More about the How than the What

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A priest said that recently his bishop corrected him for holding up both halves of the host-overlapped- in the Mass rather than just a fragment, at the time of the Ecce Agnus Dei, or Behold the Lamb of God. Now I was reading the indications in the Missal which simply says the priest takes the Host (nothing about a piece or a fragment or a half. Then I note how so many Masses, say the daily one at EWTN priest hold up the whole host (usually the two halves overlapped). Now after all that-- I simply get annoyed- if this truly is a norm, why is it not promulgated properly for our priests to learn; how is it a shadow GIRM keeps popping up with ‘other’ norms than the one listed?

Feel free to comment on this bad method of passing on universal liturgical norms or on the nature of this norm itself. I do not think it is a big deal in itself, but would just like to know where it comes from and why it was not already specified in the new GIRM/Missal.
 
From what I read in the GIRM, it seems to be referring to a smaller host rather than the large one, as the priest consumes the host right after the Ecce Agnus Dei. But what does the GIRM know. 🤷 The same section subliminally states the Mass is celebrate ad orientem rather than versus populus. 👍
When the prayer is concluded, the Priest genuflects, takes a host consecrated at the same Mass, and, holding it slightly raised above the paten or above the chalice, facing the people, says, Ecce Agnus Dei (Behold the Lamb of God) and together with the people he adds, Lord, I am not worthy.
158. After this, standing facing the altar, the Priest says quietly, Corpus Christi custodiat
me in vitam aeternam (May the Body of Christ keep me safe for eternal life), and reverently
consumes the Body of Christ.
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For what it’s worth, my 1962 Missal uses the term “fraction” and we know it can’t be the large host, as the priest has already consumed it prior to the Ecce Agnus Dei.
 
My 1950 missal states:
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Slightly inclining he takes both parts of the Sacred Host and paten in his left hand; then striking his breast with his right, hand and raising his voice a little, he says three times:
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Lord, I am not worthy that Thou shoulst come under my roof; but only say the word, and my soul will be healed.
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He then makes the Sign of the Cross with the Sacred Host, holding It in his right hand over the paten saying:
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May the Body of our Lord Jesus Christ keep my soul unto life everlasting. Amen.
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He then consumes the Host, joins his hands, and remains a short time in prayer. Then he uncovers the chalice, makes a genuflection, collects whatever particles may remain, puts them into the chalice saying:
…
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Joe_Kelley said:
My 1950 missal states:
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Yes, but that happens before the Ecce Agnus Dei. We’re talking about when the priest turns around and takes a host, shows it to the congregation and says the Ecce Agnus Dei and then gives communion to the altar boys. The EF and the OF are slightly different in this regard.
 
I discussed this this morning with my pastor.
He was taught in the seminary to hold the Host for the Ecce Agnus Dei, after the fraction (the breaking of the bread), so that it does not look whole. He was taught that this is very important. The rubrics first has the breaking of the bread, then the Host is held up. There is nothing in the rubrics to say that it should be done to look like it has not been broken. It defeats the purpose of Fraction to then hold it up to look as if the Fraction never happened. For the priest to put the broken pieces together to make the Host look whole, is adding to the Mass. If the rubrics are carefully followed, the broken Host is visible for the people to behold. It sounds as if the Bishop was doing his job of correcting an error.
 
@Cathryn: What the Bishop corrected was not a priest trying to make the Host look whole, but overlapping the two halves over each other. The Bishop stated the norm was for only piece of the host to be held up (something I cannot find in the rubrics anywhere and wonder where he got the idea). Now please note the 2 3/4" host are designed for the priest to be consumed entirely, this is the size we are talking about- not the super large ones that break down into dozens of pieces for the faithful.
If your pastor uses the 2 3/4 in host, does he overlap the halves at the Ecce Agnus Dei, or show and consume one piece of it only?
 
P_Siena said:
@Cathryn:

What the Bishop corrected was not a priest trying to make the Host look whole, but overlapping the two halves over each other. The Bishop stated the norm was for only piece of the host to be held up (something I cannot find in the rubrics anywhere and wonder where he got the idea).

Now please note the 2 3/4" host are designed for the priest to be consumed entirely, this is the size we are talking about- not the super large ones that break down into dozens of pieces for the faithful.

If your pastor uses the 2 3/4 in host, does he overlap the halves at the Ecce Agnus Dei, or show and consume one piece of it only?
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My pastor uses 3 ¾ in host, he breaks the host into 4 particles. ( the host itself is scored to break in half, with a small section to break off and go in the chalice. The scoring looks almost like a Y shaped scoring.) He prefers to break it into four, and the smallest particle going into the chalice. He holds up two particles in such a way that does not look like a whole round Host. They are on top of each other. It usually looks more like ½ of a Host to the people. He says that he could hold up just one particle, or more when He says the Ecce Agnus Dei. He consumes one or more of the particles he has held up. The other particles are given to the first few communicants .
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I asked him specifically if one particle of the Host rather than two could be held up, and he said yes.    He says that the important thing is that the particles are held up to show  the people a broken Host.    Using only one particle of the original Host would clearly show that the Host  is broken.     This is to signify the suffering of Christ.  This is what he was taught in the seminary.    He is a canon lawyer and follows the rubrics to the letter.    He loves the rubrics, yet, he explained that not everything is in the rubrics.   He said there are certain things that are passed down by tradition.     He gave the example of “where in the rubrics does it say where a deacon would stand at Mass?”.   He said it doesn’t, but  Church tradition passes this knowledge down.
The bishop may have wanted this priest to use only one particle of the broken Host, so that it clearly looks broken.
 
Thank you Cathryn, you are most kind to have asked your pastor.
Yes some norms are tradition, but some norms emerge in circles of liturgists who for some reason start mandating new things that were never promulgated either with the USCCB or more importantly Rome. All it takes is one of those liturgists advising a bishop who has not the time to check where things are coming from and behold we get complications.
 
Since I last posted, I have watched Pope Benedict XVI on utube celebrate Mass, he holds up a piece of the broken Host about 1/2 of it, as he prays the Ecce Agnus Dei. It looked like a half moon configuration, obviously broken.

I then watched EWTN, because you said, the priest you knew did what they do on EWTN. On EWTN the priest slightly overlapped basically two halves, minus the part that goes in the chalice. The two halves were held in a way that resembled a full Host. This is what my pastor says he was taught not to do in the seminary. It is to be obviously broken. He says not everything is spelled out in the GIRM, but some things are handed down by tradition. He is also the one that told me “When in doubt, look to Rome.” He suggested I check what the Holy Father does. Hope this helps.
 
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