• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Corpus Christi Watershed

“What earlier generations held as sacred, remains sacred and great for us too…” Pope Benedict XVI (7 July 2007)

  • Our Team
  • Pew Resources
    • Brébeuf Catholic Hymnal
    • Jogues Illuminated Missal
    • Campion Missal, 3rd Edition
  • MUSICAL WEBSITES
    • René Goupil Gregorian Chant
    • Noël Chabanel Psalms
    • Nova Organi Harmonia (2,279 pages)
    • Lalemant Polyphonic
    • Saint Antoine Daniel KYRIALE
    • Roman Missal, 3rd Edition
    • Emporium Kevin Allen
  • Miscellaneous
    • Site Map
    • Saint Jean de Lalande Library
    • Sacred Music Symposium 2023
  • Donate
Views from the Choir Loft

True Devotion to Jesus

Guest Author · October 29, 2014

EGARDLESS OF WHAT Catholics may disagree about, it is undisputed that we should be devoted to Jesus. In fact, we can even claim that devotion to Jesus should be our only concern. This isn’t to say that we can’t also be devoted to the Blessed Virgin, Bible reading, or the poor among us. However, asking for the prayers of people much holier than we are, learning more about Old Testament prophecies fulfilled in the New Testament, or serving those less fortunate are not ends in themselves; they are various means of being devoted to Jesus.

Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, so any Catholic who engages in a moment of reflection would want to avoid any situation that would bring about irreverence to Him, and, on the positive side, go out of his way to be as dedicated to Jesus as possible. So, if you were told of a new way of dealing with Jesus that has inherent dangers, such as loss of reverence for Him or distortion of His very identity, you would immediately reject that way of dealing with him, right?

Well, in that case, we should all refuse to take Holy Communion in the hand. The Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar is Jesus Himself, so the way we receive this Sacrament is the way we receive Jesus Himself. Further, Blessed Pope Paul VI stated in Memoriale Domini that the new practice of laypeople taking Jesus in their hands carries certain dangers, such as loss of reverence and adulteration of correct doctrine.

One of the major obstacles preventing many people from seeing this is that taking Communion in the hand has been presented to them as the norm. They’ve grown up at the mercy (or, more accurately, the mercilessness) of catechists whose cacophonous coaching has resulted in a general lack of respect for the Church and Her Founder, Jesus Christ. Where reverence once ruled, casualness holds sway. Everyone can now take Jesus in their un-anointed hands and give Him to themselves, perhaps dropping some particles of the Sacred Host to the floor along the way.

This is no exaggeration. In fact, it’s a mild rendering of what takes place. Communion in the hand is a practice that facilitates sacrilege like no other, because it places God Incarnate under the unrestricted whim of any person who wishes to present himself for the Most Holy Sacrament. Stealing hosts is very easy with Communion in the hand, a fact which should motivate any faithful Catholic to reject the practice—especially in light of the recent sacrilege stories at Harvard University and in Oklahoma City.

While Paul VI warned about the dangers of Communion in the hand, he also praised the practice of receiving Holy Communion on the tongue “not merely because it has many centuries of tradition behind it, but especially because it expresses the faithful’s reverence for the Eucharist.” He explained that receiving Holy Communion on the tongue “does not detract in any way from the personal dignity of those who approach this great sacrament: it is part of that preparation that is needed for the most fruitful reception of the Body of the Lord.”

For whatever reasons, most of us seem to find it easy to remember that “whatever we do to the least of these” (see Matthew 25) we also do to Jesus, but we overlook what should be obvious without any explicit declaration—namely, that whatever we do to Jesus, we do to Jesus. In other words, the way we receive Holy Communion is the way we deal with Jesus directly—the same Jesus who will be our judge after death. Will our judge have any legitimate complaints against us regarding the way we have received Him? If so, isn’t it time to repent and change our casual or outright irreverent ways so that we become truly devoted to Jesus?

We have two basic ways to receive Jesus sacramentally, one of which is praised by a beatified pope, the other warned against by him. One is promoted, the other merely allowed, and that allowance is valid only under certain conditions. (See the Memoriale Domini link above for the conditions.) Which of the two practices will be chosen by the person who wants to show the greatest reverence? In answering this question, be sure to remember Rule Number 1 of true devotion to Jesus: whatever we do to Jesus, we do to Jesus.


We hope you enjoyed this guest post by Trent Beattie.

Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: On the Manner of Distributing Holy Communion, Pope Paul VI Communion In The Hand Last Updated: January 1, 2020

Subscribe

It greatly helps us if you subscribe to our mailing list!

* indicates required

Primary Sidebar

Corpus Christi Watershed

Quick Thoughts

    26 January 2023 • FEEDBACK
    “Jeff, I wanted to personally thank you for your spiritual witness at the Symposium & often blogs that you write too. Praying that prayer in the mornings My God, my Father and my all (by Cardinal Merry Del Val), mentioning saints’ stories of Brébeuf, Jogues, John Vianney, monks who fought in WWII, their hard work in spite of terrible conditions, their relentless zeal for the faith, their genuine love for the laypeople they served, etc. Overall though—more than anything concrete I can point to that you did or said—it was your demeanor at the Symposium. I could tell you really absolutely love and believe the Catholic Faith. You don’t get that everywhere, even in Church circles. And your humility is what then makes that shine even brighter. It is super inspiring! God is working through you probably way more than you know.”
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Symposium Draft Schedule Released!
    Those who head over to the Symposium Website will notice the tentative schedule for 2023 has been released. This is all very exciting! Very soon, we will begin accepting applications, so please make sure you have subscribed to our mailing list. If you are subscribed, that means you'll hear announcements before anyone else. (It’s incredibly easy to subscribe to our mailing list; just scroll to the bottom of any blog article and enter your email address.)
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Good Friday Polyphony by L. Senfl
    The editor of the Sacred Music Magazine recently made available to the public this splendid article by our own Charles Weaver. It includes an edition of polyphony for the GOOD FRIDAY “Reproaches.” Renaissance composers often set the various offices of Holy Week; e.g. readers will probably be familiar with the beautiful TENEBRAE setting by Father Tomás Luis de Victoria (d. 1611). From what I can tell, Ludwig Senfl (d. 1543) was originally a Catholic priest, but eventually was seduced by Luther and ended up abandoning the sacred priesthood.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

«In the same quarter where he was crucified there was a garden.» (John 19:41) — The word “garden” hinted at Eden and the fall of man, as it also suggested through its flowers in the springtime the Resurrection from the dead.

— Fulton J. Sheen

Recent Posts

  • 26 January 2023 • FEEDBACK
  • Symposium Draft Schedule Released!
  • What is the Tonic Accent?
  • Good Friday Polyphony by L. Senfl
  • PDF Download • 1909 “Modern Notation” Gradual (Extremely Rare) — 712 Pages

Subscribe

Subscribe

* indicates required

Copyright © 2023 Corpus Christi Watershed · Isaac Jogues on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

Corpus Christi Watershed is a 501(c)3 public charity dedicated to exploring and embodying as our calling the relationship of religion, culture, and the arts. This non-profit organization employs the creative media in service of theology, the Church, and Christian culture for the enrichment and enjoyment of the public.