Written by Bridget Klawitter, Pastoral Associate

In the celebration of Mass, we raise our hearts, minds, and voices to God, but we are creatures composed of body and spirit; our prayer is not confined to our minds, hearts, and voices, but is expressed by our bodies as well. When our bodies participate in prayer we pray with our whole person, as God created us to be, and this engagement of our entire being in prayer helps us to pray with greater attention. The culmination of the Eucharist is in the sharing of Communion, a symbolic action so laden with meaning. Yet by its very name, “communion,” we can understand that the central message this action proclaims is our intimate union with Christ’s Body and Blood. Having prayed the Eucharistic Prayer as one united voice and having professed our kinship with each other in the Our Father, we become now what our words have been trying to say: we are one with the Body of Christ, present in the Eucharist, proclaimed in the Scripture, represented by the church’s minister, and embodied in the faithful who gather in prayer. Communion is our greatest act of solidarity with Christ and with all who have been claimed by Christ.

During Mass we assume different postures: standing, kneeling, sitting, and we are also invited to make a variety of gestures. These postures and gestures are not merely ceremonial. They have profound meaning and, when done with understanding, can enhance our personal participation in Mass. The rules for posture at communion may differ from one conference of bishops to another. In the United States, we have the option of receiving the Body of Christ on the tongue or in our hand. We also can receive Communion standing or kneeling, however, in the U.S. the norm is standing. In the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM), we are asked to make a sign of reverence before receiving Communion. The U.S. bishops  have determined that the sign we will give before Communion is to be a bow, expressing our reverence and giving honor to Christ who comes to us as our spiritual food. 

When receiving the Body of Christ in the hand, you should be sure that your hands are clean. After a bow of the head, when the minister says, “the Body of Christ,” you should reply “Amen,” in a clear voice and then place one hand, palm up on top of the other hand, creating a throne for Christ. It is not acceptable to reach out and take or pinch the host. We must receive it. Since we are handling something of great value, we should be respectful and reverent. If you are receiving on the tongue, you should reply, “Amen,” and then receive on the tongue. Consume the host immediately. 

When receiving the Precious Blood of Christ, after a bow of the head, when the minister says, “the Blood of Christ,” you should again reply “Amen” and as the minister hands you the cup, raise it and take a small sip. Hand the cup back to the minister, step back, and return to your seat to kneel in prayer.

While it is acceptable to receive either the host or the cup to receive the grace of the sacrament, you should reverence both the host and the cup with a bow even if you choose not to receive both. Why does all this matter? We respond “Amen” in a clear voice as a response of faith and belief that the host and wine are the real Body and Precious Blood of Jesus. We believe the liturgy we celebrate here on earth is a participation in the heavenly liturgy. The Book of Revelation describes worship in heaven when the Lamb of God (Jesus) is presented before the throne of heaven, and everyone falls in worship before him (Rev 5:1-14). As we kneel, we acknowledge that Jesus is truly present in the Holy Eucharist, and we kneel in worship before Him because Jesus is the King of kings and Lord of lords.