When faithful believers participate at Mass, they look forward to receiving Holy Communion. You will be there. You will be a servant of Christ fulfilling his will to feed the hungry, by giving them something to eat and drink.

The Eucharist sums up our beliefs: that there is a God, that God’s Word took flesh in Jesus, that the Holy Spirit continues to guide the Church, that God speaks to us through the scriptures, that Jesus worked miracles, that he gave us his body and blood on the night before he died, and that he rose from the dead on the third day. When we gather for the Eucharist as the body of Christ, we place our lives in God’s hands. We respond in faith to the revelation we have received.

The Church depends on Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (hereafter, often shortened to “extraordinary minister”) for this purpose. They fulfill one of the ministries that help the proper arrangement of the Mass. When all the ministers fulfill their functions with individual integrity in service to the whole, the mystery of the Eucharist is revealed more clearly.

Expectations

When you serve as an extraordinary minister, be attentive to all your words and actions. Enter the sanctuary at the appointed time. Receive Holy Communion with intention and reverence. Carry the vessels mindful of what they contain. Wait for each person to stand before you. Announce “The body of Christ” or “The blood of Christ” with meaning and faith. Wait for the response, and then offer Holy Communion. Afterward, carry the vessels carefully to the appointed place. An extraordinary minister falls into the routine rather quickly, but the pattern should never be thoughtless. Your actions should always be filled with meaning, every step, and every word.

Your attire should demonstrate your appreciation of how your role fits within the worship experience. Does your attire express respect and reverence for the sacred mysteries that are being celebrated? Would you consider wearing your church clothes to a job interview? Your ministry as an extraordinary minister is, in actuality, much more important than any interview because it is an encounter with the bread of life come down from heaven. Such an encounter requires a reverent demeanor and appropriate clothing.

It is important to arrive early for the Mass at which you are assigned to assist with Holy Communion. Check in early with the priest celebrant or designated coordinator so that all preparations for the Mass are completed and the lead ministers have peace of mind. Arriving punctually eliminates chaos and anxiety before the Mass. Punctual check-in also helps the ritual action to proceed smoothly without any look of unpreparedness or carelessness for divine worship.

 

 

Stay in touch with the Church’s liturgical year as well as the civic calendar. The Paschal Triduum begins on Holy Thursday, continues through Good Friday and the Easter Vigil, and concludes with Easter Sunday. The church services on those days should be of the highest priority for every Catholic, and especially for all who will serve as Communion ministers – clergy and laity alike. The Easter Vigil, the most important Mass of the year, meets in the night to proclaim faith in the Resurrection, opens our ears to the scriptures that tell of our salvation, welcomes those who are newly baptized, invites us to recommit ourselves to our baptismal promises, and lets us share in the first Eucharist of the Easter season, under the glow of the paschal candle, in the midst of a community alive with faith in Christ.

Participate at Mass on all holy days of obligation and other days of importance. Begin Lent with Ash Wednesday. Give thanks at the Eucharist on Thanksgiving Day. Pray for workers on Labor Day and for our country on Independence Day. Observe the seasons of Advent, Christmas, Lent, and Easter with prayer, decorations, and traditions at home.

Two events on the calendar give special attention to the Eucharist: Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday and the solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. Holy Thursday commemorates the night Jesus instituted the Eucharist. The solemnity formerly called Corpus Christi celebrates the gift of the Eucharist and the devotions that have surrounded it. It is a day of singular importance for Catholics who devote their service to the Church in the distribution of Holy Communion.

In his homily closing the 2005 Italian Eucharistic Congress, Pope Benedict XVI stated:

“Christ is truly present among us in the Eucharist. His presence is not static. It is a dynamic presence that grasps us, to make us his own, to make us assimilate him. Christ draws us to him, he makes us come out of ourselves to make us all one with him. In this way he also integrates us in the communities of brothers and sisters, and communion with the Lord is always also communion with our brothers and sisters. And we see the beauty of this communion that the Blessed Eucharist gives us.”

For information about this ministry please contact the church office.