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“The hour has come .... abandon the practice of Communion standing and in the hand”
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EasterJoy
Guest
That is not what I teach the kids in my class.
First off, a person coming to Mass should be clean, including their hands, even if they will not be receiving Communion in the hand. No one should take it upon themselves to judge others, but care in grooming is a matter of respect.
Although the main celebrant has a ritual cleansing of the hands, no others who would have helped in distributing the Blessed Sacrament participated in this in the past, am I not correct? It was never necessary for touching the Blessed Sacrament, then, was it? One should be cleansed of iniquity; this is what is most vital.
Second, I do teach the kids that they should inspect their hand for anything recognizable as a particle of the Eucharist, for each particle is the same as any other piece, however large. I was taught the same thing.
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elt1956
Guest
Hello. I read the whole article and deduced that in the final paragraphs Communion in the Hand was not discouraged, but that Communion on the tongue should ALSO be retained.
As to Communion in the hand, since that was the first form of the Mass instituted by Christ, I don’t see what the big deal is. This manner of distributing the Eucharist was several decades older than that of on the tongue.
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paramedicgirl
Guest
It appears that you missed the fact that Communion in the hand was started as an abuse, voted down by the Bishops, with Communion on the tongue being upheld by the Pope, and in the end an indult issued for the disobedient places where Communion was being received in the hand.
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JReducation
Guest
Communion in the hand was approved by the Congregation on the Liturgy. They left it up to the bishops to decided if they wanted to use it or not.
The Congregation does have the authority to do this on behalf of the Holy See. All the Congregations act on behalf of the Holy See. If the Holy Father has any objection to anything they do, he has the authority to pull the plug.
In most cases, the Congregations run things past him before they make it a universal rule. Some things they don’t have to run past him. These rules as to what they have to consult with the Pope and what they do not have to consult, are established in the charters of the Congregations.
Just like every Department of the Cabinet of the US makes rules, so do the Congregations. Just like every Department of the Cabinet of the US, some things have to go through Congress and/or the President and others do not. There are criteria that have been established for years.
We’re making this more complicated than it has to be.
When the Congregation of the Liturgy says that something has to be re-examined and maybe changed, let’s not put words in their mouths. They mean what they say. They have to re-examine to determine if a change is necessary.
The greatest problem with communion in the hand is not the Church or the clergy, it’s the laity.
The laity is probably the greatest cause of most of the Church’s problems today. We have a sense of entitlement, we make our own rules.
We want to tell bishops, priests, religious and other Catholics how to live and how to pray. Then we want the Pope to exert authority, as long as it conforms to our idea of authority.
When the Pope gave communion in the hand to non Catholics and to Catholics whom he knew were por abortion and pro same sex marriage, all of a sudden the laity felt it was their right to say that the Pope was wrong and they were right, because the Pope refused to explain himself.
The reverence or lack thereof is in the receiver, not in the manner that it’s received. If it’s being re-examined it’s because many communicants have shown a lack of respect for the Eucharist. But making them kneel will not make them more respectful. It will just make them look more respectful.
If communion in the hand disappears, it’s because of the laity receiving communion, not because it is wrong to give it to people in the hand.
I receive communion in the hand and have never felt anything but reverence and awe for the Eucharist. But I don’t account for anyone else but me.
JR
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Jeanette_L
Guest
And here’s the problem with legalistic minds, they think they can regulate people into holiness, and they can’t. Holiness and the reverence for God that comes with it is a fruit, a product of our cooperation with grace given by the Holy Spirit, not following rules, rules and more rules. And yet the legalists will keep trying to accomplish this from the outside inward, it just doesn’t happen that way.The reverence or lack thereof is in the receiver, not in the manner that it’s received. If it’s being re-examined it’s because many communicants have shown a lack of respect for the Eucharist. But making them kneel will not make them more respectful. It will just make them look more respectful.
If communion in the hand disappears, it’s because of the laity receiving communion, not because it is wrong to give it to people in the hand.
I receive communion in the hand and have never felt anything but reverence and awe for the Eucharist. But I don’t account for anyone else but me.
JR
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bobzills
Guest
I don’t agree with that. I think that rules and regulations, such as the Ten Commandments, keep us on the correct path.And here’s the problem with legalistic minds, they think they can regulate people into holiness, and they can’t. Holiness and the reverence for God that comes with it is a fruit, a product of our cooperation with grace given by the Holy Spirit, not following rules, rules and more rules. And yet the legalists will keep trying to accomplish this from the outside inward, it just doesn’t happen that way.
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elt1956
Guest
I know I shouldn’t carry this on, but why do you think Communion in the Hand is disrespectful? That is not what this article says, only warns of being careful of maintaining respect for the Host. The Catholics that I have seen in my parish church and in others in my vicinity have shown no disrespect and all usually receive Communion in the hand. Those people who maintain that receiving the Host on the tongue is the most respecful are implying that thousands of Catholics who have and are still receiving in the hand are disrespectful. That is quite an indictment.
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Leeta
Guest
Communion in the hand is disrespectful due to the lack of purification of the hands and the risk to our Lord of being trampled underfoot by these same people who say they love our Lord. Now I realize that they are just doing what they have been taught by priests and others who seem to have forgotten that our Lord is bodily present in every particle.
As a mom, I know about crumbs and how easy it is for them to find their way to the floor! I’ve fed many babies and it is less messy to put the food directly in their mouth than to have them pick it up and put it in themselves!
Let us love our Lord and not put Him at risk.
As a mom, I know about crumbs and how easy it is for them to find their way to the floor! I’ve fed many babies and it is less messy to put the food directly in their mouth than to have them pick it up and put it in themselves!
Let us love our Lord and not put Him at risk.
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pnewton
Guest
I agree we need to love our Lord, but I have never put Him at risk while receiving in my hand.
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MrS
Guest
Hi Leeta, I know where you are coming from, and agree to a point. The baby analogy does not convince me. I too have feed many babies by mouth… and can still smile/laugh at the big mess I often cleaned up afterwards.
It is not irreverent to receive in the hand, or standing. The whole point of he thread was to introduce the thoughts that one should consider the return to kneeling and receiving on the tongue as a better form of reverence, and as an end to a practice that is symptomatic of a large number of problems - mainly the lack of belief in the Real Presence.
Posts 1, 4, 115, 116 give some more from the Preface.
191 gives a link to more good info.
As to the “purification” of the hands… well EMHC most often do not “purify” their hands either. I believe it is more the sacredness of the hands of the priest that we do not have.
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MrS
Guest
more from the Preface:
“In the Book of Revelation, St John tells how, having seen and heard that which was revealed to him, he prostrated himself in adoration at the feet of the angel of God (cf Rev 22:8). To prostrate oneself, or kneel, in humble adoration before the majesty of God’s presence was a reverential habit that Israel always manifested before the presence of the Lord….
“The same tradition is also found in the New Testament where we see Peter get on his knees before Jesus (cf Lk 5:8); when Jairus asks Jesus to heal his daughter (Lk 8:41); when the Samaritan returns to thank Jesus (cf Lk 17:16); and when Mary, the sister of Lazarus, weeps before Jesus over the death of her brother (Jn 11:32). The same attitude of prostration in astonishment at the divine presence and revelation in generally noted in the Book of Revelation (Rev 5:8, 14, and 19:4).
“Closely linked to this tradition was the conviction that the Holy Temple in Jerusalem was the dwelling place of God and, therefore, in the Temple it was necessary to dispose oneself in corporal attitudes expressive of a deep feeling of humility and reverence in the presence of the Lord.
“In the same way, in the Church, the deep conviction that the Lord is truly and really present under the Eucharistic Species, along with the emerging practice of reserving the Holy Sacrament in the tabernacles, contributed to the practice of kneeling in an attitude of humble adoration of the Lord in the Eucharist……
“Moreover, St. Thomas Aquinas had already defined the Eucharist as lateens Deitas [God who is concealed]. Faith in the Real Presence of Christ under the Eucharistic Species already belonged to the essence of the faith of the Catholic Church and was an intrinsic part of Catholic identity. It was clear that the Church could not be built up if that faith was appreciably diminished.
“Therefore, the Eucharist, bread transubstantiated into the Body of Christ and wine into the Blood of Christ, God among us, should be received with absolute wonder, the greatest reverence, and an attitude of humble adoration. Pope Benedict XVI….emphasizes that ‘receiving the Eucharist means placing oneself in an attitude of adoration toward Him whom we receive…… Only in adoration can a profound and genuine reception mature.’ (Sacramentium Caritatis, 66).
“The best way to express our feeling of reverence toward the Eucharistic Lord is to follow the example of Peter, who as the Gospel tells us, threw himself on his knees before the Lord and said, ‘Lord, depart from me, for I am a sinful man’ (Lk 5:8).
“In the Book of Revelation, St John tells how, having seen and heard that which was revealed to him, he prostrated himself in adoration at the feet of the angel of God (cf Rev 22:8). To prostrate oneself, or kneel, in humble adoration before the majesty of God’s presence was a reverential habit that Israel always manifested before the presence of the Lord….
“The same tradition is also found in the New Testament where we see Peter get on his knees before Jesus (cf Lk 5:8); when Jairus asks Jesus to heal his daughter (Lk 8:41); when the Samaritan returns to thank Jesus (cf Lk 17:16); and when Mary, the sister of Lazarus, weeps before Jesus over the death of her brother (Jn 11:32). The same attitude of prostration in astonishment at the divine presence and revelation in generally noted in the Book of Revelation (Rev 5:8, 14, and 19:4).
“Closely linked to this tradition was the conviction that the Holy Temple in Jerusalem was the dwelling place of God and, therefore, in the Temple it was necessary to dispose oneself in corporal attitudes expressive of a deep feeling of humility and reverence in the presence of the Lord.
“In the same way, in the Church, the deep conviction that the Lord is truly and really present under the Eucharistic Species, along with the emerging practice of reserving the Holy Sacrament in the tabernacles, contributed to the practice of kneeling in an attitude of humble adoration of the Lord in the Eucharist……
“Moreover, St. Thomas Aquinas had already defined the Eucharist as lateens Deitas [God who is concealed]. Faith in the Real Presence of Christ under the Eucharistic Species already belonged to the essence of the faith of the Catholic Church and was an intrinsic part of Catholic identity. It was clear that the Church could not be built up if that faith was appreciably diminished.
“Therefore, the Eucharist, bread transubstantiated into the Body of Christ and wine into the Blood of Christ, God among us, should be received with absolute wonder, the greatest reverence, and an attitude of humble adoration. Pope Benedict XVI….emphasizes that ‘receiving the Eucharist means placing oneself in an attitude of adoration toward Him whom we receive…… Only in adoration can a profound and genuine reception mature.’ (Sacramentium Caritatis, 66).
“The best way to express our feeling of reverence toward the Eucharistic Lord is to follow the example of Peter, who as the Gospel tells us, threw himself on his knees before the Lord and said, ‘Lord, depart from me, for I am a sinful man’ (Lk 5:8).
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mangy_dog
Guest
Brother and sisters you all have very good comments on this matter but I truly believe that this matter of receiving communion will come down to
Obedience. Obedience to the Holy Father, the Bishops, the Priests.
Regardless of my opinion or feelings about reception of communion, I must obey and after I obey - I will keep my opinions and feelings to myself. So that I may concile my interior life of prayer with my catholicism.
Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum.
Obedience. Obedience to the Holy Father, the Bishops, the Priests.
Regardless of my opinion or feelings about reception of communion, I must obey and after I obey - I will keep my opinions and feelings to myself. So that I may concile my interior life of prayer with my catholicism.
Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum.
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EasterJoy
Guest
I agree with you. It is a matter about which one might rightly share experiences and opinions with your bishop, though.
It is not that our opinions are entirely beside the point. It is not that it is inappropriate to discuss these matters respectfully on a forum such as this. It is that our personal opinions may not be given an inappropriate preeminence in our spiritual lives and in our relationships with others, especially those whom God has given authority over us.
Opinions are OK, but obedience comes first, and opinions second.
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mangy_dog
Guest
I am in complete agreement with you. Additionally, when I submit myself interiorly in obedience, it brings me peace. So that even if I am of this or that opinion - the interior action allows for God’s grace to suffuse my spirit.
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EasterJoy
Guest
Amen!
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seekerz
Guest
I don’t really see the connection between obedience and bringing an end to Communion in the hand.
What I see often repeated on many of the threads dealing with this topic, is the fallacy that making people behave in a manner that some view as more reverential, would translate into more reverence for God. Wrong - reverence is a function of the heart, not of outward actions. The way we view God will dictate the way we act in His presence, but the opposite is not necessarily true.
How many ways did our Lord try to teach us that true worship comes from the heart? If the heart is not the focus then whatever reform is instituted is doomed to dismal failure. Significant change never comes from the outside and whitewashing a tomb will not make it any less a tomb.
If people’s motives and attitudes change, then reverential behavior will naturally follow. The priests have a simple responsibility: a zero tolerance policy with regard to disrespectful or inappropriate behavior. Communion is not a right, but a privilege and they get to decide who qualifies.
What I see often repeated on many of the threads dealing with this topic, is the fallacy that making people behave in a manner that some view as more reverential, would translate into more reverence for God. Wrong - reverence is a function of the heart, not of outward actions. The way we view God will dictate the way we act in His presence, but the opposite is not necessarily true.
How many ways did our Lord try to teach us that true worship comes from the heart? If the heart is not the focus then whatever reform is instituted is doomed to dismal failure. Significant change never comes from the outside and whitewashing a tomb will not make it any less a tomb.
If people’s motives and attitudes change, then reverential behavior will naturally follow. The priests have a simple responsibility: a zero tolerance policy with regard to disrespectful or inappropriate behavior. Communion is not a right, but a privilege and they get to decide who qualifies.
J
Jeanette_L
Guest
The Ten Commandments are about moral standards, about how to avoid sinning against the moral law. We can’t confuse this with ritual disciplines. I’ve seen an awful lot of people follow rituals perfectly and live horrible lives filled with sin and no respect for God outside of Sunday ritual.
Love of God and Christ in the Eucharist is a heart thing.
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JReducation
Guest
We have to keep in mind several things.
- The bishops are the legitimate successors of the Apostles. We do owe them obedience in anything that is not sinful.
- Communion in the hand is not sinful.
- Bishops are not your average Catholic. To be a bishop you must be a theologian, they know what they’re talking about and if they err, the Sacred Congregation of the Faith, Congregation of Bishops, Congregation of the Liturgy all serve as oversight organisms to help the bishops. Then there are committees at the national level as well.
- There are few lay theologians on CAF.
- As St. John of the Cross said, “If you obey, the responsibility falls on the person in authority, not you, unless you are following sin.”
- Bishops have not said that you have to receive communion in the hand. They have said that you MAY. If you don’t feel comfortable with it, then don’t do it. But don’t try to make rules for others. That’s the bishop’s role.
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Jeanette_L
Guest
What ever would we do if it really were this simple for us? I mean, didn’t God ordain for us to be endlessly confused and in turmoil?We have to keep in mind several things.
JR
- The bishops are the legitimate successors of the Apostles. We do owe them obedience in anything that is not sinful.
- Communion in the hand is not sinful.
- Bishops are not your average Catholic. To be a bishop you must be a theologian, they know what they’re talking about and if they err, the Sacred Congregation of the Faith, Congregation of Bishops, Congregation of the Liturgy all serve as oversight organisms to help the bishops. Then there are committees at the national level as well.
- There are few lay theologians on CAF.
- As St. John of the Cross said, “If you obey, the responsibility falls on the person in authority, not you, unless you are following sin.”
- Bishops have not said that you have to receive communion in the hand. They have said that you MAY. If you don’t feel comfortable with it, then don’t do it. But don’t try to make rules for others. That’s the bishop’s role.
Or did he put a plan in place, like shepherds leading the sheep?
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