dropped communion host

[faithfully]

Our priest gave a little talk about communion a few months back. And how to accept it. Hands ok, and if you are going to take it on your tongue, get it OUT THERE! He said he quit reaching into a persons mouth when a person bit down before his fingers were out. WORSE, he naturally pulled his fingers back, bringing the persons dentures with him. He had SEVERAL stories.

Two Easters ago my non Catholic husband, our boys, my sister, and myself went to church together. When I take my boys, they always walk up with me, get a blessing, and then back. I have DH get a blessing too. when he comes to church with us… However, this time we got seperated, and although I thought he knew what to do , he didn’t. And ended up accepting the host in his hands. Then he just walked back to our seats. We all sat down, getting ready to kneel when he showed us the host. My sister just reached over, plucked it from his fingers and at it. She and I exchanged a look of horror.

He later said, he knew that he wasn’t supposed to have it, that it was “important” but no idea how to handle the situation. I was really glad he didn’t put it in his pocket. I think Jesus is clean enough that he doesn’t need to go through my laundry

I’ve seen a priest drop the Host. It seems there was a whole ritual he went through to remedy the situation.

Your priest probably thought Mass was about to get longer for a second. Don’t be embarassed. It was not with intention, or even ignorance… an accident.

 

[zab]

Our priest gave a little talk about communion a few months back. And how to accept it. Hands ok, and if you are going to take it on your tongue, get it OUT THERE! He said he quit reaching into a persons mouth when a person bit down before his fingers were out. WORSE, he naturally pulled his fingers back, bringing the persons dentures with him. He had SEVERAL stories.

I’m not sure I understand what he means by “get it out there.” It is not necessary to stick your tongue out beyond your lower lip. But you do need to open your mouth enough. Also it is not necessary for the priest or an EMHC to reach inside one’s mouth. All they have to do is hold one end of the Host while touching the other end of the Host to the receivers tongue and it sticks easily. Perhaps this priest needs a little more practice placing the Host on the tongue.

 

[Faith1960]

I cupped my hand over the section of blouse where the host had slid, scurried back to the pew and with burning red cheeks, proceeded to fish him out and receive.
(I checked; no broken bits, he was whole.)
Never the less, it was mortifying to no end. I about was in tears!
From that point on, I hedge my bets when it comes to in the hand or on the tongue.

Glad you were able to retrieve the Host without dropping it.

 

[RosalieM]

Please don’t stay away from your church, OP.
Once communion was dropped on the floor when I went to receive in the hands. The monsignor wouldn’t let me pick it up. He picked it up and put it in his mouth then gave me another. I felt like a jerk for some time; but it passed.
For nearly two months now I’ve been receiving on the tongue and feel more secure. Just make sure the mouth is open enough. Some priests are simply better at it than others. My favorite priest is perfect at it.

 

[faithfully]

I’m not sure I understand what he means by “get it out there.” It is not necessary to stick your tongue out beyond your lower lip. But you do need to open your mouth enough. Also it is not necessary for the priest or an EMHC to reach inside one’s mouth. All they have to do is hold one end of the Host while touching the other end of the Host to the receivers tongue and it sticks easily. Perhaps this priest needs a little more practice placing the Host on the tongue.

Sorry I was paraphrasing… He’s an exceptional priest… I would not be so quick to judge what he needs practice at placing the Host, as I think he’s been doing so for some 25 years… Some people will not stick their tongue out, or open their mouth enough to accomodate… it happens. I’m sure as his experience indicates… It’s also possible that his less than stellar experiences happened when he was just starting… Not really sure.

 

[zab]

Sorry I was paraphrasing… He’s an exceptional priest… I would not be so quick to judge what he needs practice at placing the Host, as I think he’s been doing so for some 25 years… Some people will not stick their tongue out, or open their mouth enough to accomodate… it happens. I’m sure as his experience indicates… It’s also possible that his less than stellar experiences happened when he was just starting… Not really sure.

I was not judging. I was trying to understand your “paraphrasing.”

 

[Tanya_Henry]

I’ve experienced it too I had my baby asleep in my arms, and raised my hands as high as possible to received the Blessed Host. Perhaps Father misjudged because it fell to the floor. I stood there, a little scared, and said “Father, tell me what to do.” I wasn’t sure, should I pick it up or should he. He smiled at me, apologised and said “My dear, you’re going to have to pick it up.” He’s been a priest for over 50 years, he’s retired now. I had obviously been taught what to do when that happens, but when it happened to me, I simply froze. I picked the Host straight up off the floor and put into my mouth. I don’t wish to experience that again, but it was unintentional and I am confident our Lord will understand.

 

[sedonaman]

I dropped a host once when receiving by hand. Just picked it up and consumed it … no big deal.

Priests and deacons are naturally sensitive on the treatment of the host [extraordinary ministers don’t seem to show as much]. You wouldn’t believe some of the things people do to them. They have been found left in missals and hymnals, obviously used as book-markers; they have been found on the lawn outside the church; mothers have actually fed them to their infant babies. I once saw a deacon make a be-line down the aisle to catch a recipient who had not consumed it immediately.

There are two interesting stories about the chalice. About 100 years ago, an altar boy dropped the chalice and was severely chastised by the bishop saying mass. About the same time halfway round the world, another altar boy did the same thing, but his bishop took him aside after mass and asked him his name and what he wanted to be when he grew up. The boy said he wanted to be a priest, whereupon the bishop predicted that not only would he become a priest, but would rise to bishop also. The altar boy in the second story was Fulton Sheen; the one in the first was Joseph Stalin.

 

[zab]

I’ve experienced it too I had my baby asleep in my arms, and raised my hands as high as possible to received the Blessed Host. Perhaps Father misjudged because it fell to the floor. I stood there, a little scared, and said “Father, tell me what to do.” I wasn’t sure, should I pick it up or should he. He smiled at me, apologised and said “My dear, you’re going to have to pick it up.” He’s been a priest for over 50 years, he’s retired now. I had obviously been taught what to do when that happens, but when it happened to me, I simply froze. I picked the Host straight up off the floor and put into my mouth. I don’t wish to experience that again, but it was unintentional and I am confident our Lord will understand.

When you are carrying a child in your arms you should receive on the tongue because you do not have two hands to use.

 

[zab]

I dropped a host once when receiving by hand. Just picked it up and consumed it … no big deal.

Priests and deacons are naturally sensitive on the treatment of the host [extraordinary ministers don’t seem to show as much].

That remark sounds predjudiced. I know some EMHC who are more reverent than some priests.

 

[sedonaman]

That remark sounds predjudiced. I know some EMHC who are more reverent than some priests.

I’m prejudice because that’s how I interpreted what I have observed? What makes your powers of observation better than mine? Did you ever consider that maybe your observation is prejudice against priests?

 

[stpetric]

Last Sunday I somehow dropped communion on the tongue while kneeling, fortunately it was caught by the alter server. The Priest was visibly upset and I was embarassed, and to be honest I feel like I have to find another parish because I feel so ashamed to walk in there again. Has this ever happened?

Yes, of course, it’s happened bazillions of times!

My old liturgics professor used to say, “reverence is a virtue, not a neurosis, and God can take care of himself.” That’s not an excuse for sloppiness or indifference, but it is to say not to be unduly worried when accidents happen.

Older liturgical manuals include directions on how to handle and clean up after every conceivable accident with the Body and Blood. And that’s what you do: You pick up and you move on.

 

[sbl11798]

We are all human. I can understand your embarrassment but it’s fine. Several years ago we were at Mass celebrated by our Bishop. As he was walking down the steps to give out Communion, he caught his foot in his robe and the hosts flew all over! He was mortified. But altar boys scrambled to pick them up and they were consumed. So, we all have those moments.

 

[catholic_teen]

I have seen a previous priest at my parish chase down someone who didn’t consume the host immediatly a few times before. Very sad. And one time a host was found underneath a statue that sits on the end of the communion rail. How that got there, no one knows.

Last Sunday I somehow dropped communion on the tongue while kneeling, fortunately it was caught by the alter server. The Priest was visibly upset and I was embarassed, and to be honest I feel like I have to find another parish because I feel so ashamed to walk in there again. Has this ever happened?

That has happened once to me too a few months back. Thankfully the alter boy caught the host. The priest, who I knew very well, handled it well. But I will say, my heart stopped beating for a second. It was mortifying for a while but I got over it soon.

 

[SacredHeart1987]

Origen (185-254)- “I wish to admonish you with examples from your religion. You are accustomed to take part in the Divine Mysteries, so you know how, when you have received the Body of the Lord, you reverently exercise every care lest a particle of it fall and lest anything of the Consecrated Gift perish. You account yourselves guilty, and rightly do you so believe, if any of it be lost through negligence.” Homilies in Exodus, PG 13, 13, 3; JR, v. 1, 490.

 

[ora_pro_nobis]

Origen (185-254)- “I wish to admonish you with examples from your religion. You are accustomed to take part in the Divine Mysteries, so you know how, when you have received the Body of the Lord, you reverently exercise every care lest a particle of it fall and lest anything of the Consecrated Gift perish. You account yourselves guilty, and rightly do you so believe, if any of it be lost through negligence.” Homilies in Exodus, PG 13, 13, 3; JR, v. 1, 490.

That’s about negligence or carelessness, which was not the case in the OP’s post - that was an accident.

To the OP - I really feel for you, but don’t take it to heart. You intended no disrespect for Our Lord, and I’m sure the priest realises that too.

 

[SacredHeart1987]

That’s about negligence or carelessness, which was not the case in the OP’s post - that was an accident.

To the OP - I really feel for you, but don’t take it to heart. You intended no disrespect for Our Lord, and I’m sure the priest realises that too.

Do you or do you not believe that its carelessness when someone drops the consecrated host?

 

[ora_pro_nobis]

Carelessness implies a certain amount of indifference - I don’t believe that was the case in this instance, but you’d have to ask the OP whether they were being careless or not.

 

[notredame_999]

Carelessness implies a certain amount of indifference - I don’t believe that was the case in this instance, but you’d have to ask the OP whether they were being careless or not.

Of course it wasnt intentional. Why would any sane catholic handle the body of Christ carelessly?

 

[simspt]

Last Sunday I somehow dropped communion on the tongue while kneeling, fortunately it was caught by the alter server. The Priest was visibly upset and I was embarassed, and to be honest I feel like I have to find another parish because I feel so ashamed to walk in there again. Has this ever happened?

I would be willing to bet the creator of the universe isn’t too upset with you, that being said if your priest is who cares!
God bless