Some time ago I had a short
discussion with a university acquaintance concerning the rubrics of Mass,
before the start of the celebration. The topic pertained to the genuflection at
the altar, when we are to do so and when we are exempted from doing so.
As we fleetingly touched on
the sacrifice at the altar and transubstantiation, I was reminded on the
reverence we are to show when handling the Eucharist. A while ago when we had Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, I remembered quite
distinctly that the priest covered his hands with cloth as he held the
monstrance that housed the Body of Christ. As the session went on I noticed a
lady going up the altar and touching the monstrance with her bare hands,
causing me to get a little disconcerted. For if the priest did not directly
touch the monstrance with his bare hands during Adoration, how can the ordinary
laity come up the altar and touch it?
Such is the reverence accorded to the Bread of Life in Adoration, that
the priest who is consecrated for such task would not directly touch the
monstrance that houses the Body – and a thought appeared, should not the same
reverence be paid to the Host during weekly Communion?
For some time now, I have been
pondering the debate between Communion on the hands or
tongue. When I first set out on this study, I found that proponents for
the Communion on hand often quote St Cyril’s instruction when justifying their
argument:
“Approaching
therefore, do not come forward with the palms of the hands outstretched nor
with the fingers apart, but making the left [hand] a throne for the right since
this hand is about to receive the King. Making the palm hollow, receive the
Body of Christ, adding “Amen”.” [1]
However, if we are to go
further:
“Then,
carefully sanctifying the eyes by touching them with the holy Body, partake of
it, ensuring that you do not mislay any of it. For if you mislay any, you would
clearly suffer a loss, as it were, from one of your own limbs. Tell me, if
anyone gave you gold-dust, would you not take hold of it with every possible
care, ensuring that you do not mislay any of it or sustain any loss? So will
you not be much more cautious to ensure that not a crumb falls away from that which is more precious than gold or
precious stones?” [1]
A different acquaintance who is
against the Communion on hands informed me that some particles remained in his
hand during the period when he practiced this. I too started to notice bits of
white on my palms after careful scrutiny. To address this, the Catholic Church
stipulates that when the priest partakes of the Eucharist himself, after
consuming the whole wafer he is to rub his fingers in contact with it into the
chalice of wine, so as to prevent a single particle being wasted. Think about
it: the priest, representing Christ at the altar, consecrated for the sacred
task to minister the Host to the people, is required to go through meticulous
lengths in handling the Bread – should we, the laity not at least show similar
reverence in front of our Lord?
Even if we are to look into
the Church position in this matter today, Memoriale
Domini, which is the Instruction on the Manner of Distributing Holy
Communion to the Sacred Congregation for Divine Worship:
“Later,
with a deepening understanding of the truth of the eucharistic mystery, of its
power and of the presence of Christ in it, there came a greater feeling of
reverence towards this sacrament and a deeper humility was felt to be demanded
when receiving it. Thus the custom was established of the minister placing a
particle of consecrated bread on the tongue of the communicant.
This method of
distributing holy communion must be
retained, taking the present situation of the Church in the entire world
into account, not merely because it has many centuries of-tradition behind it,
but especially because it expresses the faithful's reverence for the Eucharist. The custom does not detract in any way
from the personal dignity of those who approach this great sacrament: it is
part of that preparation that is needed for the most fruitful reception of the
Body of the Lord.[6]
This reverence shows that it is not a sharing in "ordinary bread and wine"[7] that is involved, but in the Body and Blood of the Lord, through which "The people of God share the benefits of the Paschal Sacrifice, renew the New Covenant which God has made with man once for all through the Blood of Christ, and in faith and hope foreshadow and anticipate the eschatological banquet in the kingdom of the Father." [2]
Observing more than a handful of Churchgoers who come forward during Communion, at times I catch myself wondering if these people are even aware that they are literally standing before the Lord, and that what they are consuming is truly the Body of Christ. Yet can I really fault them, when the shepherds themselves seemingly treat the Host with little regard? I have seen a priest carelessly pouring the Bread from the ciborium into the paten like water into a bowl. When some of the wafer inevitably falls onto the altar, he picks it up and places it back in a way I could expect from an adherent on Food’s 5-second rule. When a paten contains a disproportionate amount of pieces, he sweeps them over to the other patens with his hands in a way that makes me wonder if he is distributing or dismissing the Hosts. While these may sound exaggerated, I am not the only one concerned that the Eucharist is not given proper veneration, and I very much doubt that this issue is an isolated case within the Church.
“The Eucharist is the source and summit of Christian life.” [3] As such it is only right that one must show proper reverence for this most sacred Sacrament, starting from the way/mindset we receive Holy Communion. If anyone continues to object after being privy to the reasons given by the Church, he/she must ask himself/herself if it is an act of rebellion against something he/she simply does not want to do, or if his/her pride is stopping him/her from following the instructions. As Catholics, it is high time for us to return proper reverence back to Mass. For if we ourselves do not, no one else would.
RFG always.
*Certain statements bolded and underlined for added emphasis.
References
[1] St Cyril. “Catechesis Mystagogica.” Quoted by Davies, M. “Communion in the Hand and Similar Frauds.”
[2] Gut, B.W. “Memoriale Domini.” Acta Apostolicae Sedis, vol. 61, 1969. From https://www.ewtn.com/library/CURIA/CDWMEMOR.HTM
[3] “Catechism of the Catholic Church: Popular and Definitive Edition.” Burns and Oates: New York, 2010.
This reverence shows that it is not a sharing in "ordinary bread and wine"[7] that is involved, but in the Body and Blood of the Lord, through which "The people of God share the benefits of the Paschal Sacrifice, renew the New Covenant which God has made with man once for all through the Blood of Christ, and in faith and hope foreshadow and anticipate the eschatological banquet in the kingdom of the Father." [2]
Observing more than a handful of Churchgoers who come forward during Communion, at times I catch myself wondering if these people are even aware that they are literally standing before the Lord, and that what they are consuming is truly the Body of Christ. Yet can I really fault them, when the shepherds themselves seemingly treat the Host with little regard? I have seen a priest carelessly pouring the Bread from the ciborium into the paten like water into a bowl. When some of the wafer inevitably falls onto the altar, he picks it up and places it back in a way I could expect from an adherent on Food’s 5-second rule. When a paten contains a disproportionate amount of pieces, he sweeps them over to the other patens with his hands in a way that makes me wonder if he is distributing or dismissing the Hosts. While these may sound exaggerated, I am not the only one concerned that the Eucharist is not given proper veneration, and I very much doubt that this issue is an isolated case within the Church.
“The Eucharist is the source and summit of Christian life.” [3] As such it is only right that one must show proper reverence for this most sacred Sacrament, starting from the way/mindset we receive Holy Communion. If anyone continues to object after being privy to the reasons given by the Church, he/she must ask himself/herself if it is an act of rebellion against something he/she simply does not want to do, or if his/her pride is stopping him/her from following the instructions. As Catholics, it is high time for us to return proper reverence back to Mass. For if we ourselves do not, no one else would.
RFG always.
*Certain statements bolded and underlined for added emphasis.
References
[1] St Cyril. “Catechesis Mystagogica.” Quoted by Davies, M. “Communion in the Hand and Similar Frauds.”
[2] Gut, B.W. “Memoriale Domini.” Acta Apostolicae Sedis, vol. 61, 1969. From https://www.ewtn.com/library/CURIA/CDWMEMOR.HTM
[3] “Catechism of the Catholic Church: Popular and Definitive Edition.” Burns and Oates: New York, 2010.
