How Do You Receive the Eucharist?

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PacoG said:
From the way I see it: the bishop/priest/deacon’s hands are blessed. They are ordinary ministers. I see it as a recognition of their authority and the command to feed Our Lord’s sheep (us, the laity) .

The EMHC’s hands are the same as mine. They are just deputized.
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Interesting logic I will admit. But, it seems as since the EMHC’s hands are the same as yours, then what difference does it make?

I would like to add to my two posts this disclaimer:
I fully acknowledge that those who receive communion in the hand (in this country at least, I do not know where else the indult applies currently) have the right to do so in the Church, so I am not judging their action as wrong in anyway.
 
To those of you who stated you receive it kneeling, I have a question. Assuming you are not attending a Tridentine mass, why do you do so? The GIRM make it very clear that the local Bishop and the National Bishop conferences have the authority to determine postures at mass. And the Bishops of the US have clearly stated what the norm is here: ie bowing and then receiving standing. Now, I do not personally like the US Bishops’ decision in this regard, but it seems clear that obedience calls us to do it their way.
 
I voted “other” but really needed an option for “both”. 🙂 Our priest has dropped the host twice when I was receiving on the tongue. So, now when I am in his line, I receive in the hand. If I am in another line, I still receive on the tongue.
 
Since I learned from Cardinal Burke the teaching on this, I receive on the tongue (and normally standing… depending on which Church I go to, and if they have kneelers).

Anyways, being slightly OCD it was pretty easy for me to accept the Church’s teaching on this one. I mean, I wouldn’t want to get the germs from my hands on the Eucharist, especially after all the “peace be with yous”. 😛 Just makes sense.
 
Always in the hand. That is the only way I am comfortable, as I like to keep my head bowed in during communion. It’s a Protestant throw back of mine of bowing during prayer as a sign of humility. I did receive on the tongue a few times when I had to carry a child to receive communion as a necessary measure. It always felt strange to lift my head toward the host.
 
Can’t it be both? 🙂 I accept it on the tongue more often, though.
 
On the tongue (and kneeling) whether at the TLM or NO. Never from an EMHC either!
 
The_Curt_Jester said:
On the tongue (and kneeling) whether at the TLM or NO. Never from an EMHC either!
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I can’t say I never go to a EMHC, but I try not to. When attending a NO mass, why do you not consider it a matter of obedience to your bishop to receive standing, after bowing head? Note: not trying to start an argument, just trying to understand.
 
tafan said:
I can’t say I never go to a EMHC, but I try not to. When attending a NO mass, why do you not consider it a matter of obedience to your bishop to receive standing, after bowing head? Note: not trying to start an argument, just trying to understand.
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I have a relative with a letter from the Vatican that states that she (and anyone else) may receive communion kneeling and that no priest may refuse to give communion to anyone based on that posture. Furthermore, the letter stated that receiving kneeling has long been seen as an act of piety. Good enough for me. Not that I needed the letter to inform me, but evidently some priests do…

Also, people receive kneeling at the Pope’s NO Mass. 🙂
 
The_Curt_Jester said:
I have a relative with a letter from the Vatican that states that she (and anyone else) may receive communion kneeling and that no priest may refuse to give communion to anyone based on that posture. Furthermore, the letter stated that receiving kneeling has long been seen as an act of piety. Good enough for me. Not that I needed the letter to inform me, but evidently some priests do…

Also, people receive kneeling at the Pope’s NO Mass. 🙂
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Here is the letter you are likely referring to tldm.org/news5/vatican_kneeling.htm . While the letter clearly states that communion cannot be denied to those kneeling, and it does not say that the GIRM, which gives the Bishops Conferences the jurisdiction in this matter is no longer valid, nor does it say that the US Bishop’s addendum to the GIRM on this matter (which was approved by the Vatican) is no longer valid.

So I would say you cannot be denied communion based on your kneeling, but the GIRM in the US is quite clear as to what we should do.

Here is the GIRM, 2002
160 The priest then takes the paten or ciborium and goes to the communicants, who, as a rule, approach in a procession.
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The faithful are not permitted to take up the consecrated bread or the sacred chalice themselves, and still less hand them on to one another. The faithful may communicate either standing or kneeling, as established by the Conference of Bishops. However, when they communicate standing, it is recommended that they make an appropriate gesture of reverence, to be laid down in the same norms, before receiving the Sacrament
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Here is the USCCB’s addedum to the GIRM
  1. The priest then takes the paten or ciborium and goes to the communicants, who, as a rule, approach in a procession.
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The faithful are not permitted to take the consecrated bread or the sacred chalice by themselves and, still less, to hand them from one to another. The norm for reception of Holy Communion in the dioceses of the United States is standing. Communicants should not be denied Holy Communion because they kneel. Rather, such instances should be addressed pastorally, by providing the faithful with proper catechesis on the reasons for this norm.
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Does not your logic seem to say: “my parents told me to clean my room before supper, but they will feed me anyways, so its okay if I don’t clean my room?”

Again, just wanting to understand your logic, because that letter is always presented as justification, and it does not quite work for me. Note: I am certainly sympathetic to your desire to receive kneeling, as I do not like the USCCB decision on this matter; but I do feel bound by it.
 
By my logic, I kneel because it’s an act of piety and the traditional manner of receiving Communion. You will note that it says that the norm is receiving standing. It doesn’t say it’s the law and that everyone has to do it. Therefore the “clean your room” analogy makes absolutely no sense at all. I would add that if what you said were the case, I’d like to see it applied to communion in the hand as well, because receiving on the tongue is the norm, so therefore, those who receive in the hand should be catechized properly. 😉

Oh, and people (some with theology degrees) have told me their reasons for standing. It’s so people won’t trip on me when I kneel unexpectedly. It’s yet to happen!
 
The_Curt_Jester said:
By my logic, I kneel because it’s an act of piety and the traditional manner of receiving Communion. You will note that it says that the norm is receiving standing. It doesn’t say it’s the law and that everyone has to do it. Therefore the “clean your room” analogy makes absolutely no sense at all. I would add that if what you said were the case, I’d like to see it applied to communion in the hand as well, because receiving on the tongue is the norm, so therefore, those who receive in the hand should be catechized properly. 😉

Oh, and people (some with theology degrees) have told me their reasons for standing. It’s so people won’t trip on me when I kneel unexpectedly. It’s yet to happen!
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A liturgical norm is much more than a “suggestion” (as your post implies), it is the Church law with regard to liturgy. Therefore, my analogy seems close (no analogy is ever perfect).
And the case with communion in the hand is different. The universal norm is communion on the tongue; but in countries where the indult applies, the norm is either on the tongue or in the hand.

Because the Vatican has limited how you can be punished for violating this norm, certainly does not mean the norm is not valid.

I agree with you that kneeling reflects a better act of piety and cerainly is more traditional. Yet, I cannot get past the obedience issue.
 
The_Curt_Jester said:
By my logic, I kneel because it’s an act of piety and the traditional manner of receiving Communion. You will note that it says that the norm is receiving standing. It doesn’t say it’s the law and that everyone has to do it. Therefore the “clean your room” analogy makes absolutely no sense at all. I would add that if what you said were the case, I’d like to see it applied to communion in the hand as well, because receiving on the tongue is the norm, so therefore, those who receive in the hand should be catechized properly. 😉

Oh, and people (some with theology degrees) have told me their reasons for standing. It’s so people won’t trip on me when I kneel unexpectedly. It’s yet to happen!
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The problem the Church has with all this “norm” stuff is that some “norms” are confusing. For instance the “norm” is to receive on the tongue the indult was given for the hand, but in our diocese maybe 10 percent do that. So by letter the norm is tongue and by number the norm is hand. The norm is to reverently behave at mass but hand holding and weird gestures (and with your spirit) like you are introducing someone on stage is the practical “norm”
I guess what I am saying is that people receive on the hand tend to get all upset about someone who receives on the knee and vice versa even though both are not the “norm” Oh, wouldn’t it be nice if there was some sort of authority that could clarify for all us common folk who like to argue? It would just be nice if the Church had some sort of governing body that had the authoity to make these decisions and enforce them.:rolleyes:
 
tafan said:
A liturgical norm is much more than a “suggestion” (as your post implies), it is the Church law with regard to liturgy. Therefore, my analogy seems close (no analogy is ever perfect).
And the case with communion in the hand is different. The universal norm is communion on the tongue; but in countries where the indult applies, the norm is either on the tongue or in the hand.

Because the Vatican has limited how you can be punished for violating this norm, certainly does not mean the norm is not valid.

I agree with you that kneeling reflects a better act of piety and cerainly is more traditional. Yet, I cannot get past the obedience issue.
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I can see your point but at least in my dioceses, worrying about the obedience issue in this instance is a little like rearranging chairs on the Titanic. personally, everyone at the masses I go to are not in obedience on many issues. Myself included. So it seems odd that we would worry about the intent of the law (trying to get inside the bishops head) than the letter of the law in this instance.
My point being that if I wish to knee before my King why would I worry about that “norm” when we are singing the newest christian rock songs with a full on rock band for the communion refrain?
 
Moore11 said:
I can see your point but at least in my dioceses, worrying about the obedience issue in this instance is a little like rearranging chairs on the Titanic. personally, everyone at the masses I go to are not in obedience on many issues. Myself included. So it seems odd that we would worry about the intent of the law (trying to get inside the bishops head) than the letter of the law in this instance.
My point being that if I wish to knee before my King why would I worry about that “norm” when we are singing the newest christian rock songs with a full on rock band for the communion refrain?
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Well, as the saying goes “two wrongs don’t make a right”. I can sympathize with you on these things (luckily things have improved a lot the last few years around here); but I don’t see how the situation is going to get better if we all take the attitude “everyone, myself included, are not in obedience on many issues”.

And I would certainly find a different mass to attend each Sunday before dealing with a rock band as the choir. You can “vote with your feet” at times.
 
PacoG said:
From the way I see it: the bishop/priest/deacon’s hands are blessed. They are ordinary ministers. I see it as a recognition of their authority and the command to feed Our Lord’s sheep (us, the laity) .

The EMHC’s hands are the same as mine. They are just deputized.
Click to expand...
Hmm. I’ve never heard that before.
tafan said:
To those of you who stated you receive it kneeling, I have a question. Assuming you are not attending a Tridentine mass, why do you do so? The GIRM make it very clear that the local Bishop and the National Bishop conferences have the authority to determine postures at mass. And the Bishops of the US have clearly stated what the norm is here: ie bowing and then receiving standing. Now, I do not personally like the US Bishops’ decision in this regard, but it seems clear that obedience calls us to do it their way.
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tafan said:
Here is the letter you are likely referring to tldm.org/news5/vatican_kneeling.htm . While the letter clearly states that communion cannot be denied to those kneeling, and it does not say that the GIRM, which gives the Bishops Conferences the jurisdiction in this matter is no longer valid, nor does it say that the US Bishop’s addendum to the GIRM on this matter (which was approved by the Vatican) is no longer valid.

So I would say you cannot be denied communion based on your kneeling, but the GIRM in the US is quite clear as to what we should do.

Here is the GIRM, 2002

Here is the USCCB’s addedum to the GIRM

Does not your logic seem to say: “my parents told me to clean my room before supper, but they will feed me anyways, so its okay if I don’t clean my room?”

Again, just wanting to understand your logic, because that letter is always presented as justification, and it does not quite work for me. Note: I am certainly sympathetic to your desire to receive kneeling, as I do not like the USCCB decision on this matter; but I do feel bound by it.
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That’s the old GIRM.

Here is the updated GIRM:

The norm established for the Dioceses of the United States of America is that Holy Communion is to be received standing, unless an individual member of the faithful wishes to receive Communion while kneeling (Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, Instruction, Redemptionis Sacramentum, March 25, 2004, no. 91).
 
anp1215 said:
Hmm. I’ve never heard that before.

That’s the old GIRM.

Here is the updated GIRM:

The norm established for the Dioceses of the United States of America is that Holy Communion is to be received standing, unless an individual member of the faithful wishes to receive Communion while kneeling (Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, Instruction, Redemptionis Sacramentum, March 25, 2004, no. 91).
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Yes they did change that recently and it looks more sympathetic to the kneelers. In fact the clergy are not even supposed to “correct” this anymore.
 
tafan said:
Well, as the saying goes “two wrongs don’t make a right”. I can sympathize with you on these things (luckily things have improved a lot the last few years around here); but I don’t see how the situation is going to get better if we all take the attitude “everyone, myself included, are not in obedience on many issues”.

And I would certainly find a different mass to attend each Sunday before dealing with a rock band as the choir. You can “vote with your feet” at times.
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But there is no second wrong here. If it is good enough for the Pope it is good enough for me. I’m not saying the two are in contradiction but if they were, wouldn’t the Papal example be a little better than the mess the USCCB is trying to correct?

And I cant vote with my feet. I cant walk that far. I find it hard to believe that anyone goes to a parish that is in accordance with all the “norms” I think the language used by the Bishops is ambiguous at best. Take the music issue. “pride of place” means “norm” to me. So if you have a non hand holding, Gregorian chant, organ, receiving on the tongue, but not kneeling, no EMHC, parish near you, good for you, if not then I think it a little hypocritical to criticize people for kneeling before their God.
 
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