A generous donor allow us to restore St. Joseph Church’s altar railing in 2014. I had it removed in 2004!
These photos are from St. Joseph School’s first Mass of the new school year.
The new pastor there now uses the altar railing at all Masses for the Lord to process to communicants.
Even receiving on the hand’s palm while kneeling is more reverent looking, would you not agree!
21 comments:
It is more reverent but he should instruct the children that the normative practice is receiving on the tongue.
“The hand’s”? What? Of what belonging to the hand do you speak? Or am I being “to” picky?
Obviously it is not how it looks which matters, but the reverence impressed on the heart by the act of kneeling.
Formality engenders respect, while casual engenders casual neglect leading to disdain at worst, and unthinking reception at best as folk concentrate more on hustling out of the way of the robotic assembly line and already moving when received. Where is the love of God in that? How long does it last, if there at all? How many other times during the week does it come at all?
"Mr.Dangerfield", the only consecrated hands there are the priest's. Your hands are not, and generally they are dirty, which is not a proper receptical for our Lord prior to communiom, and unless you absorb food through your hands via osmosis, nor are you communing with them, and you may as well be using your feet.
At my small parish, my recent Confirmation class began (the class) receiving standing and in the hand. That is how they were taught a few years ago, under an older lady "catechist." I quickly taught them to receive kneeling and on the tongue. Within a few weeks, they were receiving our Eucharistic Lord much more reverently. A year later, they still do (under the other "catechist," Confirmation was it. They never returned). In June, we just had a good number of children receive their First Holy Communion. We strictly taught them to receive Jesus, kneeling and on the tongue. I explained that the Church allows the "other way," but that it is not a respectful way to receive Holy Communion and that our hands should never touch the Eucharist for many reasons. Now after seeing the two recent classes of young people receiving Holy Communion kneeling and on the tongue, the vast majority of our parish receives this way. Only those over about 65 and those who are more liberal-minded still receive standing, while taking their "cookie." As a 43 year old man, it makes me angry at the priests and sisters I had teaching me in the 80's and 90's. If I had an orthodox teaching of Catholicism back them, instead of 1970's crap, then I would have stayed away from mortal sin and not have left Holy Mother Church for 13 years. Anyway, most of you are much smarter than I am, so feel free to critique me.
From then-Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger:
"Well, here again we know that until the ninth century Communion was received in the hand, standing."
"That does not of course mean that it should always be so. For what is fine, sublime, about the Church is that she is growing, maturing, understanding the mystery more profoundly."
"In that sense the new development that began after the ninth century is quite justified, as an expression of reverence, and is well-founded."
"But, on the other hand, we have to say that the Church could not possibly have been celebrating the Eucharist unworthily for nine hundred years."
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In regard to supposed dirty hands:
From Cardinal Ratzinger:
"Thus we should not forget that not only our hands are impure but also our tongue and also our heart and that we often sin more with the tongue than with the hands."
Pax.
Mark Thomas
Regarding the "consecrated hands " of the priest...
If the hands of Joseph and Mary were sacred enough to cuddle their newborn son in the stable at Bethlehem, then the hands of the parents who embrace and cradle in their arms their newborn children are sacred enough to receive the Body of Christ in communion.
If the hands of Joseph of Arimathea and Mary and the other disciples present were sacred enough to touch the body of the Lord as it was taken down from the cross, then the hands hospice workers and family members who hold in their arms and caress with their hands the dying are sacred enough to receive the Body of Christ in Communion.
If the hands of Veronica were sacred enough to wipe the sweat and blood from the face of Jesus, then the hands of the grandmothers and grandfathers who hold babies born with drug addiction in hospital nurseries are sacred enough to receive the Body of Christ in Communion.
If the hands firefighters are sacred enough to grasp and save those about to perish in house fires, then those same hands are sacred enough to receive the Body of Christ in Communion.
If the hands of pediatric oncology nurses and doctors are holy enough to ease the suffering of children during chemotherapy, then those same hands are holy enough to receive the Body of Christ in Communion.
I am shocked you did not include my urologist!
the hands of the abortionist destroying human life are sacred to the democratic party, just ask Nancy Pelosi
Father Kavanaugh,
Your post this morning is tremendous. Your post is profound and uplifting spiritually.
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I have never received Holy Communion in the hand. But in line with Holy Mother Church, I recognize the validity of that practice. As then-Cardinal Ratzinger noted, Communion in the hand, standing, is the Church's ancient, traditional practice.
Pax.
Mark Thomas
What have been the “fruits” of re-introducing communion in the hand?
Let’s see… oh yeah, only 30% of Novus Ordo, church going Catholics believe in Christ’s Real Presence in the Eucharist. Been a real “blessing”. 🙄
Two lefties having a love fest! Awe
Yet ad Pope Benedict he reintroduced the kneeler and Holy Communion on the tongue because Communion in the hand in his judgment was an inferior practice and undermined belief in the Real Presence
Fr. Kavanaugh,
I am not dismissing your points but offer this point for additional consideration.
The beloved disciple St. John reclined at the breast of the earthly Jesus but fell down as if dead when encountering our glorified Lord.
TJM @ 1:40.
Correct 👍
Dave - I don't know what that has to do with the Communion in the hand question.
2010 A.D., Light of the World, with Peter Seewald:
Pope Benedict XVI:
"I am not opposed in principle to Communion in the hand; I have both administered and received Communion in this way myself."
Pax.
Mark Thomas
Pope Benedict XVI, 2010 A.D., Light of the World:
"I am not opposed in principle to Communion in the hand; I have both administered and received Communion in this way myself."
I have never received Holy Communion in the hand. I do not plan to do so for the remainder of my life on earth.
But to me, the bottom line is that Holy Mother Church teaches that Her ancient, traditional, manner of administering Holy Communion in the hand, standing, remains 100 percent valid today.
That is fine with me. I accept that teaching.
Pax.
Mark Thomas
Fr. Kavanaugh,
You gave examples of how while Jesus was on earth, people often approached Him as they would any other man. In the presence of Jesus’ glorified body, John’s response shows reverence.
Dave, I don't think you are suggesting that we should fall down as if dead when we approach communion. That would be . . . awkward, to say the least.
Both examples of John's behavior represent true respect for the Lord. The circumstances of the encounters are different, but in both instances, John is showing respectful love for the Lord Jesus.
I do not share the view that receiving on the tongue is, intrinsically, more respectful than receiving in the hand. True faith in and respect for the gift of the Eucharist is shown in the way we live our lives. Many of the most faithful Catholic I know, the people who give powerful witness every day, are daily communicants and receive our Lord in their hands.
Fr. Kavanaugh – Yes, we agree that John’s response is different and appropriate when he encounters the glorified Christ. This was the intended main point of my posts that we should consider John’s response (in Rev. 1.17) when he encounters the glorified Christ as we prepare ourselves for our encounter with Him in the Eucharist. It is my understanding that we are saved from falling down as dead because of the veiled presence, but we are encountering the same Lord. This does not discount also reflecting on His earthly life and how He made Himself approachable.
I prefer kneeling and receiving on the tongue (it feels more reverent to me) but will receive on the hands when the situation does not lend itself to my preferred method. I realize there are many faithful Catholics who receive by the hands and live extremely holy lives.
Dave - I am glad you have a preferred method.
What many here do not recognize is that their "preferred method" is not necessarily normative, nor should it be.
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