Communion: On the tongue or in the Hand?

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flower_lady said:
This may sound silly, but I don’t like to put my dirty hands on something that sacred.
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You know… I know you mean that your hands are not full of dirt, but you would be surprised by some of the hands that I see. I don’t want to judge these people, and I know I am, so please pray for me. It is frustrating though when you see someone come to mass, take the host and their hands look like they just changed the oil in their car. I know Jesus loves us as we are, and maybe these people have a really good reason for their hands being so dirty, but it really shocks me at times.
 
KD8TZC said:
You know… I know you mean that your hands are not full of dirt, but you would be surprised by some of the hands that I see. I don’t want to judge these people, and I know I am, so please pray for me. It is frustrating though when you see someone come to mass, take the host and their hands look like they just changed the oil in their car. I know Jesus loves us as we are, and maybe these people have a really good reason for their hands being so dirty, but it really shocks me at times.
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Some people that work with their hands have hands that looked worked with and the “stuff” doesn’t wash off, it wears off.

Since Jesus was One Who worked with His Hands, He just might have had hands that “looked” dirty to others, also.
 
Interesting coincidence as my second grade daughter just came home from school and informed me that they are practicing to receive (with un consecrated hosts ) and she said her religion teacher told the whole class that even though there are two ways to receive, she is only going to have them practice receiving in the hand because she wants them all to do it that way at their first communion. And she goes to a catholic school. I told my daughter that we as a family receive on the tongue, and I’d like her to do the same. She said she’s embarrassed to tell her teacher that, so she will practice in school on the hand but we will practice on the tongue at home so on her first communion she can receive on the tongue. I personally think 7 year olds would be more prone to dropping Our Lord, especially since the way she is being taught is to receive on one hand, flip the Host over into the other hand, then cup your hand and bring your palm up to your mouth to receive the Host into their mouth. Is this the norm nowadays?
 
Prefer tongue, but I know that some priests and EM’s aren’t comfortable with that. If it’s a priest who is fine with it, I receive on the tongue. If it’s an EM or a priest I’m not sure of, I receive on the hand.

Either way, I receive Jesus. 👍
 
“I call you friend”.

Anyone should receive how they want to receive and for whatever reason they want.

I, personally, prefer to receive Jesus in the hand because I want to receive Jesus both outwardly and inwardly.
 
I receive on the tongue for spiritual reasons and practical ones. It is best FOR ME. Perhaps not for everyone. Spiritually, there are a host of reasons. But practically, well, I have 4 kids with me at Mass. One of them most likely has a dirty diaper, another, a runny nose that I have wiped countless times with my hand, another is sucking her fingers and then holding my hand. My hands are full of kids when I receive anyway. Etc. I would not receive a cracker on my hand and eat it in that state. The sheer E coli alone on my hands could sicken four taco bell patrons.
\

Speaking of Germs. Does anyone know how it is being done in West Africa right now with the Ebola virus so prevalent?
 
Hoosier_Daddy said:
I receive on the tongue for spiritual reasons and practical ones. It is best FOR ME. Perhaps not for everyone. Spiritually, there are a host of reasons. But practically, well, I have 4 kids with me at Mass. One of them most likely has a dirty diaper, another, a runny nose that I have wiped countless times with my hand, another is sucking her fingers and then holding my hand. My hands are full of kids when I receive anyway. Etc. I would not receive a cracker on my hand and eat it in that state. The sheer E coli alone on my hands could sicken four taco bell patrons.
\

Speaking of Germs. Does anyone know how it is being done in West Africa right now with the Ebola virus so prevalent?
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They have suspended receiving on the tongue as well as handshaking during the Sign of Peace.
 
Hand.

It personally gives me a sense of extra reverence since I can not hug my Lord.
 
Hand. I am a control freak and I feel more in control that way. I’ve never liked being fed by someone else.
 
flower_lady said:
This may sound silly, but I don’t like to put my dirty hands on something that sacred.
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I think in my life, I have sinned at least as much with my tongue as with my hands.

Sin is what’s truly filthy. Our daily toils with our hands aren’t dirty. Quite the opposite. Saint Benedict says to treat every tool of the monastery (brooms, hammers, etc.) as if they were sacred objects of the altar and Lord knows a plough, hoe or garden rake can have an awful lot of mud on it.

In the same manner, our hands that till the earth, feed our families and the poor, heal the sick, care for our children and elders and repair our daily goods are instruments of good works even if they get soiled in the process.

I therefore have no issues with receiving on the hand and it’s in fact what I prefer. Jesus was a carpenter. I’m sure He understands.
 
Miserissima said:
They have suspended receiving on the tongue as well as handshaking during the Sign of Peace.
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In reading the articles, I didn’t get the impression they they have suspended receiving communion on the tongue. They are allowing, it seems for the first time, communion in the hand. They are encouraging the faithful to receive this way, but do not seem to have suspended the more traditional method. The articles that I read made it clear that the faithful may continue to receive on the tongue.
In fact, the Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos recently assured parishioners that priests could respect the wishes of those who wanted to have the communion wafer placed inside their mouths.
“Those faithful who approach the altar and desire to receive Communion on the tongue should be given accordingly. Their personal devotion to the Eucharist must be respected,” the Archdiocese said.
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On the tongue.

In our parish, Holy Communion is offered intincted by the priest.

Per the Vatican, communion offered in such a form can only be licitly received on the tongue.

Communion in the Hand of an intincted Host is prohibited.
 
Brendan said:
On the tongue.

In our parish, Holy Communion is offered intincted by the priest.

Per the Vatican, communion offered in such a form can only be licitly received on the tongue.

Communion in the Hand of an intincted Host is prohibited.
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Wow, that is cool!
 
At my home parish, I receive on the tongue (or rather, in the mouth), as that it is the only way it is offered in the Byzantine Rite. At the parish where I sometimes attend daily Mass, I also receive on the tongue. If I’m visiting somewhere, I’ll sometimes receive on the hand if I get the feeling that the person distributing communion would be uncomfortable. Usually, though, I have a baby in my arms or 1-2 children attached to my hands, so I just receive on the tongue. There is really no good way to receive in the hand when you have a baby in your arms, but I’ve seen people try it.
 
kayla said:
How do you take Communion? on the tongue or in the Hand and why?
I have just wanted to get a better understanding of what people prefer.🙂
thanks for your (name removed by moderator)ut.
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In the hand.

As to the why, probably many different reasons, mainly I’ve always done it that way, it’s comfortable and I believe it doesn’t really make much difference either way we choose to receive (in hands or on tongue), because I believe it’s what’s in our hearts that makes all the difference.

I also liked what Fr. Vincent Serpa said about receiving the Eucharist in the hands in AAA section.
Why Holy Communion on our dirty hands?:
Dear friend,

Our hands are a lot easier on the host than the acids in our stomachs. Our Lord was quite willing to get dirty when He joined us in our human journey. Dirt does not keep Him away from us. Sin is actually far filthier than dirt. But even sin did not keep Him away from us. But it does keep us away from Him. We tend to sin with our tongues more than with our hands.

It is sin that we need to be cleansed of before receiving Him in the Eucharist.

Fr. Vincent Serpa, O.P.
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Hope this has helped 🙂

God Bless

Thank you for reading
Josh
 
josh987654321 said:
In the hand.

As to the why, probably many different reasons, mainly I’ve always done it that way, it’s comfortable and I believe it doesn’t really make much difference either way we choose to receive (in hands or on tongue), because I believe it’s what’s in our hearts that makes all the difference.

Hope this has helped 🙂

God Bless

Josh
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I am curious and I only ask you because I wish to know how you feel on the hand better reflects what is in your heart? What message of your heart does it convey and how does it convey it?
 
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