Thoughts on a strange practice

One of my friends sent me the following announcement from her parish bulletin and asked for my thoughts. These I shall give, as well as other thoughts that relate to it.

JUST A REMINDER: When we approach to receive Holy Communion, we should make a slight bow while the person in front of us is receiving the Eucharist.

More specifically, the General Instruction of the Roman Missal instructs us in the following manner: “When receiving Holy Communion, the communicant bows his or her head before the Sacrament” (160). A great number of communicants make a profound bow (a full bow from the waist) prior to the reception of Holy Communion. I am not saying this is wrong – indeed, it seems to make more sense than a simple bow of the head – but it is not what the Instruction tells the communicant to do.

This provides the reverence of our faith for what is taking place at that moment.

More importantly, the bow of the head concerns not so much what is happening, but what has happened. It is, above all, “a gesture of reverence” toward the Eucharistic Lord who has come to us in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar and whom we are about to receive (GIRM 160).

We are receiving the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. The person sharing the Eucharist is to make contact with the person receiving.

I cannot find any indication of this in the documents of the Church. It seems an unnatural thing to do, however one interprets this. What if, for example, a communicant wishes to receive the Eucharist on the tongue, which is their right? How is the “person sharing the Eucharist” to “make contact with the person receiving” the Eucharist in this manner?

We should have the joy of gratitude in our hearts at that moment.

Quite true!

It is for this reason that the altar server assists the priest, deacon or communion minister so that we may place our hand under yours for the sacredness of that exchange.

That is not at all the case! In this particular parish, the servers hold the patens (bowls) with the consecrated hosts for the one distributing Communion, standing to the side of the distributor (it’s very odd and something I’ve only heard of at this parish). The one distributing then places their left hand under the hands of the communicant and picks up a host from the bowl being held by the server with their right hand.

The altar server is not at all to assist in this fashion. The altar server assists the priest, the deacon, or the extraordinary minister of Holy Communion at this time by holding the Communion-plate (a paten on a pole) “so as to avoid the danger of the sacred host or some fragment of it falling” (Redemptionis sacramentum, 93). If the servers are not holding the Communion-plate or removing the Missal from the altar, they ought to be seated or kneeling in prayer.

We approach the banquet table (altar) to receive, not help ourselves.

Though I would have maybe said that we approach the “altar (banquet table)”, Father’s point is correct.

The Church also invites us to receive in the hand rather than on the tongue.

This is not quite right. The universal norm for receiving Holy Communion is to receive it on the tongue, though certain Conferences of Catholic Bishops have received the recognition of the Holy See for the faithful to receive Holy Communion in the hand (see GIRM 161 and RS, 92). It is not so much that the Church invites the faithful to receive Holy Communion in the hand as it is the She allows them to in certain Dioceses.

We receive, then we partake. For many years we could not touch the host, chalice or receive under both forms (bread and wine).

By saying “we” I can only presume that Father means the laity, since the priest has always been required to receive Holy Communion under both species.

What a gift we enjoy each time we gather at the banquet table.

Very true. Now it is time to both present and offer the gift worthily and to receive it worthily. As a good priest-friend of mine says, “Say what’s in black, do what’s in red.” Life would be so much simpler if every priest would humbly do so, remembering that he is the servant of the Liturgy and not it’s master.

Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, say only the Word and I shall be healed. Reconciliation is a masterpiece of our faith and our liturgy.

While the Sacrament of Penance is certainly laudable and a gift for which we ought to be deeply grateful to the Lord, it seems an odd place to conclude this column.