Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
Every so often it can be very beneficial to review practices that seem so familiar…complacency can creep in and what we would treat with the utmost respect, reverence, and fidelity can become routine. What happens at the altar each Mass is the source and the summit of our entire Christian life, so how we approach and receive Our Lord in Holy Communion deeply matters. So I’d like to highlight a few practicalities that both manifest and foster a deepening Eucharistic spirituality.
First, we may receive the Eucharist either standing or kneeling, either on the tongue or in the hand. If the Sacred Host is received in the hand, both hands are to be presented, the dominant hand underneath the other to provide stability. Should someone have anything in their hands or arms (a child, a bag, a loved one walking with you, a cane or walker, etc) he/she should receive on the tongue. This prevents the Host from potential drops.
The clergy and the extraordinary ministers (EMs) have been trained to ensure that each person who receives a Sacred Host actually consumes it. Please immediately consume the Host given to you within eyesight of the minister. If you turn and walk away with the Host in your hands we will stop distribution of Holy Communion to follow you and ensure that the Host has been consumed. This is for the protection of the Blessed Sacrament.
If you bring a non-Catholic family member or friend to Mass, THANK YOU! They are most welcome. But please do let them know what to expect at Communion time. Please help us all avoid the awkward moment where the person does not know what to do, so the minister has to ask the person if they are Catholic. Instruct them that they are free to stay in the pew or to approach the minister with their arms crossed across their chest.
And this brings us to one last pointer for today. It has become customary in the United States to offer a formal blessing to someone who has not received First Holy Communion or who is not Catholic. This shouldn’t be the case. The 2nd Vatican Council reminds us that “absolutely no other person, not even a priest, may add, remove or change anything in the liturgy on his own authority” (Sacrosanctum Concilium, no. 22). The Mass is not ours to tinker with or to craft according to our sensibilities; options are given where options are permitted, and there is no provision for a liturgical blessing during the distribution of Holy Communion. When a person approaches a minister with their arms across their chest, the minister, including the priests and deacons, will simply say “May God bless you and keep you” without extending hands or making the sign of the cross. Absolutely everyone present in the Church receives a blessing at the end of Mass. Also, leaving Mass early (yes, even if there are announcements), without a grave reason, constitutes a grave sin.
May we always be in awe of our Eucharistic Lord, at His humility, His presence, holding in our hearts a posture of profound gratitude for the foretaste of Heaven we are privileged to experience at every Mass!
Praised be Jesus Christ, now and forever!
All you holy saints of God, pray for us!
Peace in Christ,
Fr. Michael Silloway
Pastor