Receiving (not taking) Communion: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 18:14, 11 May 2024

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Even from Catholics, one will commonly hear the Rite of Communion incorrectly referred to as "taking Communion."

A source of the confusion may stem from the verb "partake", which is used for reception of Communion by many Protestant churches. The use of "partake," however, is deliberately distinct from "recieve", along with the Protestant view of "sharing in" or "participating" in the Rite of Communion. This site is uninterested in apologetic debates, so we will not get further into the Protestant choice of words here, and, instead, focus on Catholic teaching of the Sacrament of the Eucharist and Sacraments in general.

Receiving Communion

Indeed, in the USCCB's (US Catholic Bishops) guide The Reception of Holy Communion at Mass the word "take" appears twice in reference to recieving the Sacrament -- but both in terms of its proper reception after moving the host from one hand to the other:

The host will then be laid in the palm of the left hand and then taken by the right hand to the mouth. If one is left-handed this is reversed. It is not appropriate to reach out with the fingers and take the host from the person distributing.

The word "receive" occurs nineteen times, always in terms of our participation in the Eucharist as recipients, and not "takers" the Lord's Body and Blood.

Gospel accounts of the Lord's Supper

As we see in the Synoptic Gospels, Jesus "gave" or instructed the disciples to "take" the Bread and the Cup from him (which means "receive from me") his Body and Blood:

Matthew:

and giving it to his disciples said, “Take and eat; this is my body." (Mt 26:26)

Mark:

and gave it to them, and said, “Take it; this is my body." (Mk 14:22)

Luke:

Then he took the bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them (Lk 22:19)

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-Even from Catholics, one will commonly hear the Rite of Communion incorrectly referred to as "taking Communion."  Indeed, in the USCCB's (US Catholic Bishops) guide [https://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/the-mass/order-of-mass/liturgy-of-the-eucharist/the-reception-of-holy-communion-at-mass The Reception of Holy Communion at Mass] the word "take" appears twice in reference to recieving the Sacrament -- but both in terms of its proper reception after moving the host from one hand to the other:
+Even from Catholics, one will commonly hear the Rite of Communion incorrectly referred to as "taking Communion."
+A source of the confusion may stem from the verb "partake", which is used for reception of Communion by many Protestant churches. The use of "partake," however, is deliberately distinct from "recieve", along with the Protestant view of "sharing in" or "participating" in the Rite of Communion. This site is uninterested in apologetic debates, so we will not get further into the Protestant choice of words here, and, instead, focus on Catholic teaching of the Sacrament of the Eucharist and Sacraments in general.
+== Receiving Communion ==
+Indeed, in the USCCB's (US Catholic Bishops) guide [https://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/the-mass/order-of-mass/liturgy-of-the-eucharist/the-reception-of-holy-communion-at-mass The Reception of Holy Communion at Mass] the word "take" appears twice in reference to recieving the Sacrament -- but both in terms of its proper reception after moving the host from one hand to the other:
   The host will then be laid in the palm of the left hand and then taken by the right hand to the mouth. If one is left-handed this is reversed. It is not appropriate to reach out with the fingers and take the host from the person distributing.
 The word "receive" occurs nineteen times, always in terms of our participation in the Eucharist as recipients, and not "takers" the Lord's Body and Blood.