January 21, 2024

Some time ago, I was aimlessly flipping through social media, a habit I am trying to kick, and I came across a video from two young women at what looked like a Catholic Mass. At first, the two laughed in the pew, and then the phone switched to a view of the priest distributing Holy Communion with the caption, “my sister bit the priest when he put the cracker on her tongue.” Now, there is a lot wrong with this scene. The actions of the young women are awful, obviously, along with their misunderstanding of what and who they were receiving in Holy Communion. First, pray for these young women, and secondly, reflect on one of our Lord’s last words on the cross: “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.” – Luke 23:34 There is a lot to say about how much work there is to do to rebuild reverence around Holy Communion, but that isn’t the main focus of this article.       

What I want to talk about today is what is often on my mind when distributing Holy Communion. I can only imagine what was going through the priest’s mind in that video – especially if he saw them laughing after the fact! I hope never to encounter something like that. The distribution of Holy Communion is genuinely a sacred time for me. I am very intentional when raising the Consecrated Host to the height of the person’s vision so that while I look the person in the eyes, I can also see the Consecrated Host. In this way, I can reflect momentarily on how the person standing before me reminds me of the same God who is within the Consecrated Body and Blood. You become who you receive, and I get to see you and Him simultaneously. In a beautiful way, this double vision works in reverse – when you look at the Consecrated Host and me, you might see the resemblance between the two.  

While it is nice to reflect on the relationship between the one receiving the Eucharist, the one distributing, and the one who is received, there are other practical realities I feel I must consider while distributing Holy Communion. Over several years as a Eucharistic minister, first as an Extraordinary minister and then as an Ordinary minister,  I have grown accustomed to keeping an eye on the person who has just received to ensure that the Consecrated Host has been consumed. It isn’t unheard of for a Consecrated Host to ‘just walk away’ to be put in someone’s pocket, left in the pew, or even stuck inside a hymnal (I have experienced all three). You can help alleviate the concern (not that I am concerned that any of our regulars would just walk away), but placing the Consecrated Host in your mouth is still good practice before turning away. This more intentional motion also limits the possibility of dropping the Host.  

We receive the Eucharist so often that we might forget what a special occasion it is. I ask that you take this opportunity to consider what it is that you are thinking about when you receive the Eucharist?

Two parishes, One Heart,

Fr. Adam