Fr. Todd 6/7/26 Bulletin Article

Dear Sacred Heart and St. Mary on the Lake,

                 We celebrate the feast of Corpus Christi in which we celebrate the gift of Jesus’ presence in the Eucharist.  I love meeting with our little kids preparing for their first Holy Communion and asking them how much of Himself Jesus gives in the Eucharist.  All of Himself.  Then to ask how much of ourselves we are meant to give to Him when we receive.  All of ourselves. 

On this weekend I wanted to share part of this article from Fr. Luke Spannagel.  

“We are receiving the gift of Holy Communion and not taking this gift for ourselves, a truth we emphasize in the posture we observe as we receive the Sacred Host. For those receiving in the hand, we hold our hands steady with an open palm throne to receive Our Lord truly present. For those receiving on the tongue, we are still as we wait for the placement of the Sacred Host on the tongue.

How about some practical tips? Absolutely! As I mentioned above, one great way of being in the mode of “receiving” is to stay still as the minister brings the Host to you. As a practical note, I have often noticed that some people will lunge forward toward the Sacred Host, or at times those intending to receive on the tongue will even bite the host or lick upward. For those receiving in the hand, I have noticed that sometimes people will already be closing their hand before the Host is placed there. I presume these might be ways of trying to help the minister; however, it truly is easiest and perhaps the most prayerful if you remain still until Jesus in the Sacred Host comes to you.

For those receiving in the hand, Fr. Oury notes that St. Cyril offers instruction: “When you approach, do not come with palms of the hand spread flat, nor with fingers wide apart… [M]ake him a throne with your left [hand]. In the hollow of your hand receive the Body of Christ and answer: Amen… [C]onsume [The Host] and be careful that none of it be lost… Tell me, if you were given some grains of gold, would you not guard them with the greatest care so as not to lose any one of them and be the poorer? Should you not be even more careful not to let drop the least particle of what is more precious than gold or precious stones”? (The Mass, pp. 121–2; Mystagogical Catechesis 5, 21). St. Cyril reminds us to have a worthy reception of the King of Kings, certainly both in receiving him well and also in honoring his presence in even the smallest fragments. St. Cyril invites us to examine our hands and fingers for any particles of the Eucharist after we have received Our Lord.

  One last practical tip might be to think about what you are saying when you say, “Amen.” I encourage you to make it a vigorous Amen, reminding yourself that word means, “Jesus, I believe you are really here.” This Amen is an important prayer of faith at the moment of receiving Holy Communion. Charles Belmonte reflects further on the Amen: “Yes, Lord, I believe. I love and I hope in you. I know my time of waiting is over, for my hope is now made into a reality which fulfills the deepest needs of my faith and my charity. You are mine, and I am yours… My soul worships you in stillness” (Understanding the Mass, p. 187). Let us make this beautiful prayer of faith our own, the next time and every time we say Amen and receive the Body and Blood of Our Lord Jesus!”  https://www.eucharisticrevival.org/post/72-how-to-receive 

God Bless,  Fr. Todd