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BlueMaxx
Guest
Ay’yup…I have no problem with it…
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paperwight
Guest
That’s interesting from a UK perspective, as I can only remember seeing a request like that just once over here and that was some years ago, when there was something particularly nasty about - avian flu, perhaps? Otherwise, we just carry on as usual.
Do US parishes have such warnings every year? Are US citizens extra vigilant about the risk, and is that because of the cost of medical treatment? Or the parish is thinking of the risk of being sued, perhaps? Or do you have worse strains of flu in the US than we have over here?
Sorry about the barrage of questions ! It’s just that the cultural difference appears so striking, from what I read on CAF every winter.
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MagdalenaRita
Guest
We have the flu precautions every year but it is usually only, no handshaking or receiving from the cup. There is never a stop on receiving on the tonque. Usually a priest gets pretty good at placing the host on a person’s tonque and never touching the tonque. If we are worried about touching someone when giving them communion, I always think since handwashing is the best way to stop the spread of germs, a priest could also accidentally touch someone’s hand and pick something up spreading it to the next person.
Tis_Bearself
Patron
They are common.
Also, there are areas of the USA where most people never shake hands (they wave or nod) and many parishes where the cup is not offered, or not on a regular basis. Sometimes because of flu, sometimes because there aren’t enough priests and EMHCs to make the cup available, sometimes because the design of some old churches doesn’t allow a good traffic pattern for communion in 2 forms.
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Gorgias
Guest
Grab a hand mirror, put it up to your face, and open your mouth and say “Amen” to it. Take a look at the mirror. Chances are, you’ve aspirated some saliva onto it. Imagine that it wasn’t a mirror, but the hand of someone distributing communion.
Now, imagine that you’re the next in line behind someone with the flu who just received on the tongue.
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hadulzo
Guest
If you stay in the shadows nothing could change.i would suggest you look on to joining your Parish Council, the only group that can be encourage to follow the guidelines and train their ministers to accept things the way the should be.
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Gorgias
Guest
Hmm… ‘pastoral councils’ (which is what Vatican II calls for) generally replace the old “parish council” model. They’re advisory bodies, not ones that create or implement directives (including liturgical directives, which are the responsibility of the pastor). Moreover, they’re appointed bodies, not ones that are elected or joined by personal fiat.
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Brendan_64
Guest
Even in such circumstances, my understanding is that a person cannot lawfully be refused Communion on the tongue.
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MagdalenaRita
Guest
Yes, germs are passed through the air also. That is correct. In times past you would see people in the medical profession use a mirror to see if someone was still breathing.
When I say amen, though, I don’t try to say it loud or with a big breath of air flowing out to the priest and whether or not the priest’s hand is there or not, his face still is and if germs are flying out of my mouth when I open it they could just as easily head straight for his face.
My point again the medical profession says handwashing is the single most effective way to prevent the spread of germs, so germs can be passed by receiving in the hand also.
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BlueMaxx
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They did not say to lawfully not do it, they simply urged those who are sick, might possibly be sick or have a compromised immune system (for lack of better wording) to simply refrain from receiving it on the tongue.BlueMaxx:
Even in such circumstances, my understanding is that a person cannot lawfully be refused Communion on the tongue.
Now that being said, I had a priest recently chastise me, publicly in front of everyone, for accidentally moving my head forward and he though I guess that I got saliva on him!
In the communion line, I was mortified…In front of everyone…
He told me quite loudly, DON’T MOVE YOUR HEAD!..he jerked his hand back and wiped it on his vestments. I was not drooling, just off kilter a bit.
What he did not know is that I have arthritis and a back injury and I limp and have a hard time walking sometimes and am unsteady, and the afternoon before had just undergone a colonoscopy and was shall we say, a bit more unsteady than usual.
After mass I went and spoke to him (he is also my spiritual counselor) and he did not apologize but told me I should consider receiving it in the hands, and before I could object he said I know what your thinking, and no it is none the less holy or wrong to do so.I kept my mouth shut and with no ill feeling bid him a good day and left.
It has put a strain on our counseling sessions, and I canceled my last one…I do need to go and reconcile this in the future…
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JoeShlabotnik
Guest
Continue to receive communion on your tongue, if that is what you want. Its all about God and those who receive his sacrament, not about those who are serving it.
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BiologyBrain
Guest
I have been given nasty looks by priests and EMHC as well for receiving on the tongue, sometimes even while kneeling. My old parish priest used to glare at me and snap the Body onto my tongue as I knelt wearing my veil…it wasn’t just my observation, members behind me noticed and said something to me several times. I made it my practice to close my eyes and just humbly accept whatever censure he sought to give me, but still humble myself before the Lord. I also made a point of opening my mouth wider and sticking my tongue out more, just in case that was an issue. Additional evidence that this particular priest just didn’t like anyone receiving on the tongue included him teaching all First Communicants that it was only acceptable to receive on the hand. My daughter was strongly discouraged from receiving while kneeling &/or on the tongue for her First Communion. She was home-taught, so didn’t get the ‘memo’ during First Communion prep. He had every opportunity to instruct her on how to properly receive on the tongue, but chose instead to discourage her completely.
Do I win the trifecta since I receive on the tongue, kneeling, & wearing a veil? LOL
BTW the mirror trick does show that saliva leaves the mouth sometimes when saying Amen, but receiving on the hand doesn’t change that. The priest elevates the Eucharist in front of your face when giving Communion either in the hand or on the tongue. So, when you say your Amen, chances are good that his hand with the Host is right in front of your face regardless of your intention to received on the tongue or on the hand. As a former EMHC I was taught to elevate the Eucharist as I said “The Body of Christ” for each Communicant.
FWIW I think Americans tend to be more outspoken and worried about things like the flu than other nations. I don’t think it’s because our strains are more virulent, but simply because more is publicized about each ‘outbreak’ and more fear is promulgated by our ‘Health’ organizations. Kind of similar to how we have advertising for drugs in all of our media, but most other countries do not. Pharma is king around the US & makes sure we all get our daily dose…
Do I win the trifecta since I receive on the tongue, kneeling, & wearing a veil? LOL
BTW the mirror trick does show that saliva leaves the mouth sometimes when saying Amen, but receiving on the hand doesn’t change that. The priest elevates the Eucharist in front of your face when giving Communion either in the hand or on the tongue. So, when you say your Amen, chances are good that his hand with the Host is right in front of your face regardless of your intention to received on the tongue or on the hand. As a former EMHC I was taught to elevate the Eucharist as I said “The Body of Christ” for each Communicant.
FWIW I think Americans tend to be more outspoken and worried about things like the flu than other nations. I don’t think it’s because our strains are more virulent, but simply because more is publicized about each ‘outbreak’ and more fear is promulgated by our ‘Health’ organizations. Kind of similar to how we have advertising for drugs in all of our media, but most other countries do not. Pharma is king around the US & makes sure we all get our daily dose…
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esieffe
Guest
I have been taking communion on the tongue for the past five years roughly. I am not super happy where I am, but the music is splendid and I do like the priests. I don’t have many “red lines” but that would be one. Can you go to another church? If not make an appointment to meet father, and tell him what is happening. He may be able to provide the EM s instruction.
My beliefs about my faith are deeply held. I know it is good to receive on the tongue, and I am not at church to win a popularity contest. Let them think I am eccentric. It’s just something else I can offer up in reparation for my sins and those of the whole world. I don’t look down on those who receive in the hand btw.
My beliefs about my faith are deeply held. I know it is good to receive on the tongue, and I am not at church to win a popularity contest. Let them think I am eccentric. It’s just something else I can offer up in reparation for my sins and those of the whole world. I don’t look down on those who receive in the hand btw.
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Peeps
Guest
No, I think it’s because people die of the flu, or suffer from devastating permanent side-effects.
I had the flu years ago, the real deal, not just a non-specific respiratory virus. I missed an entire month of work, and came real close to dying of pneumonia (one of the most common secondary infections following the flu). And I was a healthy 40-something woman, not someone immunocompromised or at risk in any way! To this day, I can’t sleep comfortably on my left side because of the damage to my my left lung from the pneumonia.
I work in a hospital lab. Last week, about half of the flu tests that I did were positive for Flu B. Sad.
Influenza is definitely not a publicity scare story. It kills people.
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esieffe
Guest
Days after Christmas I came down with type B last year. I was a smoker. Smoking of course was completely impossible and I was sick for weeks. Felt like it was going to kill me. The good news was I quit smoking. I took Tamaflu and elderberry syrup. Maybe antibiotics for pneumonia. It was just awful, and I was and am still an avid hand washer.
The way the flu has been killing healthy young people is reminiscent of the Spanish Flu pandemic which killed millions in 1918-19. Scary stuff.
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Peeps
Guest
Agreed.
I think a lot of young people wait until they are in very serious trouble before they decide to go to the E.R. or to their doctor. By the time they actually show up, they are approaching critical condition.
And I don’t think young people are very healthy these days. They don’t eat well, drink too much alcohol, aren’t very physically active, don’t get near enough sleep, and are under a lot of stress, some of it due to too much online garbage. They also don’t get yearly checkups and therefore aren’t aware of any undermining health conditions e.g., high blood pressure, high blood glucose/A1C, etc. So they’re easy pickins for flu viruses and secondary infections from the flu.
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LoveMercyGrace
Guest
If you receive from the priest and not a lay minister, it may be better for you.This is what I do!
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BlueMaxx
Guest
Not to go too far off topic, but apparently there is some very virulent forms of the flu that have killed the young and old recently.
A new strain is emerging in Asia and there is some other illnesses popping up in the USA that are affecting the very vulnerable…
I have thought a lot about this…has to do with my military and civilian background…and I still partake of the cup.
Why? Because I truly believe it has been turned into something quite extraordinary, and if the good Lord takes me through contracting a virus then that is only because He had determined it was time for me to go home.
However I will also follow the edict put forth by that Church I am attending…for instance this morning there was no option for partaking of the cup as it was simply omitted.
A new strain is emerging in Asia and there is some other illnesses popping up in the USA that are affecting the very vulnerable…
I have thought a lot about this…has to do with my military and civilian background…and I still partake of the cup.
Why? Because I truly believe it has been turned into something quite extraordinary, and if the good Lord takes me through contracting a virus then that is only because He had determined it was time for me to go home.
However I will also follow the edict put forth by that Church I am attending…for instance this morning there was no option for partaking of the cup as it was simply omitted.
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You need to get those checkups. I’ve been religiously getting an annual checkup ever since my early 30s. And ever since I retired, I get all the sleep I need, stress is next to nil, and nobody has ever accused me of not eating well and healthfully. I rarely drink alcohol. We only get one body and it behooves us to take care of it.
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PetraG
Guest
If people look funny at you when you receive Holy Communion, just self-examine to be sure you’re opening your mouth wide enough, extending your tongue far enough and leaving your mouth open for long enough. After that, well, I used to tell the children in my class for First Holy Communion that sometimes extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion look a little confused or funny when you receive one way and they’re used to distributing Holy Communion to everyone the other way. Just be patient; they learn. It is your choice, so reassure yourself the same way you would reassure someone else who came to you with this problem. Just go ahead and do it and then by the grace of Holy Communion ask to be merciful to anyone who could be more charitable than they are.
We all need that track record of mercy on our side, in the end, because the measure we measure with will be measured back to us. If someone makes life hard on us, well, it is an opportunity to make amends for all the times we’ve done that ourselves (whether intentionally or not). Roll with the punches and be kind about it.
I wouldn’t receive by the hand unless I felt as if some extraordinary minister was really nervous about it or something. I did that once at a Mass because she so obviously was doing it for the first time and was worried about everything. It seemed like a good time to make it easier for her. If someone was, well, bad at it and couldn’t seem to distribute to me without touching my tongue, I might make an exception for that, too. It’s a judgment thing. I don’t think it would be good for the soul of someone who was being some sort of a bully to give in to them, though. They need some firm rejection of that tactic, just for their own welfare.
We all need that track record of mercy on our side, in the end, because the measure we measure with will be measured back to us. If someone makes life hard on us, well, it is an opportunity to make amends for all the times we’ve done that ourselves (whether intentionally or not). Roll with the punches and be kind about it.
I wouldn’t receive by the hand unless I felt as if some extraordinary minister was really nervous about it or something. I did that once at a Mass because she so obviously was doing it for the first time and was worried about everything. It seemed like a good time to make it easier for her. If someone was, well, bad at it and couldn’t seem to distribute to me without touching my tongue, I might make an exception for that, too. It’s a judgment thing. I don’t think it would be good for the soul of someone who was being some sort of a bully to give in to them, though. They need some firm rejection of that tactic, just for their own welfare.
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