Everyone can tell that you long after the eucharist

[Tommelomsky]

A nice elderly lady in the parish told me this over a soda after the Divine Liturgy today. I try to hide this, but obviously not doing it very well. Should I be ashamed of myself or can any former catechumens or catechumens say that they have or do feel/have felt it the same way?

Other than that, it is truly a day of joy! 

[DavidI]

Shouldn't we all be longing for the Eucharist? Isn't that the ultimate purpose of our gathering together, to unite with Christ? I don't speak for anyone else but as a "cradle" orthodox I find myself longing for communion all the time and see no problem with that.

Congrats on becoming a catechuman! Keep longing and may your journey be blessed!

[Theophan_C]

Dear Tommelomsky,

Yes I felt and continue to feel a "longing after the eucharist" but now I don't feel any awkwardness about that feeling and I like to think baptism & first communion is the confirmation of the beginning of a process that has no end.  I think I was embarrassed in general about being a catechumen , especially when the words "catechumens depart..." came up in the liturgy!    but at the same time I knew I would soldier through any amount of embarrassment so it didn't really matter how embarrassing it got.  It wasn't so much the eucharist that I hankered after but baptism.  I had a continual feeling of being in potential catastrophic danger.  I'm still uncertain of salvation but can now turn directly to Christ with a confidence I couldn't have before baptism.

So anyways... hang in and enjoy the agony!    It is well worth the wait.

[Hiwot]

A nice elderly lady in the parish told me this over a soda after the Divine Liturgy today. I try to hide this, but obviously not doing it very well. Should I be ashamed of myself or can any former catechumens or catechumens say that they have or do feel/have felt it the same way?

Other than that, it is truly a day of joy!  

Tom, There is no reason to be ashamed at all. I think its a grace by itself that longing that He gave you for Him.

I think,the reason the dear elderly lady recognised your longing is because it is in her too, it is not only for catechumens or former Catechumens to experience it then to lose it when they start to commune. although the degree of longing when one is on the outside is quite different in nature than the one experienced by the one in the inside.

when the majority of the congregation communes it is very difficult on the one who is restricted from it and it is a good kind of motivational factor but most importantly it instructs communicates in the language of the heart to love and revere the sacred. on the other hand, when the majority does not commune it is a very spiritually challenging event for the one who is communing. how you might say... because while one knows one is communing because one is a repentant sinner a broken clay who needs  its maker to be fixed.. in the eyes of fellow parishioners who deeply revere the Eucharist that person might be shown a certain reverence as a result of their reverence to Christ. now that can be a dangerous place for the person,because my friend pride is a powerful foe that has taken down even the angels.when one says I am unworthy, one must mean it from the heart, not as a simple spiritual platitude one says in a campany of those that expect such diction. one must in that case be very mindful of ones sins and that it is because one is sick that he or she comes to the healer. not because one is in any exceptional state of spiritual loftiness. so the longing one sees in the eyes of others should humble the person and remind he/she to pray with fear of God in their heart that they might not be cut off from this Vine that they have been grafted into unworthy that they are.

I think that's all I am going to say about this

In Christ,
Hiwot.

[katherineofdixie]

...its a grace by itself that longing that He gave you for Him.

Lovely. And so true!

[Tommelomsky]

Thank you so much for the beautiful words and your thoughts. I take them to me with a smile. This month makes the fifth one as a catechumen and our classes finishes on march 1st (almost three weeks before The Great Lent starts). Exciting times.

[Velsigne]

A nice elderly lady in the parish told me this over a soda after the Divine Liturgy today. I try to hide this, but obviously not doing it very well. Should I be ashamed of myself or can any former catechumens or catechumens say that they have or do feel/have felt it the same way?

Other than that, it is truly a day of joy! 

Dear Tommelomsky,

I was made a catechumen on the Sunday after Theophany some years ago. 

On that day I received a beautiful icon card of the Theotokos from my beloved Godsister. 

She quoted:

For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand outside.
I would rather stand in the threshold of the house of my God
than dwell in the tents of wickedness.

For the Lord is a sun and shield;
The Lord gives grace and glory;
No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.

O Lord of hosts, how blessed is the man who trusts in You!

Psalm 83.10-12

[Deborah]

A nice elderly lady in the parish told me this over a soda after the Divine Liturgy today. I try to hide this, but obviously not doing it very well. Should I be ashamed of myself or can any former catechumens or catechumens say that they have or do feel/have felt it the same way?

Other than that, it is truly a day of joy! 

Yes, very much so...a strong sense of longing, also of awe and unworthiness.  Each time I go it's stronger, and harder to ignore and hide.

...its a grace by itself that longing that He gave you for Him.

Lovely. And so true!

That it's a grace of God hadn't occurred to me, but I agree

Dear Tommelomsky,

I was made a catechumen on the Sunday after Theophany some years ago. 

On that day I received a beautiful icon card of the Theotokos from my beloved Godsister. 

She quoted:

For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand outside.
I would rather stand in the threshold of the house of my God
than dwell in the tents of wickedness.

For the Lord is a sun and shield;
The Lord gives grace and glory;
No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.

O Lord of hosts, how blessed is the man who trusts in You!

Psalm 83.10-12

This passage from Psalm 83 is beautiful and also true.  There's nowhere else I'd rather be than in God's House.


Tom, I wish you all the best on your journey, as you step closer to the starting line.  I look forward to hearing about your reception and the first time you're able to commune.   I'll keep you in my prayers - please also pray for me.

Deborah

[Tommelomsky]

A nice elderly lady in the parish told me this over a soda after the Divine Liturgy today. I try to hide this, but obviously not doing it very well. Should I be ashamed of myself or can any former catechumens or catechumens say that they have or do feel/have felt it the same way?

Other than that, it is truly a day of joy! 

Dear Tommelomsky,

I was made a catechumen on the Sunday after Theophany some years ago. 

On that day I received a beautiful icon card of the Theotokos from my beloved Godsister. 

She quoted:

For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand outside.
I would rather stand in the threshold of the house of my God
than dwell in the tents of wickedness.

For the Lord is a sun and shield;
The Lord gives grace and glory;
No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.

O Lord of hosts, how blessed is the man who trusts in You!

Psalm 83.10-12

So beautiful and true. I can only smile from this and thinking about it, monday was an interesting day and the moment when this happened did happen for a special reason.

[Tommelomsky]

A nice elderly lady in the parish told me this over a soda after the Divine Liturgy today. I try to hide this, but obviously not doing it very well. Should I be ashamed of myself or can any former catechumens or catechumens say that they have or do feel/have felt it the same way?

Other than that, it is truly a day of joy! 

Yes, very much so...a strong sense of longing, also of awe and unworthiness.  Each time I go it's stronger, and harder to ignore and hide.

...its a grace by itself that longing that He gave you for Him.

Lovely. And so true!

That it's a grace of God hadn't occurred to me, but I agree

Dear Tommelomsky,

I was made a catechumen on the Sunday after Theophany some years ago. 

On that day I received a beautiful icon card of the Theotokos from my beloved Godsister. 

She quoted:

For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand outside.
I would rather stand in the threshold of the house of my God
than dwell in the tents of wickedness.

For the Lord is a sun and shield;
The Lord gives grace and glory;
No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.

O Lord of hosts, how blessed is the man who trusts in You!

Psalm 83.10-12

This passage from Psalm 83 is beautiful and also true.  There's nowhere else I'd rather be than in God's House.


Tom, I wish you all the best on your journey, as you step closer to the starting line.  I look forward to hearing about your reception and the first time you're able to commune.   I'll keep you in my prayers - please also pray for me.

Deborah

I like this passage a lot. This monday was so special and I thank you so much for the kind words. I will keep you posted on the road to recpetion as I got a small feeling, its a little bit closer). I will keep you in my prayers too and accept my humble thanks for the prayers.

Tommelomsky/Tommy

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