Tongue or Hand?

[Christus_Rex]

[sign]TONGUE![/sign]

 

[Trident59]

Good post Kleary.
I receive on the tongue only and from an ordained priest only.

Personal preference. I don’t care what others do. I just don’t feel comfortable doing otherwise.

I agree with all of your points. And I’m not interested in all of the quotes of various Liturgigal lawyers that appear on these forums.

 

[TimOliv]

Good post Kleary.
I receive on the tongue only and from an ordained priest only.

Personal preference. I don’t care what others do. I just don’t feel comfortable doing otherwise.

I agree with all of your points. And I’m not interested in all of the quotes of various Liturgigal lawyers that appear on these forums.

:tiphat:

 

[palmas85]

St. Cyril is not the only one who writes Communion in the hand. Alexandria, Constantinople and Antioch also have references. I think even Rome has one.

**

I never said his was the only reference to it. I said his statement was about the practice in his particular church and not about any others. I’ve read references from other churches of the time where the Host is taken by the head of the family back to the wife and kids, consumed and what was left over taken home wrapped in a piece of white cloth so mice wouldn’t eat it. Any other references to ancient practices would be appreciated. and I would be thankful if a link could be provided fpr them. I bring up the point about St. Cyril because he is the one that that is always brought up as I guess the final word in reception in the early church

And again, just because something was done one way or another in the early church doesn’t mean we have to or should do it that way now or that it was even the right way to do it… Look at the sacrament of penance in the early church for example. I don’t see many who trumpet the purity of the early churches method of communion clamoring for a return to the early churches practice of penance, although it could be argued that if you want a return to the early church you should go all the way and not pick and choose.

 

[AJV]

palmas,
I’ll PM you a list later today.

 

[TimOliv]

I never said his was the only reference to it. I said his statement was about the practice in his particular church and not about any others. I’ve read references from other churches of the time where the Host is taken by the head of the family back to the wife and kids, consumed and what was left over taken home wrapped in a piece of white cloth so mice wouldn’t eat it. Any other references to ancient practices would be appreciated. and I would be thankful if a link could be provided fpr them. I bring up the point about St. Cyril because he is the one that that is always brought up as I guess the final word in reception in the early church

And again, just because something was done one way or another in the early church doesn’t mean we have to or should do it that way now or that it was even the right way to do it… Look at the sacrament of penance in the early church for example. I don’t see many who trumpet the purity of the early churches method of communion clamoring for a return to the early churches practice of penance, although it could be argued that if you want a return to the early church you should go all the way and not pick and choose.

That is a valid point. A lot of people want to return to the early church but I’m sure each change came out of necessity.

 

[RCCDefender]

Amen! This is excellent!

That being said, I appreciate the intellectual posts on both sides of the issue. I just prefer to receive on the tongue.

 

[leonie]

I receive on the tongue because I felt an inner urging from the Blessed Mother. I was very relunctant to do so because I was self-conscious. but, I’m not arguing with the Queen of Heaven!

I do think that receiving in the hand and the use of EM have blurred the lines between the priesthood and laity and reduced the reverence people have for Holy Communion.

However, my kids receive in their hands. One day, one said that she was afraid the host would fall from her tongue if she received on the tongue. So, I replied that I’ve seen people drop the host, but I’ve never seen Him fall from the tongue. They agreed with me.

 

[TimOliv]

I receive on the tongue because I felt an inner urging from the Blessed Mother. I was very relunctant to do so because I was self-conscious. but, I’m not arguing with the Queen of Heaven!

I do think that receiving in the hand and the use of EM have blurred the lines between the priesthood and laity and reduced the reverence people have for Holy Communion.

However, my kids receive in their hands. One day, one said that she was afraid the host would fall from her tongue if she received on the tongue. So, I replied that I’ve seen people drop the host, but I’ve never seen Him fall from the tongue. They agreed with me.

Once while I was serving a Novena a person received communion on the tongue and it dropped off just as they were closing their mouth. Pattons come in handy

 

[Maureen_Fiore]

I receive Jesus on the tongue because that was the way I was taught. I don’t like change, my preference.

My children were taught to receive in the hand and this practice they do. I don’t discourage them because like I said this was how they were taught.

I see no reason to beat to death a “dead horse”. This practice is allowed both ways so I don’t see a problem. As long as we know who we are receiving when approaching the altar and receiving Jesus with the utmost reverence.

Now, Let’s start a new thread on holding hands during the Our Father.

 

[RCCDefender]

See the Apologetics forum. There is currently a “Holding Hands” thread alive and well over there. Actually I think it would fit better if it was in this one, but that’'s for the mods to decide.

 

[Maureen_Fiore]

Yeah, I know I was just being silly. I think that subject “Holding Hands” has been beaten to death on these forums too.

 

[estesbob]

Yeah, I know I was just being silly. I think that subject “Holding Hands” has been beaten to death on these forums too.

What you do is right before the our father is cough in your hands making sure you cover them with spittle an mucus from you nose-i find that eliminates any discussion on whether we should hands…

 

[jc-servant]

However, my kids receive in their hands. One day, one said that she was afraid the host would fall from her tongue if she received on the tongue. So, I replied that I’ve seen people drop the host, but I’ve never seen Him fall from the tongue. They agreed with me.

FYI. Actually the dreaded “fall” happened to me most recently in April. For some reason the Body did not drop and stick to my tongue but I caught it before it hit the floor. Not a good feeling! I had my tongue all the way out and did not move, but it still happened. I’ve never dropped Him myself from my hand because I hold it cupped right next to the ciborium and then bring it right under my chin before placing Him in my mouth, so that is usually my preference.

 

[JKirkLVNV]

Well, the Bishop of my mother’s Diocese recently prohibited the use of the patton in any diocesan church.

When she contacted the Episcopal Vicar after her priest declared “Adoption is a sin equal to Abortion” the Bishop replied in a letter that she, as a lay person, should leave interpretation of church law to the Bishop and instructed her to direct any future inquiries through her pastor.

Their Parochial Vicar also got on television and said that unless the church ordains women the priesthood and the church as a whole will die out…the Bishop made him a pastor shortly afterward.

Listening to your Bishop is great. But if we all reach a point where we say “I’m going to not even think about these things, I’ll just do what my Bishop says” then you leave yourself open to Liturgical Abuse. In the scenario I just presented to you, my mother finds herself as an island in a sea of people doing, pretty much whatever they like under the protection of “My Bishop said its okay”

I like to consider these arguements an exercise in self-motivated research. We get onto a topic like this and we scramble for our GIRM’s, our Catechism of the Catholic Church and our Canon Law to cite. Brow-beating aside, there will always be issued which stirr controversy. The decision we have to make is, is our faith solely in our Pastor or local Bishop or do we place our faith in Holy Mother Church?

For people like my mother, she chose the latter and found herself a Traditional Latin church. I suppose you could look at these discussions as kicking up a fuss over nothing, but then again, its just a discussion board where we all get the chance to express our opinions. If you don’t like the climate of the board, no one forces you to post. I think this is a much better outlet for expression as opposed to my previous church where ushers would enforce a dress code they decided on (the pastor didn’t really care one way or the other), or where the Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion simply refused to offer communion on the tongue because they, personally viewed the practice as “Archaic”

I think THOSE are the dangerous forms of expression. Discussion boards are just a fun place to post when you have your lunch hour or when you have a minute or two of free time.

Your point is well taken, there are some scary bishops out there, BUT…the indult to receive by hand was given by the Holy See, where you can also receive Holy Communion in the hand.

 

[JKirkLVNV]

Read this letter sent to the Vatican from a former EMHC.

fatimacrusader.com/cr83/cr83pg8.asp

It has to do with just this subject. Very interesting.

So we’re getting information from radical traditionalist sites and priests who aren’t even in good standing with the Church. Helpful.

 

[TimOliv]

Your point is well taken, there are some scary bishops out there, BUT…the indult to receive by hand was given by the Holy See, where you can also receive Holy Communion in the hand.

I never doubted that the indult came from Rome. I was simply throwing out a word of warning, just because your local Bishop permits it (or simply ignores something) doesn’t mean it is all on the up and up. Here, we all know the indult came from Rome. But some just take it at face value.

 

[maryj]

Good post Kleary.
I receive on the tongue only and from an ordained priest only.

Personal preference. I don’t care what others do. I just don’t feel comfortable doing otherwise.

I agree with all of your points. And I’m not interested in all of the quotes of various Liturgigal lawyers that appear on these forums.

I ask this in all seriousness, How is that possible all the time? When given the choice to receive from a ordained priest or a lay person, (we usually have only one priest at a mass, and 5 EMC’s, 3 with the host and 2 with the chalice) I will always choose the priest, even if that means holding others up behind me. But I guess I would feel as though I were being very disrespectful to step across the aisle to receive from the priest when he is on the other side. I have often thought about doing this but have never felt is was correct.

 

[JKirkLVNV]

Folks I think we’re drifitng off topic a bit. We all know the church’s opinions on this. The topic at hand is if you receive on the tongue, why do you prefer to? And if you receive on the hand, why do you prefer to?

Hand. I don’t like receiving on the tongue. I feel self-conscious and I don’t care for people putting their hand near my mouth, eyes, etc.

 

[maryjk]

However, my kids receive in their hands. One day, one said that she was afraid the host would fall from her tongue if she received on the tongue. So, I replied that I’ve seen people drop the host, but I’ve never seen Him fall from the tongue. They agreed with me.

On the other hand, , I have seen Him fall from the tongue twice in the last year. Yet I have not seen him fall from someone’s hand.

I receive in the hand, unless something prevents me from doing so. A few months ago, I burned my right thumb, I received on the tongue. During VBS, my hands were not clean, I received on the tongue. As long as my hands are clean and all my fingers are working, I will receive in the hand. Of course, if I am told that we can longer can receive in the hand, I will stop.