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ryankeith77
Guest
No, I would feel no remorse because if I can’t trust the Church, then Jesus was a liar.
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Walking_Home
Guest
You seem to be trying to justify yourself —by putting it on our Lord Christ. Communion in the hand was not our Lord’s doing. The Pope gave in—when he should have stood firm.
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ryankeith77
Guest
I’m not justifying anything- I don’t even receive on the hand. But I feel bad for those who feel like they can’t trust the Church- thats exactly what the protestants do: they think they know better themselves.
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Walking_Home
Guest
I’m not justifying anything- I don’t even receive on the hand. But I feel bad for those who feel like they can’t trust the Church- thats exactly what the protestants do: they think they know better themselves.
Remember-- our Pope is infallible in only certain circumstances. He can make a mistake. We are living thru a time of tormoil—and why—because of wrong decisions.
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Swiss_Guard
Guest
You are not being disobedient by receiving Holy Communion in the hand. I am not arguing that those who receive in the hand are wrong to do it. My opinion on the subject is that receiving in the hand should be abolished. However, you’re not doing anything wrong as long as Holy Mother Church gives you permission to do it.
Jesus is not present in your hands in the instances you describe above as He is when you receive Holy Communion. Christ is present in many ways but he is only present body, blood, soul, and divinity in the Eucharist. Here is what the Catechism of the Catholic Church says about the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist:
The above quote in blue is by Pope Paul VI in his encyclical *Mysterium Fidei. *papalencyclicals.net/Paul06/p6myster.htm
Actually, history does matter. This is one of the main reasons there are so many problems in the Church today. We have forgotten our history. There are many in the Church who would have everyone believe the Church started in 1965. They want to do away with anything that happened prior to Vatican II. We should not abandon our traditions (small t) just because it’s “history.”
I agree. The Holy See has given permission to receive Holy Communion in the hand. It’s up to the Holy See to change the discipline.
A wonderful attitude to have when receiving Holy Communion. We not only have to be free of mortal sin and keep the one hour fast, we also have to have the right disposition. We should be dead to ourselves and alive for Christ.
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mchium
Guest
Replying to the OP, I think much of the lack of belief and/or reverance has to do with 30+ years of weird seminary training which led to bad catechesis and even worse example and finally leads to all those who ‘didn’t’ learn what and how they should, passing along the bad habits and lack of understanding to the next generation … and on …and on…and on…
and here we are…
and here we are…
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labernadette
Guest
How shocking and how sad. Of course, you know… the devil has no knees.
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abu_kamoon
Guest
I agree with dailymass. How can anyone not see the connection between the Modernism and novelties that are rampant since Vatican II, and the lack or ordinations, the drop in mass attendance, and the lack of faith of many high Church leaders?
Look at the state of the Church fifty years ago, and look at it today.
ابو كمون
Look at the state of the Church fifty years ago, and look at it today.
ابو كمون
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laudamus_te
Guest
I honestly don’t understand how people can’t see it, either. But 50 years ago the Church was not in that great shape. The problems that have exploded since VII were fermenting for many years before. I think the infiltration of Communism and Modernism began around the time of the French Revolution. Pope St. Pius X did his level best to stamp it out, but “the foot was in the door” so to speak.
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Convert_in_99
Guest
I feel both are very sacred.
I love the thought and feel of holding Jesus in my hands. But I cannont do this for physical reasons.
My hands are stiff and shaky. I always fear dropping the Precious Host. This is mostly why I recieve on the tongue, and won’t become an Extrodinary Minister of Communion.
I think both are reverent. As long as you have clean hands and check your palm for and consume any crumbs…it is very beautiful too.
I love the thought and feel of holding Jesus in my hands. But I cannont do this for physical reasons.
My hands are stiff and shaky. I always fear dropping the Precious Host. This is mostly why I recieve on the tongue, and won’t become an Extrodinary Minister of Communion.
I think both are reverent. As long as you have clean hands and check your palm for and consume any crumbs…it is very beautiful too.
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Writer
Guest
Those are some good ponts. My family joined the Catholic Church in '05. In RCIA, we were encouraged to take it by either method. That being the case, we followed the practice our family was accustomed to at the Episcopal and Lutheran churches we had attended in the past, and received in the hand. We recently attended a beatiful in church in another city in which the faithful lined up at the rail and took the Eucharist on the tongue. Fortunately, the priest could see my son was very confused, and he graciously gave it to him in his hand. By the time he reached me, he had figured out that we were newcomers, and placed it immediately in my hand. It was a wonderful service, and I certainly would have no objection to taking the Eucharist kneeling at the rail–in fact I expressed this to our priest when he stopped by the house last week.It isn’t communion in the hand that causes lack of faith. The two may be correlated, but correlation does not prove causation. It seems to me that those who are more “Mother God” tend to take communion in the hand…and those who are more “Vatican II was evil” take communion on the tongue…
Yet those who are in line with the magesterium do both…with reverence.
I happen to go to a parish that is very traditional and completely aligned with Rome. They are constantly teaching the faithful about the teachings of the Catholic Church and have tons of vocations (I know several people, among them myself, who are considering the religious life because of the witness of this parish). Yet communion in the hand is allowed AND widely practiced.
For me personally, I take communion in the hand for several reasons - none of which are that I don’t believe or am not reverent. It gives me a private moment with Our Lord where I get to hold God - and he allows this! It’s moving. Also, I’ve had times where I tried communion on the tongue and the host was dropped or broken, or my teeth were hit. I also feel really weird sticking my tongue out to God…
So, I can certainly see where Catholics are coming from-- a sense of loss for a beauty of reverence and sacredness. Still, while it may be true to generalize that liberals are inclined to take it in the hand, conservatives like our family also take it in the hand–it does not prove any causation, as the prior poster pointed out. While at our parish only ten percent, or so, take it in the tongue, we have a vibrant and reverent congregation. I also always like to point out James 3: 5-10.
***5Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. ***
**7All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, 8but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. 10Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be.
To me, then, I have a hard time seeing what is inherently more reverent by receiving on the tongue–except perhaps that people see this as one final change from the old traditions which they are not willing to accept. I can sympathize with that, but it’s not an argument that is persuasive to our family–at least, not yet.
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labernadette
Guest
I have a real hard time understanding this. God is Almighty, All Powerful, we are nothing compared to His Presence. We are poor sinners who deserve not His mercy and yet He desires to give us His mercy and forgiveness. In my humble opinion, it is comprehensible to think such lowly creatures as ourselves, would be so bold as to dare to hold Our Lord God Almighty in their hands. I don’t mean to be insensitive to your thoughts, but they seem very “protestantized”.
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stmaria
Guest
Most Catholics are unaware that Pope Paul VI **ruled against communion in the hand. This **was stated in 1969 in Memoriale Domini. This was done in response to a group of priests in Holland, I believe, that were giving communion in the hand. Here is an excerpt:
- Does it seem that the proposal should be accepted by which, besides the traditional mode, the rite of receiving Holy Communion in the hand would be permitted?
Yes: 567
No: 1,233
Yes, with reservations: 315
Invalid votes: 20
2. Should experiments with this new rite first take place in small communities, with the assent of the local Ordinary?
Yes: 751
No: 1,215
Invalid votes: 70
3. Do you think that the faithful, after a well planned catechetical preparation, would accept this new rite willingly?
Yes: 835
No: 1,185
Invalid votes: 128
From the responses received it is thus clear that by far the greater number of bishops feel that the present discipline should not be changed at all, indeed that if it were changed, this would be offensive to the sensibilities and spiritual appreciation of these bishops and of most of the faithful.
After he had considered the observations and the counsel of those whom “the Holy Spirit has placed as bishops to rule” (11) the Churches, **in view of the seriousness of the matter and the importance of the arguments proposed, the Supreme Pontiff judged that the long received manner of ministering Holy Communion to the faithful should not be changed. **
catholictradition.org/Eucharist/memoriale.htm
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Writer
Guest
On the contrary, to me I see the sentiment of the prior post in similar light as these words.
Christ has no body now on earth but yours, no hands but yours, no feet but yours; yours are the eyes through which to look at Christ’s compassion to the world, yours are the feet with which he is to go about doing good, and yours are the hands with which he is to bless us now." ***
*** - St. Teresa of Avila
It’s not that he can take or hold Christ within the confines of his hands, but it’s that he wants to connect with Christ himself–like taking the hand of a friend.
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labernadette
Guest
I find that many today have misplaced sentiments.
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Writer
Guest
True enough, but, as former Protestants, the prior post does not sound anything like how our separated bretheren refer to their communion wafer. Remember, except for a minority of confused Episcopalians/Anglicans, the Real Presence is not something they would accept–or even understand. That being the case, they would never refer to holding Christ (just as they would never refer to Mary as the Mother of God). It is an alien way of thinking to them. I simply suggest that we don’t ascribe Protestant attributes to something just because we fail to agree. Protestants fail to appreciate the mystery of the Eucharist, and it’s clear the prior poster understands that it is not a mere symbol, but the body, soul, and divinity of our Lord.
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labernadette
Guest
You have made a good point. Protestant may of not been the right choice of word. In my disagreement it would perhaps of been better to of suggested that it was a “modernist” sentiment. It seems modernist to me to assume and to form one’s own opinion such as that as though there were no traditional teaching on the matter. As though it were open for personal interpretation.
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labernadette
Guest
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labernadette
Guest
This should read incomprehensible.
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Lady_Cygnus
Guest
If the Pope forbade the practice tomorrow, I would feel no remorse for my actions today since I’ve committed no sin. In obedience I would accept the change in discipline and encourage others to do the same. I could ask you the same question…what if tomorrow the Pope forbade communion on the tongue, would you then agree with communion in the hand?
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