Do you rinse your hand(s) after receiving the Communion in the hand?

[The_Reginator]

Due to the swine flu I’ve tried to obey the Bishop (rather than the Vatican?) by receiving Communion in the hand.
On my way back to the pew I am able to make a short wee detour to the washroom and rinse any particles off.
Two questions:

• Does anybody else do this?
• More importantly, is this an appropriate way to remove any particles of Jesus that may be remaining on my hands?

In Christ, Reg.

 

[Phemie]

I would never rinse off particles into the sink. If particles are discernible you pick them up and consume them.

 

[canne]

Due to the swine flu I’ve tried to obey the Bishop (rather than the Vatican?) by receiving Communion in the hand.
On my way back to the pew I am able to make a short wee detour to the washroom and rinse any particles off.

Two questions:

• Does anybody else do this?
• More importantly, is this an appropriate way to remove any particles of Jesus that may be remaining on my hands?

In Christ, Reg.

I am not understanding why you would feel the need to rinse your hands?

 

[Joe_Kelley]

Particles should never be washed into the sewer. There is a special sink [the one with a cover] in the sacristy where the sacred vessels are washed which drains into the ground. Personally, I would lick them off with my tongue. Otherwise catch the wash water and dump it on the ground in an untraveled spot, e.g. a flower bed.

 

[Mrs_Sally]

No, I would not rinse my hands in a regular sink if I felt I had particles of the Host still on them. I would first link my palm so that I wasn’t washing Christ down the sink. Or you could possible wipe your hands with a tissue that you then buried or burned at home.

Our parish uses a type of host that is a bit thicker so it is less likely to crumb or crumble. If you take the host directly into your mouth from your hand, you would be very unlikely to have any crumbs of conscrated host left in your hand.

 

[The_Reginator]

I’ve always received on the tongue. One reason being that I’m concerned about microscopic pieces of the host (the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of our Lord!) being lost from our hands.
So my reason for wanting to clean my hands is out of respect for our Lord.
I knew that the priest washed his hands after communion. I mistakenly thought that I could do the same in an ordinary sink. That’s right though: the sink leads to the sewer.
The sewer? Ewww. Sorry Lord!
(Hey. I’m a convert. That’s my excuse.)
I suppose I could simply lick any area that the host may have touched and then wash my hands so as not to spread any germs onto hymn books, etc.
Thank you people for clarifying how to take care of tiny particles.

 

[japhy]

I would discreetly consume the particles on my hand; I would not wash the particles down the drain.

 

[benedictgal]

I’ve always received on the tongue. One reason being that I’m concerned about microscopic pieces of the host (the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of our Lord!) being lost from our hands.
So my reason for wanting to clean my hands is out of respect for our Lord.
I knew that the priest washed his hands after communion. I mistakenly thought that I could do the same in an ordinary sink. That’s right though: the sink leads to the sewer.
The sewer? Ewww. Sorry Lord!
(Hey. I’m a convert. That’s my excuse.)
I suppose I could simply lick any area that the host may have touched and then wash my hands so as not to spread any germs onto hymn books, etc.
Thank you people for clarifying how to take care of tiny particles.

First of all, back in July 2009, the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments (CDWDS) made it quite clear that no one had the authority to force a communicant to receive Holy Communion one way or the other. It reaaffirmed what the Congregation had already stated in 2004 in Redemptionis Sacramentum where it noted that:

92.] Although each of the faithful always has the right to receive Holy Communion on the tongue, at his choice,178 if any communicant should wish to receive the Sacrament in the hand, in areas where the Bishops’ Conference with the recognitio of the Apostolic See has given permission, the sacred host is to be administered to him or her. However, special care should be taken to ensure that the host is consumed by the communicant in the presence of the minister, so that no one goes away carrying the Eucharistic species in his hand. If there is a risk of profanation, then Holy Communion should not be given in the hand to thefaithful.179

A layman from the UK had complained that his diocese was forcing everyone to receive CITH. The CDWDS responded that this should not be done and said that it would be contacting the diocese in question about its policy.

The fact that you are washing your hands after receiving Holy Communion leads me to believe that perhaps you may not understand that what you are doing is wrong. When the priest purifies his hands, he is doing so in a vessel called a lavabo. The contents of this lavabo are either poured into a sacrarium or into the ground, but never down a regular drain. You risk profaning the Sacred Species.

 

[yellowbird]

Why would there be particles on your hand? I’ve never noticed this… ? Could it be that you’re worried about it in an OCD sort of way?

 

[PaulAndrew83]

Firstly the only way the Church has ever purified the hands and fingers which touch the Blessed Sacrament is with liquid. Relying on one’s senses is not considered eneogh, hence the necessity of the ablutions after Holy Communion.

So those who say simply inspect their hands do not understand that particles which they cannot see are still the Body of Our Lord.

However it is not permitted to wash the partcles down the sink.

What you should do in this case is make sure that only the thumb and forefinger of your right hand touches the Blessed Sacrament so that you can use the other three fingers to hold a cup of water. In fact if you really care you should copy the Priest who clasps his thumb and forefinger together so as to prevent loss.

Then leave the Church and find a place that is grassy [well defintly not concrete] where people walk on very infrequently and proceed to purify your hands there. This is how the Church used to purify altar linen where a sacrarium was not yet built.

edit: to the guy who thinks that it might be a kind of ocd I simply ask you to get an old missal which desribes the rubrics - including the ritual purifications of places where the Host or Blood dropped or spilt and including the purification of vessels and altar linen.

OCD? Nah just that the Church cares so much about preventing the Loss of particles that those things are deemed necessary.

Paul

 

[Lepanto]

Due to the swine flu I’ve tried to obey the Bishop (rather than the Vatican?) by receiving Communion in the hand.
On my way back to the pew I am able to make a short wee detour to the washroom and rinse any particles off.
Two questions:

• Does anybody else do this?
• More importantly, is this an appropriate way to remove any particles of Jesus that may be remaining on my hands?

In Christ, Reg.

It never ceases to me amaze me how one abuse invariably leads to additional abuses (and how they often become institutionalized or perceived as normative).

This was a non-issue when all Catholics received on the tongue.

 

[Mrs_Sally]

The fact that you are washing your hands after receiving Holy Communion leads me to believe that perhaps you may not understand that what you are doing is wrong. When the priest purifies his hands, he is doing so in a vessel called a lavabo. The contents of this lavabo are either poured into a sacrarium or into the ground, but never down a regular drain. You risk profaning the Sacred Species.

The priest purifies his hands before communion as a symbolic gesture of spiritual cleansing. After communion, when he is purifing the communion dishes, he will have the water run over his fingers, but he then drinks this water. At no time does the priest wash his habds in a reular sink for the purposes of removing any traces of the consecrated host.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

Due to the swine flu I’ve tried to obey the Bishop (rather than the Vatican?) by receiving Communion in the hand.
On my way back to the pew I am able to make a short wee detour to the washroom and rinse any particles off.

Two questions:

• Does anybody else do this?
• More importantly, is this an appropriate way to remove any particles of Jesus that may be remaining on my hands?

In Christ, Reg.

Rinse off any particles where? Down the drain!!! Ahh!!!

I carefully look at my hand when I return to my pew and insure that no visible particles are still present. If there are any I wet a finger tip and dab them up and consume them.

You can continue to receive on the tongue, this cannot be refused to you. Speak with your pastor.

 

[PaulAndrew83]

Rinse off any particles where? Down the drain!!! Ahh!!!

I carefully look at my hand when I return to my pew and insure that no visible particles are still present. If there are any I wet a finger tip and dab them up and consume them.

You can continue to receive on the tongue, this cannot be refused to you. Speak with your pastor.

What about the particles which you cannot see?
**
those who say simply inspect their hands do not understand that particles which they cannot see are still the Body of Our Lord.**

Paul

 

[Chatter163]

Why would there be particles on your hand? I’ve never noticed this… ? Could it be that you’re worried about it in an OCD sort of way?

Probably for the same reason that communion patens exist, that priests wipe them after communion, and ablute their fingers with water?

 

[puzzleannie]

Due to the swine flu I’ve tried to obey the Bishop (rather than the Vatican?) by receiving Communion in the hand.
On my way back to the pew I am able to make a short wee detour to the washroom and rinse any particles off.

Two questions:

• Does anybody else do this?
• More importantly, is this an appropriate way to remove any particles of Jesus that may be remaining on my hands?

In Christ, Reg.

no there should be no particles with the newer type of hosts used today, unless it has been broken, and if you do discern a particle discretely lick it off. You would not in any case wash discernable particles of the Body of Our Lord down the common drain in the washroom. If you cannot discern anything, don’t worry about it.

 

[SuscipeMeDomine]

What about the particles which you cannot see?
**
those who say simply inspect their hands do not understand that particles which they cannot see are still the Body of Our Lord.**

Paul

Not according to Fr. Edward McNamara citing Thomas Aquinas source].

Aquinas says: “But if the change be so great that the substance of the bread or wine would have been corrupted, then Christ’s body and blood do not remain under this sacrament; and this either on the part of the qualities, as when the color, savor, and other qualities of the bread and wine are so altered as to be incompatible with the nature of bread or of wine; or else **on the part of the quantity, as, for instance, if the bread be reduced to fine particles, **or the wine divided into such tiny drops that the species of bread or wine no longer remain.”

And Fr. McNamara comments:

This is a different question to that of Christ being really present in small particles or fragments of a host while retaining the species of bread. So long as the species of bread remains, Christ is really present and it is even possible to administer Communion to the sick or persecuted using very small pieces of hosts or even drops of Precious Blood.

Thus, while Christ would certainly not be present in microscopic or no longer visible fragments, it is almost impossible to establish a dividing line when dealing with small but visible particles — and the Church has never wished to pronounce on this theme.

In short, if you cannot see the particles they are no longer the species of bread.

Be reverent and be reassured that all is well.

 

[bpbasilphx]

The times I have received the Body of Christ in my hand, I have carefully examined it for any fragments–Pearls, in Eastern Christian diction–and licked them off.

Since the Body of Christ exists ONLY as long as the appearance of Bread exists, if it ceases to look like bread, or is not readily distinguished from dust, or cannot be seen, it’s not the Body of Christ.

 

[PaulAndrew83]

Not according to Fr. Edward McNamara citing Thomas Aquinas source].

Aquinas says: “But if the change be so great that the substance of the bread or wine would have been corrupted, then Christ’s body and blood do not remain under this sacrament; and this either on the part of the qualities, as when the color, savor, and other qualities of the bread and wine are so altered as to be incompatible with the nature of bread or of wine; or else **on the part of the quantity, as, for instance, if the bread be reduced to fine particles, **or the wine divided into such tiny drops that the species of bread or wine no longer remain.”

Let me Rebold the necessary part.

or the wine divided into such tiny drops that the species of bread or wine no longer remain.

The key thing is that as long as the species of bread remains the sacrament remains.

This is not a Subjective judgment. If a Fighter Pilot can see the particles and you cannot, do the particles exist as the Blessed Sacrament for the pilot and not for you?

Of course bread will cease to be bread when the particles become sufficiently fine, You do not have a to be a philosopher or scientist to see that. But certainly you cannot make the case that It ceases to be bread on a subjective judgement of one sense.

And Fr. McNamara comments:

This is a different question to that of Christ being really present in small particles or fragments of a host while retaining the species of bread. So long as the species of bread remains, Christ is really present and it is even possible to administer Communion to the sick or persecuted using very small pieces of hosts or even drops of Precious Blood.

Thus, while Christ would certainly not be present in microscopic or no longer visible fragments, it is almost impossible to establish a dividing line when dealing with small but visible particles — and the Church has never wished to pronounce on this theme.

In short, if you cannot see the particles they are no longer the species of bread.

Be reverent and be reassured that all is well.

With regards to the visibility of particles ----

Again this is not a Subjective judgment. If a Fighter Pilot can see the particles and you cannot, do the particles exist as the Blessed Sacrament for the pilot and not for you?

Therefore our way of preventing loss must follow the guidelines and rubrics that the Church has already followed with regard to purifications ie Ablution.

So in short dear SuscipeMeDomine while quoting St Thomas might appear to support the case of Father McNamare in fact it does not do anything of the sort.

Paul

 

[Lepanto]

no there should be no particles with the newer type of hosts used today

Sadly, this is grossly inaccurate. There is NO such thing as a crumb-proof host.

I have worked as a sacristan for many years. Most hosts come from the vendors with 250 hosts per plastic bag. Even before opening a bag, you can see a number of broken hosts and numerous particles tossing around inside a typical bag.

Although the mass-manufactured wafers of today are designed to be resistant to crumbling, I can assure you that countless more crumbs are produced at a typical large Mass. And if the priest fractions any of the hosts (as they usually do), this just adds more crumbs.

I have never seen a ciborium coming back for purification after Mass that wasn’t loaded with crumbs. If you don’t believe me, just look at a ciborium after Mass for yourself.

But the big question is: what happened to all the crumbs that didn’t come back in the ciborium?? How many were trampled underfoot??