Nervous about receiving on the tongue

[Dauphin]

Ad hominem aside, now you have changed from “allows” to “promotes”, huh? Why the change? Either means is valid in the USA and neither one is more reverent or “better” than the other.

I have to disagree. If you look at the actual documents which refer to communion on the hand, the tone is always very cautious. The Holy See has never spoken in positive or enthusiastic terms about reception in the hand.

The Church most certainly does not promote communion in the hand, but it does allow it in certain regions.

 

[rwoehmke]

Open wide, stick your tongue out far, the priest should take care of the rest. The Host will stick to your tongue. Don’t worry about it, they’re professionals.

And don’t scrape it loose on your upper lip when you retract your tongue. It is really easy.

 

[Daprato]

---

What world you ask—the same world our late Pope speaks about.
I provided the following for you before—you may have missed it so I bring it here again. Although our late Pope did not use the word “potato chip”—it fits the profile of a “deplorable lack of respect toward the Eucharistic species”. Though many receive in the hand reverently --our late Pope brings to light the other side of communion in the hand.

vatican.va/holy_father/jo…-cenae_en.html

LETTER DOMINICAE CENAE OF THE SUPREME PONTIFF
JOHN PAUL II TO ALL THE BISHOPS OF THE CHURCH
ON THE MYSTERY AND WORSHIP OF THE EUCHARIST

In some countries the practice of receiving Communion in the hand has been introduced. This practice has been requested by individual episcopal conferences and has received approval from the Apostolic See. However, cases of a deplorable lack of respect towards the eucharistic species have been reported, cases which are imputable not only to the individuals guilty of such behavior but also to the pastors of the church who have not been vigilant enough regarding the attitude of the faithful towards the Eucharist. It also happens, on occasion, that the free choice of those who prefer to continue the practice of receiving the Eucharist on the tongue is not taken into account in those places where the distribution of Communion in the hand has been authorized. It is therefore difficult in the context of this present letter not to mention the sad phenomena previously referred to.

Your cut and paste does not suggest that allowing people to receive holy communion in their hands was the cause for lack of respect for the Blessed Sacrament. Read it again.

It places the blame on the attitudes of the faithful and their pastors.

 

[Daprato]

Sounds as if you would really have a problem if the Pope were to discontinue the practice of communion in the hand, I take it?

Please don’t try to speak for me as your conclusion is wrong.

I will always receive holy communion in a manner approved by the Church – in hand, on tongue, via intinction, direct from the chalice or via a straw.

 

[Daprato]

“Vast numbers” doesn’t necessarily mean a majority. I’m sure that a majority of church-going Catholics have a belief in the real presence, but I’m equally certain that there are “vast numbers” who have no such belief. I used the term “vast numbers” instead of “a majority” in order to avoid this very debate you’re trying to open about how to interpret the findings of polls and establish their reliability. It’s enough to know that there is a massive crisis of faith in the Church today, and that this crisis is due at least in part to irreverence toward the Eucharist.

I see you have no facts.

I see the Eucharist treated like a potato chip at virtually every Mass I attend. I see people absent-mindedly tossing it into their mouths after they gambol away from the priest, making it evident that they really don’t know what they’re receiving. I can already anticipate your reply, so I’ll answer it now; no, I don’t monitor others as they receive Communion. I just happen to notice some things, since I have to keep my eyes open while walking towards the Eucharist. I do my best to focus on Christ.

I’m glad I don’t live in a community where Catholics act the way you say they do where you live. I’m also glad I’m not focused on other during communion, but instead on Jesus Christ.

 

[Daprato]

Originally Posted by Daprato View Post

Ad hominem aside, now you have changed from “allows” to “promotes”, huh? Why the change? Either means is valid in the USA and neither one is more reverent or “better” than the other.

I have to disagree. If you look at the actual documents which refer to communion on the hand, the tone is always very cautious. The Holy See has never spoken in positive or enthusiastic terms about reception in the hand.

The Church most certainly does not promote communion in the hand, but it does allow it in certain regions.

Either way is valid in the USA.

 

[Walking_Home]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Walking_Home
What world you ask—the same world our late Pope speaks about.
I provided the following for you before—you may have missed it so I bring it here again. Although our late Pope did not use the word “potato chip”—it fits the profile of a “deplorable lack of respect toward the Eucharistic species”. Though many receive in the hand reverently --our late Pope brings to light the other side of communion in the hand.

vatican.va/holy_father/jo…-cenae_en.html

LETTER DOMINICAE CENAE OF THE SUPREME PONTIFF
JOHN PAUL II TO ALL THE BISHOPS OF THE CHURCH
ON THE MYSTERY AND WORSHIP OF THE EUCHARIST

In some countries the practice of receiving Communion in the hand has been introduced. This practice has been requested by individual episcopal conferences and has received approval from the Apostolic See. However, cases of a deplorable lack of respect towards the eucharistic species have been reported, cases which are imputable not only to the individuals guilty of such behavior but also to the pastors of the church who have not been vigilant enough regarding the attitude of the faithful towards the Eucharist. It also happens, on occasion, that the free choice of those who prefer to continue the practice of receiving the Eucharist on the tongue is not taken into account in those places where the distribution of Communion in the hand has been authorized. It is therefore difficult in the context of this present letter not to mention the sad phenomena previously referred to.

Your cut and paste does not suggest that allowing people to receive holy communion in their hands was the cause for lack of respect for the Blessed Sacrament. Read it again.

It places the blame on the attitudes of the faithful and their pastors.

---

Only if one wants to be blind to it.

 

[Dauphin]

I see you have no facts.

I don’t get it. Are you asking me to prove that vast numbers of Catholics don’t believe in the real presence? Are you actually contending that there aren’t millions of them? You’re the one who started talking about specific figures. I brought up none because I assumed I was talking to someone who had a minimal grasp of the situation in the Church. You’re obviously contradicting me for the sake of getting in the “last word”, but I’m not going to go out and find specific numbers just because you suddenly demand it.

Since most with some exposure to reality will accept my statement at face value, I think the burden of proof is on you to demonstrate that there is no such crisis of faith in the church. I’d love to be presented with evidence that there is some sort of universal faith in the real presence.

I’m glad I don’t live in a community where Catholics act the way you say they do where you live.

You obviously have a rare blessing.

I’m also glad I’m not focused on other during communion, but instead on Jesus Christ.

If you had read thoroughly, you would have seen that I already addressed that.

 

[Dauphin]

Either way is valid in the USA.

Valid; yes.

 

[BobP123]

Either way is valid in the USA.

:yawn:

 

[SemperFidelis]

I’m glad I don’t live in a community where Catholics act the way you say they do where you live. I’m also glad I’m not focused on other during communion, but instead on Jesus Christ.

Well you are in the Catholic Answers “community” of Traditional Catholicism. Don’t be surprised if those who usually post here aren’t thrilled about reception in the hand.

 

[Daprato]

I don’t get it. Are you asking me to prove that vast numbers of Catholics don’t believe in the real presence?

I’m saying you have not provided proof of a linkage between receiving in hand and the lack of belief some people have in the real presence. Go back to your original post. That’s exactly what you asserted – with no proof.

 

[Daprato]

Well you are in the Catholic Answers “community” of Traditional Catholicism. Don’t be surprised if those who usually post here aren’t thrilled about reception in the hand.

I’m not concerned about being thrilled or not thrilled.

Someone tried to assert that there is a linkage between receiving in hand and the lack of belief in the real presence by some people. No facts were given, just personal conjecture and that is very bad form.

 

[Dauphin]

I’m not concerned about being thrilled or not thrilled.

Someone tried to assert that there is a linkage between receiving in hand and the lack of belief in the real presence by some people. No facts were given, just personal conjecture and that is very bad form.

Then you’re guilty of some very bad form!

It’s personal conjecture to suggest that receiving on the hand doesn’t contribute to irreverence toward the Eucharist. Do you have any facts to back this up? I’m sure you’ll be able to present many, since you seem insistent that this is some sort of measurable science.

If I suggested that a clown Mass contributes to irreverence toward the Eucharist, I’m sure you’d demand proof! Unfortunately, they don’t keep a running survey of these sorts of things. There’s no statistical measure that’s taken to establish the level of reverence at different liturgies. If that’s what you’re asking for, you’ve got me! I have no proof that a clown Mass contributes to a lack of faith in the real presence; only a bit of common sense.

 

[BobP123]

I’m not concerned about being thrilled or not thrilled.

Why not? Did boredom bring you to this forum?

Someone tried to assert that there is a linkage between receiving in hand and the lack of belief in the real presence by some people.

Interesting that you did not capitalize Real Presence. It’s not an ordinary English term, you know.

 

[SemperFidelis]

I’m not concerned about being thrilled or not thrilled.

Whether you want to be thrilled or not, this is probably not the forum on Catholic Answers where too many will agree with the comments you made above. Just pointing out a simple fact.

 

[ashjoybabe]

I too was nervous when I received on my tongue for the first time. But I promise you that it gets easier over time.

I attend the LATIN mass and we also kneel at the kneelers when receiving the Eucharist.

 

[thereseozi]

I’ve been reading the posts where people are arguing over how to receive Holy Communion and it breaks my heart to see this. I’m even afraid to comment for fear that I will be attacked since it’s happened before. Why fellow Catholics do this to each other, and treat each other uncharitably, I don’t know. But anyways, I wanted to share the following information:

This excerpt is from the book, " 7 Secrets of the Eucharist " by Vinny Flynn; Introduction by Fr. Mitch Pacwa, S.J.; published by MercySong, Inc. in collaboration with Ignatius Press, pg. 12-13:

"Pope Benedict XVI also discusses this issue of how to receive, emphasizing that, instead of arguing about whether it’s better to receive kneeling or standing, in the hand or on the tongue, we need to focus on the spirit of reverence with which the early Fathers of the Church received Communion.

"First urging priests to ‘exercise tolerance and to recognize the decision of each person,’ he goes on to ask everyone ‘to exercise the same tolerance and not to cast aspersions on anyone who may have opted for this or that way of doing it.’ What is important is reverence:

“It is quite wrong to argue about this or that form of behavior. We should be concerned only to argue in favor of…a reverence in the heart, an inner submission before the mystery of God.”

Notes, Sources and References, page 111-112:

" ‘It is quite wrong to argue about this or that form of behavior.’ Pope Benedict XVI, God is Near Us, p. 71. The pope goes on to urge that instead of arguing about the outer forms or rituals of receiving Communion, we 'should be concerned only to argue in favor of a ‘reverence in the heart, an inner submission before the mystery of God who puts himself into our hands.’

“He admonishes us ‘not to forget that not only our hands are impure but also our tongue and also our heart and that we often sin more with the tongue than with our hands.’ He explains that, by coming to us in Communion, ‘God takes an enormous risk…allowing not only our hand and our tongue but even our heart to come into contact with him. We see this in the Lord’s willingness to enter into us and live with us, within us, and to become from within the heart of our life and the agent of its transformation’ (p.71)”

 

[Saint_Gemma]

I’ve been reading the posts where people are arguing over how to receive Holy Communion and it breaks my heart to see this. I’m even afraid to comment for fear that I will be attacked since it’s happened before. Why fellow Catholics do this to each other, and treat each other uncharitably, I don’t know. But anyways, I wanted to share the following information:

This excerpt is from the book, " 7 Secrets of the Eucharist " by Vinny Flynn; Introduction by Fr. Mitch Pacwa, S.J.; published by MercySong, Inc. in collaboration with Ignatius Press, pg. 12-13:

"Pope Benedict XVI also discusses this issue of how to receive, emphasizing that, instead of arguing about whether it’s better to receive kneeling or standing, in the hand or on the tongue, we need to focus on the spirit of reverence with which the early Fathers of the Church received Communion.

"First urging priests to ‘exercise tolerance and to recognize the decision of each person,’ he goes on to ask everyone ‘to exercise the same tolerance and not to cast aspersions on anyone who may have opted for this or that way of doing it.’ What is important is reverence:

“It is quite wrong to argue about this or that form of behavior. We should be concerned only to argue in favor of…a reverence in the heart, an inner submission before the mystery of God.”

Notes, Sources and References, page 111-112:

" ‘It is quite wrong to argue about this or that form of behavior.’ Pope Benedict XVI, God is Near Us, p. 71. The pope goes on to urge that instead of arguing about the outer forms or rituals of receiving Communion, we 'should be concerned only to argue in favor of a ‘reverence in the heart, an inner submission before the mystery of God who puts himself into our hands.’

“He admonishes us ‘not to forget that not only our hands are impure but also our tongue and also our heart and that we often sin more with the tongue than with our hands.’ He explains that, by coming to us in Communion, ‘God takes an enormous risk…allowing not only our hand and our tongue but even our heart to come into contact with him. We see this in the Lord’s willingness to enter into us and live with us, within us, and to become from within the heart of our life and the agent of its transformation’ (p.71)”

Sometimes I forget that what is in your heart and mind is far more important than what is or is not in your hand.
On the other hand, I still think that whether you receive on the tongue or in the hand may lead to a change in your level of reverence, but not necessarily, as I know a man who receives Communion in the hand in a way that is far more reverent than the way that most people receive It on the tongue. This depends on whether you think of communion in the hand as feeding yourself a piece of bread , or if you think of it as making a throne for God.

 

[Marina14]

C’mon, now, you know that’s silliness. This is a discipline of the Church which I believe should be changed. It’s not a matter of faith and morals under which I’m bound to profess some particular teaching. Reception on the hand isn’t doctrine - it’s practice.

It’s true that permission has been authoritatively granted for reception in this manner; I simply believe that this permission should be revoked. I would never presume to tell other Catholics that they must receive on the tongue, or that the practice of receiving on the hand is illicit. The practice is obviously “acceptable” given the indults for its use. To be more precise, I should have said “undesirable method”, not “unacceptable method”. Hopefully, the Church will make it “unacceptable”.

Matters of Faith and Morals has to do with the Doctrine of Infallibility of the Pope, not with the Keys.

The Keys have to do with Loosing or Binding things on earth. The practices of the Catholic Church at times has been changed = Loose or Bound.

An example, besides the topic at hand of receiving on the tongue or in the hand, is the celibacy of the priesthood. The current practice of the Catholic Church is to (although there have been some exceptions) only allow unmarried men become priests in the Rome Rite of the Catholic Church - this has been Bound from the prior practice of unmarried or married men being allowed into the priesthood of the Roman Rite.

It is possible for a Pope to Loose this in the future, but for now it is Bound. Back to the topic at hand - reception of Holy Communion has been Loosed and who knows? in the future it may be Bound again.

I’m simply trying to convey that those who are Catholic ought to understand that when something has been Loosed by the Pope, it is Loosed and should not condem those who practice their faith within that which was Loosed - neither practice is wrong - both are acceptable in the eyes of the Church; otherwise, it would not have been Loosed.