Receiving Communion

Q. People do different things when they receive communion. Some bow, use the sign of the cross, genuflect, some receive in the hand, others on the tongue. What is the correct form?

A. The General Instruction on the Roman Missal which directs the way we as priests and people celebrate the mass calls for each person who approaches communion to ” bow his or her head before the Sacrament as a gesture of reverence.” The norms set forth by our American bishops and approved by the Holy See are as follows:

“The norm for reception of Holy Communion in the dioceses of the United States is standing. Communicants should not be denied Holy Communion because they kneel. Rather, such instances should be addressed pastorally, by providing the faithful with proper catechesis on the reasons for this norm.

When receiving Holy Communion, the communicant bows his or her head before the sacrament as a gesture of reverence and receives the Body of the Lord from the minister. The consecrated host may be received either on the tongue or in the hand at the discretion of each communicant. When Holy Communion is received under both kinds, the sign of reverence is also made before receiving the Precious Blood.”

As I wrote before about standing throughout the time while all are receiving communion, we should be mindful that this action during the mass is not a private one, like passing though the drive-through window at McDonalds, where one is only feeding himself or others in the car. We are gathered to worship God together. As the word implies, communion is about our communion with Christ in communion with others. I strongly encourage those who come to communion to think of others as well as themselves in the way they reverence the Eucharist. Gestures have social meanings, such as holding one’s hand over the heart during the pledge of allegiance. Putting personal piety ahead of the piety of the community seems to contradict the full meaning of communion.

As for receiving the Eucharist in the hand or on the tongue, the “discretion of the communicant” leaves it to the individual. On the one hand, I mind it when someone tries to snatch the host from the minister or does not consume the host immediately. On the other hand (no pun intended), you should be aware that, even with the best of care, placing the host on the tongue will sometimes result in saliva being passed from one person to the next. Personally, receiving in the hand seems appropriately reverent and sensible.

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