The Right Way to Receive Holy Communion

Perhaps this might seem rudimentary for some, but I can tell you it's something we need to talk about.  I don't think it matters where you live, the problem is there- some Catholics simply don't know the right way to receive the Eucharist.

To be clear, the Church desires that everyone to receive Holy Communion.  (Wait, don't call me a heretic yet.) However, the Church wants everyone to receive Holy Communion the right way.  (See, I'm not a heretic.) Receiving the Eucharist is a big deal.  It's such a big deal, that there's all sorts of rules about it and we don't just let anybody do it.  Things like nuclear power plants, space shuttle launches, and British royalty are other examples of big deal things with a lot of particular rules.  (Yes, that was quite random, but you get my point.)

Before talking about how to receive Holy Communion properly, let's talk about being properly disposed first.  If you're not properly prepared, then you shouldn't receive Communion.  This means being free from mortal sin and having followed the communion fast (in addition to being a practicing Catholic).

Being free from mortal sin is self-explanatory: don't commit grave sin.  If you happen to, then refrain from receiving Communion until you've been able to make Reconciliation (Catechism of the Catholic Church 1415).  An extra reminder of this is needed in the United States where the tendency is for everyone to automatically get up and go to Communion.  It's rare for someone to stay behind in the pew- they might even get funny looks if they do.  In many other parts of the world, not everyone goes to Communion and it's more common to see people remaining at their seat.  Is it because there are more sinners in other countries?  I doubt it; I think they are just being more mindful about being properly disposed.

Following the communion fast is also something that needs emphasis.  For Latin rite Catholics, this means refraining from food and beverage for one hour before receiving the Eucharist (Canon 919).  Some people say this means they can eat up to 30 minutes before Mass starts since the Communion rite is typically 30-45 minutes into the liturgy.  Personally, I prefer to refrain 1 hour from the start of the Mass.  It's weird to walk into a Church on a full stomach.  Besides, what if a daily Mass takes only 25 minutes, then eating 30 minutes prior doesn't work! 

So now let's talk about how to receive Holy Communion.  Having served as an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion in different parts of the United States, I should say that for the most part Catholics do this well.  However, there have been times where I've done a jaw drop or double take because someone didn't receive Communion properly (and I suspect they were regular attending Catholics).

With the decree Norms for the Distribution and Reception of Holy Communion Under Both Kinds in the United States of America, the USCCB permits the reception of Holy Communion in the hand.  The decree refers to St Cyril of Jerusalem who wrote:

"When you approach, take care not to do so with your hand stretched out and your fingers open or apart, but rather place your left hand as a throne beneath your right, as befits one who is about to receive the King. Then receive him, taking care that nothing is lost."  (Paragraph 41)

Unfortunately, the contrary does happen.  As a Eucharistic Minister, it's gut wrenching when the sacred host is snatched out of my hand, or if the communicant casually shuffles the sacred host from the palm to the finger tip of the same hand like a poker chip before they shoot it into their mouth.  On the other end of the spectrum, I'm also not a fan of waving the host in a large cross-like fashion before consuming it.  That might seem pious, but the best thing to do is to just place the sacred host in your mouth- you don't get more grace by doing anything else.

Removing the chewing gum from your mouth before receiving is also advisable!  (Why would you want anything in your mouth besides the Eucharist?)

It's necessary to point out that while receiving Holy Communion in the hand is permitted by decree in the United States (and many English speaking countries), it isn't the norm in the rest of the world.  So for Americans traveling internationally, never assume that you can receive in the hand where ever you go. Follow the norms of the local place. If you don't know them, then play it safe and receive on the tongue. If you're not used to it, it's actually quite reverent.

Lastly about receiving in the hand, parents should make sure their kids are receiving Communion correctly. It's hard for the minister when you have an 8 year old holding his/her hands down at their waist. (The minister can't see the hands when they are that low and then has to bend down.) Whether you're a child or an adult, the communicant's hands should be held up and out, closer to the ciborium or patent so that the sacred host doesn't have to travel far.  This way, there is less risk of the Body & Blood of our Lord falling to the ground.

There's much more that could be said, but I'll conclude by talking about the appropriate response to the prompt, "The Body of Christ" or "The Blood of Christ."  It isn't silence.  It isn't "We are," or  "Yes it is," or even "Thank you Jesus."  The best response is "Amen."  I know- it's simple, yet profound.  It's also what the Church asks us to do.

Here's some neat Catholic cocktail party talk:

Want to know why the first meal of the day is called breakfast?  For hundreds of years, the communion fast started at midnight before receiving Holy Communion.  So people would get up early, go to church, and then break their fast with eating afterward.  This was also one of the reasons why Mass would be said so early in the morning.  Many people still remember this.

In 1953, Pope Pius XII reduced the communion fast to refraining 3 hours for food, 1 hour for beverage, primarily for when Mass was going to be celebrated in the evenings (which was a new thing back then).  Pope Paul VI reduced the fast on November 21, 1964 to what we observe today.