Holy Communion Question

[Tegeirian]

Is there any special additional grace or blessing associated with receiving a piece of a larger host as opposed to one of the smaller circular wafers that most people receive? I am aware of a situation in which a person giving out Holy Communion at a Roman Catholic Mass specifically spent a few seconds moving aside the usual wafers in order to give one particular parishioner a broken piece of a larger host. The action was so deliberate that it must mean something. What does it mean? Thank you for any and all replies.

 

[marty1818]

Nope, there are no additional graces. Everyone who receives the Eucharist fully receives the body,blood, soul, and divinity of Christ regardless of the size of the host or fragment.

 

[Tantum_ergo]

You do not receive more graces from a larger portion.

I don’t know how large the individual portions are that are in question, but I know that some people have very strong gag reflexes and cannot swallow something very large.

Others seem to have no trouble,

Maybe one piece was accidentally cut rather large, too large for most people, and the EHMC knew it, looked down the line, saw somebody he knew whom he knew could swallow the piece without any trouble, and ‘reserved it’ for him.

 

[ExGratia]

You do not receive more graces from a larger portion.

I don’t know how large the individual portions are that are in question, but I know that some people have very strong gag reflexes and cannot swallow something very large.

Others seem to have no trouble,

Maybe one piece was accidentally cut rather large, too large for most people, and the EHMC knew it, looked down the line, saw somebody he knew whom he knew could swallow the piece without any trouble, and ‘reserved it’ for him.

Someone correct me if I’m wrong, but I am under the impression that a communicant needn’t swallow the Host whole (i.e. chewing is allowed). So those EMHC might be over thinking things.

 

[Tantum_ergo]

Someone correct me if I’m wrong, but I am under the impression that a communicant needn’t swallow the Host whole (i.e. chewing is allowed). So those EMHC might be over thinking things.

That’s quite true (I’m old enough that I remember being told to swallow whole and I still do). . .thank you for mentioning that.

Here’s another thought: Maybe some in the communion line would be uncomfortable receiving a ‘larger than normal’ portion, or would maybe think they were getting ‘extra’, and so he looked around for somebody whom he knew would be comfortable and would NOT make a wrong assumption.

 

[Will_B]

Some parishes that have low gluten Hosts… Therefore the size could be different and the Priest or Deacon when disseminating the Host would give the low gluten Hosts to those that may not be able to tolerate gluten.

However no additional graces. Except maybe less of a belly ache

 

[ByzCathCantor]

There is an old custom that if a Mass is offered for the health and welfare of a certain parishioner, that a piece of the large Host held by the priest at the Consecration would be reserved for that person. That said, there is no additional grace given, and the intended will have been remembered properly and in accordance with the rubrics. It is unclear if this custom continues in practice, and as well noted already in this thread, there is really no need.

This is the piece of the consecration host that is “comingled”. This short Q&A piece explains it well.

 

[Fan_of_Trent]

There is an old custom that if a Mass is offered for the health and welfare of a certain parishioner, that a piece of the large Host held by the priest at the Consecration would be reserved for that person. That said, there is no additional grace given, and the intended will have been remembered properly and in accordance with the rubrics. It is unclear if this custom continues in practice, and as well noted already in this thread, there is really no need.

This is the piece of the consecration host that is “comingled”. This short Q&A piece explains it well.

I didn’t check my Missal so I could very well be wrong here, but in the EF I think the Priest receives all of the large host that is elevated (a quarter or so is comingled). I’m not sure if the OF is rubrics are the same in that regard.

J.M.J.

 

[ByzCathCantor]

I didn’t check my Missal so I could very well be wrong here, but in the EF I think the Priest receives all of the large host that is elevated (a quarter or so is comingled). I’m not sure if the OF is rubrics are the same in that regard.

J.M.J.

That very well could be, and again, I am aware of priests doing this more as “custom” than anything.

As we know and believe, it is not just the Host held during the Consecration that is in fact consecrated, so this is a gesture more than anything else, as the remembrance would have been made.

 

[Tarpeian_Rock]

Some parishes that have low gluten Hosts… Therefore the size could be different and the Priest or Deacon when disseminating the Host would give the low gluten Hosts to those that may not be able to tolerate gluten.

However no additional graces. Except maybe less of a belly ache

Although normally the last thing someone suffering from celiac disease should receive would be a low-gluten host that has co-mingled with regular hosts. Low gluten hosts should always be kept in and consecrated in separate vessels from the regular hosts.

 

[yukonbrad]

Someone correct me if I’m wrong, but I am under the impression that a communicant needn’t swallow the Host whole (i.e. chewing is allowed). So those EMHC might be over thinking things.

No chewing is permissible, in fact our priest mentioned this today in refrence to the gospel reading. The greek translation is not “eat my body” but “naw upon my body”.

 

[Deo_Gratias42]

I didn’t check my Missal so I could very well be wrong here, but in the EF I think the Priest receives all of the large host that is elevated (a quarter or so is comingled). I’m not sure if the OF is rubrics are the same in that regard.

J.M.J.

In the EF aside from the piece that is co-mingled, the priest receives both “halves”. You will notice that the host is smaller. After Vatican II, the reforms of the Mass indicated that it was especially meaningful for at least some of the congregants to receive from the same host as the priest to show the significance of breaking bread and sharing it, thus the host was made larger so that it could be broken into more pieces and shared among the congregation.

 

[TimothyH]

No chewing is permissible, in fact our priest mentioned this today in refrence to the gospel reading. The greek translation is not “eat my body” but “naw upon my body”.

Should read, “No. Chewing is permissible.”

-Tim-

 

[Deo_Gratias42]

Should read, “No. Chewing is permissible.”

-Tim-

Actually, it should read, “No**,** chewing is permissible.”

A comma is used after an introductory element. That is, something that begins a sentence and comes before the subject and verb of the main clause.

This grammar break was brought to you by Deo Gratias42. Deo Gratias for grammar, which helps make thoughts and ideas less confusing when written.

Now back to our regular topic.

 

[hannajomar]

When I was in the habit of attending daily Mass, the priest used to give me a piece from the larger host every day. I never asked him why, and he never told me. I thought that may it had something to do with me receiving on the tongue. May be it was easier for him to put that host on a tongue than the round host? It also could have been because I was in my 20’s and probably the youngest one at the Mass, so I could consume the bigger piece easier.