How should one consume the Host?

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lucybeebee

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I heard someone once say that it’s irreverent to chew the Host, so you’re supposed to let it dissolve on your tongue. Somehow whenever I try to do this, I end up having to swallow It more or less whole, causing me to fear that I might choke. Am I doing something wrong?:confused:
 
lucybeebee said:
I heard someone once say that it’s irreverent to chew the Host, so you’re supposed to let it dissolve on your tongue. Somehow whenever I try to do this, I end up having to swallow It more or less whole, causing me to fear that I might choke. Am I doing something wrong?:confused:
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It is your choice-- to chew or let the Host soften and swallow. I have been letting the Host soften sufficiently to swallow whole --since the day I first received Holy Communion (many, many years ago). I have not experience any problems.
 
Since I am involved in the music ministry and have to sing or play my flute within a couple of minutes of when I receive communion, I allow the Host to soften in my mouth, but then I squish it up using my tongue against the roof of my mouth. That makes it easier to swallow without having to chew on it. I don’t want to risk having our Lord go flying into my flute! :eek: Maybe this will work for you? God bless, and Merry Christmas!
 
lucybeebee said:
I heard someone once say that it’s irreverent to chew the Host, so you’re supposed to let it dissolve on your tongue. Somehow whenever I try to do this, I end up having to swallow It more or less whole, causing me to fear that I might choke. Am I doing something wrong?:confused:
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Some people have a dry mouth and this will make it difficult if you do not also consume from the chalice. Nothing wrong with having a small water bottle in your pew if you do not receive from the chalice. I sometimes have a dry mouth because of medication I take. I will sometimes slide the Host over between my cheek and teeth and let it sit there until it is soft enough to fold and swallow, this way your not tempted to swallow it whole, otherwise I receive from the chalice and it’s not a problem.
 
Fifty years ago the sisters taught that one should not chew the host. I suspect it was because they could not tolerate the sight of a flock of children coming up the aisle chomping away. I don’t think there was ever an official teaching on that.

At that time the hosts were readily dissolvable in the mouth. [Some one pointed out that one could more easily believe they were Jesus than believe that they were bread.] Today’s hosts are more substantial and larger. It is not practical to wait for them to dissolve in ones mouth.
 
Joe_Kelley said:
Fifty years ago the sisters taught that one should not chew the host. I suspect it was because they could not tolerate the sight of a flock of children coming up the aisle chomping away. I don’t think there was ever an official teaching on that.

At that time the hosts were readily dissolvable in the mouth. [Some one pointed out that one could more easily believe they were Jesus than believe that they were bread.] Today’s hosts are more substantial and larger. It is not practical to wait for them to dissolve in ones mouth.
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I was taught by some to not even let the host touch your teeth in the 60s.
 
I take the host by the mouth and put it under my toung (where your spit glands are) this makes it dissolve quicker. I once just left it on my toung and I left church with it still in my mouth! 😊 Just try this next time and get back to me to see if it works out for you! God Bless!
 
I’m glad I’m not the only one who doesn’t chomp down and chew it. I usually try to get it to dissolve and swollow it.
 
lucybeebee said:
I heard someone once say that it’s irreverent to chew the Host, so you’re supposed to let it dissolve on your tongue. Somehow whenever I try to do this, I end up having to swallow It more or less whole, causing me to fear that I might choke. Am I doing something wrong?:confused:
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today’s hosts are often of whole wheat flour and thicker than formerly (my childhood, in other words, ancient times) and don’t dissolve rapidly. Jesus said my Body is real food and my Blood is real drink. Take and eat, so eat, chewing if necessary. “who said?” somebody is not an authorotative source.
 
Why is the consistency of the Hosts different now? :confused: Where they once made of white flour?
 
lucybeebee said:
Why is the consistency of the Hosts different now? :confused: Where they once made of white flour?
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You can still get thin, white flour hosts. Many parishes today opt for thick whole wheat hosts that don’t readily dissolve just because they have a more bread-like look.

I was also taught not to chew back in 1960. But it seemed crazy to me, even as a kid, that it was horrible to bite Jesus yet the priest did just that when he ate the large host – the chewing was quite obvious.

Today I chew when I receive, because Jesus said, “Take and eat”, not “Take and let dissolve.”
 
And please remember that Jesus remains only as long as the accidents of bread and wine remain. So if you let your host dissolve completely, it no longer has the accidents of bread, and you do not receive Jesus in the host. You have merely held Him in your mouth for awhile. Of course receiving under both forms resolves this problem.

I use my tongue to break the host into halves, then quarters, and then I allow the little pile of pieces to soften enough to swallow it. It is, however, perfectly appropriate to chew. I think we all do what the good sisters taught us. Let’s just hope not too many were taught to dissolve.

Betsy
 
Hello,

It is interesting to note that when pressed by the unbelieving Jews during the Bread of Life discourse, that Christ said:

Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him.

Now, the verb used for eats is trogo which isn’t the normal verb for eating/consuming (phago). Trogo means to devour, gnaw, chew - to eat as an animal eats.

So I chew.

But, does it really matter one way or another - I don’t think so. Don’t sweat the small stuff! 😉
 
JMJ_coder said:
Hello,

It is interesting to note that when pressed by the unbelieving Jews during the Bread of Life discourse, that Christ said:

Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him.

Now, the verb used for eats is trogo which isn’t the normal verb for eating/consuming (phago). Trogo means to devour, gnaw, chew - to eat as an animal eats.

So I chew.

But, does it really matter one way or another - I don’t think so. Don’t sweat the small stuff! 😉
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the mental image in my head of gnawing Christ’ body is disturbing… :eek:
 
Hello,
xmydreamsfadex said:
the mental image in my head of gnawing Christ’ body is disturbing… :eek:
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And I’m certain that that is one of the reasons God has placed His Body and Blood under the guise of bread and wine - it’s more palatable for us.
 
I no longer chew… it takes longer to consume by letting it dissolve, and so long as I have the Blessed Sacrament in my mouth, I’m actively paying attention to it. If I receive the Precious Blood, it can be a little tricky to say “Amen” with the Host still in my mouth, but I manage. Although I am not one who demands the Chalice be offered to the laity, I receive from it when it is offered, for two reasons: 1) so that the same mingling of the Precious Body and Precious Blood that occurred in the Chalice on the altar may also occur in me, and 2) so that there is less for the EMHCs to (without fail) consume at the altar when Communion is finished… our priests always consecrate too much wine at Mass, and there is always some Precious Blood that remains to be consumed in one or both of the cups that are offered to the laity.

The “chewing” gesture you see some priests making might actually be chewing, but it could also be a muscular motion to active the salivary glands in the mouth; it looks like chewing, but it’s not.
 
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