Holy Communion : Chew or Dissolve?

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Since we were on the topic of receiving communion, I needed to start a different thread for my next question.

Last night I heard chomping away on the precious host in the pew (we sit in the front) My mom said we are supposed to let it dissolve and that chewing is not allowed. Is this true? I always let it dissolve but I do see and hear people chewing imediately… My mom is very proper in etiquette so not sure if she just told me that or is this really true.

Oh and also… if you receive the precious blood then you most likely have to chew it right away, huh? …or what exactly do you do? My home parish does not offer the most precious blood so I don’t know.

Thanks, this forum is great 👍
 
BrushedByAngels said:
Since we were on the topic of receiving communion, I needed to start a different thread for my next question.

Last night I heard chomping away on the precious host in the pew (we sit in the front) My mom said we are supposed to let it dissolve and that chewing is not allowed. Is this true? I always let it dissolve but I do see and hear people chewing imediately… My mom is very proper in etiquette so not sure if she just told me that or is this really true.

Oh and also… if you receive the precious blood then you most likely have to chew it right away, huh? …or what exactly do you do? My home parish does not offer the most precious blood so I don’t know.

Thanks, this forum is great 👍
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I do not believe there is particular directive in this matter. One could do either (reverently).
 
BrushedByAngels said:
Since we were on the topic of receiving communion, I needed to start a different thread for my next question.

Last night I heard chomping away on the precious host in the pew (we sit in the front) My mom said we are supposed to let it dissolve and that chewing is not allowed. Is this true? I always let it dissolve but I do see and hear people chewing imediately… My mom is very proper in etiquette so not sure if she just told me that or is this really true.
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I, too, was taught to dissolve but that is nothing more than a pious practice. Jesus said to take and eat. Eating involves chewing, especially when we are talking about something with the consistency of bread or today’s thick whole wheat hosts. However, one should be as discrete about chewing the Host as one would be while eating in company anywhere: no open mouth, no noisy chomping.
 
BrushedByAngels said:
Since we were on the topic of receiving communion, I needed to start a different thread for my next question.

Last night I heard chomping away on the precious host in the pew (we sit in the front) My mom said we are supposed to let it dissolve and that chewing is not allowed. Is this true? I always let it dissolve but I do see and hear people chewing imediately… My mom is very proper in etiquette so not sure if she just told me that or is this really true.

Oh and also… if you receive the precious blood then you most likely have to chew it right away, huh? …or what exactly do you do? My home parish does not offer the most precious blood so I don’t know.

Thanks, this forum is great 👍
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Hello BrushedByAngels; welcome to CAF.

My best answer to your query would hopefully reflect on the frame of mind on the communicant receiving the consecrated host and being mindful of our faith in Jesus who resides in that host sitting inside are mouth.

However one chooses to consume the host it should inspire reflection, respect, and humility. So if some chewing does become necessary our behavior should also be cognizant of the same reflection, respect and humility.

Peace
Chris
 
The nuns always told us not to chew the host. Instead, let it dissolve… so that is what I do.
 
I was taught dissolve. I can’t really say if chewing is wrong or not but maybe the person has teeth grinding issues, it is a horrible habit that I have and find myself subconsciously doing it, sometimes I don’t even realize I am doing it.
 
I was taught to let the Host dissolve on the tongue. The reason given was that the Blessed Sacrament is the most holy and precious substance on earth which is why the priest’s fingers are anointed, why immediate action is necessary is the Host is dropped, and why chewing is not encouraged. Just think about it, any chewed food gets caught between the teeth and so will the Host. We always need to treat It with utmost respect. Personally, I can not think of a reason (i.e. exception) for chewing over dissolving.
 
greenmoira said:
I was taught to let the Host dissolve on the tongue. The reason given was that the Blessed Sacrament is the most holy and precious substance on earth which is why the priest’s fingers are anointed, why immediate action is necessary is the Host is dropped, and why chewing is not encouraged. Just think about it, any chewed food gets caught between the teeth and so will the Host. We always need to treat It with utmost respect. Personally, I can not think of a reason (i.e. exception) for chewing over dissolving.
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May I ask: what immediate action is taken when the host is dropped? The answer I received recently “you just pick it up and pop it in your mouth.” or something along those lines…
 
I don’t think chewing is irreverent if done the right way. I don’t really “chew”. I sort of use my tongue, mouth closed to fold it in half. Otherwise, it sticks to the roof of my mouth making all sorts of issues when I received the Precious Blood.

In RCIA, we were told that chewing is allowed. It is real food to nourish our bodies. I’m not saying that it has to be right because it was said in RCIA. I’ve seen people chew with their mouths closed and I didn’t take it as irreverent. I think someone smacking their lips and chewing mouth open would be appalling.
 
BrushedByAngels said:
May I ask: what immediate action is taken when the host is dropped? The answer I received recently “you just pick it up and pop it in your mouth.” or something along those lines…
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When it happened to me (and I think it was the proper response), the priest picked it up. I don’t think it’s appropriate for a layperson to grab it and pop it in their mouth. I have no official Church document on the matter, but I’m sure some of the more knowledgeable posters here do.
 
BrushedByAngels said:
Since we were on the topic of receiving communion, I needed to start a different thread for my next question.

Last night I heard chomping away on the precious host in the pew (we sit in the front) My mom said we are supposed to let it dissolve and that chewing is not allowed. Is this true? I always let it dissolve but I do see and hear people chewing imediately… My mom is very proper in etiquette so not sure if she just told me that or is this really true.

Oh and also… if you receive the precious blood then you most likely have to chew it right away, huh? …or what exactly do you do? My home parish does not offer the most precious blood so I don’t know.

Thanks, this forum is great 👍
Click to expand...
Chewing is perfectly fine. When Jesus talks about Communion, He actually uses words meaning “chew” – which would seem to indicate that it’s okay to chew, right?
Then Jesus said to them: Amen, amen I say unto you: Except you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, you shall not have life in you. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath everlasting life: and I will raise him up in the last day.
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John 6:54-55.

The first verb, phago, means “to eat.” The second verb, trogo, means “to gnaw” or “to chew.”
Thus, the quote could be rendered as follows:
Then Jesus said to them: Amen, amen I say unto you: Except you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, you shall not have life in you. He that eateth [gnaws on / chews on] my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath everlasting life: and I will raise him up in the last day.
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So there’s nothing wrong with chewing at Communion.
 
From what I’ve noticed in our church, a nice few people seem to chew. I wondered if the rules had changed since I’d been away from the church.

I was always taught to let it dissolve. I do not like the idea of chewing. But that’s just me.
 
nicolep said:
When it happened to me (and I think it was the proper response), the priest picked it up. I don’t think it’s appropriate for a layperson to grab it and pop it in their mouth. I have no official Church document on the matter, but I’m sure some of the more knowledgeable posters here do.
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Wasn’t there a time when they covered the host with a white cloth? I remember this happen a long time ago. It was a big deal (we are going back over 20 years ago) and it seem to cause a distraction.

I must agree with you on the layperson picking the host up and pop into their mouth. I can’t even imagine the priest or EMHC picking the host up off the floor and then giving it to the layperson either to be honest with you… But in my case maybe times have changed and they just let it fall on the floor and ignore it til later :confused:
 
For the past few decades (I can’t comment any earlier), children were taught to let it dissolve out of a spirit of reverence. More recently, there has been a move to reconsider the Eucharist as food so people are now taught to chew if need be.

As Godfollower says, the Greek word is better translated as ‘chew’ (or even nosh!) than ‘eat’. Nicholas King SJ has done a new translation of the New Testament which has received rave reviews from many theologians; he translates the word as ‘munch’.
 
BrushedByAngels said:
Wasn’t there a time when they covered the host with a white cloth? I remember this happen a long time ago. It was a big deal (we are going back over 20 years ago) and it seem to cause a distraction.

I must agree with you on the layperson picking the host up and pop into their mouth. I can’t even imagine the priest or EMHC picking the host up off the floor and then giving it to the layperson either to be honest with you… But in my case maybe times have changed and they just let it fall on the floor and ignore it til later :confused:
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When the Host falls on the floor as Communion is being given it can be immediately picked up and eaten by the communicant or the Minister of Communion (priest or lay person). If no one wants to consume a Host that has fallen on the ground, then it will be dissolved in water until nothing remains of the Host, at which point it ceases to be the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus and the water will be poured either in the sacrarium or on ground where no one walks.
 
Have you ever watched your priest receive the eucharist? Mine, and our Bishop both chew when they receive the eucharist. 😉
 
This topic comes up fairly regularly.

Yes, those of us over a certain age were taught never to chew and to let the host dissolve. But this was always one of those pious traditions that was never actually required. It “worked” because for years hosts were made out of a kind of white bread that quickly and easily dissolved.

Today, the “fashion” in hosts is to make them thicker, chewier, crunchier and/or “grainier”. These hosts don’t dissolve quite so quickly. So chewing is probably the most prudent action to take when one has received such a host.
 
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