The Slippery Slope of Reception in the Hand
I have had something ratting around in my head for some time, and believe me it is something aside from the loose nuts and bolts. Ever since my return to Catholic Church, I have noticed, heard, and read about how many lay people and sometimes even priests do not reverence or even comprehend the True Presence of Christ in Eucharist. Many ideas have been put out from lack of catechesis, to the infiltration of Protestantism into Catholicism and an emphasis being put on the idea of banquet or table instead of a sacrifice. Depending on how one looks at the situation, there can be many factors which contribute to the current situation, but one that stands out in my mind and is MY personal opinion is what has transpired in the 50 or so years in the dealing with the Eucharist.
As I write this, please keep in mind that I am not pitting the Extraordinary Form against the Novus Ordo, but there cannot be denied that certain developments, such as the reception of the Eucharist in the hand have changed the perceptions for some as to Who is present and how He should be treated. I know that reading this some will exclaim that reception in the hand was practiced in the Early Church, and indeed it was, but the form was indeed different and the hands were purified before and after reception; additionally, reception in the hand was removed because of fear of abuse.
Back to Eucharistic reception, many people receive our Lord, and they fail to not that an act of reverence must be given before they receive. The General Instruction of the Roman Missal informs us that these gestures should either be a profound bow, or kneeling, yet on any given day a person can walk into a Mass and see that this is not necessarily being done, nor are those who fail to demonstrate the proper respect corrected. Prior to the reforms, the norm was reception while kneeling and upon the tongue. Presently, a person can receive upon the hand or tongue, but again this goes against the idea that consecrated hands can handle the Eucharist, for lay people are grabbing Him with their hands. The situation is further exacerbated when one considers that Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion are now common place, not just used in extraordinary case, and in my opinion this contributes to the slippery slope.
Once our Lord is not revered in the proper fashion and can be handled by unconsecrated hands there is a fundamental change in thinking. Further, if people can touch the host, what is to stop them from touching the sacred vessels? Nothing, and laity are seen handling them, including touching the very place where the priest hold and where sacred particles of the Host may remain. It would seem that many times in the Mass expedience becomes the key and for Holy Communion to be distributed as quickly as possible. This also brings to mind when the larger ciborium is “poured” out into others so that they may be passed to Eucharistic Ministers, and while this is done the Host is man handled and many fall upon the altar, and if they are lucky upon the corporal, but many times this is not the case.
Examples can continue to be stated, and I could go into the abuses which transpire, but the point is that once Eucharist is view and treated differently by priests, and in the happenings of Mass, there will automatically be a change of perception of Eucharist by the people and the way they act and interact. Once the Eucharist is treated in a fashion that is not tantamount to its divine nature and the respect due, people will react in such a way to it as they do to anything that is mundane.
The example should be set that our encounter in the Mass is nothing other than Christ himself, and that we are not worthy, but it is He who makes us so and invites us. We should be as children fed, and fed by none other than an Alter Christus and reflect gestures and demeanor that make this evident. If this is done, it is hard for anyone, especially children coming up in the faith to deny that what they are encountering is something otherworldly and that moment when Heaven meets Earth and Christ is among us, present in Body, Blood, Soul and Divity.
I plan on writing a bit more on this, but I don't want this piece to be too long.
As I write this, please keep in mind that I am not pitting the Extraordinary Form against the Novus Ordo, but there cannot be denied that certain developments, such as the reception of the Eucharist in the hand have changed the perceptions for some as to Who is present and how He should be treated. I know that reading this some will exclaim that reception in the hand was practiced in the Early Church, and indeed it was, but the form was indeed different and the hands were purified before and after reception; additionally, reception in the hand was removed because of fear of abuse.
Back to Eucharistic reception, many people receive our Lord, and they fail to not that an act of reverence must be given before they receive. The General Instruction of the Roman Missal informs us that these gestures should either be a profound bow, or kneeling, yet on any given day a person can walk into a Mass and see that this is not necessarily being done, nor are those who fail to demonstrate the proper respect corrected. Prior to the reforms, the norm was reception while kneeling and upon the tongue. Presently, a person can receive upon the hand or tongue, but again this goes against the idea that consecrated hands can handle the Eucharist, for lay people are grabbing Him with their hands. The situation is further exacerbated when one considers that Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion are now common place, not just used in extraordinary case, and in my opinion this contributes to the slippery slope.
Once our Lord is not revered in the proper fashion and can be handled by unconsecrated hands there is a fundamental change in thinking. Further, if people can touch the host, what is to stop them from touching the sacred vessels? Nothing, and laity are seen handling them, including touching the very place where the priest hold and where sacred particles of the Host may remain. It would seem that many times in the Mass expedience becomes the key and for Holy Communion to be distributed as quickly as possible. This also brings to mind when the larger ciborium is “poured” out into others so that they may be passed to Eucharistic Ministers, and while this is done the Host is man handled and many fall upon the altar, and if they are lucky upon the corporal, but many times this is not the case.
Examples can continue to be stated, and I could go into the abuses which transpire, but the point is that once Eucharist is view and treated differently by priests, and in the happenings of Mass, there will automatically be a change of perception of Eucharist by the people and the way they act and interact. Once the Eucharist is treated in a fashion that is not tantamount to its divine nature and the respect due, people will react in such a way to it as they do to anything that is mundane.
The example should be set that our encounter in the Mass is nothing other than Christ himself, and that we are not worthy, but it is He who makes us so and invites us. We should be as children fed, and fed by none other than an Alter Christus and reflect gestures and demeanor that make this evident. If this is done, it is hard for anyone, especially children coming up in the faith to deny that what they are encountering is something otherworldly and that moment when Heaven meets Earth and Christ is among us, present in Body, Blood, Soul and Divity.
I plan on writing a bit more on this, but I don't want this piece to be too long.
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