Rite for Lay Ministers of Eucharist Announced
Episcopal News Service. February 13, 1986 [86023]
SAN ANTONIO (DPS, Feb. 13) -- Suffragan Bishop Vincent Petit of New Jersey, a member of the Executive Council and also chairman of the Standing Liturgical Commission, reported to Council on the work of that body.
Responding to General Convention's approval of distribution of Holy Communion by lay eucharistic ministers, the Commission has developed a form for this, which has been mailed to all bishops and diocesan liturgical committee chairmen and was distributed to Council in photocopied form, along with suggested guidelines and some notes on the rite. (Eds.: texts below). Pettit said it should be clear that this is not a celebration of the Eucharist and invited comments from Council members.
The rite is in the process of being printed as a four-page pamphlet by the Church Hymnal Corporation and should be available shortly. Pettit added that later on, the material will be included as part of The Book of Occasional Services, when that book is reprinted.
Also, in response to General Convention, the Commission has begun work on inclusive language versions of the rites for Morning Prayer, Evening Prayer and Holy Communion. It is expected that this work will be completed in time for action by the General Convention in Detroit in 1988. The Church Divinity School of the Pacific in Berkeley, Calif., is cooperating with the Commission and will give the rites some "trial use" before they are put before the Convention for action.
According to Pettit, a children's liturgy program, which has been field tested in New Jersey and Massachusetts, should also be available soon.
Pettit read for Council the statement on AIDS and the Common Cup approved by the Commission at its January meeting (Eds.: see DPS 86016), sparking discussion of the subject. The statement supports continued use of the common cup in the Eucharist.
This form is to be used only immediately after the principal Eucharist on Sunday or other Principal Celebrations.
The Lay Eucharistic Ministers should be accompanied by other persons from the congregation.
The Lay Eucharistic Minister greets the people: The Peace of the Lord be always with you.
Response: And also with you.
Collect of the Day
Gospel of the Day, or some other passage of Scripture appropriate to the occasion.
Comments may be made about the sermon of that day.
Suitable prayers may be offered.
A Confession of Sin may be said:
Most merciful God,
we confess that we have sinned against you
in thought, word and deed,
by what we have done,
and by what we have left undone.
We have not loved you with our whole heart;
we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.
We are truly sorry, and we humbly repent.
For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ,
have mercy on us and forgive us;
that we may delight in your will,
and walk in your ways,
to the glory of your Name. Amen.
Minister: May Almighty God in mercy receive our confession of sorrow and of faith, strengthen us in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit, keep us in eternal life. Amen.
The Lord's Prayer
Administration of the Holy Communion (using one of the authorized words of administration)
Closing Prayer
O gracious God, whose Christ stretched our arms of love upon the hard wood of the cross to embrace all the peoples of the earth: We give you thanks for feeding N our sister with the Sacrament of that precious Body and Blood, which is the sign and instrument of our common life, and also for enriching our parish family by her sharing with us the food of our pilgrimage, the foretaste of that heavenly banquet of which we shall partake with all your saints; through Jesus Christ, our Savior. Amen.
Minister: Let us bless the Lord.
Response: Thanks be to God.
The Book of Common Prayer affirms the place of the Holy Eucharist as "the principal act of Christian worship on the Lord's Day and other major Feasts," and thus the foundation of the corporate prayer of the Church. As an act of the whole community of faith, the Eucharist is a summons to all the baptized to share in the table of the Lord. This form for the distribution of Holy Communion by licensed lay persons is intended to foster a corporate sense of the Eucharist among those who, by reason of illness or infirmity, are unable to be present in their church's assembly on Sunday or some other principal feast. This service is to be conducted by a duly licensed person immediately following such parish celebrations of the Holy Eucharist. The General Convention (1985) has specified that "The functions of the Lay Eucharistic Minister shall be limited to the following:
a) Administering the Cup at any Celebration of Holy Eucharist if there is an insufficient number of Priests or Deacons present;
b) Directly following a Celebration of Holy Eucharist on Sunday or other Principal Celebrations, if so authorized by the Member of the Clergy in charge of the Congregation and especially licensed thereto by the Bishop, taking the Sacrament consecrated at the Celebration to those members of the congregation who, by reason of illness or infirmity, were unable to be present at the Celebration."
It is desirable that other parishioners, relatives and friends also be present to communicate with the person visited. Those so ministered to should also be visited regularly by the clergy of the congregation. In this way, those who are unable to participate regularly in the worship of the eucharistic assembly may nevertheless experience their relation to the community and also join their personal faith and witness to that of their community. It is appropriate that the person be invited to join in commenting on the Scripture and in offering suitable prayers during the rite.