Hands Over Face after receiving the Blessed Sacrament

[Sr_Sally]

I’m presuming you do this after you return to your pew? You do need to see where you’re going or attend to your kids. Personally I don’t do it even at my pew but it’s ok if someone else wants to do it.

I don’t swallow the Host until I return to my pew, and then after a few moments of reflection of the immenseness, power, and glory I have in my mouth. Those that chew the Host on their way back apparently don’t feel a need to do this. .

Please do not make assumptions about those who swallow in the pew verses before. You do not know what people are thinking as they recess back to their pew. Please put your hands over your face and concentrate on your own prayers.

 

[sphilomena]

Seeing the Anima Christi here makes me long for my previous parish. As a congregation we would pray the Anima Christi after all had received the Blessed Sacrament. Then after the recessional everyone waited in the pew and together we would pray “O Sacrament Most Holy, O Sacrament Divine…” Sigh. I still do it myself, but it’s just not the same…

I frequently have my eyes closed at Mass, and I usually kneel with my hands over my face during the consecration so that I can stay focused. I know that may seem backwards, but if I don’t do it I find myself completely distracted.

No, it’s not at all backwards!!! I usually have my eyes closed during most of the Mass also. It avoids the distractions that are all around us.

 

[ThereseMarie]

My husband and I cover our faces too. Under my veil and with my face covered I am able to concentrate on the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of our Lord. It is just such a peaceful time for us.

My friend who is a Protestant of Jewish ancestry told me that this is how many Jews pray in temple and said she was surprised to see me do it too.

Blessings,

 

[Daprato]

I’m presuming you do this after you return to your pew? You do need to see where you’re going or attend to your kids. Personally I don’t do it even at my pew but it’s ok if someone else wants to do it.

I don’t swallow the Host until I return to my pew, and then after a few moments of reflection of the immenseness, power, and glory I have in my mouth. Those that chew the Host on their way back apparently don’t feel a need to do this. .

Why judge people like that? Many are taught to swallow the Blessed Sacrament ASAP and for good reason. May God never allow you to sneeze or cough while you Hold Him in your mouth…

 

[franciscanhobbi]

When receiving under both kinds, is there a way to receive the Precious Blood so that it does not dissolve the Host that there wasn’t time to swallow? If the Host gets dissolved, does that mean I’ve only received under one kind?

 

[MSParrott]

When receiving under both kinds, is there a way to receive the Precious Blood so that it does not dissolve the Host that there wasn’t time to swallow? If the Host gets dissolved, does that mean I’ve only received under one kind?

I don’t think so - you are receiving both literally, so I wouldn’t worry about it. BTW this happens to me, too.

 

[Ravyn_Guiliani]

I’m presuming you do this after you return to your pew? You do need to see where you’re going or attend to your kids. Personally I don’t do it even at my pew but it’s ok if someone else wants to do it.

I don’t swallow the Host until I return to my pew, and then after a few moments of reflection of the immenseness, power, and glory I have in my mouth. Those that chew the Host on their way back apparently don’t feel a need to do this. .

I was taught that the Host was to be consumed immediately while you are still in front of the priest not held in your mouth. But I do not chew it, I break it with the presure of my tongue and let it dissolve. Sometimes my mouth is too dry and I still have some in my mouth when I drink the Blood (but I NEVER backwash!) and I make sure I have swallowed before I turn completely away from the Server. I walk back to my seat with my head down and I kneel in prayer with my hands covering my face until everyone is served. Then I sit back and quietly meditate while the priest prays, usually just another minute or so.

PS I was also taught not to bow to the person in front of you in line, wait until they step aside and to cross myself after I receive (under both species.)

 

[So_Catholic]

Ya know Ive always done that throughout most of the mass, I find it easier to concentrate on whats being said, done, or prayed when my sight cant distract me.

 

[Sarabande]

After receiving the Blessed Sacrament, I pray with my hands over my face. I have always done that since my youth. Someone asked me where that came from. I did not know. Anyone know the tradition behind that?

I don’t know the tradition behind it, but I remember seeing a lot of older people doing this when I was a child. I was always intrigued by them, because they appeared so steeped in focus and prayer. We weren’t taught to do this for our First Holy Communion, however.

I later learned from a few priests that we weren’t supposed to chew the host, so I try to let it dissolve in my mouth. I now only receive on my tongue and will close my eyes as the priest places the Host on my tongue, so that I can just focus on receiving and not at anything else. I don’t cover my entire face when I go back to kneel, but have this tendancy of folding my hands, bowing my head and this strange habit of resting my nose in between my two thumbs. I never actually thought about it until I saw this thread. I think it’s a physical way of helping me focus, but when I think about it, it’s kind of strange, although I don’t think I’ll ever change it.

 

[franciscanhobbi]

I read once in EWTN answers that if it dissolves in ones mouth one has therefore not received Communion at all?

 

[Sarabande]

I read once in EWTN answers that if it dissolves in ones mouth one has therefore not received Communion at all?

Oh, I didn’t know that. This is just what I learned from the priests and they were fairly conservative. I was definitely told not to chew it, though. I still swallow it – it’s just that I let it break down in my mouth (dissolve) so that I can swallow without choking. If not allowing it to dissolve so that we can swallow and if chewing isn’t proper, how else can we ingest it? What’s correct?

 

[march19]

I cover my face when back at my pew also.

I recall that back in 1961, when I made my first Holy Communion, Sister Mary Agnes prepared us to spend the time after receiving in communion with Jesus. Thus, she taught us to return to our pews with our eyes cast down, hands folded. Upon kneeling, we were to cover our faces, and concentrate real hard on what we had just experienced.

To this day, this simple action helps my feeble attention span to focus on Jesus, instead of the parade of visiting folks who are returning to their pews, or on the way out the door.

As for chewing the Host, Sister instructed us not to do so, but instead, to let the Host dissolve in our mouth. I think that it had something to do with reverence for the Body and Blood of Christ.

Just my experience!

Joe

 

[geraldffff]

No, it’s not at all backwards!!! I usually have my eyes closed during most of the Mass also. It avoids the distractions that are all around us.

Thanks. Now I know I am not alone in having my eyes closed during most of the mass. If I do not do this my eyes and mind wander and it is difficult to hear and understand the message. Nuns told us not to chew but nowadays if I do not the host is stuck on my upper denture.

 

[DebChris]

My husband and I cover our faces too. Under my veil and with my face covered I am able to concentrate on the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of our Lord. It is just such a peaceful time for us.

My friend who is a Protestant of Jewish ancestry told me that this is how many Jews pray in temple and said she was surprised to see me do it too.

Blessings,

What we do as Catholics has strong Jewish roots. Sometimes that is missed in our discussion of traditions.
I learned the practical reason for prayer shawls once while I was on retreat. When in deep meditation, it keeps a person from becoming chilled. I don’t think the chill was simply from being in Wisconsin.

 

[Matas]

Since a few of us do the same thing (as evidenced by in this thread), it is probably just a natural response that some people do, and not something that was taught in a book or anything.

That makes sense to me. No one “taught” me to assume a posture that minimizes exterior stimuli. I just do it because of what I just did, and Who is with me.

And FWIW, I let the Host dissolve instead of masticating it. Big chewing and smacking of lips seems, in some way, profane to me. My mother told me that way back in a convent school (England), she was instructed by the nuns to let the Host dissolve.

 

[geraldffff]

That makes sense to me. No one “taught” me to assume a posture that minimizes exterior stimuli. I just do it because of what I just did, and Who is with me.

And FWIW, I let the Host dissolve instead of masticating it. Big chewing and smacking of lips seems, in some way, profane to me. My mother told me that way back in a convent school (England), she was instructed by the nuns to let the Host dissolve.

I beleive the nuns taught us to dissolve and not chew that would have been about 1960

 

[BlyssfulDreamer]

I put my head down and close my eyes with my hands in a prayer position. I say the Anima Christi and thank the Lord for allowing me to receive Him.

I try to tune ther rest of the world out for a few seconds…

:heart:Blyss

 

[Hiromu]

Most of mass, my eyes are closed, trying to concentrate on what is occuring.

I always close my eyes during the Eucharistic Prayer. When the priest says the words of consecration, while kneeling, I also bow my head forward. Our church didn’t have pews everywhere at one time, so we all stood. When the words of consecration were said, we bowed.

Now that we have kneelers, I felt that when the consecration takes place, that bowing my head while kneeling is the most reverent thing to do while kneeling in a pew. If I were in an open area kneeling, I would bow to the ground completely, similar to the bow in Adoration.

God bless all of you.

 

[franciscanhobbi]

I cover my face when back at my pew also.

I recall that back in 1961, when I made my first Holy Communion, Sister Mary Agnes prepared us to spend the time after receiving in communion with Jesus. Thus, she taught us to return to our pews with our eyes cast down, hands folded. Upon kneeling, we were to cover our faces, and concentrate real hard on what we had just experienced.

To this day, this simple action helps my feeble attention span to focus on Jesus, instead of the parade of visiting folks who are returning to their pews, or on the way out the door.

As for chewing the Host, Sister instructed us not to do so, but instead, to let the Host dissolve in our mouth. I think that it had something to do with reverence for the Body and Blood of Christ.

Just my experience!

Joe

 

[franciscanhobbi]

I think that as long as you still swallow something you are still receiving. I get the impression that if It completely dissolves in the mouth there has been no Communicating.