Swallowing the Eucharist?

The Church's teaching on the reception of Holy Communion matured over the centuries as the Church reflected on the marvelous gift of the Real Presence.

We see the emphasis on the Eucharist as sacrifice around the turn of the 2nd century; St Ignatius of Antioch states:

Be careful to observe [only] one Eucharist; for there is only one Flesh of our Lord Jesus Christ and one cup of union with his Blood, one altar of sacrifice, as [there is] one bishop with the presbyters and my fellow-servants the deacons.

Writing in 350 A.D. Theodore of Mospsuestia, in Homily XV wrote of communion in the hand, "do not approach with hands extended and fingers open wide. Rather make of your left hand a throne for your right as it is about to receive your King, and receive the Body of Christ in the fold of your hand, responding ‘Amen.’.... Take care that you do not even lose one piece of that which is more precious than gold or precious stones."

also: https://taylormarshall.com/2011/01/did-church-fathers-practice-communion.html

By the time of Saints Leo the Great (early 5th c.) and Gregory the Great (6th c.) Communion on the tongue had become normative.

 

EME updated. I attended a workshop at church today for Extraordinary Ministers, lectors etc. The name has been changed to Extraordinary Ministers of Communion. We are not to be referred to as Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist anymore. They said only Priests are Ministers of the Eucharist but lay people can be Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion. Ok, gotta get used to some new wording. But I was happy to hear receiving on the tongue is acceptable. It’s always good to have a refresher. I was happy to see they said to dress appropriately, too.

 

Hello Katfalls. In my diocese, we have always been referred to as EMHC (Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion).