First communion and tube fed child

[mysweetpeas]

Hello. My daughter is 6 and due to receive her First Communion next year

However, she is completely tube fed at this time. She cannot tolerate anything like a host in her mouth and wouldn’t be able to swallow it.

My question is, as my child is fully competent and has no mental reason to NOT receive Communion when she becomes of age, how do we handle this? I don’t feel it’s fair to restrict her from recieving the Eucharist simply because of her inability to eat. I mean, when you think about it, God is the one who made her that way! He loves her and I don’t think He would want her to not receive Communion.

However, I would never want to risk her spitting out the host or wine.

So how do we handle this?

 

[NewEnglandPriest]

Could she receive even a drop of the consecrated wine?

 

[mysweetpeas]

Could she receive even a drop of the consecrated wine?

Yes she could. Forgive me, as my husband is the Catholic and I am not so I’m not completely aware of rules, but is that an adequate substitute? This is very important to my husband so I want to make sure we are going about this right.

If it is an adequate substitute, how do we ensure that happens each Sunday? Would we have to tell them each and every time? How do they even get a drop on her tongue? I feel dumb asking these questions, but seeing people go up to Communion I’m trying to picture how this would work

Or maybe just after Mass? They never miss a Sunday Mass and she goes weekly at school as well so it’s going to happen twice a week where we will have to figure it out

Thank you for your help! I really appreciate it!

 

[mysweetpeas]

Oh one more thing, she can eat small bits of food. She gags a lot of the time and vomits, but does sometime get it down. Would it be inappropriate to ask the Priest if she could try an unconsecrated Host before her First Communion just to see if she could handle it? Or is that a no no? That way if she spits it out or vomits it won’t matter.

Thinking on it now, I’m afraid she would gag even on a drop of wine. She has such a strong gag reflex. This is so frustrating! She deserves to receive the Eucharist like everyone else, but I just don’t know how to go about doing it!

 

[Immaculata90]

As Catholics, we believe that one species (either the body or the blood) spiritually contains both. So, it would be completely feasible for your daughter to receive a small amount of blood and have it be okay–it may be a little comparable to someone with a gluten allergy…

I would encourage you to speak with your pastor about your options–sometimes, and for good reasons, Eucharist is only distributed under one kind. If that is the case, I am sure the priest will work with you and your husband to figure out a good solution to the problem.

As for trying with an unconsecrated host, I would ask the priest about it. If it’s never been consecrated or blessed or whatever, it is just bread. It may be another good alternative. It would just have to be tried multiple times to make sure that she doesn’t spit it out or gag on it–the Eucharist is obviously not something to be unsure about giving (and it seems you very clearly understand this!)

Praise the Lord that you and your husband are very excited for your daughter to receive the Lord in Body and Blood. Talk to the priest and I’m sure something will work!

 

[1ke]

Talk to your priest.

 

[NewEnglandPriest]

Yes she could. Forgive me, as my husband is the Catholic and I am not so I’m not completely aware of rules, but is that an adequate substitute? This is very important to my husband so I want to make sure we are going about this right.

In Catholic theology both the bread and the wine individually become the body and bloody of Jesus Christ. So no matter which one someone receives they are receiving the fullness of Christ. We also believe that the Real Presence is contained within the smallest drop and smallest crumb so to receive even a tiny amount of either is to receive the fullness of Christ.

If it is an adequate substitute, how do we ensure that happens each Sunday? Would we have to tell them each and every time? How do they even get a drop on her tongue? I feel dumb asking these questions, but seeing people go up to Communion I’m trying to picture how this would work

Its not necessarily a big deal but you should discuss this with your local pastor.

Thank you for your help! I really appreciate it!

You welcome, God bless!

 

[hilde_the_dog]

Consecrated host can be broken down into as small a pieces as needed or more properly should be broken down into the appropriate size before consecreation. When visiting the homebound there is one elderly lady who receives 1/4 of a host and it may take her five minutes to get it into her mouth. Our parish does not offer the reception of the blood of Christ except to those who could only receive it and not the body of Christ. there is only one lady who has recieved communion this way at our parish. In other words the priests should be willing to work with you and your child

 

[Zooey]

Yes she could. Forgive me, as my husband is the Catholic and I am not so I’m not completely aware of rules, but is that an adequate substitute? This is very important to my husband so I want to make sure we are going about this right.

If it is an adequate substitute, how do we ensure that happens each Sunday? Would we have to tell them each and every time? How do they even get a drop on her tongue? I feel dumb asking these questions, but seeing people go up to Communion I’m trying to picture how this would work

Or maybe just after Mass? They never miss a Sunday Mass and she goes weekly at school as well so it’s going to happen twice a week where we will have to figure it out

Thank you for your help! I really appreciate it!

God bless you, dear lady!! What a joy to see a mother so anxious for what her husband & their dear child want & need.

It is my understanding that receiving even a drop of the consecrated wine will be, for your daughter, as full a communion as any other communicant.

Your family have my prayers.

 

[Joe_Kelley]

As a EMHC to the Sick I have had a couple of similar cases.

One was recovering from a gunshot wound to the stomach. The priest supplied me a very small chalice, 2 oz, and the consecrated wine in a bottle which he put in the tabernacle. I would give the patient a small sip each time I visited.

Another was a dying lady who could take nothing. I broke the smallest bit from the edge of the host and put it under her tongue. When I asked the pastor if I did right, he told me that if he were dying any way I could get the host in his mouth would be right.

 

[SecretGarden]

I don’t know if this would be sacra religious, but an idea would be to put an unblessed host inside the blender and then ask the priest to consecrate that little bit so she can handle it.

Ask your priest about this option. If your little one has a feeding tube, it could be an option.

 

[Joan_M]

I don’t know if this would be sacra religious, but an idea would be to put an unblessed host inside the blender and then ask the priest to consecrate that little bit so she can handle it.

Ask your priest about this option. If your little one has a feeding tube, it could be an option.

This would not be possible because, once blended, the host would no longer have the appearance of bread.

 

[Matthew_Holford]

Does Communion have to be taken in via the mouth? The child could receive the Precious Blood rather than the Sacred Body. Couldn’t a very small quantity of that be administered directly via the feeding tube?

 

[ThyKingdomCome]

What we call the precious blood (which is what the wine becomes after the consecration) contains ALL of our Lord, body and blood. This is true of the host that we usually refer to as “the body.” So either one would be acceptable and would be “as full” a communion as what others receive.

If she would actually gag on one drop of the precious blood, then I might be concerned. I wonder if there is a way to receive a very tiny drop, the kind that just kind of soaks into your tongue and wouldn’t be large enough to require her to swallow. If she could handle something that small (I suppose I’d do a trial with water first, then with unconsecrated wine until she is used to the sensation), then the matter would be how to get the drop onto her tongue and to make sure it was always done correctly so as not to cause her to gag. I have heard the in some Eastern churches, they give the Eucharist to babies in this manner using a spoon, but I imagine they aren’t worried about the drop being too big to swallow. Discuss it with your priest - this may be something that only he can administer, rather than just any of the people who assist with the distribution of Holy Communion.

 

[Joannm]

There are some hosts that are very thin and melt in your mouth very easily. Perhaps you could order some of those and if broken into tiny pieces she can have a piece on her tongue and let it melt there. There is no rule that it has to be swallowed whole.

 

[ConstantineTG]

I don’t know if this would be sacra religious, but an idea would be to put an unblessed host inside the blender and then ask the priest to consecrate that little bit so she can handle it.

Ask your priest about this option. If your little one has a feeding tube, it could be an option.

Its probably not. From what I know we depend on the physical sign as much as the inward spiritual reality. Liquefied bread does not look like bread, and therefore can be invalid. It may take more than the priest to answer this question.

I have heard the in some Eastern churches, they give the Eucharist to babies in this manner using a spoon, but I imagine they aren’t worried about the drop being too big to swallow. Discuss it with your priest - this may be something that only he can administer, rather than just any of the people who assist with the distribution of Holy Communion.

The spoon is used for everyone, not just babies
Maybe a good cooperation between a Byzantine Rite priest and a Latin Rite one for this is great. The spoon sure helps in many ways, including measuring the amount of Precious Blood given to the communicant.