Method of Receiving Holy Communion?

[Ter1]

The main reason I dislike Communion in the hand is that maybe three times out of five some small particles of the host are left on my hand and I have to either dab it up with my finger or lick my palm, which was not a problem when I received on the tongue, and what really bothers me is that very few other people do this - in other words the particles left on others hands (it’s highly unlikely I’m the only one this happens to) are left to fall to the ground as they return to their seats.

 

[Redratfish]

Who are you to handle the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in your hand? Who are you to handle God Himself like a cookie?

**I am a member of the body of Christ, trying to prevent Christ from falling to the ground. As it has been stated (and I can agree with) the only times I have seen people drop communion is on the tongue. **

I’m sorry but quite frankly the laity are not worthy. We are a disrespectful and vile breed. We’ve already crucified Him once, must we continue to do so with our irreverence in church?

So were a vile breed? Personally I don’t believe God would allow himself to be killed (people touching him) and what did he say when the woman who was sick but had faith touched him? Did he call them wicked and vile? No. He said their faith has saved them. I doubt he would mind if one again believers touch him. It is only irreverence when you make it so.

For the love of God even the Romans who nailed Him to that tree found reverence in the end when they declared that He was indeed He Who Is!

I don’t see your point

And I ask you, outdated? This little fashion trend of communion in the hand has only been around for a few decades and is already dying off. Communion on the tongue is not outdated, it is a sacred act of reverence that has stood the test of two millennia in both East and West.

Dying off? Where do you live?? I only see its growing acceptance.

No, it is showing due respect to God.

It is showing respect to God, but COTH can be just as reverant- see the example of the sick woman

You realise that the Apostles were bishops right?

**And? I have seen numerous priests receive from a bishop in the hand. I don’t see why the Apostles are significant. Yes, they of course do the consecration, it is the same as the people **

I think that the Precious Blood should be withheld from the laity. You eat His Body and drink His Blood when you consume Him under the veil of bread.

**And I would say that you are incorrect, and the Church agrees with me. **

P.S. Actually, when I think about it, I am wrong. About communion in the hand being a new fashion. It was actually popular with a group of Spaniards a few centuries ago. They didn’t kneel either. They didn’t see why they should… after all they didn’t believe in the Real Presence…

Who? Id be interested in knowing

Keep in mind, I now and have been receiving on the tongue for 3 months now. I do it because I wanted to try something new, and enjoy it. But I have no qualms about going back to the hand. It makes no difference

 

[agnes_therese]

Who are you to handle the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in your hand? Who are you to handle God Himself like a cookie?
I think that the Precious Blood should be withheld from the laity. You eat His Body and drink His Blood when you consume Him under the veil of bread.

And who are you to say that Holy Mother Church is wrong to allow this?

 

[Cat]

Handling the Lord Jesus is our hands like a cookie?

vs.

Handling Him on our tongues like a dinner mint?

This argument about pure tongue and dirty hands has never made sense to me. I really don’t see the difference between one human body part and another human body part.

The Bible speaks of the tongue as a fire, the very world of iniquity (James 3). James also tells us to “cleanse your hands, you sinners.” So it seems that any of our body parts are capable of great sin as well as great good.

Practically speaking, the tongue is absolutely loaded with bacteria, as are the fingers and hands. (I work in a microbiology lab.) But if I swab a tongue and a hand, I’ll bet you money the tongue culture will grow a whole lot more flora than the hand, even a dirty hand culture! That’s just the way tongues, mouths, and throats are. Tons of bacteria in oral parts. Usually a smaller amount of normal skin flora on skin sites.

But none of this matters. The Church has made provisions, at least in the U.S., for people to receive the Lord in our hand, and the Church, in Her wisdom, allows each of us to make the decision that is right for us. That should be an end of the arguments.

 

[Will_S]

Your answer is pretty strange for it says that if forbidden and other strange suggestions.

Intinction of the host by the recipient of Holy Communion is forbidden. (die Hostie selber eintauchen ist verboten)

I think that if one cannot express his feelings, CAF is useless, just follow what the Church says and stop this site.

One of the uses of CAF and other forums is that very many Catholics do not know what the Church teaches, and internet forums such as CAF help them learn.

We must all strive to improve in holiness and virtue, not seek to remake the Church in the image of the world.

As for worthiness to receive Holy Communion, from the text of the traditional Mass:

*Der Genuß Deines Leibes, Herr Jesus Christus, den ich Unwürdiger zu empfangen wage, gereiche mir nicht zum Gerichte und zur Verdammnis, sondern durch Deine Güte zum Schutz für Leib und Seele und zu meiner Heilung: der Du lebst und herrschest mit Gott dem Vater in der Einheit des Heiligen Geistes, Gott von Ewigkeit zu Ewigkeit. Amen.

Herr, ich bin nicht würdig, daß Du eingehest unter mein Dach; aber sprich nur ein Wort, so wird meine Seele gesund.*

And from the sequence Lauda Sion:

Sumunt boni, sumunt mali: Sorte tamen inaequali, vitae vel interitus.
Mors est malis, vita bonis: Vide, paris sumptionis quam sit dispar exitus.

 

[ElToro]

Your posting brings up something VERY germane to this discussion. The PRACTICAL ASPECTS of receiving Holy Communion.

While a fair amount has been discussed about posture and bad knees, backs, etc. few have talked about mouths. MANY people feel uncomfortable about the condition of their teeth, having people touch their mouths with their hands (it happens!) and even opening their mouths or sticking their tongues out to strangers – even priests.

I am sure I have distributed Holy Communion to well over 1,000 different people via COT. These days it’s very rarely COT – it’s “communion slide through clenched teeth opened 1/4"for the host.” About the only people around here who actually stick out their tongues anymore are college students.

CIH ain’t going anywhere. I’m just curious personally if it will ever become the universal norm or the co-universal norm?

I think that in the U.S., as more and more people develop osteoarthritis of the knees and other joint problems due to the fact that more than 50% of us are obese (including the children), we will see an end to genuflecting and kneeling in the Mass. So many people will be unable to kneel without great pain that the Church will have to find a solution, and the solution will be to make kneeling optional (which it already is). Once it becomes optional, it will fall completely out of use, and only the “traditionalists” will kneel.

As for the OPs topic–I used to think that if I switched from receiving Holy Communion in my hand to receiving on my tongue, that I would experience some kind of major change in my soul, and that the lights would go on and all heaven would smile upon me.

But like many Catholics, I was shy about sticking out my tongue for a priest or EMHC.

Then I had foot surgeries and used crutches, and had no choice but to receive Communion on my tongue. I got into the habit over several months and have continued to receive on my tongue.

And there were no lights and manifestations. All was the same. I can honestly say that I have experienced absolutely NO emotional or spiritual changes as a result of receiving Holy Communion on my tongue. I honestly don’t think it makes one whit of difference.

However, the only times that I have seen Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament dropped was when people, including myself, have received on the tongue. We can argue back and forth that the priests or EMHCs need better training, or the layperson needs better training. Maybe that would help. But I have had several years now of “training” and Jesus was still dropped.

So for this reason alone, I think that the laypeople ought to be very careful about demanding a return to Holy Communion on the tongue as the only alternative. I think that a lot of people would be afraid of dropping Him. I know I am more afraid now, and if I see that the EMHC or priest is shorter than me, I will take no chances and receive in my hand. It really doesn’t matter at all to me, and it makes no difference in Who Jesus is.

 

[ElToro]

The main reason I dislike Communion in the hand is that maybe three times out of five some small particles of the host are left on my hand and I have to either dab it up with my finger or lick my palm, which was not a problem when I received on the tongue, and what really bothers me is that very few other people do this - in other words the particles left on others hands (it’s highly unlikely I’m the only one this happens to) are left to fall to the ground as they return to their seats.

I receive Holy Communion 3x/week. Always CIH except at Divine Liturgy. I will bet no more than 5 times per year are there “small particles” left in my hand. I just lick my hand on those occasions. No big deal.

 

[Pfaffenhoffen]

Intinction of the host by the recipient of Holy Communion is forbidden. (die Hostie selber eintauchen ist verboten)

One of the uses of CAF and other forums is that very many Catholics do not know what the Church teaches, and internet forums such as CAF help them learn.

We must all strive to improve in holiness and virtue, not seek to remake the Church in the image of the world.

As for worthiness to receive Holy Communion, from the text of the traditional Mass:

*Der Genuß Deines Leibes, Herr Jesus Christus, den ich Unwürdiger zu empfangen wage, gereiche mir nicht zum Gerichte und zur Verdammnis, sondern durch Deine Güte zum Schutz für Leib und Seele und zu meiner Heilung: der Du lebst und herrschest mit Gott dem Vater in der Einheit des Heiligen Geistes, Gott von Ewigkeit zu Ewigkeit. Amen.

Herr, ich bin nicht würdig, daß Du eingehest unter mein Dach; aber sprich nur ein Wort, so wird meine Seele gesund.*

And from the sequence Lauda Sion:

Sumunt boni, sumunt mali: Sorte tamen inaequali, vitae vel interitus.
Mors est malis, vita bonis: Vide, paris sumptionis quam sit dispar exitus.

Big confusion. Some people like rules and like “verboten” (forbidden). Verboten or not Verboten, I received the communion under the species. I was not who asked for it, it was the Pries who gave it that was. How is it* verboten* when Christ said to do that, it puzzles me ???

I do not know why you write in German, if this is an English Forum. 我知道中國人太多，我會寫在中國人嗎？ (I know Chinese, am I going to write in Chinese?).

I do not what the fuss !!! The question is about the reader’s opinion. I gave my opinion. If it was not to give one’s opinion, why was the question (with statistics !!!) asked in the first place?

 

[Cat]

I receive Holy Communion 3x/week. Always CIH except at Divine Liturgy. I will bet no more than 5 times per year are there “small particles” left in my hand. I just lick my hand on those occasions. No big deal.

In the parishes in our city, a kind of host is used that doesn’t leave crumbs. I can’t see how crumbs could possibly be forthcoming from this particular host type, unless someone literally ground the host between their fingers. Even then, I think it would tend to make strips, not crumbs, because it is flexible and plastic-like. It tastes fine, in case anyone is wondering. I would challenge even the most scrupulous person to try to find crumbs produced from these hosts.

Often they must be broken into pieces when there are more people present, and even then, they don’t seem to produce crumbs.

But I have seen hosts in other cities that DO produce crumbs. It startled me when I saw these hosts used, and I didn’t feel comfortable at all receiving them on the hand or the tongue.

If someone receives a “crumbly” host on the tongue, it would be very possible (and likely) to aspirate crumbs into the throat, and that would cause a reflex coughing, and that would of course result in the Lord being spewed all over the church. So I would NEVER receive such a host on the tongue, ever! I would prefer to receive a crumbly host on the hand and then examine the palm for crumbs and lick them off.

But I would prefer not to receive such a crumbly host at all!

So IMO, the Church in the U.S. would do well to ban any kinds of hosts that produce crumbs. That would take care of the issue of crumbs in the palm and aspirating/coughing the crumbly host.

I don’t understand why churches are allowed to use those kinds of hosts. It’s just “cruising for a bruising,” as my mother used to say. Why ask for trouble?

 

[MissRose73]

I would have no issues if we were required to receive only by tongue the Host. I have to do it that way when I go to EF Masses, and you have to kneel at a Communion rail (either a makeshift one or a real one). The only ones who don’t kneel are many of the elderly who simply stand & receive on the tongue from the priest.

 

[Petergee]

However, the only times that I have seen Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament dropped was when people, including myself, have received on the tongue. We can argue back and forth that the priests or EMHCs need better training, or the layperson needs better training. Maybe that would help. But I have had several years now of “training” and Jesus was still dropped.

So for this reason alone, I think that the laypeople ought to be very careful about demanding a return to Holy Communion on the tongue as the only alternative. I think that a lot of people would be afraid of dropping Him. I know I am more afraid now, and if I see that the EMHC or priest is shorter than me, I will take no chances and receive in my hand. It really doesn’t matter at all to me, and it makes no difference in Who Jesus is.

If priests and ministers followed the Church’s directions written in the rubrics, and a communion plate was used (preferably held by an altar server), this would not be a problem.

 

[alwayslooking]

I honestly believe that there will be no change. Our Church leaders have far more pressing issues to deal with at this point in time.

 

[ElToro]

If priests and ministers followed the Church’s directions written in the rubrics, and a communion plate was used (preferably held by an altar server), this would not be a problem.

Communion patens rarely work. They often seem to get in the way more than anything. To say however that dropping a Host would “not be a problem” as long as there is a communion paten is just wrong.

 

[ElToro]

I honestly believe that there will be no change. Our Church leaders have far more pressing issues to deal with at this point in time.

I don’t think the amount of resource expenditure would be all that great.

 

[Pfaffenhoffen]

Some people prefer communion on the tongue. That may not be your preference, but to call it childish is patronizing.

Edited: I just read your explanation of “childish”.

It may be a language barrier.

Thanks.

 

[Dan_Daly]

However, the only times that I have seen Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament dropped was when people, including myself, have received on the tongue. We can argue back and forth that the priests or EMHCs need better training, or the layperson needs better training. Maybe that would help. But I have had several years now of “training” and Jesus was still dropped.

So for this reason alone, I think that the laypeople ought to be very careful about demanding a return to Holy Communion on the tongue as the only alternative. I think that a lot of people would be afraid of dropping Him. I know I am more afraid now, and if I see that the EMHC or priest is shorter than me, I will take no chances and receive in my hand. It really doesn’t matter at all to me, and it makes no difference in Who Jesus is.

We do need better trained priests- in lots of areas, including the handling of the Precious Body and Blood.

I don’t think we need better trained EMHCs, with charity, I think we simply need to get rid of EMHCs all together. “But we don’t have enough priests!” comes the reply. To which I say in turn:

1. One priest can distribute communion to everyone. It may take awhile longer, but it can be done. The time added to the Mass can be a blessing as prayer immediatley after reception is the most effective kind.
2. Perhaps we would have more priests, if people saw the priesthood for what it is- something truly special. EMHCs, lectors, etc blur the lines between vocations in the minds of many. A man hearing the call to the priesthood may mistake it for a desire to be an EMHC.

Reverance for the Eucharist is central to our faith. For that reason I hope and pray that communion on the tongue and while kneeling become universal practices in the Latin Rite.

I found the comment that kneeling will soon be a thing of the past, because Americans have knee problems from being fat rather strange. The majority of people used to be farmers and manual laborers. They did hard work that took a physical toll. They could kneel. Americans today live very sedentary lives by comparison.

That said, whenever people say they want to get rid of kneelers, I say sure…as long as you get rid of the pews. That would have a basis in tradition. The laiety would stand for the Mass (there were benches along the walls for the elderly and infirm, although they most often were the most willing to stand). A Catholic church with pews but no kneelers is a Catholic church in much trouble.

On the subject of proper worship of the Eucharist, I also hope and pray, the Church sends out better direction on where the tabernacle should be, specifically not in a closet.

Pax and God Bless!

 

[Dan_Daly]

Handling the Lord Jesus is our hands like a cookie?

vs.

Handling Him on our tongues like a dinner mint?

This argument about pure tongue and dirty hands has never made sense to me. I really don’t see the difference between one human body part and another human body part.

The Bible speaks of the tongue as a fire, the very world of iniquity (James 3). James also tells us to “cleanse your hands, you sinners.” So it seems that any of our body parts are capable of great sin as well as great good.

Practically speaking, the tongue is absolutely loaded with bacteria, as are the fingers and hands. (I work in a microbiology lab.) But if I swab a tongue and a hand, I’ll bet you money the tongue culture will grow a whole lot more flora than the hand, even a dirty hand culture! That’s just the way tongues, mouths, and throats are. Tons of bacteria in oral parts. Usually a smaller amount of normal skin flora on skin sites.

But none of this matters. The Church has made provisions, at least in the U.S., for people to receive the Lord in our hand, and the Church, in Her wisdom, allows each of us to make the decision that is right for us. That should be an end of the arguments.

You can’t digest things with your hands

So even if the hands are dirty and tongue is dirtier, a host received on the hands still ends up on the tongue.

So if hands put X dirt on the host and tongues put X+Y dirt on the host, where Y is greater than 0.

Communion on the tongue:
Host receives X+Y dirt.

Communionon the hand:
Host receives X+X+Y dirt.

(you also can’t put things in your pockets to take away and desecrate with your tongue, unless you are much more talented than I am)

Pax and God Bless!

 

[ElToro]

We do need better trained priests- in lots of areas, including the handling of the Precious Body and Blood.

I don’t think we need better trained EMHCs, with charity, I think we simply need to get rid of EMHCs all together. “But we don’t have enough priests!” comes the reply. To which I say in turn:

1. One priest can distribute communion to everyone. It may take awhile longer, but it can be done. The time added to the Mass can be a blessing as prayer immediatley after reception is the most effective kind.
2. Perhaps we would have more priests, if people saw the priesthood for what it is- something truly special. EMHCs, lectors, etc blur the lines between vocations in the minds of many. A man hearing the call to the priesthood may mistake it for a desire to be an EMHC.

Reverance for the Eucharist is central to our faith. For that reason I hope and pray that communion on the tongue and while kneeling become universal practices in the Latin Rite.

I found the comment that kneeling will soon be a thing of the past, because Americans have knee problems from being fat rather strange. The majority of people used to be farmers and manual laborers. They did hard work that took a physical toll. They could kneel. Americans today live very sedentary lives by comparison.

That said, whenever people say they want to get rid of kneelers, I say sure…as long as you get rid of the pews. That would have a basis in tradition. The laiety would stand for the Mass (there were benches along the walls for the elderly and infirm, although they most often were the most willing to stand). A Catholic church with pews but no kneelers is a Catholic church in much trouble.

On the subject of proper worship of the Eucharist, I also hope and pray, the Church sends out better direction on where the tabernacle should be, specifically not in a closet.

Pax and God Bless!

Not under both species if the Precious Blood is offered via the chalice.

 

[Dan_Daly]

Not under both species if the Precious Blood is offered via the chalice.

As I said, one priest can distribute communion to everyone. There is no requirement to offer the chalice to everyone.

Also, if the chalice is not offered, those who receive still receive the Precious Blood, as the host is the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Christ. Just as, if you only received from the Chalice, you receive the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Christ.

So having more than one person distributing Holy Communion is not a requirement.

Pax and God Bless.

 

[Cat]

As I said, one priest can distribute communion to everyone. There is no requirement to offer the chalice to everyone.

Also, if the chalice is not offered, those who receive still receive the Precious Blood, as the host is the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Christ. Just as, if you only received from the Chalice, you receive the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Christ.

So having more than one person distributing Holy Communion is not a requirement.

Pax and God Bless.

You are right in your previous post, that if only one priest distributed Holy Communion, it would take longer.

The problem with that is for large parishes like ours that have six Masses on Sunday morning (two more on Saturday evening, and one on Sunday evening). The Masses last one hour, and there is a half hour between each Mass for the purpose of allowing the parking lot to clear out (we are in the middle of the city on one of the busiest streets in the city), and to fill up again with cars filled with people attending the next Mass. This half-hour is not too long–in fact, at times, it would be nice if there were more time, because it truly does take a long time for a thousand or so cars to clear out and be replaced with a thousand new cars.

I think that half hour also allows the priests and the organist to have a little bit of a rest, which they need, and it also allows the ushers time to straighten out the nave and the narthex a little, and to put new toilet paper in the bathroom (sorry to be so mundane, but these homey housekeeping chores have to get done in order for modern-day Mass to be comfortable for people).

So I think that extending the length of the Mass even by 10 minutes would be kind of difficult practically speaking. By my calculations, the Sunday morning Masses would end at around 2:20 in the afternoon–that’s pretty late for most people in most cities. I know that some people in some cities live life “later,” and so this would be just fine. But I think that for a lot of people, it would make it difficult to attend Mass.

In the past, when people had nothing much to do, it might have worked just fine. But that was then. This is now. We live in 2011, not 1957. I fear that nowadays in the U.S., busy Americans would choose to skip Mass rather than give up their precious and hard-to-come-by family time. I’m sorry, I know this sounds dreadful to those who are devoted and who consider Mass the pinnacle of their lives. But we have to remember that everyone is at a different place in their journey to heaven, and the Church is here to take care of those who are ill, not well. Christ died for all, not just those who love Him supremely.

I also have a question about whether the older, more infirm priests would be physically able to distribute Holy Communion to over a thousand people at two Masses on Sunday. I think this would be physically painful for them. So many dioceses have elderly priests who are still helping out by saying Masses at parishes who don’t have enough priests, and I would hate to see these priests forced to stop doing this because of the physical demands of the task of distributing Holy Communion.

What we have to remember is that even if it is not our personal preference, Holy Mother Church allows priests to utilize EMsHC to help in the Masses. If Holy Mother Church finds to no fault in this, who are we to question it or worse, criticize it? And additionally, who are we to question the priest’s management, as long as he is not committing sin? Whenever we question our priests, it seems to me that this contributes to a climate in which we question the Church and the Lord Himself. We should submit and be docile, for as the Lord says, those who love Him obey Him.