Friday, June 8, 2012

Mass Etiquette and the Real Presence




This Sunday we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, previously called or otherwise known as Corpus Cristi.   Just recently, as released through a Diocesan survey, a disturbing number of Catholics do not believe in the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist.  The real presence as taught by the Church is that there is no longer any bread or wine, just its appearance.  What is there is really and fully Jesus, in Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity, His whole person.

One could have more understanding in and that a Protestant would not believe in the real presence or believe in some some variation thereof, i.e. it is all symbolic or a combination of Jesus with the bread and wine, etc.  But, we are talking about Catholics.  I wish to do two things here, talk a little but about mass etiquette, in and how one should receive communion and secondly, why we believe what we believe and in the process hopefully answering some questions for those Catholics who do not believe in the real presence.

As a priest I am sometimes humbled in how people receive communion, they approach with reverence and joy.  Other times I am a little disturbed and annoyed.  There are two ways people can receive communion, one way is on the hands, and the other way is on their tongue.  Personally I prefer that everyone receives on their hands, though I would never force anyone not to receive on the tongue.   There are some priests who prefer to distribute on the tongue, there are others who do not, but either way all of us need to remain open to both ways, i.e. open to the people.  Getting back to my original points, here is what you are supposed to do when you approach the priest. 

    Everyone should be approaching reverently and joyfully, if it is your custom to bow, kneel, cross your arms, please do so, but please be aware of who is behind you and in front of you – don’t bump into people.

    If you receive on the tongue please put your tongue out so that I may place the Eucharist on your tongue.  Some folks leave their mouth open just so slightly with their tongue hidden.  Then I must struggle to place communion on your tongue.  In the process I accidently touch lips and teeth sometimes.  This is no good as it is both awkward and unsanitary for the next person, due to me reaching in for another host with the same fingers.

    Also, get closer to the priest so that I may reach you, sometimes people stay further than and arms length away from me, don’t worry I don’t bite.

    If you receive on the hands, place your left hand above your right, with both hands wide open, not cupped, wait for me to place the Eucharist on your hand and wait for my hand to be away from yours, then with your right hand take the body of Christ reverently and joyfully.

5    Do not receive with one hand or try to take the host from me; I will not give it to you.  If you are elderly, arthritic, or have any type of condition where that cannot happen I understand as do all priests and we will compensate.

    Also I am watching you even as you pass me to make sure you have received.  There have been times in my priesthood where someone has not immediately received but walks away with the host for a while, usually out of ignorance, I will break the line to make sure you consume it, in order to protect the sacredness of Holy Communion.  Let’s all avoid a potentially embarrassing situation.

    If you are aware of a grave sin or not in compliance with Jesus’ understanding of marriage or other states of life you should NOT receive.  The burden of receiving or giving communion does not rest with the priest unless one has publically dissented from the Church and or has been excommunicated; the burden for the most part is on the recipient.   A priest cannot judge someone’s heart or state of being.  But remember as St. Paul says, “Therefore whoever eats the bread and drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will have to answer for the body and blood of the Lord.  A person should examine himself, and so eat the bread and drink the cup.  For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body, eats and drinks judgment on himself.” (1 Cor. 11:27-29, NABRE)

This takes us into our next discussion, what do we receive?  If what we received was simply bread and wine, how in the world could bread and wine bring judgment on us, it’s just food.  However, if we are receiving a person, in this case Jesus, then if we receive him unworthily then yes, we would bring judgment on ourselves.
The problem here is that we priests have not properly catechized people.  Many times, we priests blame peoples’ faith, or their CCD education, or Catholic Schools, or whomever, but we rarely blame ourselves.  We know it, therefore everyone else should.  The main reason for people not knowing or understanding some point of their faith falls to us.  Obviously we are not people’s parents and parents have the greatest responsibility to raise their children in the faith, however, we priests have ample opportunities to visit class rooms, stop in at Rel. Ed. Sessions, at mass, at Youth Group, marriage preparations, etc., etc.

We also need your help, those who are here, who know the faith, to be able to spread it, teach it, and share it.  You cannot just say, “Go see a priest or deacon.”  If someone asks you why you believe in the real presence you should automatically know that your belief is based on Scripture, i.e. the Last Supper narratives from the Gospels, also John chapter 6 and  1 Corinthians 11.

A great scientist once said, “Faith without reason is superstition, reason without faith is dead.”  You can never say, “Because that is what I believe or simply because the Church says so.”  No good!  You must always be ready to give an account for what you believe! C.f. 1 Peter 3:15.

I have given you one logical argument why the bread and wine are really the Body and Blood of Christ; I will now give you some homework.  When you are home this week, read the Last Supper narratives, and especially read John chapter 6.  If you have questions we can meet and discuss them, for it is there and then, in our dialogue that we truly learn from one another, God bless you.

Fr. John

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