Holy Communion
In the Latin rite of the Church, Catholics can receive Holy Communion
make a reverent bow, as one would bow before a king. We do this
because we are about to encounter the King of kings!
The priest, deacon or Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion
gives the communicant the host and simply says, “The Body of
Christ.” The communicant responds with, “Amen.” If taken in the
hand, the communicant should consume the host immediately.
Many parishes offer Communion under what is called both species
– the bread and the wine. If that is the case, the communicant will
be offered the Blood of Christ, sip from the cup and return it to the
minister, who then wipes the rim of the cup immediately.
There may be times when Communion is offered under only one
species. This sometimes happens when there is a flu outbreak or
some other communicable disease. This is at the discretion of the
priest or bishop. When this happens, no one should feel shortchanged.
Divinity – in even the smallest particle of the bread or the wine,
and all the graces of the sacrament are there, too.
58
in two ways – directly on the tongue or in the hand. As
the person comes forward to receive Holy Communion, they
You see, Jesus Christ is present – Body, Blood, Soul and
Notes