The Communion Rite
Note: GIRM = General Instruction of the Roman Missal, editio typica tertia, 2002. ITTOOM = Introduction to the Order of the Mass: A Pastoral Resource of the Bishops’ Committee on the Liturgy, 2003. Read GIRM sections #80-89; 159-165; 182-183; 192-193; 237-249; 269-271. ITTOOM sections #125-140
Comments in italics are pastoral notes from Bishop Larry Silva, which are his pastoral suggestions but need not necessarily be followed.
The Lord’s Prayer
The Lord’s Prayer may be sung or recited, but its text should not be altered.
While the custom of holding hands during the Lord’s Prayer is practiced in some places, it should not be explicitly encouraged. I would not recommend explicitly discouraging it, either. However, the holding of hands should never be a distraction to the praying of the prayer, as when people are so concerned about joining hands that they are halfway through the prayer before they begin to focus on it; or when people think they have to do contortions to hold hands with people who are not near enough to them. It is the prayer that is important, not the holding of hands.
The embolism sung or said by the priest after the Lord’s Prayer and before “For the kingdom, the power...” should not be omitted.
The Rite of Peace
GIRM #82 states: It is, however, appropriate that each person offer the sign of peace only to those who are nearest and in a sober manner.
GIRM #154 states: The priest may give the sign of peace to the ministers but always remains within the sanctuary, so as not to disturb the celebration. (An exception follows, but it is an exception.)
In many places the Sign of Peace is not given “only to those who are nearest” nor is it always given “in a sober manner.” The point of this instruction is not to eliminate the Sign of Peace or to make it a joyless gesture. Its point, rather, is to put it in its proper perspective as a preparatory rite for receiving the Body and Blood of the Lord, which is present on the altar and merits the respect of not straying too far. It is also meant to emphasize the quality of the gesture rather than the quantity of people greeted.
Since the Sign of Peace is to be a very brief and “sober” rite, it should never be accompanied by music. Instead the musicians should simply exchange the Sign of Peace with those near them, and then be ready to begin the Lamb of God.
The placement of the Sign of Peace within the Order of the Mass is not to be altered. It is to be exchanged as a part of the Communion Rite in the place specified in the GIRM and the Sacramentary.
In places where the Sign of Peace is not given briefly and “soberly,” good catechesis should be given so that the gesture is given its proper perspective. The argument that the Sign of Peace is an indicator of the friendliness of the congregation should not serve as a rationale for prolonging the Sign of Peace. The friendliness of the congregation can be demonstrated in other ways, such as in an introductory time just before Mass begins, or by encouraging people to greet one another after Mass.
The Fraction
The chant “Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world...” properly accompanies the Fraction. The fraction should not begin until the Lamb of God chant begins, nor should the chant be unnecessarily delayed.
Only priests or deacons break the Body of Christ and distribute it from the central container into auxiliary containers.
Priest-concelebrants may be given the Sacred Host during the Fraction, but not deacons or extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion.
No one but a priest is permitted to communicate himself. If not a priest, he or she receives Communion from the priest or from another minister.
Holy Communion
A study several years ago indicated that 60 percent of practicing Catholics do not believe in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. This is obviously a problem we must overcome through catechesis and our manifest reverence for the way we speak of the Eucharist and handle it.
Some priests, deacons and lay faithful refer to the Eucharist as “bread” and “wine.” We should all develop the practice of speaking of the consecrated species with the proper terms, and not according to the substance they had before the consecration. When assigning Communion stations, for example, no one should say, “You serve the wine over there.” We never serve wine at Communion. We only offer the Blood of Christ. Similarly, we do not serve bread at Communion but the Body of Christ. Our language about the Eucharist is extremely important, and we should work to break bad habits we have developed over the years, since they may unintentionally diminish the value of the Eucharist in our communities.
In a similar vein, it should be taught that the Precious Blood is as much “Communion” or “the Eucharist” as is the Body of Christ. Often I have heard people say, “I’ll give Communion, and you give the wine.” This is clearly a grave misunderstanding that needs to be gently but persistently corrected.
Ordinary ministers of Holy Communion are bishops, priests and deacons.
Deacons should normally minister the cup.
Extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion should be carefully selected by the pastor. They must be fully initiated Catholics who faithfully attend Sunday Mass and who are living in conformity with the teachings of the Church. They should be carefully trained, not only for the practical matters regarding the distribution of Holy Communion, but most especially in a proper understanding of the Eucharist. Since they are extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, they should be trained to humbly step aside from their duties if an unexpected priest or deacon is present who can help with the distribution of Holy Communion.
Since the Communion chant is to begin when the priest celebrant receives Holy Communion, the question of when and how the musicians and choir receive Communion should be carefully planned by each parish.
Only priests, deacons, and duly appointed extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion may handle the sacred species. Servers should not (except, of course, to receive Holy Communion for themselves). The practice followed in some places of the server holding the communion vessel while the minister distributes Holy Communion is not acceptable. (Any exception to this — for example, if a priest is disabled and cannot steadily hold the hosts in one hand — should ordinarily be cleared beforehand with the bishop.)
Intinction is highly discouraged. If practiced for pastoral reasons, only the minister may intinct the Body of Christ into the Blood of Christ and place the Eucharist on the tongue of the communicant. The communicant may never intinct the sacred host in the Precious Blood. A server should hold a paten under the chin of the communicant to catch any unintended dripping of the Precious Blood.
The Body of Christ/The Blood of Christ
Ministers of Holy Communion should be taught to say “The Body of Christ” or “The Blood of Christ” when presenting the Eucharistic species to the communicant. Never should they say, “This is the Body of Christ,” or “Receive the Body of Christ.” The simple acclamation “The Body of Christ” has a double-edged meaning: 1) It is a statement about the reality of the Eucharistic species being presented; and 2) It is also a statement about what we become by receiving the Eucharist. Only the phrase “The Body of Christ” captures this double-edged meaning.
Disposition of the Communion Fragments
Fragments of the Body of Christ left over after the Communion of the faithful should either be reverently consumed at the altar, if there are few; or, if there are many, they should be placed into a covered ciborium and placed in the tabernacle by the deacon or priest. An extraordinary minister of Holy Communion may place them in the tabernacle if the tabernacle is not readily accessible to the deacon or priest.
Any remaining Precious Blood should be reverently consumed at the altar by the deacon or priest, with the assistance, if necessary, of one or more of the extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion. The Precious Blood should never be stored in the tabernacle and should not be poured down the sacrarium, the sink, or into the ground. [Exception: If the Precious Blood becomes contaminated in such a manner that it would be unsafe or unhealthy to consume, then it may be poured down the sacrarium (a special sink in the sacristy that drains directly into the ground and not into the sewer). Water should then be poured down the sacrarium as well to cleanse it.]
Communion for the sick and homebound
Some parishes have the custom of filling pyxes with sacred hosts, so that ministers can take them to the sick and homebound. If this rite is followed, it should be done either before the post-Communion period of reflective silence or song of thanksgiving, or just after it and before the Prayer after Communion. The Eucharist should not be left on the altar after Mass. A very brief blessing/dismissal may be given.
Those who take Communion to the sick and homebound should be carefully instructed in the reverent handling of the Eucharist and in the Rite for Holy Communion to the Sick. They should only take the hosts they will use that day and should never store the sacred hosts overnight.
Purification of Communion vessels
By decree of the Congregation of Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, confirmed by Pope Benedict XVI himself, only the priest or deacon, or an instituted (by the bishop) acolyte may purify the sacred vessels after Communion. The purpose of this purification is to remove any remaining traces of the Eucharistic species from the Communion vessels. It is not to be confused with the washing of the vessels, which can — and should — be done by anyone, but only after the vessels have been purified.
The purification of vessels may be done in any one of several ways:
A. After the remaining sacred hosts have been consumed or taken to the tabernacle and the remaining Precious Blood has been consumed, the vessels are taken to the credence table. There the deacon or priest quickly pours a little water into one of the vessels, swishes it around so that it washes away the remaining particles/residue, then pours the water into the remaining vessels and repeats the procedure. Finally, he drinks the water from the final vessel purified. He then takes a purificator and quickly wipes the inside of each cup, for the purpose of wiping off any remaining residue. Then he returns to his seat for the period of reflective silence or song of thanksgiving. [If there are not too many vessels, this procedure could be done at the altar.]
B. After the remaining sacred hosts have been consumed or taken to the tabernacle and the remaining Precious Blood has been consumed, the vessels are taken to the credence table and covered with a cloth. At a convenient time immediately after greeting the people at the end of Mass, the deacon or priest returns to the credence table — or to the sacristy, if the sacristan has moved the vessels there — and follows the purification procedures as specified in A above.
(If another Mass follows within a short time, consideration might be given to the possibility of having two sets of vessels, so that one can be placed out for the next Mass while the other awaits purification in the sacristy.)
C. If another deacon or priest who was not present at the Mass could be available, the vessels could be taken to the sacristy, and he could purify them while the Concluding Rite is celebrated. Then he can go out to greet the people.
After the vessels are purified — and after Mass — the Communion vessels should also be washed with soap and water and thoroughly dried before they are put away or put out for the next Mass. Once the vessels have been purified by a priest or deacon, this cleansing may be done by a sacristan, server, or anyone properly prepared.
For metal vessels, care should be taken to not completely immerse them in water if they are made in such a way that the water would be trapped inside, thus causing rust and erosion from within. A cloth towel is recommended for drying. The wood content of paper towels can serve to erode the metal over a period of time.
The manner of purification should be the same for all the priests/deacons of the same parish. Visiting deacons and priests should be briefed on the local procedures before Mass.
Post-Communion
A period of reflective silence or song of thanksgiving may follow after Holy Communion. No collection, announcements or presentations should be made until AFTER the Prayer after Communion.
If the choir sings a song of thanksgiving after Communion, they should not be applauded. It is not a performance, but a prayer in which all in the congregation should participate by listening in a meditative manner. [If there is a desire to recognize the choir or a soloist with applause, that should be done during the Concluding Rite, not during the period of reflective silence or immediately after the song of thanksgiving.]
Prayer after Communion
This prayer concludes the Communion Rite. It is not a part of the Concluding Rite, which begins AFTER it is prayed. The prayer should be prayed with all standing.