I heard something puzzling about the RCC so I thought I would ask here if it is true.I heard a story about a woman who was not RCC but her grandmother was. Well, the grandmother died and the mother wanted the grand daughter to read a scripture from the Bible at the funeral. When she spoke to the priest about what she was going to read, which was from John 14, the priest told her he could not allow her to read from the Gospel of John because only the priests could read the Gospels. Is this true? I don't have any reason to believe this person was telling a lie, it is just so foreign to me that only the priests are allowed to read the gospels. Can anyone varify this for me?
"Praxis" (practice) is the issue of CUSTOM - what is customarily done, what PRACTICE is seen as "customary" and perhaps even best. In liturgical churches, it is common and traditional for the Gospel reading to be done by the officiant (typically, one ordained) - although the OT, Psalm and Epistle may be read by a lay person (male or female) - and now typically that's the case. Some Catholic will need to weigh in on this, but MY understanding from my former Catholic days is that there is no LAW about this (and the priest COULD have permitted a lay person) BUT there is a pretty solid, historic, traditional CUSTOM here that (I suspect) the priest desired to incorporate.
I might add..... with all due respect.... when one is a GUEST in a church, it is respectful to abide by the customs and practices of THAT denomination (parish, etc.) - and not take offense. When I'm a GUEST in someone's home, I abide by the customs and practices of that home - with respect (I was just raised that way)... I may not exactly APPROVE but then it's not my house and that's typically irrelevant. When smokers come to my home, I would find it disrespectful for them to smoke (especially without asking) and if they did ask and I indicated my lack of approval, I'd desire they not be offended or angry but simply respect the customs of MY house to which they are a GUEST - as I will and do in THEIR home.
Work and life sometimes takes me away on weekends. I've offen attended a Catholic church on Sunday... but since I'm no longer Catholic, I don't receive the Sacrament. This is simply because (while a lot of Catholics don't know this), as a Lutheran, I'm not welcomed and I'm not permitted to so commune - so I come for a blessing (being a formal Catholic, I know how that's done). I think I SHOULD be welcomed - but what I think and feel while a GUEST of a Catholic church is IRRELEVANT, I'm a GUEST and should either RESPECT (without negative emotion) THEIR customs or just not attend there. It would be RUDE to knowingly violate their praxis.... and absurd for me to feel badly since I CHOSE to be a GUEST there. Now, that's the only thing.... I do the "Sign," I'm fine with the knelling and stuff, I participate in the liturgy because I'm okay with that AND the RCC is okay with that from a Lutheran.
So.... when one is a GUEST of a Catholic church for a funeral, we need to RESPECT (without negative emotions) THEIR customs.... or simply don't attend.
Make sense?
Pax
A blessed New Year to all....
- Josiah
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