"Correct" Way to Receive the Eucharist

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Before I moved to where I live now in 2007, I was a member of a parish in my former hometown. The pastor of the parish insisted that the proper form for the Eucharist was that parishioners proceeded up the aisle and knelt in a row in front of the altar (those who could not kneel for physical reasons were to stand in a place where they would have knelt if they could). The priest then distributed the host to everybody in the row, then everybody would stand and return to their pews and the next group would repeat the process.

If this is the proper form for the Eucharist, where has it gone? Every other church I’ve attended (my current parish as well as every church I’ve visited during frequent travels) has parishioners walk up the aisle, receive the host from the priest or Eucharistic minister, and return to the pews.

Honestly, the other way seems to have more reverence attached to it than the way that is commonplace. Is there truly a “correct” way?
 
JWH123 said:
Before I moved to where I live now in 2007, I was a member of a parish in my former hometown. The pastor of the parish insisted that the proper form for the Eucharist was that parishioners proceeded up the aisle and knelt in a row in front of the altar (those who could not kneel for physical reasons were to stand in a place where they would have knelt if they could). The priest then distributed the host to everybody in the row, then everybody would stand and return to their pews and the next group would repeat the process.

If this is the proper form for the Eucharist, where has it gone? Every other church I’ve attended (my current parish as well as every church I’ve visited during frequent travels) has parishioners walk up the aisle, receive the host from the priest or Eucharistic minister, and return to the pews.

Honestly, the other way seems to have more reverence attached to it than the way that is commonplace. Is there truly a “correct” way?
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Presumably he means “proper” in the sense of “most fitting,” not in the sense of “exclusively permitted.” There is a relatively recent (1969ish), pastoral concession in favor of communion in the hand, of which most Westerners seem to avail themselves. I suspect many would prefer to kneel if it were a feasible option, but it often isn’t, either because the parish lacks altar rails or even a clear “front row” (e.g., stadium-style seating) or because the celebrants administer communion so quickly.
 
This all depends on the parish.

In a parish doing the Traditional Latin Mass, Holy Communion is on the tongue only. Novus Ordo parishes can do this either way. My doicese is only NO, and was very liberal several decades ago, with some of that liberalism sticking around today. The norm is in the hand. Many of the older priests are uncomfortable giving Holy Communion on the tongue. With the younger priests, it’s all they do.

The way it was explained to me, according to the Vatican, Holy Communion in the hand is the exception, not the rule.
 
In my Parish…(Sydney, Australia), we walk up the aisle, stand in front of the priest who says, “Body of Christ” to which we reply, “Amen”. The host is placed on the left hand which is supported by the right. As we move away from the priest we place the host on our tongue.
Make the Sign of the Cross and return to our pew.

There are occasions when a Parish will celebrate Mass in the old Latin Tradition…alter rails in place etc. etc. I must say that, as an older Catholic, I much prefer this way…however, one has to move with the times.

Cheers & God Bless
A.
 
Arrabella said:
In my Parish…(Sydney, Australia), we walk up the aisle, stand in front of the priest who says, “Body of Christ” to which we reply, “Amen”. The host is placed on the left hand which is supported by the right. As we move away from the priest we place the host on our tongue.
Make the Sign of the Cross and return to our pew.

There are occasions when a Parish will celebrate Mass in the old Latin Tradition…alter rails in place etc. etc. I must say that, as an older Catholic, I much prefer this way…however, one has to move with the times.

Cheers & God Bless
A.
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It’s the same in every church I’ve been to in England and also in my church in Italy.
 
Just to clarify, the way I described doesn’t have to do with in hand or on tongue. I have always received it in hand, but it has always been an option, though an overwhelming majority of people receive it in hand.

It’s just sad to see what goes on with many people today receiving the Eucharist. The priest places the Host in the person’s hand and says “the Body of Christ,” the person then mumbles “amen” and starts walking back to his/her pew, putting the Host in his/her mouth on the walk back. After six years of kneeling at the altar railing at the behest of a Monsignor who many people called old-fashioned/strict (God rest his soul; he passed away in his retirement a year ago), the rushed (borderline careless) way I see it done everywhere else gets me a little down. This is the Body of Jesus Christ we are receiving, not some snack.
 
JWH123 said:
Just to clarify, the way I described doesn’t have to do with in hand or on tongue. I have always received it in hand, but it has always been an option, though an overwhelming majority of people receive it in hand.

It’s just sad to see what goes on with many people today receiving the Eucharist. The priest places the Host in the person’s hand and says “the Body of Christ,” the person then mumbles “amen” and starts walking back to his/her pew, putting the Host in his/her mouth on the walk back. After six years of kneeling at the altar railing at the behest of a Monsignor who many people called old-fashioned/strict (God rest his soul; he passed away in his retirement a year ago), the rushed (borderline careless) way I see it done everywhere else gets me a little down. This is the Body of Jesus Christ we are receiving, not some snack.
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The priest or EMHC should ensure the host is in the communicant’s mouth before they move aside. I have attended Masses where a priest and on other occasions the EMHC’s stop the communicant from walking away until the host is in the mouth.
 
JWH123 said:
Just to clarify, the way I described doesn’t have to do with in hand or on tongue. I have always received it in hand, but it has always been an option, though an overwhelming majority of people receive it in hand.

It’s just sad to see what goes on with many people today receiving the Eucharist. The priest places the Host in the person’s hand and says “the Body of Christ,” the person then mumbles “amen” and starts walking back to his/her pew, putting the Host in his/her mouth on the walk back. After six years of kneeling at the altar railing at the behest of a Monsignor who many people called old-fashioned/strict (God rest his soul; he passed away in his retirement a year ago), the rushed (borderline careless) way I see it done everywhere else gets me a little down. This is the Body of Jesus Christ we are receiving, not some snack.
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How do you know what is in the hearts of others?

These people are following the rubrics and doing nothing wrong or disrespectful. It is different than what you prefer, but it is not liturgically incorrect or irreverent. Perhaps you should consider not judging others by appearances. Jesus said that the measure we use to judge others will be the measure used to judge us. 🙂
 
Cat said:
Perhaps you should consider not judging others by appearances. Jesus said that the measure we use to judge others will be the measure used to judge us. 🙂
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But…aren’t you in turn now judging the poster? 😉
 
Cat said:
No.

He posted his thoughts, and I responded with my thoughts.
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Okay, but making and reporting observations is not IMO necessarily making judgements about the state of their souls. Nor should it be offensive. We’re taught in school (marketing, history, etc.) to make observations.

However, I’ll let the poster respond.
 
ProVobis said:
Okay, but making and reporting observations is not IMO necessarily making judgements about the state of their souls. Nor should it be offensive. We’re taught in school (marketing, history, etc.) to make observations.

However, I’ll let the poster respond.
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What observations?!!

The poster said: “The priest places the Host in the person’s hand and says “the Body of Christ,” the person then mumbles “amen” and starts walking back to his/her pew, putting the Host in his/her mouth on the walk back.”

And then the poster makes the very judgmental comment: “This is the Body of Jesus Christ we are receiving, not some snack.”

!!! That comment is not an observation, it’s a judgment. For that matter so is the comment about “mumbling” amen–we are not supposed to “shout” Amen, we are supposed to say it softly, and for many people, this probably sounds like “mumbling.” Not all of us have melodious voices and can make a sotto voce “Amen” sound “reverent,” whatever that is supposed to sound like.

What the poster observed is basically the correct method of Holy Communion in OF parishes–the priest places the Host in the person’s hand and says “The Body of Christ,” and then the recipient says “Amen” and starts walking back to his/her pew. I agree that it’s problematic that people are putting the Host in their mouths on the walk back. But it hardly indicates a state of mind that is treating the Lord Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament as “some snack.” This is a judgment by the poster.

More than likely, the problematic behavior is not a lack of reverence or an interior mindset that considers Jesus “a snack,” but rather, a simple failure of catechesis–these people have been instructed in such a way that the import of receiving the Host and immediately consuming Him has not been emphasized. A simple reminder from the priest would probably correct the situation.

The same type of thing was happening our parish; many people were not making any gesture of reverence (head bow, quick bow from the waist, kneeling on the ground, etc.) before receiving The Lord in Holy Communion, and many were walking away and putting the Lord into their mouths. A few years ago, our priest gently but firmly reminded everyone (it was part of his homily), and the situation was corrected. Most people in our parish received correctly now. Of course there are people who do not, but considering that the parish has several thousand people, it’s not surprising that some of those people missed the priest’s reminder.
 
JWH123 said:
Honestly, the other way seems to have more reverence attached to it than the way that is commonplace. Is there truly a “correct” way?
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The “correct way” is what the Church allows and your Conference of Bishops specifies.

It’s as simple as that.

If people are following those two points, but receiving in a way that one doesn’t like (standing, in the hand, whatever), one cannot fault them. We cannot hold people to any more than ecclesial law permits.
 
OraLabora said:
The “correct way” is what the Church allows and your Conference of Bishops specifies.
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It helps to demonstrate the “correct way.” When it was first introduced CITH was explained AND DEMONSTRATED three straight Sundays from the pulpit. Footwork, how far the hands to be extended, etc. Over time this precision (and the conditions for allowing it in the first place) have become somewhat forgotten, to the point where everyone does it differently. I think I understand the OP’s concern.
 
JWH123 said:
Before I moved to where I live now in 2007, I was a member of a parish in my former hometown. The pastor of the parish insisted that the proper form for the Eucharist was that parishioners proceeded up the aisle and knelt in a row in front of the altar (those who could not kneel for physical reasons were to stand in a place where they would have knelt if they could). The priest then distributed the host to everybody in the row, then everybody would stand and return to their pews and the next group would repeat the process.

If this is the proper form for the Eucharist, where has it gone? Every other church I’ve attended (my current parish as well as every church I’ve visited during frequent travels) has parishioners walk up the aisle, receive the host from the priest or Eucharistic minister, and return to the pews.

Honestly, the other way seems to have more reverence attached to it than the way that is commonplace. Is there truly a “correct” way?
Click to expand...
JWH123 said:
Just to clarify, the way I described doesn’t have to do with in hand or on tongue. I have always received it in hand, but it has always been an option, though an overwhelming majority of people receive it in hand.

It’s just sad to see what goes on with many people today receiving the Eucharist. The priest places the Host in the person’s hand and says “the Body of Christ,” the person then mumbles “amen” and starts walking back to his/her pew, putting the Host in his/her mouth on the walk back. After six years of kneeling at the altar railing at the behest of a Monsignor who many people called old-fashioned/strict (God rest his soul; he passed away in his retirement a year ago), the rushed (borderline careless) way I see it done everywhere else gets me a little down. This is the Body of Jesus Christ we are receiving, not some snack.
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As others have stated the posture for receiving Communion today is to stand when at Mass in the Ordinary Form. To receive Communion in the hand remains an option and is not favored over communion on the tongue. I have never seen anyone receive in the hand while kneeling. When Mass is celebrated in the Extraordinary Form, the posture for receiving communion is to kneel and receive on the tongue. Some parishes use the communion rail if they still have one. We had a temporary one made that is brought in on certain feast days like Corpus Christi when there is a larger number of people in attendance at Mass in the extraordinary form. sometimes a prie dieu (kneeler) is used and some parishes use the front row pew with kneelers like a communion rail.
 
ProVobis said:
I found this article cited by another poster to be helpful in regards judgmental:

newadvent.org/cathen/04394a.htm
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Ah yes…but there is a difference between judgement and fraternal correction…no?

For example, if I was going forward to communion and did not bow or held my hands out together so that the priest or EMHC had no where to place the Eucharist without finding it might fall. Which I must say as an EMHC I find frustrating. Anyway, if you were to take me aside and kindly say something such as “did you realize that you are to bow, then place one hand over the other and make a “throne” for the Eucharist (if you receive CITH)” That would be fraternal correction.

However if you see me going forward to communion and I do it the correct way but appear to be stone-faced. Saying “you know it’s the Body of Christ-not a snack” to me is judgemental. You have no idea what is in my heart or mind. You can not know that. Maybe I have PTSD and was having flashbacks all through Mass (something that has happened to me on occasion). I’m trying to keep it together and concentrate. Only God knows what is really in my heart. That is judgemental.
 
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