Protecting the Eucharist

The Eucharist is truly a gift to us. In fact, it’s a continuation of Christ’s total gift of self that began with his incarnation, came to its culmination on the cross where he died for us, and continues to be present to us under the appearance of simple bread and wine. Because the Eucharist is such a precious gift to us, it must be treated with respect.

One of the gifts of the Holy Spirit that is infused within us at baptism, and sealed in the sacrament of confirmation, is piety. Piety is giving God his due worship and revering him as His child. The gift of piety should be expressed in our participation at Mass, where we encounter the Lord in a profound way, namely in receiving His very Body and Blood.

In 2004, at the direction of Pope St. John Paul II, the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments published an instruction entitled Redemptionis Sacramentum concerning the proper celebration of Mass. This instruction sources much of its rationale from, and builds upon, the Second Vatican Council’s Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium.

Within Redemptionis Sacramentum is the call for the Communion paten for the reception of the Eucharist by the faithful to be part of the vessels used at Mass. That document states, “The Communion-plate for the Communion of the faithful should be retained, so as to avoid the danger of the sacred host or some fragment of it falling.” (RS 93). Out of this call to protect Our Lord in the Eucharist, beginning next Sunday, we will begin a gradual rollout - at select Masses - the use of the Communion-plate (a.k.a. paten) to be held by an altar server under the hand or chin of each communicant as they receive the Most Blessed Sacrament. Unfortunately, there have been multiple incidents at our parish where the Sacred Host has fallen to the ground. When this happens, we must recognize that it is not merely bread that has fallen, but God Himself. Just as we would be horrified if a baby were to fall to the ground from someone’s arms, so too should we be horrified that Jesus’ body might fall to the ground in front of us.

Outside of the practical benefit, the use of the paten may also assist our faith. For those who believe, it reminds us of the reverence that is owed to Our Lord. It could also assist those who do not believe in assenting to faith in the Eucharist. For if we show reverence to the small particles of the Sacred Host, it may impress the heart of an unbeliever enough to believe. Additionally, the patens we are using have been with the parish for many years, so they connect us today to the inestimable treasure of OLMC’s history, where many of our parents or even grandparents attended Mass, perhaps receiving Holy Communion with the same patens present. If you have any questions regarding this, please do not hesitate to reach out to me at liturgy@olmctempe.com.