Can I still receive the Eucharist

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Eve1

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Is it still ok for me to receive the Eucharist on my tongue?
On Monday I had a tooth out and I was prescribed antibiotics. I now have thrush. From what I have found online it is not contagious in adults, only nursing infants to mother’s.
 
Please do everyone a favor, and either refrain from receiving or receive in the hand and put it in your own mouth. Be considerate.
 
No.

Please stay away from receiving if you cannot do so in your hands.

You can easily spread it to nursing infants and mothers, even if the priest is careful. Thrush can end breastfeeding for a mother and make a breastfeeding infant in danger.
 
First off, unless he’s sucking the priest’s fingers, and then the priest has his hands elsewhere immediately after, he’s not going to spread thrush to babies and nursing mothers. That’s not how that works. Thrush spreads by contact - it doesn’t leap through the air.

ANYONE can get thrush if you take the right antibiotic. Absolutely anyone. It’s caused by overgrowth of natural flora - in this case, yeast. You can also get it if you’re ill, from smoking - it’s not confined to nursing mothers, babies, or people on medication.

OP, just receive in the hand - mostly because the coating thrush creates looks unpleasant. And don’t kiss anyone. You’re not going to spread it to a priest, so please don’t worry about that.

And you have my sympathy, because it can be quite painful. Hope you feel better soon.
 
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Thank you everyone for your advice. I will either refrain or receive in my hand until situation is resolved.
 
A lot of people make an overly big deal about receiving the Eucharist on the tongue versus the hand, as if it were a matter of faith and morals.

While I also choose to receive on the tongue because I feel that it is a more proper disposition, I would also be cognizant of the health and well-being of others.

You’re making the right decision by receiving in the hand until you’re healed.

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I agree, people make a bigger deal out of it than necessary. For the past 7 months I’ve only received on the tongue due to my own convictions. Even though I know it’s not “wrong” I have a hard time with the thought of recieving on the hands at this point. I’m also afraid that I’m going to forget what I’m doing when I go up.
 
Try making a spiritual communion instead. St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori has a short prayer for spiritual communion. I would not receive in the hand because no matter how careful one is, the least Particle of the Host (which is the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ under the appearance of bread) can break off and fall on floor.

Full disclosure: Although I am Ukrainian Greek Catholic, I was a Eucharistic minister in college. The last time was 10/10/93. Shortly after that, I began to doubt the Real Presence of Our Lord in the Holy Eucharist. No matter how often I went to Confession, I had no peace. This continued for 12 years and 5 days. On October 15, 2005, Feast of St. Teresa of Avila, the good Lord delivered me from these doubts and temptations.

I know the RC Church allows it; I’m just giving you my experience. I would not wish what I endured on my worst enemy.
 
As others have said, receive in the hand until the thrush is cleared up.

And I’m so sorry to hear you’ve developed thrush. I’ve had it twice due to using a steroid inhaler and it is just dreadful. Praying it clears up quickly for you.
 
Pup7 said:
First off, unless he’s sucking the priest’s fingers, and then the priest has his hands elsewhere immediately after, he’s not going to spread thrush to babies and nursing mothers. That’s not how that works. Thrush spreads by contact - it doesn’t leap through the air.

ANYONE can get thrush if you take the right antibiotic. Absolutely anyone. It’s caused by overgrowth of natural flora - in this case, yeast. You can also get it if you’re ill, from smoking - it’s not confined to nursing mothers, babies, or people on medication.

OP, just receive in the hand - mostly because the coating thrush creates looks unpleasant. And don’t kiss anyone. You’re not going to spread it to a priest, so please don’t worry about that.

And you have my sympathy, because it can be quite painful. Hope you feel better soon.
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My priest always ends up with saliva on his hands when I’m baby wrangling. He likes communion on the tounge so he’s not being difficult.

If the OP went before me then yes, it could easily be transmitted. No gratitous sucking needed.

And yes, while “anyone can get it”. It does not cause the kind of havoc for an adult that it does for a nursing baby.
 
Eve1 said:
I’m also afraid that I’m going to forget what I’m doing when I go up.
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Just place your right palm over your left palm. When the EMHC places the host in your palm, turn your right hand so as to slide the host into your left. Then pick the host up from the left hand and place in mouth.
Practice beforehand with vanilla wafers as needed.
 
Xanthippe_Voorhees said:
And yes, while “anyone can get it”. It does not cause the kind of havoc for an adult that it does for a nursing baby.
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Actually, yes it can. Have you ever had it down your throat and in your mouth? I’ve seen people hospitalized because of it. It’s painful, it can be antibiotic resistant, and it can run the length of the esophagus, not just be inside one’s mouth.
Xanthippe_Voorhees said:
If the OP went before me then yes, it could easily be transmitted. No gratitous sucking needed.
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Since it sounds as though your priest is touching mouths, yes (though it’s seriously not easily transmitted to an otherwise healthy person, though it can go from place to place and find the person who isn’t as well equipped). Personally, that sounds - well, gross.

The reason it’s easily passed from mom to baby while nursing is location-based for the mom. You don’t have much on your breast that can fight off yeast overgrowth, plus it’s warm and wet there.
 
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Receiving in the hand is more in accordance to Scripture. Take this and eat…
 
Theo2 said:
Receiving in the hand is more in accordance to Scripture. Take this and eat…
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As an altar boy I hated Communion on the tongue as the priest smoked 40 a day; it was awful and should not have been allowed. You make a great point, " Take this and eat…"
 
Theo2 said:
Receiving in the hand is more in accordance to Scripture. Take this and eat…
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Your justification could be used to justify the laity all reaching forward to take the host themselves from the ciborium. Using this piece of scripture to claim Communion in the hand is more in line with scripture can lead to very shaky ground.
 
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Margaret_Ann said:
I would not receive in the hand because no matter how careful one is, the least Particle of the Host (which is the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ under the appearance of bread) can break off and fall on floor.
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What do you mean by that? The Host does not crumbles in our hands from gentle handling, and if it did, it would have crumbled before it was placed in someone’s hand, so the point is irrelevant.
 
Well part of what Jesus did after breaking the bread, he gave it to them and said “take this and eat it”. So that would preclude them taking the host from the ciborium.
 
But you do not know exactly how the Apostles received at the Last Supper. The visions of Blesed Anne Catherine Emmerich suggest the Apostles received Communion in the mouth at the Last Supper.
 
Okay. We were talking about what scripture said. In my view visions often conform to what the seer is use to not what is historically accurate. So if Blessed Anne only knew communion on the tongue then that is how the Lord will speak to her in a vision. My whole point was to help Eve1 feel more comfortable receiving in the hand. Not a discussion on which is better.
 
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