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Extraordinary ministers of the eucharist
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Pope Paul VI authorized the use of extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion in 1973 when a lack of sufficient clergy occurs or when the size of the congregation deems their use necessary.
To serve at the table of the Lord is a gift. Lay ministers are invited to service by pastors according to the needs of the local community of believers. Great care in administering the Body and Blood of Christ to the faithful is vital. How the church prays conveys what the church believes about the mystery celebrated at each liturgy. Proper formation and training of ministers is essential to insure good liturgical practices and to the safeguarding of the tradition handed down from our Lord Jesus Christ. Whether serving at Sunday Mass, daily Mass or bringing Communion to the sick or home bound, the lay minister shares the faith, the tradition, and the love of Christ.(Diocesan Guidelines for Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, Sept. 2019)
The responsibility and dignity of this ministry requires that we become what we give to our brothers and sisters. Our call to serve in this way is undeserved. Our lives, both interiorly and exteriorly, both in the liturgy and outside the liturgy, should be one of generous self-giving, conformed to the pattern of Christ’s self-giving.
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