A WORD -- WORDS -- OF ADVICE TO EXTRAORDINARY MINISTERS OF COMMUNION At the behest of Fr. Gerry, our Parish Priest, the Coro de San Jacinto sang for the “Midnight Mass” (it was actually two and a half hours before midnight!) at the Cathedral. I accompany the Coro, and that makes it impossible for me to be at the altar to concelebrate, and so I did that next best thing: concelebrate from the keyboard’s chair. What I observed before the Mass is the reason for this unsolicited, but to my mind, necessary advice. The Tabernacle was opened no less than ten times by different EOMs. I would be edified had it been their purpose to greet the Lord more intimately a “Happy birthday”. But there were clearly putting on a show: One transferred consecrated hosts to fewer vessels; soon after another came along to add more vessels, effectively undoing the work of the first; a third came along, took sacred vessels out of the Tabernacle, and then having arranged them in a row outside the tabernacle door, genuflected with affected ardor, only to return the vessels inside the tabernacle. Still another came along, opened the tabernacle door, and proceeded to count the number of vessels inside like he was counting eggs in a poultry! I finally got the point: The whole procession of ministers and the opening and shutting of the tabernacle door was pointless – except perhaps to make the point to the rest of the packed Cathedral that an EOM has privileges that the ‘madla’ do not have. That would truly be pathetic! I will summarize my advice in a few items: 1. You are laity, period! That does not mean that you are any less than clergy. It simply means that in that division of the People of God, you belong on the laity side, no matter that you are EOMs. You are not ‘special’ laity, because there is no such thing. So, do not ‘clericalize’ yourselves and the work you do. You are lay persons at the service of other lay persons. The lay state is a glorious state in the Church. Be proud of it. Be content with it! 2. You are Extraordinary Ministers of Communion. “Extra” does not mean “unnecessary”. You have been commissioned precisely because your services are needed. However, it means that there is an ‘ordinary’ minister. Deacons, priests and bishops are ordinary ministers of communion. The first extraordinary minister of communion is an instituted acolyte. In practice, this will usually mean theology students (seminarians) in third or fourth year! There are two kinds of extraordinary ministers, apart from instituted acolytes: those commissioned for a specific period (most of the time, for a year) and those requested to perform the ministry “ad actum”, at a particular celebration. From these, certain consequences follow. First, do not feel offended when the faithful choose to receive communion from the priest rather than from you. That is their right, because the priest is the ordinary minister. You are extraordinary ministers. Second, do not offer to substitute for the priest. It is his duty to distribute Holy Communion. Sickness and indisposition are valid excuses. Third, do not consider the ministry of an EOM something exclusive from which you should exclude others. As I said, EOMs can be appointed ‘ad actum’, subject to the same rule: As long as the need arises. Fourth, at a concelebration, in the presence of a number of priests, your service are not needed, quite frankly. Let the ordinary ministers of communion do their jobs. 3. Recognize the Body of Christ in the bread you distribute as well as in the assembled congregation. When we process towards the altar at the beginning of the Mass, do not put on the airs of a Marianne Rivera sweeping the cathedral with a long train. You are not the ‘sikat’, and this is not a movie production. Rather, consider yourselves privileged to be walking among the People of God, his body. The reverence you show towards the Eucharistic species should be the same reverence you show towards the assembled People of God. It was of the assembled people that Paul spoke when he warned that whoever ate and drank without recognizing the Body of Christ did so unto his own condemnation. Do not invite condemnation upon yourselves! 4. Volunteer to distribute communion to the sick. Serving at the Cathedral with so many people looking up in awe at you is of course more glamorous, but it has always been the teaching of the Church that visiting the sick – and bringing the Bread of Life to them – is a work of mercy. Many times, the only consolation the sick and the dying have is what the Eucharist brings them. That you can make the rounds of the homes of the sick and elderly is a service to the Church far more significant that repeatedly opening and closing the tabernacle door only to tell the people: “Watch me. You can’t do this. I can!”. But of course, since you exercise service within the Church, coordinate with the Pastor. That is exactly what he is a pastor for! 5. Live and Act with Proper Decorum always, in and out of church. If people know you to be a loan-shark, or a peddler of ‘shabu’ or the manager of a ‘bahay ng aliw’, it does not “build the Body of Christ” for you to distribute Holy Communion. You cannot be a servant of communion if you live a life that sunders the communion of God’s people. While performing your ministry, make clear that you reverence the Eucharist, that for you, it is the greatest gift the Lord Jesus left his Church. When supposedly male EOMs therefore pinch each other like flirtatious women while at the altar or giggle like annoying high school girls eager for attention, it would be best for you to volunteer for some other service like cleaning the cemetery instead of serving as an EOM. While the Word of God is proclaimed, listen intently, not staring vacantly into space like you just lost your fortune to a hold-upper. While distributing Holy Communion, do so devoutly and slowly. You are not distributing free “badoya” to a group of hungry school children. I may write on this more at some later time, because there is so much to correct, so much to improve. But one thing is for certain: Your service is important; it is genuine service and you should perform it with dignity, with gratitude to God for the privilege of serving Him, and with genuine love for God’s people. There is a fundamental principle of “Sacrosanctum Concilium” that it will be well for you to remember: Every person in the liturgy must perform ALL OF but ONLY those functions belonging to his or her office!
Posted on: Wed, 31 Dec 2014 04:33:03 +0000
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