I"m assuming the Apostles received communion in their hands directly from Jesus hands. Also I don't think they were kneeling on reception but then again... did they really totally believe Jesus was God? If you think about it...what part of your body do you ordinarily sin the most from...the hand...not so much...but your tongue...lies, blaspheme, cursing and gossiping almost everyday. I think the Church has got it right.
The highlight above, Timothius, is an interesting point well taken. I know that St. John Chrysostom (early 5th century) had the faithful make a throne of their right hand to receive the host, but they would not pick it up with their left hand, only with their tongue. Not too long after, reception on the tongue became universal out of profound respect for the Real Presence. Safe in the Father's Arms!
I'm not sure that is correct, because Jesus dipped the bread in oil before giving it to them, so it would have been on the tongue. Anyways, weren't the Apostles the first Bishops? So they would have had every right to hold the Holy Eucharist in their hands. +
This slightly off topic, but have any of you felt uneasy receiving communion from a layman/acolyte, when there's a really full mass? I've been in his line to receive communion and really wanted to switch over to the priests' line, but didn't want to cause a fuss. I feel that only consecrated hands should be abled to distribute the eucharist. Jesus has even mentioned it in a lot of his messages to various seers, that He only wants priests to do it. To make things even more difficult, it looked like the acolyte was only really used to distributing on the hand, but when I approached him with wanting to receive it on the tongue, he looked a bit uncomfortable with it, but he managed it in the end. Not sure if anyone else has experienced this.
Yes, I have. I will cause a fuss anyway because I wish only to receive from Consecrated hands. Many, many times I have moved over to the Priests line only to be scorned by others. This is not to say that if one feels it is right for them, then they should “do whatever He says”.
Yes..it just doesn't feel right. I may have to sit on the right side of the church from now on, as that's where the priests' line usually is.
I have. I have crossed from one side of the Church to the other to receive ftom the priest. I get looks. but I do it anyway.
Jesus understands the times we live in. He understands and knows our hearts and our will. I choose to receive from the priests and on the tongue when possible. But, I don't believe for a minute that Jesus would desire that we not receive him in Eucharist, if our hearts and soul were properly disposed in doing so, if we had to receive in the hand or from a lay person. This is not the Jesus I know. I see this issue as another indicator of our times. Things will get much much worse and receiving him at mass will become very difficult if not impossible soon enough. We will need to learn (if not already doing so) to making spiritual communions and calling on our Lord and his precious blood spiritually, in lieu of receiving Him sacramentally, which will soon be nearly impossible. What we have known and done is passing. These times will soon prohibit us from doing what we have done so freely in the past, as the Man of Sin draws closer and closer to manifesting himself. God will sort it all out and we must not loose hope through it all.
"But Archbishop Viganò encourages us to apply our duty to obedience only when it is in accordance with the Faith. Thus, obedience is conditional on what a Catholic is asked to do. For example, the archbishop states, “the faithful who refuse to receive Communion in the hand do not disobey their ecclesiastical superior, because that order is a sacrilegious abuse.” https://www.lifesitenews.com/blogs/...utm_source=editor_picks&utm_campaign=catholic +
It isn't sacrilege if receiving in the hand is the only option. Communion on the tongue should be the normal way to receive but the Church makes that increasingly difficult despite the official position. The responsibility for the loss of faith in the Real Presence is down to the Bishops who used Vatican 11 as an excuse to take a sledgehammer to altars and altar rails in churches and aggiornamento or whatever they called it to Protestantise the Mass. Now, they kneel to pagan idols as they continue looking for ways to eliminate all signs of reverence at Mass.
Abp Vigano said that the order to receive the Holy Eucharist in the hand is a sacrilegous abuse. And the faithful who refuse to do so are not guilty of disobedience. It may be official, but made by hierarchy who have no Faith in the Real Presence. The reality of people trampling on crumbs of the Holy Eucharist due to this abuse cannot be denied. And that is sacrilegious. +
That said, I do not receive in the hand, but Archbishop V is not the Pope and the Church has been receiving in the hand since St John Paul II. Read the directives issued by both Pope JPII and PE Benedict.
No matter what argument is made, I can boldly repeat: The reality of people trampling on crumbs of the Holy Eucharist due to the abuse of receiving the Holy Eucharist in the hand cannot be denied. That is, beyond any doubt, sacrilegious. How is one going to justify that on Judgement Day? +
