Posted on 04/10/2014 1:49:20 AM PDT by NYer
For those who watch EWTN Live, Fr. Mitch touched on this topic last night with his guest, Abbot Nicholas Zachariadis from the community of Byzantine monks at The Holy Resurrection Monastery in St. Nazianz, Wisconsin. In the Byzantine Church, children are baptized, chrismated and receive communion on the same day. These are the Sacraments of Initiation.
“WHY CAN’T MY SON RECEIVE THE EUCHARIST?”
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I grew up in the Episcopal church, before it was corrupted by gays and socialist. To receive communion, one was to first be “confirmed”. I was in my young teens when I went through confirmation classes.
While I understand the rule, I think that in certain situations, anyone of any age should be allowed to receive the body and blood of Christ.
In the early church, infants received Communion. The practice is noted by Augustine,
1Cor 11
28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.
A two and one half year old is hardly a man.
What an idiot!
This actually DOES sound like a mother who cannot say “no.” I guess it’s now a civil right to be able to receive Communion anytime, anywhere, any age.
Not a woman either. Does that mean women can't receive the Eucharist?
I'm going to call BS on the two-and-a-half-year-old behaving in quite this way.
My two-and-a-half-year-old son has never liked to be still.Not uncommon for children in their “terrible twos”. A small independent Baptist church in Pennsylvania had a nursery for small children during church service, my late wife was hired to run it. Every week I’d give her a bible story for the kids. She had group games to keep them occupied. It worked fine.
Not a woman either. Does that mean women can’t receive the Eucharist?>>>>>
I have nothing against it, any one who knows what the last supper was all about and are willing to give their life for Christ as the apostles did should have a right to do it.
But we can only commit ourselves, not some one else, that is why Paul said examine yourself, not get examined by some one else.
For what purpose? , a 2.5 year old thinks Bugs Bunny is real ... just not ready.
I received First Holy Communion in the first grade, at age seven. It was a solemn occasion that I remember well; boys wore suits & girls wore white communion dresses. As children we understood that we were receiving the Body and Blood of our Lord, for we had been so instructed for months before the holy event. Age seven is the age of reason IIRC.
THAT’s why Communion should not be given to two year olds.
It sounds to me like more of a “You have it, so I want it” reaction, which is typical for a two-year-old.
My youngest daughter will receive her First Holy Communion on Mother’s Day. After reading this article, I asked her if she thought a two year old should receive it as well. Her response is simple.. “no way, a two year old can’t even poop in the toilet by themselves. They shouldn’t get the Body and Blood of Jesus YET!” I am still laughing! Even at her young age, she knows that this Sacrament is blessed and special—reserved for the more mature.
The question hinges upon whether or not communion is a human act done by us for God (as, say, the Baptists believe), or a divine act done by God for us. If it is a human act, then it becomes part of the law, and not part of the gospel. But when Jesus proclaims "This is my body," He is also proclaiming that communion is a divine act. If it is therefore a divine act, then the cognitive ability of the recipient is not at issue, because it is an act of grace.
Would a Catholic church refuse communion to a 25-year-old whose cognitive abilities were of a 2.5 year old? I don't know for certain, but I don't think so--I know that LCMS Lutherans would not refuse solely on the basis of mental age. And I say this knowing that LCMS requires a two-year confirmation process that concludes at age 14 in order to receive communion, something with which I disagreed when both my children had to wait to receive communion until that age, though I made no stink about it at the time, except to admit my disagreement to the pastor in private. But I think the Orthodox have it right: if baptism is an act of God and communion is an act of God, then both should be available as soon as possible, and in the case of communion as often as possible, in the life of the Christian, whether incipient or self-proclaimed.
Plus also not just be intructed months ahead of time, but also make first confession as well. The years just prior would be the preperation for the kid.
I would assume that for Eastern Rite Catholics they do in fact receive communion from infant age onward as the Orthodox do.
She is very wise for her age!
Yes.
I don't see any theological reason not to communicate young children, only a practical one (very little ones may spit it out).
Even in the Latin church, babies in danger of death may be given Viaticum.
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