What's wrong with Communion in the hand?

[seashale76]

Yikes! Definitely NOT ok! (I assume you went to a Latin-Rite novous ordo Mass? Since your icon says "Melkite Catholic"?)

Yes- I'm currently nowhere near a Melkite parish- so I attend a Latin Rite parish.

 

[joymercy]

A priest placed the Host down onto my palm and pressed it into my palm so hard, that it shattered into pieces.

I did not feel that happen, nor did he seem to notice as he then quickly turned away to hurry off to the next pew to continue distributing the host (this was last year during covid practices where we had to stay in our pews).

I took my opposite hand and took what I thought was a whole host, and placed it into my mouth.

I then relaxed my receiving hand and bowed my head.

As I did this, I saw all the other pieces fall onto the pew in front of me.

The priest was long gone and I was so saddened as I realized just what a mess this church was in, and why I did not like coming there.

I never had been catechized as to what on earth to do in this situation, and I knew it.

Feeling defeated, tired and exasperated, I just reached down and over the pew and placed what ever crumbs I could find and other medium sized pieces, and placed them into my mouth.

I too am new to the Catholic faith, and have been very horribly catechized, until fairly recently, when I got some very much needed guidance on the Faith from a Priest specialist.

So I will not receive ever again , if I can help it, onto the hand.

Personal choice.

Image shows approximately what happened, as the host went into my hand, and the priest pressed it down

 

[JimR-OCDS]

View attachment 316103 A priest placed the Host down onto my palm and pressed it into my palm so hard, that it shattered into pieces.

I did not feel that happen, nor did he seem to notice as he then quickly turned away to hurry off to the next pew to continue distributing the host (this was last year during covid practices where we had to stay in our pews).

I took my opposite hand and took what I thought was a whole host, and placed it into my mouth.

I then relaxed my receiving hand and bowed my head.

As I did this, I saw all the other pieces fall onto the pew in front of me.

The priest was long gone and I was so saddened as I realized just what a mess this church was in, and why I did not like coming there.

I never had been catechized as to what on earth to do in this situation, and I knew it.

Feeling defeated, tired and exasperated, I just reached down and over the pew and placed what ever crumbs I could find and other medium sized pieces, and placed them into my mouth.

I too am new to the Catholic faith, and have been very horribly catechized, until fairly recently, when I got some very much needed guidance on the Faith from a Priest specialist.

So I will not receive ever again , if I can help it, onto the hand.

Personal choice.

Image shows approximately what happened, as the host went into my hand, and the priest pressed it down

I saw this same story years ago and many questioned the truth of the
story.

 

[Lady Bug]

The person in the picture is not placing their hands properly IMHO. Their dominant hand should be more directly above their other hand. The way the communicant is holding their hands makes the Eucharist much more likely to fall through.

Edit: I know that's not how it happened for you but I just thought I'd comment on that picture.

 

[RileyG]

Yes- I'm currently nowhere near a Melkite parish- so I attend a Latin Rite parish.

thanks for the clarification. Communion on the hand in a Melkite parish would be rather messy ;-)

 

[RileyG]

View attachment 316103 A priest placed the Host down onto my palm and pressed it into my palm so hard, that it shattered into pieces.

I did not feel that happen, nor did he seem to notice as he then quickly turned away to hurry off to the next pew to continue distributing the host (this was last year during covid practices where we had to stay in our pews).

I took my opposite hand and took what I thought was a whole host, and placed it into my mouth.

I then relaxed my receiving hand and bowed my head.

As I did this, I saw all the other pieces fall onto the pew in front of me.

The priest was long gone and I was so saddened as I realized just what a mess this church was in, and why I did not like coming there.

I never had been catechized as to what on earth to do in this situation, and I knew it.

Feeling defeated, tired and exasperated, I just reached down and over the pew and placed what ever crumbs I could find and other medium sized pieces, and placed them into my mouth.

I too am new to the Catholic faith, and have been very horribly catechized, until fairly recently, when I got some very much needed guidance on the Faith from a Priest specialist.

So I will not receive ever again , if I can help it, onto the hand.

Personal choice.

Image shows approximately what happened, as the host went into my hand, and the priest pressed it down

Yikes! I wonder how often that happens!

 

[joymercy]

The host snapped I am thinking because it was very dry, like it was crisp, maybe a bit old?

I'm not sure about how Hosts are made and how long they are kept, and how their freshness is retained or not.

 

[RileyG]

The host snapped I am thinking because it was very dry, like it was crisp, maybe a bit old?

I'm not sure about how Hosts are made and how long they are kept, and how their freshness is retained or not.

That depends how quickly they are consumed. I know during daily Mass, sometimes the priest will consecrate very few hosts, and use the rest from the tabernacle. At every Mass I attended, I've always seen the hosts from the tabernacle being used.

 

[Lady Bug]

I was receiving Communion today on the tongue, I don’t think I stuck my tongue out enough because the Eucharist almost fell out of my mouth. I guess me receiving it on the hand wasn’t such a bad idea after all. I got some paranoid thoughts today about it too (I suffer from paranoia; it's not an official diagnosis but there's no doubt that's what it is). I was thinking that the priest is internally upset with me for not going to Mass there for three weeks and decided to carelessly dump it in my mouth out of disrespect instead of telling me to stick out my tongue further. That doesn't explain how he put it properly on the tongue the last couple of times though.

 

[Susie~Q]

I was receiving Communion today on the tongue, I don’t think I stuck my tongue out enough because the Eucharist almost fell out of my mouth. I guess me receiving it on the hand wasn’t such a bad idea after all. I got some paranoid thoughts today about it too (I suffer from paranoia; it's not an official diagnosis but there's no doubt that's what it is). I was thinking that the priest is internally upset with me for not going to Mass there for three weeks and decided to carelessly dump it in my mouth out of disrespect instead of telling me to stick out my tongue further. That doesn't explain how he put it properly on the tongue the last couple of times though.

I wouldn't worry about him doing it on purpose, I would think that due to Covid, priests have to be extra careful when placing it on the tongue and since you said your wasn't out far enough, it just hard a difficult time getting it on the proper way.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

I wouldn't worry about him doing it on purpose, I would think that due to Covid, priests have to be extra careful when placing it on the tongue and since you said your wasn't out far enough, it just hard a difficult time getting it on the proper way.

In my dioceses during the pandemic in 2020, receiving on the tongue was prohibited per the Bishop.

 

[chevyontheriver]

In my dioceses during the pandemic in 2020, receiving on the tongue was prohibited per the Bishop.

Mine too. But then it was relaxed. And I don’t think it made any real difference as far as Covid goes.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

Mine too. But then it was relaxed. And I don’t think it made any real difference as far as Covid goes.

It would've had the person receiving had COVID-19 and was A-symptomatic and the
minister touch the tongue of the person while giving them the Sacred Host.

It's why the Bishop's placed a mandate against receiving on the tongue during
the height of the pandemic.

I'm not sure what the status is in my dioceses currently, as my wife and myself haven
been to Mass since last September, because we are high-risk for getting COVID and dying
from it.

 

[concretecamper]

Covid-19 is not spread through saliva touching one's finger. I think the priest and all the recipients we're safe. Being extra cautious makes some feel better though.

And at the height of the plandemic, the Mass was cancelled anyway. So the spread issue via the Eucharist was moot.

 

[concretecamper]

One good thing that stopped in my diocese during the plandemic was the offering of the precious blood to everyone. I can't tell you how many Eucharistic accidents happened with the precious blood.

 

[Lady Bug]

One good thing that stopped in my diocese during the plandemic was the offering of the precious blood to everyone. I can't tell you how many Eucharistic accidents happened with the precious blood.

There happens to be only one person who comes up to receive the wine only. Maybe she's allergic to gluten.

 

[chevyontheriver]

There happens to be only one person who comes up to receive the wine only. Maybe she's allergic to gluten.

I've seen that. It's also OK. Normally one would talk with the pastor about it and the pastor would provide this as a reasonable solution.

 

[Michie]

I've seen that. It's also OK. Normally one would talk with the pastor about it and the pastor would provide this as a reasonable solution.

Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity is fully present in both forms.

 

[Lady Bug]

Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity is fully present in both forms.

Yeah that's what I learned.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

Covid-19 is not spread through saliva touching one's finger. I think the priest and all the recipients we're safe. Being extra cautious makes some feel better though.

And at the height of the plandemic, the Mass was cancelled anyway. So the spread issue via the Eucharist was moot.

Study Demonstrates Saliva Can Spread Novel Coronavirus | National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Apparently the Bishops knew this and stopped reception on the tongue.