URGENT: Communion Bread in the Mail

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Latinitas

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Hi everyone,

My grandmother received a letter in the mail from her cousin (a Catholic), which contained some very thin bread. I asked her what it was and she said communion. Now my eyes glared when she said that, since I thought it might be the Blessed Sacrament, but it didn’t look like the standard communion wafer. Now she’s 91, and a bit senile, and she told me that they did it all the time when she was younger, and my mom attested to this, so I figured it’s probably not a consecrated host. So I just ate it, but it crumbled a bit on my grandmother’s bed. Is anyone aware of a custom of sending bread like this in Christmas cards, or is this something to take more seriously?

Thanks,
Benedicat Deus,
Latinitas
 
Exchanging opłatek is normal in Europe. It is a very cherished custom and I have received it in the mail from particularly dear friends.

Might I suggest that you consider editing your message’s header?
 
Yes - oplatki. My husband has Polish roots and his brother sent us oplatki several times. Lovely custom.
 
Don_Ruggero said:
Exchanging opłatek is normal in Europe. It is a very cherished custom and I have received it in the mail from particularly dear friends.

Might I suggest that you consider editing your message’s header?
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Like this one?
 
Others have attested to this likely being oplatek and I agree. Even if your family is not Polish, I have noticed that some families living in a largely eastern european area may adopt this tradition because it is a lovely thing to do at Christmas. My very ethnically-neutral parish suddenly started offering it at Christmas though I have other sources.

The thin wafer is typically white, but sometimes pink, very flaky and usually embossed with an image of the nativity or some other Christmas image.

In our family we pass it around in age order. It takes some time because once everyone gets a large piece then they need to pass their piece to everyone in age order.

Nothing to worry about. It is blessed, not consecrated.
 
This is an adaptation of the Byzantine Rite custom of antidoron (blessed bread) so that may help you understand if you are familiar with the Byzantine usage.
 
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