Church Etiquette Part II - The Communion Line

Bulletin Column – January 26, 2020

            And now for Part II of “Church Etiquette”!

            To pick up the theme from a couple weeks ago, church etiquette is important! And one of the times it is most important is in the Communion line. How we receive Our Lord gives Him the dignity and honor which is His. But there are some things to remember as we approach the most sacred moment of the Mass.

            Our first big decision is whether to receive on the hand or on the tongue. Which one is the more ancient tradition? Actually, reception on the hand is more traditional; it has been around since the early Church. Listen to the words of St. Cyril of Jerusalem, writing around 350AD:

            In approaching therefore, come not with your wrists extended, or your fingers spread; but make your left hand a throne for the right, as for that which is to receive a King. And having hollowed your palm, receive the Body of Christ, saying over it, Amen. So then after having carefully hallowed your eyes by the touch of the Holy Body, partake of it; giving heed lest you lose any portion thereof; for whatever you lose, is evidently a loss to you as it were from one of your own members. For tell me, if any one gave you grains of gold, would you not hold them with all carefulness, being on your guard against losing any of them, and suffering loss? Will you not then much more carefully keep watch, that not a crumb fall from you of what is more precious than gold and precious stones?

            Other Church Fathers bear witness to the early Church custom of reception of Communion on the hand. For example, St. John Chrysostom writes, “Tell me, would you choose to come to the Sacrifice with unwashed hands? No, I suppose, not. But you would rather choose not to come at all, than come with soiled hands. And then, thus scrupulous as you are in this little matter, do you come with soiled soul, and thus dare to touch it? And yet the hands hold it but for a time, whereas into the soul it is dissolved entirely.” Another Church Father, St. Basil the Great, wrote: “And even in the church, when the priest gives the portion, the recipient takes it with complete power over it, and so lifts it to his lips with his own hand. It has the same validity whether one portion or several portions are received from the priest at the same time.” So the more ancient and venerable tradition is to receive Holy Communion in the hand.

            However, the Roman church also developed, by the sixth century, the tradition of reception of Communion on the tongue. This spread to the rest of Europe by the ninth century. So, reception on the tongue AND on the hand are both venerable traditions (not modern liturgical inventions!). The choice is up to you.

            But how do we receive in a manner worthy of Him Whom we are receiving? Here is where the etiquette comes in!

IF YOU RECEIVE ON THE HAND:

- Make sure your hands are clean! The Lord should not have a dirty throne on which to rest!

- Have nothing else in your hands. No car keys or gloves if you wish to receive the King of Kings.

- Receive Holy Communion, don’t TAKE Holy Communion. Often I get over-anxious people who try to grab our Eucharistic Lord out of my hands. Don’t do that!

- Make sure that Our Lord does not leave crumbs upon your palms. See St. Cyril’s instruction above – treat Our Lord with more respect than you would treat a handful of gold dust, which we would preserve with total care!

- Place your left hand flat upon your right to make a throne. Don’t receive with one hand (even if you have a baby in your other arm – in that case, please receive on the tongue!). And don’t make your hands into a small pocket for me to drop Our Lord into.

IF YOU RECEIVE ON THE TONGUE:

- Open your mouth wide enough. This is a major problem at St. John’s – I often have to “thread the needle” to put Our Lord in between two barely-opened lips.

- Stick out your tongue. This is the only time it would be appropriate to stick out your tongue to a priest! Make sure your tongue is out because I don’t want to go into your mouth (you’d be surprised how many people just open wide but without a tongue to place the Lord upon). My apologies for being so graphic, but this is how we must receive!

- Don’t lunge for the Eucharist, bite, or otherwise move around. Sometimes I feel like I’m trying to hit a moving target. Even worse are those who think they must lunge forward to bite the Eucharist out of my hands. Stay still, people!

FOR ALL RECEPTION OF COMMUNION:

- No gum! Jesus should not have to fight for mouth-space with Juicy Fruit.

- Make sure your soul is prepared! We should not be receiving Communion if we have a mortal sin on our souls (such as intentionally missing Mass on Sunday, sexual sins, or getting drunk/using drugs). If you are unable to receive Communion, you are welcome to stay in your pew or to come forward with your arms crossed for a blessing.

- Bow reverently before receiving! The Church has specified a bow as the proper action before reception of Communion – not a curtsey or genuflection or sign of the Cross.

- Say “Amen” – and nothing else! Recently I had a parishioner make a comment about my homily before receiving Communion – right there in the Communion line! Other responses I’ve gotten include: “Thank you” or “Praise to You, Jesus” or “Hi, Father Joseph!” None of these are appropriate for the reception of Holy Communion!

            In summary, church etiquette is most important for that most sacred moment when we are sacramentally united to God Himself in the Eucharist. There is a right way to receive Him – and a hundred wrong ways to receive Him. Out of respect for Him and the Church, let’s follow these few brief rules of etiquette so that we might not distract ourselves or others (or bite the priest in the Communion line!)