Communion in the Hand

[palmas85]

Okay, my mind is blank on this one. One reason I can think of is that the Bishops “told us so”. In the scurry to help the faithful feel more equal to the celebrant of the Mass, they decided the old rule was no longer to be used. Voila, everyone began receiving the Eucharist in the hand. I know I did.

Those who attended RCIA after Vatican II may have a better explanation than I.

It doesn’t appear that they do and if they do, then they have never given it. At least not that I have seen.

 

[japhy]

But Japhy, don’t you think ignorance of what they are doing is more due to lack of catechesis than the “form” of receiving the Host? I know Catholics who could outrun me around the block five times regarding their knowledge of the Faith and they receive in the hand.

Then those are the ones to ask, I would imagine! Perhaps they don’t know about receiving on the tongue, or think it really is forbidden. Maybe they’ve been receiving in the hand so long it seems odd or uncomfortable to change. Maybe the idea of receiving on the tongue, however pious it may be, seems a bit repulsive or childish to them.

 

[nor336]

Hello Nor. You say not allowing kneeling in the Church at Mass for Communion is against Vatican rules??? Where is that document?

When the Communion rail went the way of general acceptance of Communion on the tongue, there is no place to kneel in the Church other than the pew???

First of all the Communian rail did not go away, there are many churches that have one. The lack of a rail does not prevent one from kneeling before our Lord. People go to Lourdes and Fatima and walk on their knees to honor our Holy Mother and the Lord.

Go to “the Vatican” on the internet and all the rules are there. Under the heading “Sacraments”. It states that you can kneel or stand.

 

[japhy]

Go to “the Vatican” on the internet and all the rules are there. Under the heading “Sacraments”. It states that you can kneel or stand.

Those are the vaguest instructions for finding something on the Internet I have ever heard.

 

[YipYupYep]

Well, here goes. I am ready to face the fire on this.

First. What do you think? When Jesus himself broke the bread and blessed it, he told them to take it and eat it. " And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me." Praise Him! What did they do? Did that take it and eat it, or did The Lord place it on there tongue? Why should we do different. If one is holding a child, I was taught that they should receive on the tongue and only on the tongue for the purpose of providing security for the Blessed Sacrament. Droping it on the floor and what not.

Second. I worked in public health. I mean, this is the real deal. Do everyone a favor and keep your germs to yourself. Sorry. I know that you are a hard core bunch but Its just the right thing to do. Drinking out of the cup. Im not even going to go there, however, after the first few people have received on the tongue, the Priest or Eucharistic minister has saliva on his fingers. What about the people who come after.

The individual has the option. Thank God. But really. Please don’t think its disrespectful. As a society of people, I think its the responsible thing.

 

[japhy]

When Jesus himself broke the bread and blessed it, he told them to take it and eat it. … What did they do? Did that take it and eat it, or did The Lord place it on there tongue? Why should we do different.

The Gospels don’t exactly say how they received it, to be honest. But that’s not the point. The point is that the Church sees receiving on the tongue to be a more appropriate sign of reverence, given what the Sacrament truly is. Should we return to public confession as well?

If one is holding a child, I was taught that they should receive on the tongue and only on the tongue for the purpose of providing security for the Blessed Sacrament.

Then you were taught wrong.

I worked in public health. I mean, this is the real deal. Do everyone a favor and keep your germs to yourself.

Can you provide some statistics for us, then, on how many people have become ill because they received the Host on the tongue? Or because they received from the Chalice?

The individual has the option. Thank God. But really. Please don’t think its disrespectful. As a society of people, I think its the responsible thing.

Are you saying that those who receive on the tongue and/or receive from the Chalice are irresponsible?

 

[YipYupYep]

Are you saying that those who receive on the tongue and/or receive from the Chalice are irresponsible?

Okay, lets see. What do you think? Is it possible to transmit the micro organisms from your mouth to the fingers of the Priest. If you think it is possible, then you know the answer.

As to the Cup. I live in the real world. Drinking from the Cup is a million times more important that the question of the tongue vs the hand. I am not smart enough to say, but I will say this. If you culture the Cup and The Precious Blood at the end. Oh my God! I am sorry, I have spent my life inside the lab. If you have a diverse collection of people drinking from the same cup, it is going to happen. Not if but when.

 

[japhy]

Okay, lets see. What do you think? Is it possible to transmit the micro organisms from your mouth to the fingers of the Priest. If you think it is possible, then you know the answer.

Then the priest should wear latex gloves when he begins distributing Communion. It doesn’t matter if he washed his hands before Mass, he’s been touching all sorts of things – books, ambos, etc. – and I don’t want him to put germs on the Host.

If you have a diverse collection of people drinking from the same cup, it is going to happen. Not if but when.

But you still don’t have any actual statistics. Living in the lab could give you a complex.

 

[YipYupYep]

Living in the lab could give you a complex.

I’m sure you are right. Ya, I am too aware. All kidding aside. Your right. Cold and flu. Herpes Virus. What can I say.

Still, the Priest warring gloves and a long line of people lined up in front of the Cup are quite a bit different.

I think it was Woodey Allen who said, “my heart doesn’t know from Logic”

 

[nor336]

Those are the vaguest instructions for finding something on the Internet I have ever heard.

So don’t do it then, if you can’t follow simple instructions, trust the people on the forum who you don’t know, never met and are all really nice people with no agendas.

 

[japhy]

Go to “the Vatican” on the internet and all the rules are there. Under the heading “Sacraments”. It states that you can kneel or stand.

Those are the vaguest instructions for finding something on the Internet I have ever heard.

So don’t do it then, if you can’t follow simple instructions, trust the people on the forum who you don’t know, never met and are all really nice people with no agendas.

Seriously, though, I “go to ‘the Vatican’ on the internet”… I assume you mean vatican.com/, right? And then… where is the “Sacraments” heading?

As for the people on this forum who may or may not have agendas, I am not advancing any personal agenda. I am simply presenting the evidence that the Church does permit people to receive kneeling if they so choose: I provide excerpts from documents that say so.

I just found your directions puzzling.

 

[preV2tradcath]

I can’t speak for nor336, but he(she?) may have meant www.vatican.va
In any case, it is a good site to know about.

 

[japhy]

Oh, geez, I’m a dunce; of course I meant vatican.va!

 

[elts1956]

Then those are the ones to ask, I would imagine! Perhaps they don’t know about receiving on the tongue, or think it really is forbidden. Maybe they’ve been receiving in the hand so long it seems odd or uncomfortable to change. Maybe the idea of receiving on the tongue, however pious it may be, seems a bit repulsive or childish to them.

I think this is true. If one has never seen an act, such as receiving the Host on the tongue, one probably doesn’t know it is allowed. For a long time, I thought this was true. If they do know, they are probably more comfortable receiving in the hand if this has been their practice for all of their Catholic lives. I am lucky, I feel comfortable receiving the Sacrament in both ways.

 

[Kevin_Driffield]

Okay, lets see. What do you think? Is it possible to transmit the micro organisms from your mouth to the fingers of the Priest. If you think it is possible, then you know the answer.

As to the Cup. I live in the real world. Drinking from the Cup is a million times more important that the question of the tongue vs the hand. I am not smart enough to say, but I will say this. If you culture the Cup and The Precious Blood at the end. Oh my God! I am sorry, I have spent my life inside the lab. If you have a diverse collection of people drinking from the same cup, it is going to happen. Not if but when.

So it is posible to catch diseases by receiving the most precious blood of our Lord Jesus Christ - So what!!!

 

[Lynn_Suer]

Originally posted by YipYupYep:
If you culture the Cup and The Precious Blood at the end. Oh my God!

I am a microbiologist and would like to say that almost anything cultured is loaded with microbes, even if it’s “clean” and dry. More than 99.99% of all microbes are either harmless or beneficial to us. We carry around on our persons about ten times more microbes than we have cells in our body so worrying about microbial contamination is pointless in many situations.

Microbes make up over 90% of the biomass of the entire biosphere so imagine how many microbes we come into contact with daily! They float in the air and water, and about one million are found in each teaspoon of soil.

I don’t know of any recorded instances of harmful microbes spread by Holy Communion under either species. Just to be on the safe side, however, during some particularly severe or threatening influenza outbreaks, the bishop has directed his priests not to offer the Precious Blood to the congregation.