Recieving Communion

[Carnanc]

yesterday after recieving Communion, I noticed several white particles on my hand, that though small, i would have to presume were from the Host. I was an Altar Server so they could have gotten their as I recieved, and also from touching the bowls used to distribute Communion.

I did what I could to lick off the particles but had to resume my duties as a server, and could not spend several minutes doing this. Some particles likely fell to the floor.

When recieving Communion on the hand, I have realized over the last couple weeks that one or two small particles from the Host remain on my hand. Now these particles are not so small as to be nothing, but not neccessarily big enough to be certain they come from the Host, though you could presume that they did.

this likely happens to everyone everytime someone recieves Communion on the hand.

I found an interesting article online that addresses this very issue.


[url="http://www.catholicintl.com/catholicissues/communion-hand.htm"]http://www.catholicintl.com/catholicissues...munion-hand.htm[/url]

here is one paragraph from this article:

"Certainly one who inspects his hand after Communion, if he sees tiny white flecks thereon, can infer that they came from the consecrated host, and is morally obliged to consume them (indeed I am of the opinion that those who receive on the hand are obliged to inspect their hands). However, once these particles fall to the floor, it is no longer possible to discern that they are of the form of bread; if we were to pick them up we would not be able to say "I see bread" or even "I see a bread crumb" since with relatively few exceptions all the particles I found on my palm were small enough as to be indistinguishable from a speck of dead skin or some such. In sum, I believe that once these miniscule particles are dropped to the floor, Christ leaves. Thus we should not have to worry about stepping on Him when we visit a Novus Ordo Church."
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while we can not be to scrupulous in the respect we owe to the Body of Our Lord, I am really unsure what to think of this. For Example, Do I commit a grave sin every time I see a possible particle from the Host on my hand up by the Altar after recieving communion, but when I look to lick it off back in the pew, it has fallen to the floor??

[Aloysius]

personally, I would just receive on the tongue, but that's just me

anyway, it does have to visibly look like bread for it to be Christ... so when it no longer has the appearance of bread it would make sense that the substance is no longer Christ.

[the_rev]

Only time I recieve on my hand is when I am serving or go to Father Dave or a laity. At the abbey and elsewhere I receive ont he tongue

Father DAve my pastor feels it is old fassioned and frowns upon receiving on the tongue.

[Aloysius]

well, it's not really "old fashioned" so much as it is following traditions that are not specific to very recent united states of america. reception on the tongue is still the NORM of the roman rite. the USA has an indult granted from the Holy See allowing reception in the hand.

[Carnanc]

yes, recieving on the tounge in the normative way to recieve. I was wondering about the proper care of possible particles when one recieves on the hand.

[Aloysius]

I can tell you the guy is right about the appearance of bread being necessary for the substance to be Christ.

in regards to the ones you see, I honestly don't know. it still has the appearance, it is still Christ, you should not brush it away once you know it's there. consume it as best as possible I suppose...

but really people should just receive on the tongue lol

[Nicole8223]

ditto on receiving on the tongue. You don't have to worry about having any particles on your hand...

[Carnanc]

[quote name='Aloysius' date='Jul 18 2005, 11:48 AM']consume it as best as possible I suppose...

[/quote]


yea. but this isn't always easy to do. In my parish where most everyone recieves on the hand, I just seems a little wierd to have to have everyone licking their hands on the way back from communion, so that no particles would fall on the way back to the pew.

[Ave Maria Totus Tuus]

Why is it that in the US you can recieve from your hand? Why was it changed?

[Ora et Labora]

People ask for the change. I have heard of several people who think that we should be more "up to date" on our Catholocism (whatever that means). I recieve on the tongue.

[Oik]

I'm tired of the Ordinary use of Extraordinary ministers of Holy commuion (especially when they are not even necessary).

I receive under one species (Christ is present, Body and Blood, Soul and Divinty in the Body) and only on the tongue.

If virtually no one were to receive the Chalice, eventually, they would no longer offer it, or they would use only one.


I would prefer intinction (and the abandoging of the ordinary use of EMHC).

Also, more vocations to the diaconate and that of acolyte.

[jezic]

receiving under both species is not bad though.

I just recently thought of this. That is why i prefer to receive on the tongue now.

Though i still would like to have more prayer time before receiving ......

[Ave Maria Totus Tuus]

Yeah, I recieve on the tongue. I just always thought, how were my dirty human hands worthy enough to hold the Body of Christ, even if it is only for 2 seconds? They are not.

I wish we had more prayer time after Communion, too. We used to have a great priest who would let us have a lot more prayer time following Communion, but unfortunately, he moved to a new church.

I pray for all to truly recognize and respect the Real Presence. It's something that I feel is being lost in some of today's American Catholic Churches.

[jasJis]

Try washing your hands before you go to Mass.

How much more spiritually dirty is our souls compared to 'dirty' hands?

Christ comes to us via the Bread to cleanse us of our sins.

Don't get overly scrupolous. Jesus is not 'trapped' in the Bread. His Presense is there at His Will. Jesus will determine when to leave. Be respectful but keep in mind, He is Present as He wills it.

Intinction was abandoned many years ago because it was messy.

The Church has repeatedly said it is 'laudible' to receive under both species.

EEM's [b]are[/b] overly used, but limiting the species is cutting off your nose to spite your face.

[Oik]

Christ is present FULLY, Body and Body, Soul and Divinity, under both species.

When I recieve Christ in the Body, I FULLY receive Him. It is not necessary to recieve Christ under both kinds.

So, I am [i]not[/i] limiting myself and I am certainly not 'cutting my nose off to spite my face.'

Christ is not less present in a tridentine Mass or anglican use Mass than in a normative Mass (Novus Ordo).

The Church has repeatedly said it is laudible to receive under one species.



Intinction is not messy! That's ridiculous!

I think more people need to study the method of intinction.

I have seen it done several different ways.


Angilcan Use:
the deacon holds the chalice and the priest holds a paten and takes the Body, dipping it on the Blood and gives it to the (kneeling) communicant.

Normative Mass:
The priest holds a paten with two fingers while in the same hand holding the chalice with three fingers, then dips the Body in the Blood, etc.

-OR-

The priest, consecrates a small cup alongside the priest's cup. This cup is only about four inches tall (it's a small chalice or course). This chalice fits on top a paten that is shaped like a chalice (chalice bottom, paten top). The chalice fits in the center of the chalice-paten. Then the preist takes the Body and dips it in the chalice, etc.

Eastern Catholic Divine Liturgy:

The Body is in the Blood in a large chalice and the Body has been lanced into very small portions. Communion is administered by dipping out the Body/Blood with a golden spoon.



Now, how can any of this be messy? It is performed with precision and care!


I agree, would shouldn't be overscrupulous. I had read that article before.


The best way is to just recieve communion on the tounge.

An indult has been givem to allow (even request) commuion in the hand. One may receive in the hand without any problem.

Outside of that, I would speak with a priest if you have any questions or concerns.

[Aloysius]

I would love to see that indult revoked. some parts of the world when they hear that we receive in the hand are shocked (Catholics in the Holy Land for instance)

but, until such a time, I will just continue to practice what many people throughout the world have to do_ receiving on the tongue.

[Noel's angel]

over here we have a thing where, up until Confirmation you receive on the tongue and afterwards you receive in the hand- i dunno why we do it that way...

[curtins]

They never really trained us in 2nd grade on how to revieve on the tounge- I'm afraid of dropping it out of my tounge or licking the Minister's hand so I reveive on the hand- so If I were to change how I recive I would have to have some practice with some un concecrated hosts or something

[Carnanc]

[quote name='curtins' date='Jul 18 2005, 04:47 PM'] so If I were to change how I recive I would have to have some practice with some un concecrated hosts or something
[/quote]

same here. I want to start recieving on the tounge, but have never done so before so am not exactly sure what it is like. It doesn't help that nearly everyone at my parish recieves on the hand either.

[Aloysius]

just lean your head back, stick your tongue out, and if possible bend it so the center is kind of down while the sides of your tongue form a little cradle type thing (but you don't have to do that)

then wait to receive it from the priest, he'll put it right on your tongue, and you'll be fine.

I'm sorry and no offence, but that's one of the sorriest excuses out there. I had never done it before, and sure I was nervous the first time (I even devised a way of practiccing so my hands were covering my mouth but it looked like I just had them in that litlte praying position ) but it's really very easy not to mess up. stick your tongue out as far as you can and keep it kind of level-ish and the priest will put it there and it will be fine. if that's all that's holding you back: you definitely should just start receiving on the tongue. it's not rocket science... (well... unless you're an astronaught and you're going to be in space on a sunday... but then it can just like float into your mouth right?)