Why is There so Much Conflict Among Catholics When it Comes to Discussions of the Eucharist?

My most recent article, “Communion on the Tongue is an Apostolic Tradition, and Should be the Only Way to Receive the Eucharist” has been published for less than a day, and as I am writing this article it has 220 reactions on Facebook - 218 of which are positive. The comments on the other hand, have a fair amount of negative entries. Why is there such a conflict among Catholics when it comes to the Eucharist and what is considered reverence when receiving Holy Communion?

When looking at the comments, it became clear that the reason there is a conflict is because there is a difference in how the Eucharist is viewed - even among Catholics. Those who view the Eucharist as a commemorative meal, a re-presentation of the Last Supper, tend to favor or at least support receiving Holy Communion in the hand. Those who view the Eucharist as a re-presentation of the sacrifice at Calvary, as Jesus Christ giving us His Body and Blood from the cross, tend to favor receiving Holy Communion on the tongue.

If the Eucharist is simply and only a commemorative meal, then there is no reason why we should not just pick up the host and feed it to ourselves. This is why (outside of High Church Anglicans) Protestants receive communion in the hand. They do not believe that what they are participating in is anything more than a meal commemorating the Last Supper - and since Protestant ecclesial communities do not have valid Holy Orders, it is nothing more than a commemorative meal.

If the Eucharist is an unbloody re-presentation of the sacrifice at Calvary, then we should humble ourselves, kneel before Our Lord, present in the Eucharist, and allow Him, through the ministry of the priest in persona Christi (in the person of Christ), to give Himself to us - like He did from the cross. 

I once heard a priest refer to receiving the Eucharist as the ultimate altar call. For those unfamiliar with the Protestant practice, it is a time when people in a Protestant ecclesial community will come forward publicly and make (or renew) a spiritual commitment to Jesus. This priest said that when a Catholic approaches the altar rail for Holy Communion, they humble themselves, kneel before Christ - as St. Paul says in Philipians 2:10, “Every knee shall bow,” and say in their heart, “I give myself to Thee, who gave Himself for me.” Jesus wishes to give Himself to us in the Eucharist. By receiving on the tongue we passively wait for Christ to give us the gift of His Body and Blood. By receiving in the hand, we actively take the Eucharist on our terms.

When looking at the Catechism of the Catholic Church (promulgated by Pope John Paul II in 1992) and the Catechism of the Council of Trent (promulgated by Pope Pius V in 1566) there are two different understandings of the Eucharist. PiusV put much emphasis on the Eucharist as sacrifice. John Paul II speaks of the Eucharist as a sacrifice, but also speaks of it as the “Paschal Banquet.” John Paul II also speaks of the altar as both the “altar of sacrifice” and the “table of the Lord” keeping consistent with his notion of “Paschal Banquet.”

It is theologically accurate to refer to the Euchasrist as the Paschal Banquet. However, it would not be correct to stop there. We MUST recognize the Eucharist as Pius V did. The Catechism of the Council of Trent states, “As of all the sacred mysteries bequeathed to us by Our Lord and Savior as most infallible instruments of divine grace, there is none more comparable to the most holy Sacrament of the Eucharist; so, for no crime is there a heavier punishment to be feared from God than the unholy or irreligious  use by the faithful of that which is full of holiness, or rather which contains the very author and source of holiness.”

With regard to the Eucharist as sacrifice, the Catechism of the Council of Trent states, “With regard to the institution of this Sacrifice, the holy Council of Trent has left no room for doubt, by declaring that it was instituted by Our Lord at His Last Supper; while it condemns under anathema all those who assert that in it is not offered to God a true and proper Sacrifice; or that to offer means nothing else than that Christ is given as our spiritual food.” This is the theological error that Protestants are guilty of perpetuating - believing that Christ’s flesh is merely “spiritual food.” 

Unfortunately, in the post-conciliar era, many Catholics, even priests, lean more toward the Eucharist as “spiritual food” and less toward the Eucharist as sacrifice. If we believe that the Eucharist is truly the sacrifice at Calvary, that it is Jesus giving us His Body and Blood from the cross, we owe it to Him to kneel before Him as our King, and receive him in Holy Communion.

Another thing that just came to my mind. Perhaps, this is subtle, but it actually speaks quite loudly - as the words we use do mean something. I often hear those who favor Communion in the hand refer to the sacrament of the Eucharist as “taking Communion.” Whereas, those who favor Communion on the tongue refer to the sacrament as “receiving Communion.”

I will admit, the first time I did it, it was weird. I had been reading a lot of books on the liturgy and the sacraments published prior to the Second Vatican Council and the Eucharistic theology I was encountering was far different than what I had been taught growing up. I knew I wanted to receive on the tongue, I just didn’t know if I could bring myself to do it. I was still going to the Novus Ordo and I knew that I would be one of the few receiving in this manner. I debated with myself the entire time I was in line. By the time it was my turn, I knelt down and opened my mouth and patiently waited for Jesus to come to me. When I returned to my pew and reflected on my reception of the Eucharist, I realized receiving on the tongue felt more natural and also expressed my understanding of the Eucharist as sacrifice.

Those who read this article and think I am being “Pharisaical” or “trivial” for bringing up such “small” things when we have greater concerns facing the Church today, please do me a favor… the next time you go to Mass, kneel and receive Holy Communion on the tongue - just once. Afterward, ask yourself if reception of the Eucharist in this manner expresses your understanding of the Eucharist. Do you view the Eucharist as a banquet or do you view the Eucharist as a sacrifice? The answer should be both. However, the nature of the Eucharist as sacrifice takes precedence over that of the Eucharist as banquet.