman Catholic church and that was part of our program. Actually in some parishes there is a "Welcome Back" program for those who have been away or have not received sacraments which seems to me to be a good idea.

Nevertheless, all Roman Catholics have at some time gone though some kind of preparation before receiving the Eucharist for the first time whether as children or as adults. Also some parishes have R.C.I. C. programs for children who are older and have not received the sacraments.

You have my sympathy as you seem to have been dismayed with the length(a whole year) of the R.C.I.A. program and unhappy about being there. Others are pleased with this time to really think about what everything means, ask questions, study the faith, and also prepare for the sacraments and to return to or enter into the parish community. However, there are reasons why some, like yourself find it not so doable for them. I understand but I think there were good reasons why you were there.

My husband and I have been Roman Catholics most of our lives, but presently are finding our Church home in the Byzantine Catholic fold. We will be praying for you and your family.

In the Names of Jesus and Mary,


Mary Jo

Dear Olos,
Welcome to the forum. While I can understand your situation, at the same time I have grave concern. Just the words your child used I want "one". One what?
Are you teaching him about Jesus and the presence of Jesus in the Eucharist? Or is he just going to go up there and receive "one" of those things?
Stephanos I

Dear Our Lady of Sorrows,

I can understand your pain but the Latin Church does not permit children below what is considered the age of reason to Receive Communion. It is most important that the child must understand Who they Receive when they go forward to approach the Ciborium and Chalice. A child needs to understand how they can wound Christ by their behaviour. They need to have an understanding of sin , repentance and contrition. This seems a lot for a child to learn - but remember the primary educator of your child is YOU .

There is, however, no reason why your child should not accompany you to the Altar for a Blessing and this the Priest should be most willing to give .

I have to admit though that I do prefer the Eastern custom of administering all the Sacraments of Initiation at the same time - a child does indeed need Spiritual Food for Growth - one day perhaps - but not in my lifetime I am sure.

Anhelyna

I am in agreement with you on that. I have never understood why the Latins wait until the child is older, especially in our time. It seems the children now are 5 going on 30. They know so much.

Hello. My daughter was only 2 at the time.... I do tell my children that Jesus is present in the Eucharist, but at her age I don't believe she is capable of understanding transubstantiation. LOL. However, I understand your point at the same time.


There is only one Byzantine church in my area. I heard about them here and there, but never took the time to look into details untill this past week. In one week I have learned so much, and I'm sure there is much much more to be learned. Every day on EWTN there are Byzantines giving testimony to their conversions, and to their basic rituals of this Rite.


As far as my own RCIA process, I had been attending Mass regularly for TEN years, since I was a teen. I had to start going on my own because my mother refused to be a part of the church anymore. So right out of high school I went directly to the church. I have been sitting through RCIA off and on the entire time. This isn't a Roman Catholic thing.... this was a problem with my particular parish. The instructor did not like me, we had a personality conflict... and she consistantly embarrased me to the point I had to keep dropping out. But let me tell you..... I kept going back. This year I got a drive inside of me that just kept pushing me forward. There was no human that was going to stand in the way between me and My God. She even told me when I was going to make my first Reconciliation....... only to never follow through with it and leave me hanging. I had to call her at home, and I was crying and crying and begging her to please do something and allow me to recieve, not to mention I finally got guts to tell her I'm going over her head. Even then she simply told me that she doesn't feel I should have them. I asked why, what am I doing wrong. She said "It's just a feeling from God". I couldn't believe it. Well long story short.... I did recieve all my sacraments, thanks to the head of the program.

It's not like I came in off the street not knowing what to expect, or how to participate in the Mass. I have been Catechized by other family members, who knew my mother wasn't following up with me. Unfortunately, only my mother was allowed to sign me up for these CCD classes.... so I just didn't get any formal instruction. I have been taught though. I sat through those classes just waiting, waiting. Every time I sat in Mass and was not able to recieve, and saw everyone recieving one by one... it was like getting stabbed over and over. It really hurt.


Now back to my children..... I take my children to the chapel with me several times a week. They know their prayers.... they have a basic idea of all the sacraments and what they mean. My son even knows about the last supper and how Jesus was celebrating passover. My son wants to be a priest when he grows up. He is only five, but at his age, he has more knowlege of our faith contained in him than most thirty year olds. I just wish Western Catholics would Confirm the babies at baptism like the Byzantines do.

OLOS,

I am sorry to hear of your conflict with the person in charge and your hurt. It sounds like persons there were not sensitive to your needs. I pray you can forgive her and move on. I am glad you were by the grace of God able to perservere.

Sure didn't mean to offend you and if I did I do apologize. I was just trying to point out what might have been the reason for your situation. My mother did not attend church. My father died when I was small. I was sent to church on my own, but fortunately was able to attend catechism (we called it that then)classes enough to receive sacraments when growing up. There was no R.C.I.A. then nor church community support for children like me. Like you, I perserved, and thank God for the grace to have that strength. Still do today.


Did mean it when I said my husband and I will be praying for you and your family and really as a poster on this site - that is probably the best thing I can do.

In Christ and the Theotokos, and Peace...

Porter aka Mary Jo>also a mother

Dear OLOS, consistent with the Orthodox practice we do not give usually give Communion to children who have not been chrismated in the Byzantine tradition.

Usually the Eucharist is given as the third Sacrament of Initiation after Baptism and Chrismation, in the same service.

For a child whose family has changed churches sui iuris , such as from the Roman to a Greek Catholic church (Melkite, Ukrainian, Romanian, Russian, Ruthenian, etc.] they are received by chrismation [if they are not yet confirmed in the Roman church] and then Eucharist. They may then receive at any time.

We do, of course, respect those Roman children who have made First Communion and allow them to approach, but again ideally they should already be chrismated. If you are going to remain Roman, you should respect the practice of that church regarding communion.

Porter,

I wasn't offended the slightest bit, dont worry Thanks for your prayers.


Diak,

Thank you for your reply, that's exactly the answer I was looking for. I wasn't thinking of breaking my church's rules, O God forbid! However, I was wondering if by any chance I was to transfer to the Byzantine Rite one day, how we would be accepted, and so on.

The acceptance of children in the Byzantine Rite, and the allowing of children to recieve right from the start just really hit a spot in my heart. I always always wished it were that way.... and here it has been that way all along, I just never knew it existed in another rite.

Of course, that would not be the ONLY reason I would transfer..... there are so many other reasons I would have to consider. Choosing your church is like choosing your spouse. It's a life long commitment, and you just can't go around changing all the time.

But there are situations when a person feels a little empty spot waiting to be filled... well, maybe I'll save this for another post.


Thank you everyone for your replies. I really appreciate you taking the time.


Love, Peace, and Hugs & Kisses to All

Dear OLOS, sometimes it is one aspect like that, especially regarding children, that gives us a bit of a spiritual "wake-up call".

No problem if you want to eventually become Byzantine [we'll definitely take you ] but that needs to be done only after a time of prayerful study regarding Byzantine spirituality, liturgical traditions, and theological approach.

And a belated welcome. Glory to Jesus Christ.