A Communion in Hand vs. On Tongue Story

[MusicMan]

I’ve been an avid reader and participant on CAF for many years, and I’ve read both sides of this discussion. Never once have I ever encountered a situation as a communicant or as an emHC that I felt supported the “On the Tongue Only” group’s concerns over Communion in the Hand. (Aside: This doesn’t make their concerns less valid, it just means I’ve never encountered a situation that supported them.)

Until Mass last night.

Our pastor typically distributes fractioned pieces of the large host to people performing lay ministry at that Mass: servers, readers, emsHC, musicians, etc., and I was the organist, so no surprise when Father put a piece of the large host in my hand.

As many of you know the large host is designed to fracture easily, but the piece I received didn’t fracture quite right as it had “split” top to bottom on half of the piece. When I reverently went to pick the host piece up to consume, it snapped, and suddenly I had pieces crumbling about in my hand. I was able to get the host pieces together to consume with out dropping particles, but it was a very uncomfortable moment, especially as I had already been moving to the cup minister, and she was on her way to handing me the cup.

Once, in all of my years of life… just wanted to share.

 

[Corki]

This is exactly why our priest always gives the fractured parts to those who he knows receive on the tongue. Since we don’t use pattens in our parish, this is the safest way to avoid what you describe of the loss of small pieces during the transfer.

 

[MusicMan]

I don’t think any particles fell. The host wasn’t coming apart as he put it in my hand. It was just the way I gripped it when I went to pick it up that caused the structure to give way.

I talked with Father after Mass, and he didn’t seem like he had ever encountered a situation like that either. But, the people he typically communes with the large host would be people who would have the greatest amount of success preventing the profanation of the host, so everything is probably OK.

From my experiences as an emHC, I know of only two people in the parish who receive on the tongue with regularity. Almost my entire parish receives in the hand. They’re not encouraged either way, BTW.

 

[japhy]

As many of you know the large host is designed to fracture easily, but the piece I received didn’t fracture quite right as it had “split” top to bottom on half of the piece. When I reverently went to pick the host piece up to consume, it snapped, and suddenly I had pieces crumbling about in my hand.

That was what did it for me; only it happened at three consecutive Masses. The size of the fragments of the Host raised enough alarm for me.

 

[japhy]

Almost my entire parish receives in the hand. They’re not encouraged either way, BTW.

Well, are the children at your parish (assuming there are any) who are receiving the sacrament for the first time ever told about both means of reception?

 

[MusicMan]

I know nothing about the state of affairs in the religious ed classes and the First Communion preparation classes. I would expect that people preparing for First Communion would be educated about both options, but I doubt any preference would be expressed by the teachers.

 

[revelations]

This happened to me with a priest I know, he put the large host in my hand and i was stuck in the pew “discovering” particles all over my hands…was traumatising for me, lol.

It’s hard to receive on the tongue because there are no pattens, but then in the hand brings up all these little problems.

The way i roll these days is whenever i’m not at my usual parish I receive on the tongue, but when i receive from the priest who knows me i receive in the hand.

 

[Biblioassistant]

I’ve been recieving on the tongue for several months now. I wish we could kneel as well since both priests at my parish are pretty short. I’m not all that tall, but one priest is my height and one is shorter and it can get a bit awkward.

 

[japhy]

I’ve been recieving on the tongue for several months now. I wish we could kneel as well since both priests at my parish are pretty short. I’m not all that tall, but one priest is my height and one is shorter and it can get a bit awkward.

I say this with tongue slightly in cheek, since “pastoral reasons” are claimed for virtually every deviation from the norms of the liturgy imaginable…

But I’d say the shortness of a priest (or the tallness of a communicant) is a sufficient “pastoral reason” to permit (or even welcome) a communicant who wishes to receive on the tongue to do so while kneeling!