Communion in the hand

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asteroid

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I was received into the church four years ago. During RCIA we were instructed on receiving the host and told about making a cross with the hands, and so forth. We were also told pretty much that some old fashioned fuddy-duddies still received on the tongue and that was the end of that instruction.

Some of you at this point will be fuming. And rightly so.

This year I was helping out with RCIA and teaching some of it - you’re now looking at one of the parish experts on Our Lady which is a tad different from my pre- and anti- Catholic days. Praise God. Similar advice was being given and I really only got angry looks when mentioning what is, after all, still the normative manner.

That’s really weird in a way because I notice quite a number of the young people of the parish receive on the tongue, including most of the young altar servers. They are teenagers or a bit younger - certainly not old fuddy-duddies.

Anyway, lots of people who receive on the tongue talk of greater reverence. Personally I think I’m being pretty reverent about things anyway (especially after seeing something on EWTN a while back that I’ll ask about in a minute!). But are people right when they talk of the greater reverence?

So I want to find out whether this would be true for me personally. The trouble is, my instruction is lacking somewhat on HOW to receive on the tongue - just what the etiquette is, and how to do things without risking the priest getting a handful of saliva or getting their fingers bitten off. That might be a silly worry but it’s a worry nonetheless.

I experimented on Easter Sunday but as a first experiment I confess it was more about experiment than reverence. Before I go further I wanted to know if there is anywhere that gives the lowdown on receiving Jesus without the risk of additional priestly fingers. Any advice?

Back to EWTN. I saw part of a programme recently presented (I’m pretty sure) by Fr Mitch Pacwa. He had a guest who had (I think) written a book on the practice of communion in the hand in the early church. He stated that although, yes, the cross was made with the palms - as is easy to find in the ECF - they would never have thought of picking up the host with the other hand like a little biscuit. Instead they would bow their head (with obvious symbolism) to receive from the palm to the mouth.

I’ve been doing that for a while and yes, for me at least, this is a heck of a lot more reverent than the biscuit technique no matter what prayer happens to accompany the process.

But I’ve been getting some very funny looks. So question. Does anyone happen to know who the guest was, what their book is, and if there is more information about this online?

As you can tell, I want to be as reverent as possible and any outward action that aids the inward reverence is what I’m looking for - and if the outward action might be an aid helping to lead others to greater reverence that would be a big bonus.

All this because I’m a convert and like so many others can say that if there was only one thing that led to Catholicism it would be the Eucharist. I’m head over heals in love with the Eucharist, the Mass, exposition and pretty much everything to do with it, knowing how precious it is and how much non-Catholic/Orthodox Christians are missing out on this stupendous gift. And that’s a far cry from my pre-Catholic days too - when I was one of those people who would have probably have gone along with calling the Host “the death cookie” a la Chick.

God’s done a good work to get me here. And he continues it constantly. That’s enough words - this quick question took longer than intended. But I don’t apologise in the slightest!
 
The universal Church receives on the tongue; however, (and someone correct me if I’m wrong!) the U.S. bishops recieved permission from Rome to be able to receive in the hand. So here, BOTH are correct. Depending on what parish I’m attending or when at my own parish, which deacon, priest, or EMHC I’m receiving from, I have received Jesus on the tongue and in the hand. Many, many in our parish receive on the tongue and no one things anything strange. Now, back to your question about the palm. I have noticed that several in our parish that receive in the hand also do what I think you are speaking of. They receive Jesus in their hand and then raise both hands to their mouth in order to consume instead of picking the host up. Our seminarian, who is very devout and traditional in most ways, does this as do several of our deacons. I have not yet tried it for fear I would accidentially drop Jesus!:o But I’m considering it.
As far as revernce goes, I think you can be equally reverent receiving in the hand or on the tounge. It’s not about how you receive, but if you have the right faith and heart WHEN you are receiving.🙂

I hope that may have answered your questions.🙂
 
The vast majority of my Catholic university receives on the tongue.

It is just a safer way of receiving, less chance for particles or dropped hosts.
 
I am completely with you, Asteroid, having had these same concerns myself. I went through RCIA some years ago (I’m also in the UK) and was not shown the ‘on the tongue’ method - it is obviously the ‘UK’ way but now you have pointed out the ‘irreverence’ problem I am worried about using the ‘biscuit’ method as you put it - I was never told during RCIA that this may be disrespectful. I have seen some people use the ‘in the hand - then to mouth’ but wouldn’t like to ‘fumble it’ so to speak 😊 I am in the process of coming back to the church and so would be interested in reading the answers you get so that when I can receive the Eucharist again, I can do so properly and respectfully.

Nice to know I’m not the only one to have strange thoughts of biting fingers though !:o
 
Nice to know I’m not the only one to have strange thoughts of biting fingers though !
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In my experience, the trick is to open wide and stick out your tongue. Not like a little kid sticking his tongue out at Mom…just put your tongue out so that Father can place the Host on it without reaching into your mouth. Nice and neat.

Once I think I didn’t quite get my tongue out far enough because the priest sort of flung the Host into my mouth. :rolleyes: That’s only ever happened once, though, and it may just have been my inaccurate perception.

There is a bit of a trick to it for sure. I finally figured out how to get the priests to offer me Communion instead of trying to bless me when I don’t come forward with outstretched hands. :o The actual receiving on the tongue, I’m still working on.
 
I think the main thing to keep in mind is that true reverence comes from the heart, not in a posture. I don’t think God really cares how we receive communion, so long as we do it with a heart to honor Him and with a spirit of obedience.

Personally I receive in the hand because I am far less anxious about Christ falling to the floor and because I know several older priests who really struggle to give communion on the tongue (especially to tall people like myself). That said, I have also received on the tongue before and I know many people who do.
 
I can’t provide a diagram, but the “safest” way to receive on the tongue is to open your mouth wide and stick your tongue out far enough that the priest (or other minister) can place the Host entirely on your tongue and not close your mouth until your tongue (and the Host) is entirely back in your mouth. That leaves the priest enough time to get out of harm’s way. 🙂

Ideally, the Host should be placed “away” from the priest. Here’s a terrible illustration:

<__ ← this is your mouth and your tongue
/ ← this is the Host (being held at an angle)
3 ← this is the priest’s hand

<_/3

In other words, it should be placed so that the side of the Host closer to the back of your mouth (and farthest away from the priest) is placed on your tongue and let to “drop” gently into place. It should also be placed in the middle of your tongue so that when you bring your tongue back into your mouth, the Host doesn’t hit the sides of your lips and become detached and fall!

It might sound confusing at first, but if you practice (with a Ritz cracker or whatever… not being sacrilegious, just trying to work out the bugs) you will do it with ease.
 
japhy said:
I can’t provide a diagram, but the “safest” way to receive on the tongue is to open your mouth wide and stick your tongue out far enough that the priest (or other minister) can place the Host entirely on your tongue and not close your mouth until your tongue (and the Host) is entirely back in your mouth. That leaves the priest enough time to get out of harm’s way. 🙂

Ideally, the Host should be placed “away” from the priest. Here’s a terrible illustration:

<__ ← this is your mouth and your tongue
/ ← this is the Host (being held at an angle)
3 ← this is the priest’s hand

<_/3

In other words, it should be placed so that the side of the Host closer to the back of your mouth (and farthest away from the priest) is placed on your tongue and let to “drop” gently into place. It should also be placed in the middle of your tongue so that when you bring your tongue back into your mouth, the Host doesn’t hit the sides of your lips and become detached and fall!

It might sound confusing at first, but if you practice (with a Ritz cracker or whatever… not being sacrilegious, just trying to work out the bugs) you will do it with ease.
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👍 That is an AWESOME diagram! Never would I have thought to do that.

By the way, you can go to any Christian book store and probably find similar sized hosts as to what your parish uses that will be much easier to practice with. Sometimes they are cheaper than crackers, too. At least that’s what I did…does that make me a really weird Catholic nerd?:yup:
 
I will allow this thread on the condition that it remain civil and non-judgmental. If anyone violates this directive, please report that poster so I can deal with it, but don’t make comments about it within the thread. Thank you all. Enjoy the topic. 🙂
 
I have rarely run into any problems with receiving the Host on my tongue. Most of the priests in this diocese, after showing one the Host will make a quarter turn to the right with their hand and place it easily on the tongue. There is one priest though, at the Cathedral, who doesn’t get his fingers out of the way quickly enough at times and when I receive from him I worry about taking a chunk out of his finger! In his defense, he is a large man, about 6’6", a former football player with enormous hands so maybe he feels he has to put his fingers far enough into the recipients mouth to make sure the Host doesn’t fall.
Last Fall I attended a Sunday Mass in a small church outside Budapest, Hungary. I don’t know if any other of the people in the Communion line received the Host on the tongue. When my turn came, it turned into a bit of a skit. The priest was elderly and tiny , , , I mean he was about 5 feet tall and maybe weighed a hundred pounds soaking wet with all his robes on! I’m not super tall, 5’7" but still I scrunched down, closed my eyes and stuck out my tongue. Nothing happened. I looked up and the poor man was desperately making all sorts of strange contortions with his hand trying to figure out how to get the Host onto my tongue. His hand kept making little darting movements towards my mouth, much like a baby bird grabbing at food from its mother’s beak! I realized that he was terribly embarrased and not wanting to prolong the little scene, I stood up straight, cupped my hands and recieved the Host in my hand. After Mass had ended, I went up to the priest and shook his hand. He gave me a lovely smile and since neither of us spoke the other’s language, he only said to me “Pax vobiscum”. I was too astonished and stupid to answer him back 😊
 
This topic oftens gets locked in this forum. Our Holy Father doesn’t give out Holy Communion in hand and has very good reasons. If you would like to discuss them in detail, I suggest starting a thread in “Traditional Catholicism”.
 
I was raised in the Episcopal church USA and the “palm-to-mouth” technique was the standard practice. My RCIA process was individualized (and very abbreviated), so I was never taught exactly how to take the Eucharist as a Catholic. After observing me taking communion that way, my pastor took me aside and instructed me that I should cross my palms, then take the Eucharist with the fingers of the bottom hand and transfer it to my mouth. Pastor said that he could always tell the closet Episcopalians at our parish by how they receive.

Anyway, about four months ago I temporarily lost use of my right arm, so I started receiving on the tongue. I was nervous about it in the beginning, but it has gone well so I have continued the practice even though I am now capable of receiving either way.
 
Mrs_Mac said:
I was never taught exactly how to take the Eucharist as a Catholic. After observing me taking communion that way, my pastor took me aside and instructed me that I should cross my palms, then take the Eucharist with the fingers of the bottom hand and transfer it to my mouth.
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As far as I know, the Church does not regulate the manner by which Communion, once placed in the hand, makes it to your mouth. The ancient tradition (attested to by St. Cyril of Jerusalem in his catechetical lectures) was making a cross with your hands (right hand on top!) and simultaneously lifting the Host towards your mouth as you bow your head towards it.

Nowadays, people generally receive on their left hand (which would have seemed quite peculiar to the Church Fathers) and pick it up with their right and put it in their own mouths. The ancient manner seems much closer to receiving on the tongue from a minister than the common modern practice does.
 
japhy said:
As far as I know, the Church does not regulate the manner by which Communion, once placed in the hand, makes it to your mouth. The ancient tradition (attested to by St. Cyril of Jerusalem in his catechetical lectures) was making a cross with your hands (right hand on top!) and simultaneously lifting the Host towards your mouth as you bow your head towards it.

Nowadays, people generally receive on their left hand (which would have seemed quite peculiar to the Church Fathers) and pick it up with their right and put it in their own mouths. The ancient manner seems much closer to receiving on the tongue from a minister than the common modern practice does.
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That’s interesting. As an Episcopalian, I was taught that the tradition of palm-to-mouth was the proper way because the fingers were considered to be more unclean than the palm, so they should not touch the host. I never knew that it was the more ancient practice.

I’ll ask my pastor about that, but then inevitably I’ll continue doing things his way!
 
The tradition for centuries has been communion on the tongue, but there was a custom of communion in the hand in the early Church.

That being said, communion in the hand is not isolated to the United States. I lived in the Archdiocese of Rome when I was in grad school. They too have communion in the hand as an option, as do other jurisdictions.

No one should say that communion in the tongue is out and communion in the hand is in. That is totally incorrect.

Communion in the hand is an option in certain dioceses and in certain episcopal conferences. It is also an option that is preserved in certain religious orders and religious congregations for masses in their private chapels, just as other orders and congregations do not allow their religious to take communion in the hand, regardless of the diocese that they are in.

I hope this clarifies the issue for some people.

Fraternally,

JR 🙂
 
Thanks everyone for the advice and experiences, for diagrams and St Cyril, for telling me that I’m not the only one.

I was going to write a long reply - not saying anything controversial!

And I did - but this grotty machine went wrong just before submitting the reply. All is lost. And isn’t being typed and thought through a second time.

So I’ll just thank everyone.

Ooh - and I’ve answered my own question about EWTN. The man was Bp Athanasius Schneider of Kazakhstan.

Blessings
 
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