“Should I go forward for communion? Can I go forward for communion? Why did someone tell me I can’t go forward for communion? What the heck is going on here? Maybe I won’t even go to mass if I’m going to be denied communion! I certainly wouldn’t deny a Catholic communion if they came to my church!” These are questions and comments I often hear from my Protestant friends as we talk about mass. It was definitely a question on my mind when I showed up the first time in 2016. Since then I’ve been to mass many times, gone through the sacrament of confirmation, participated in communion (aka the Eucharist) for the first time on November 25, 2018, and countless times since then. Even after all of that I still feel like I’m scratching the surface to understand this beautiful sacrament and describe it to others.
I genuinely like to describe mass and invite people to it. I do this spontaneously and in the moment. But they often ask questions and reveal that I don’t communicate well or understand everything (shocker). This brings up the need to clarify some things. For years I struggled to do this. So, this is my latest attempt to take a heavenly mystery and help bring it down-to-earth.
I have a big family and a huge extended family. Many of them do not attend mass or understand why I do. Some have basic awareness but do not regularly engage. Others are Catholic and have their own stories of how they entered into the “full fellowship of the church.” This leaves me with a wide variety of people with whom I can share about my experiences in mass.
My first attempt to help people understand the Eucharist led to a disorganized list of items to explain. After looking at the list I realized there are a lot of ironies at play. So I decided to lay out those ironies and try to process them.
On the one hand…All are welcome to mass…Catholics…Protestants…and everyone from all walks of life; But on the other hand…many feel that a closed communion table is a barrier to attend mass at all.
On the one hand…The Catholic Church teaches that all Christians are indeed brothers and sisters in Christ; But on the other hand…Evangelicals are sending missionaries to Catholic populations as if they are not saved.
On the one hand…The Eucharist is the climax of the entire celebration and this final part is connected to everything that has led up to that point; But on the other hand…Visitors perceive taking communion as just one small part of the mass.
On the one hand…the entire mass is a prayer led by one particular priest who speaks the majority of the time; But on the other hand…everyone in attendance can and should participate in that entire prayer (both verbally and silently) and has the opportunity to affirm the prayer at the end of the Eucharist with one final word: “Amen”.
On the one hand…Catholics do not offer communion explicitly (but often unknowingly) to their Protestants brothers and sisters which often leaves people offended by the notion that they are not welcome to the communion table; But on the other hand…it’s unlikely that those same Protestants have intentions to join in full fellowship with the Catholic Church, would recommend the Catholic Church to their friends (Christian or non-Christian) or actively engage Catholics in regular fellowship or curious hearts to learn Catholic practices.
On the one hand…people who are curious, seeking or are new to the Catholic church are often delving deeply into the meaning of mass and the Eucharist; But on the other hand…many so-called “cradle Catholics” come to the table and go through the motions or even deny the very beliefs that new members hold dear.
On the one hand…the stated guidance for non-Catholics (in the pews or online) clearly reserves communion for Catholics alone; But on the other hand…its unlikely you will ever see a priest deny the Eucharist to anyone who comes forward; I have attended large public masses (ex. Fatima, Portugal) where large crowds all came forward from far and wide and received (it would have been impossible to tell who was in the fellowship of the Catholic Church vs. who was not)
On the one hand…The Eucharist for the Catholic Church is described as the ‘source and summit’ of the faith; But on the other hand…it’s rare that any instruction is given at mass to those in attendance so that they can understand; it’s basically up to each person to follow the example of others and figure things out.
On the one hand…the invitation is global and universal…to the whole world; But on the other hand…the invitation doesn’t mean anyone can change, adjust, or augment the nature of the invitation or the Eucharistic Celebration.
So there’s the ironies (at least some of them) and the tension they bring. I have written before that there is a huge divide between those inside and outside the Catholic Church. And there are many things needed to bridge that divide that is fueled by: misinformation, misperception, misunderstanding, mystery, pride, and even pure dissension.
This article is a part 1 of 4. To read the next part, The Eucharist: The Mysteries” click here.