Dear Friends in Christ:

 

We have moved past our study of the Bread of Life Discourse (John's gospel, chapter six) for five weeks, but the Holy Spirit compels me to address a few things that I have noticed in the last two months at Mass. I would normally address these topics in a homily, but since we alternate the homily schedule at St. Alphonsus, I didn't have that ability in the two weeks that I was able to preach about the Bread of Life.

 

The first topic is our response when we come up to receive Holy Communion. The proper response is an audible "AMEN." Sometimes, people don't say anything at all. And when that happens, I am tempted to simply pull the host away from them until they say, "AMEN." The word Amen means several things: yes, I believe, so be it. When we leave the pew and move forward in the Communion line, we should be thinking about how God so loves us that He chooses to meet us in the most intimate way possible at the base of the altar. And if you are in the proper mindset, and in the state of grace to receive such an intimate gift, then your response at the words, "The Body of Christ" and/or "The Blood of Christ" such be an overwhelming "AMEN." When we don't even say that word, it says a lot about where our mind might be during Mass, or what we may not even believe to be true to begin with. Saying "Amen" at Communion is a public declaration of faith--it is our altar call each week in the Catholic church, along with professing the creed together as a group.

 

The second topic that I would like to address regards reception of Communion when you are holding a child. Reaching out with one hand to receive Communion and popping it into your mouth like it is popcorn or trail mix is not reverent, nor proper. There is also the high possibility that you might drop the Eucharist since you are not using both hands. If you are coming up to receive Communion and you are carrying a child, please receive Communion on the tongue. That way, we do not have to worry about the Eucharist falling to the floor. Dear friends, for 60 years, we have been taught overwhelmingly about receiving Communion in the hand, but in most countries of the world, this is not the norm. We [in America] love to pride ourselves on being different, progressive and "cutting edge" with many things; but in my humble opinion, Communion in the hand can be very irreverent and casual in our day and time, and we wonder why so many people don't believe that the Eucharist is the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Christ! Well, the way that we receive Communion says a lot about what we believe, and those who witness what we do over time are influenced in their belief, too... Especially our children! If I were carrying a child, I would not want any possibility of dropping the child because I'd love that child and would not want to harm them. But what about the Eucharist? Would I really want to entertain the possibility of dropping the Eucharist, either? It is very simple to open your mouth and allow the Communion minister to put the host on your tongue. If you come to me in the Communion line and you are carrying a child, please know that from this point forward, I will insist on putting the host on your tongue. The same principle will apply if you are walking with a cane, or you are wearing a cast on your hand, etc. It is safer for you and most reverent for Christ that you receive on the tongue if you are hindered from fully controlling the actions of both of your hands.

 

Finally, I want to address something that I have needed to do EVERY week since being at St. Alphonsus... And that is having to interrupt the Communion line to chase people down and confront them about consuming the host that I have given them. If you receive the Blessed Sacrament in your hand, take one small step to the side and place the host into your mouth immediately. DO NOT walk away with the Blessed Sacrament, or take five or six steps before you decide to place it in your mouth.  You will look suspicious to me and I will stop and follow you, to make sure that you received the Blessed Sacrament. For those of you who feel so compelled to bring Communion to the back of church, this is not proper either... It is the responsibility of the trained and appointed Eucharistic ministers to bring Communion to those who cannot come forward.

 

Dear friends, we live in a day and a time when people come to a Catholic church and wish to smuggle the Eucharist away for satanic rituals and desecration, or people come up and they are unfamiliar with Communion and the beliefs of our church, and they simply receive the host and walk away with it. And when the church is being cleaned, we find hosts tucked away in the missal holders and in the pews. Frankly, many of us priests are getting tired of having to protect the Blessed Sacrament from these abuses.

 

I want everyone reading my article this week to sincerely ask yourself, "Am I receiving Communion reverently? Am I guilty of one or more of the things that Fr. Jason brings up?" If you are a parent or a grandparent, when was the last time that you had a family conversation about the proper way to receive Communion with your children? Let's all work together to make Communion a more reverent time during Mass.

 

As your priest, can I hear an "AMEN?”