tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8676538176679335464.post958471278550366019..comments2023-10-26T09:46:52.936-04:00Comments on Nathan Barontini's Blog: Did the Early Christians Practice "Open Commuion?" Nathan Barontinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05149641876919091106noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8676538176679335464.post-77446699471374066712014-07-13T08:56:40.848-04:002014-07-13T08:56:40.848-04:00Well stated, Moonshadow. The questions for those a...Well stated, Moonshadow. The questions for those arguing that the Eucharist should be given to all as a "comfort" would be, "what is the Eucharist?" and "what is the Eucharist for?" My guess is that those answers would *not* be orthodox, which is the bigger problem. Confusion over the Eucharist and its role in the Church has lead to a lot of misunderstanding.Nathan Barontinihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05149641876919091106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8676538176679335464.post-31176418626962213392014-07-13T01:00:33.603-04:002014-07-13T01:00:33.603-04:00There was a funeral mass in my small NJ town some ...There was a funeral mass in my small NJ town some years back attended by a variety of Christians. The priest announced that only Catholics in the state of grace could receive communion and that caused some hard feelings. It was argued that extending the invitation to all would be a comfort to the grieving, <br /><br />But all Western Christians "guard the table" based on age. Infants and young children even of active, believing members do not receive communion. (Eastern Orthodox are the exception but they have their own sets of restrictions) Typically, this reality is obscured by monthly / quarterly communion services rather than weekly / daily and "children's church" - youth are simply NOT in the sanctuary when communion is distributed.<br /><br />So, "open communion" isn't as widespread among Christians as Protestants would like to make it seem. There's nothing wrong with guarding the table, everyone does it to some degree.Moonshadowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11277057132720569896noreply@blogger.com