Should I have done this during Communion?

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ben182

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I sing in the Church choir and, in the middle of songs during Communion, the eucharistic minister approaches the choir box to give communion to us while we’re still singing in our places. Sometimes, it’s in the middle of a high part of the song. On two occassions, I decided to keep the communion in the palm of my hand until I finished the song I started. I’m a tenor and the notes are high and hard to get back to if i stop singing. And the sound of the choir might get affected since I’m only one of two tenors,the other is new.

:confused: Did I do a wrong thing by keeping the sacred host in my hand for a while until I finished the song/hymm? :confused:
 
You should have tried to consume the host immediately after reception. Don’t worry about the high notes - you’re really not there to perform, but to lead the congregation in song.

I’m surprised that your choir director did not make arrangements for your group to recieved communion either prior to singing or after. In every parish I’ve been to, I’ve seen this as being common practice. In the music groups I participate in, we recieve either before we sing, or as in my traditional choir, we recieve in-between songs (while our organist plays something appropriate - he recieves prior to playing.) You may want to approach your director and suggest this. It’s alright to have a quiet moment during the reception of communion (in fact, sometimes I prefer it)!

God Bless!
 
Tonks40 said:
You should have tried to consume the host immediately after reception. Don’t worry about the high notes - you’re really not there to perform, but to lead the congregation in song.

I’m surprised that your choir director did not make arrangements for your group to recieved communion either prior to singing or after. In every parish I’ve been to, I’ve seen this as being common practice. In the music groups I participate in, we recieve either before we sing, or as in my traditional choir, we recieve in-between songs (while our organist plays something appropriate - he recieves prior to playing.) You may want to approach your director and suggest this. It’s alright to have a quiet moment during the reception of communion (in fact, sometimes I prefer it)!

God Bless!
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Thanks Tonks. Usually, if we dont stand up to receive communion…even in the middle of a song…then that’s it…no communion. One time, one eucharistic minister even forgot to pass by. I’ll keep in mind your suggestions.

Benjie
 
No sin! You didn’t know.

It would be advisable to talk to your pastor or the choir director about having a pause during songs where a Priest or an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion then gives out Holy Communion to all those in the choir who are free to receive. If there is a pause it might also enable to to actually go to Communion with the rest and strenghten the bonds of unity with your Parishoners!!
 
ben182 said:
Thanks Tonks. Usually, if we dont stand up to receive communion…even in the middle of a song…then that’s it…no communion. One time, one eucharistic minister even forgot to pass by. I’ll keep in mind your suggestions.

Benjie
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Is there maybe another earlier or later Mass or Saturday evening Mass that you could attend and receive Holy Communion where you are not singing. That way when you sing on Sunday morning you have already met your Mass obligation and received Holy Communion.
 
Tonks40 said:
we *recieve *either before we sing, or as in my traditional choir, we *recieve *in-between songs (while our organist plays something appropriate - he *recieves *prior to playing.) You may want to approach your director and suggest this. It’s alright to have a quiet moment during the reception of communion (in fact, sometimes I prefer it)!

God Bless!
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“I” before “e” except after “c.” Sometimes, when I type, I may type the homonym for the word. Haven’t lately done that. Try the edit function which lasts for 20 minutes.
 
No. You didn’t do anything wrong, although I would suggest you not do it again.

I don’t care much for the “don’t worry about the high notes, you’re not there to perform” mentality that someone else expressed. The Choir provides an important liturgical function. They SHOULD be at their best, just like every other part of the liturgy should be. If the Choir is singing an anthem, motet, or piece of sacred polyphony at Communion, then their performance of that work should be the best possible. It’s being offered in worship of the Lord, after all. You’re not there to perform when it comes to Congregational Singing, however, just to facilitate. Every effort should always be made, however, to make every part of the Mass the very best it can be.

The Communion Distributors are the ones causing the issue here, and much like others have suggested, you need to talk to your Choir Director who needs to bring the issue up with the Pastor.

Sometimes the architecture of the church can inhibit the musicians’ ability to receive in a manner convenient for the musicians and the Distributors. Often no one actually thinks about this, but if all parties involved put some serious thought into this, there should be a good solution.
 
The correct thing is to consume the host immediately on receiving it. This can be a challenge, which may require careful planning, since singing is encouraged while Communion is distributed.

From the 2002 General Introduction to the Roman Missal (GIRM) which can be accessed from romanrite.com/girm.html :

“161. If Communion is given only under the species of bread, the priest raises the host slightly and shows it to each, saying, Corpus Christi (The Body of Christ). The communicant replies, Amen, and receives the Sacrament either on the tongue or, where this is allowed and if the communicant so chooses, in the hand. As soon as the communicant receives the host, he or she consumes it entirely.”

About the singing:
"86. While the priest is receiving the Sacrament, the Communion chant is begun. Its purpose is to express the communicants’ union in spirit by means of the unity of their voices, to show joy of heart, and to highlight more clearly the “communitarian” nature of the procession to receive Communion. The singing is continued for as long as the Sacrament is being administered to the faithful.
[Footnote 74:Cf. Sacred Congregation for the Sacraments and Divine Worship, Instruction Inaestimabile donum, 3 April 1980, no. 17: AAS 72 (1980), p. 338. ] If, however, there is to be a hymn after Communion, the Communion chant should be ended in a timely manner.
“Care should be taken that singers, too, can receive Communion with ease.”
 
Thanks for all the posts. I read each one. What we usually experience is that communion is given to us as soon as the minister is done giving communion to the parishioners lined up near our choir box. So usualky that happens in the middle of a song. Last Sunday, we only had one song during communion so there was no pause between songs…and that pause would have to be timed when the minister was done giving communion to everyone else.

Maybe we should receive communion before we sing. Thanks everyone.
 
There is supposed to be a period of meditative silence after communion. Seems to me there is no space for it with all that singing.
 
Our choir is right in front of the communion rail (I don’t guess it’s called that anymore) on one side. There’s an aisle right next to us, and we just file out before the song starts. The rest of the people coming up that aisle wait for us to get in line in front of them. We receive communion while the organist plays, then once we’ve all had a chance to have a few moments the cantor announces the name and number of the communion song and everybody sings. Sometimes, if the cantor is also leading the songs at the next Mass, he or she will skip communion at this one, and start the song alone. If your choir director talks it over with the priests, they ought to be able to come up with some arrangement that allows you all to participate fully in communion, not rush through it like something to get finished, and not disrupt the service. Deb
 
daeve said:
Our choir is right in front of the communion rail (I don’t guess it’s called that anymore) on one side. There’s an aisle right next to us, and we just file out before the song starts. The rest of the people coming up that aisle wait for us to get in line in front of them. We receive communion while the organist plays, then once we’ve all had a chance to have a few moments the cantor announces the name and number of the communion song and everybody sings. Sometimes, if the cantor is also leading the songs at the next Mass, he or she will skip communion at this one, and start the song alone. If your choir director talks it over with the priests, they ought to be able to come up with some arrangement that allows you all to participate fully in communion, not rush through it like something to get finished, and not disrupt the service. Deb
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That’s what we do in our church at the 11:00 Mass. And I AM the cantor, so I’m in the sanctuary and I receive first, with the Eucharistic Minister. By the time I’ve knelt, prayed, consumed the Host, and returned to the lectern, the choir has received and returned to their spots.
 
I am a member of a chori and during communion when a EMHC gave us the communion i just stop singing and sit/kneel and pray…

It is much important for me to reflect and pray while Jesus is in me than to sing after recieving the eucharist.
 
This is why the Novus Ordo Mass is such a farce. Everything has to be adjusted.

Change in the Mass was not good. All the abuses, all the pain.

They couldn’t leave well enough alone.

I love the Traditional Mass.
 
eileenmm said:
This is why the Novus Ordo Mass is such a farce. Everything has to be adjusted.

Change in the Mass was not good. All the abuses, all the pain.

They couldn’t leave well enough alone.

I love the Traditional Mass.
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The logistics of getting communion to the Choir was the same problem when the Tridentne mass was said as it is now.

The Tridentine Mass changed the Mass that had been in effect for several hundred years before that. It always baffles me when people think that God waited 1500 years to pass down the “proper” form for Mass Kinda like the Protestant claiming the Church had things wrong for 1500 years. The ONLY thing that has been consistent in the Mass over the last 2,000 years is the words used at the Consecration.
 
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