Touching Eucharistic Host to Keep from Falling to Floor

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NeilPatrick

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Hi everyone!

I went to a Latin mass like I do on a lot of Saturday mornings. While receiving communion, the host fell off my tongue. I caught it with my lips but was unable to open my mouth in fear of it hitting the floor. The priest looked confused (I was too) so I barely touched the host in order to get it in my mouth because I know how serious it is to let it fall to the ground. The priest got noticeably upset but continued onward to the next person receiving.

I receive on the tongue kneeling whether I’m at an ordinary or extraordinary mass. I’m also an extraordinary minister of holy communion so I know how important it is to hold the host as sacred, use a paten for particles, handle soiled body and spilled blood properly, etc. I also know that receiving on the tongue while kneeling is the norm.

My question is this: was I wrong for barely laying a finger on the host to get it in my mouth and prevent it from falling or should I have just let it tumble? Did I unknowingly commit some form of sacrilege? If I did break a rule on accident it was unknown on my part (obviously). My instincts kicked in since I’ve both rescued falling hosts and saved hosts from falling out of my mouth a couple other times.

Thanks for any and all help; I’ve only been a Catholic for a little over two years. I’m doing my best to learn how to do the Tridentine Mass, read/speak Latin, and be proper in my actions. I’m not going to let today discourage me in any way. I just want to know whether or not I messed up with good intentions.
 
NeilPatrick said:
Hi everyone!

I went to a Latin mass like I do on a lot of Saturday mornings. While receiving communion, the host fell off my tongue. I caught it with my lips but was unable to open my mouth in fear of it hitting the floor. The priest looked confused (I was too) so I barely touched the host in order to get it in my mouth because I know how serious it is to let it fall to the ground. The priest got noticeably upset but continued onward to the next person receiving.

I receive on the tongue kneeling whether I’m at an ordinary or extraordinary mass. I’m also an extraordinary minister of holy communion so I know how important it is to hold the host as sacred, use a paten for particles, handle soiled body and spilled blood properly, etc. I also know that receiving on the tongue while kneeling is the norm.

My question is this: was I wrong for barely laying a finger on the host to get it in my mouth and prevent it from falling or should I have just let it tumble? Did I unknowingly commit some form of sacrilege? If I did break a rule on accident it was unknown on my part (obviously). My instincts kicked in since I’ve both rescued falling hosts and saved hosts from falling out of my mouth a couple other times.

Thanks for any and all help; I’ve only been a Catholic for a little over two years. I’m doing my best to learn how to do the Tridentine Mass, read/speak Latin, and be proper in my actions. I’m not going to let today discourage me in any way. I just want to know whether or not I messed up with good intentions.
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If you are an EMHC then you should know that it is neither irreverent nor a sin to touch the Blessed Sacrament.
 
NeilPatrick said:
Hi everyone!

My question is this: was I wrong for barely laying a finger on the host to get it in my mouth and prevent it from falling or should I have just let it tumble? Did I unknowingly commit some form of sacrilege? If I did break a rule on accident it was unknown on my part (obviously). My instincts kicked in since I’ve both rescued falling hosts and saved hosts from falling out of my mouth a couple other times.
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I don’t see how it could be sacrilege to prevent desecration in that way. Don’t beat yourself up over it. But you may want to discuss the proper way of receiving on the tongue with your priest so whatever is going wrong can be corrected, since it seems you have had similar incidents several times.

†God Bless!
 
I’m not expert but under the circumstances, I can’t think of a better response than yours. Would letting Him fall and picking Him up with your tongue have been more respectful of Our Lord? I think not. When we can’t acheive the ideal we give our best. His yoke is easy, so rest easy about it.
 
Maybe the priest was upset at himself for not placing the host properly which led to this situation. You have done nothing wrong. If your lips and tongue is worthy to touch the Lord, why not your hands?
 
Crux_Sacra said:
I don’t see how it could be sacrilege to prevent desecration in that way. Don’t beat yourself up over it. But you may want to discuss the proper way of receiving on the tongue with your priest so whatever is going wrong can be corrected, since it seems you have had similar incidents several times.

†God Bless!
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I wish people wouldn’t throw words like desecration and sacrilige around like this.

Desecration is taking something sacred and converting it to profane or ordinary use. Desecration is an act one commits on purpose.

Accidentally dropping the Eucharist is an unfortunate accident, but it is not desecration. It is something that happens occasionally because we are human and we are not perfect. If we have reverence for the Eucharist, try our best, and accidentally drop a host by mistake, then it is not desecration.

If we took the host home and ate it with a good onion dip, then that would be desecration. An otherwise good Catholic accidentally dropping it out of human frailty once or twice in their life is not desecration. It is an accident.

There really is no need for all the drama.

-Tim-
 
As an EMHC, you are trained to distribute the host (and cup). It was OK for you to touch the host to prevent it falling.

If you receive on the tongue always, be sure to open your mouth fully and extend your tongue as a “platform” for the host. I notice that most almost misses happen when recipient doesn’t open their mouth fully to recieve.
 
NeilPatrick said:
I went to a Latin mass like I do on a lot of Saturday mornings. While receiving communion, the host fell off my tongue. I caught it with my lips but was unable to open my mouth in fear of it hitting the floor. The priest looked confused (I was too) so I barely touched the host in order to get it in my mouth because I know how serious it is to let it fall to the ground. The priest got noticeably upset but continued onward to the next person receiving. …

My question is this: was I wrong for barely laying a finger on the host to get it in my mouth and prevent it from falling or should I have just let it tumble? Did I unknowingly commit some form of sacrilege? If I did break a rule on accident it was unknown on my part (obviously). My instincts kicked in since I’ve both rescued falling hosts and saved hosts from falling out of my mouth a couple other times. …

I just want to know whether or not I messed up with good intentions.
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The norm at the Usus Antiquior is a server holding a communion cloth or paten under the communicant’s chin. Was that not the case here? Just curious.

Anyway, t seems to me that, in the circumstances, you didn’t “mess up” or do anything wrong. If something had been wrong, the priest would undoubtedly have whispered something to you on the spot. It’s certainly not a regular thing, but I have seen that happen more than once. Or he might have had a server or an usher “waylay” you after Mass so that he could have a private word.
 
Crux_Sacra said:
I don’t see how it could be sacrilege to prevent desecration in that way. Don’t beat yourself up over it. But you may want to discuss the proper way of receiving on the tongue with your priest so whatever is going wrong can be corrected, since it seems you have had similar incidents several times.

†God Bless!
Click to expand...
I have terrible coordination and outstanding reflexes. I like to think of it as a blessing 🙂
 
Mrs_Sally said:
As an EMHC, you are trained to distribute the host (and cup). It was OK for you to touch the host to prevent it falling.

If you receive on the tongue always, be sure to open your mouth fully and extend your tongue as a “platform” for the host. I notice that most almost misses happen when recipient doesn’t open their mouth fully to recieve.
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That was probably part of the problem. I always have a slight fear that the priest will have to touch my tongue or that I’ll fail to catch.

I really think that maybe the priest was having a bad day or that the paten wasn’t underneath me like it was supposed to be and so the priest, like me, went into save mode. Looking back, it seems like the paten was removed before I firmly had the host on my tongue.

The only reason I asked was because the priest looked really upset and I’m only human. He’s a really good priest and I’m sure he was just as concerned as me. The fact that he takes communion so seriously makes me respect him more.

Thanks for all your replies. I’m doing my best to be as orthodox about my faith as possible and just wanted to make sure that I didn’t “cross the line”. Tomorrow I’ll likely go to an Eastern Catholic mass and will have to do the kneel and tilt routine. Hopefully I won’t have a repeat performance 🙂
 
TimothyH said:
I wish people wouldn’t throw words like desecration and sacrilige around like this.

Desecration is taking something sacred and converting it to profane or ordinary use. Desecration is an act one commits on purpose.

Accidentally dropping the Eucharist is an unfortunate accident, but it is not desecration. It is something that happens occasionally because we are human and we are not perfect. If we have reverence for the Eucharist, try our best, and accidentally drop a host by mistake, then it is not desecration.

If we took the host home and ate it with a good onion dip, then that would be desecration. An otherwise good Catholic accidentally dropping it out of human frailty once or twice in their life is not desecration. It is an accident.

There really is no need for all the drama.

-Tim-
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Thank you for your sensible post, Timothy. Exactly what I was thinking.

I suppose some posters might have in mind the episode of someone being struck down for accidentally touching the Ark of the Covenant.

But you are so right. An accident is not desecration. Landing on the ground that He himself created is not desecration. Being thrown down, being trampled on deliberately and knowingly, yes. Intention is everything.

‘All the drama’, indeed.
 
NeilPatrick

You said
Tomorrow I’ll likely go to an Eastern Catholic mass and will have to do the kneel and tilt routine. Hopefully I won’t have a repeat performance
Click to expand...
Please don’t kneel - they stand to Receive
 
TimothyH said:
I wish people wouldn’t throw words like desecration and sacrilige around like this.

Desecration is taking something sacred and converting it to profane or ordinary use. Desecration is an act one commits on purpose.

Accidentally dropping the Eucharist is an unfortunate accident, but it is not desecration. It is something that happens occasionally because we are human and we are not perfect. If we have reverence for the Eucharist, try our best, and accidentally drop a host by mistake, then it is not desecration.

If we took the host home and ate it with a good onion dip, then that would be desecration. An otherwise good Catholic accidentally dropping it out of human frailty once or twice in their life is not desecration. It is an accident.

There really is no need for all the drama.

-Tim-
Click to expand...
It seems I was wrong in my choice of words. Thank you for clarifying.
†God Bless!
 
A similar thing happened to me today. I received Communion on the tongue but I made the mistake of not opening my mouth wide enough and the Host fell. By the grace of God, it fell into my folded hands and did not touch the ground. After mass, I apologized to my priest.
 
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