WHEN I SAW THE HOST FALL ONTO THE PATEN
Today at Holy Mass I went to receive Holy Communion, knelt down and went to receive Holy Communion on the tongue. I held my head back, saw the priest raise the Sacred Species over my head and then watched the Host roll between his finger and thumb and onto the round, gold paten that was being held so perfectly in front of the priest by a trusty altar server. There the Host was, on the paten, and both me and the priest let out a restrained gasp. The priest is so exactingly diligent in his execution of the Traditional Latin Mass that this was something that never normally occurs. Then he didn't hesitate to take It from the paten and put it on my tongue.
Over the past 23 years I've assisted at thousands of Traditional Latin Masses, in parishes in my native Ireland, several places in England and America, and all over Southern California. This has never happened to me before, or anyone that I've known. After Holy Mass, when I was with my friends, and I told them about this, they audibly gulped. We had all piled into a car and gone to a High Holy Mass which was so exalting we thought we levitating - we were not - but we felt we were. We were like Charlies and his grandfather in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory after they drank the fizzy lifting drinks. One friend is a convert and so holy that I'm learning so much from her deportment at Mass.
It will stay with me for the rest of my life; the sight of the Host falling in the middle of the paten that glowed. It begs the obvious question; what would have happened had the paten not been there? I won't get pedantic, we all know the answer.
Technically the paten is meant to collect falling Particles of the Eucharist, but it can have an emergency purpose. And yes, that sounds melodramatic, but nonetheless true.
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The classic painting of the Blessed Mother receiving Holy Communion which accompanies this post was executed by Johann Andeas Wolff.
Sometimes, I think Jesus gives us a little glimpse of the reality of Holy Mass just when we need it, or if we have become complacent (not that you are - I speak of myself!) It is a wonderful and awesome feeling!
ReplyDeleteI am an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion at my Novus Ordo parish and have been for the last 23 years. I also assist in bringing the Blessed Sacrament to a local hospital, which is quite large and located in the midst of my heavily-Catholic area of the United States. I go weekly to the hospital to assist the chaplain (a priest from Africa of the Apostles of Jesus Order - he puts in 16+ hour days hearing Confessions, distributing Communion, comforting patients and families, celebrating a hospital-wide Mass that is broadcast to the patients and staff who cannot attend, and administering the Sacrament of Anointing, among other duties). I normally have at least 50 or more on my list of Catholic patients to visit, which takes nearly 4 hours since we pray together. I once had to consume a host that had been in the patient's mouth when she realized she could not swallow it, and I consider that a special blessing. It is an undeserved honor and privilege that I do not take lightly, and I assist at the pleasure of and under the direction of my bishop and pastor.
My parish uses large, deep ciboriums for Holy Communion, and our people may receive standing or kneeling, on the tongue or in the hand. I was taught to hold the ciborium under the chin of the Communicant if he is receiving on the tongue, or under the hands if he is receiving in the hand, specifically to prevent the Body of Christ from falling to the ground or being mishandled. I have never personally experienced a problem with the Blessed Sacrament being dropped, and I do my best to ensure it does not happen.
God bless and protect all here!
I am sure I would have gasped, too, had that happened when I was about to receive Holy Communion. And I would have probably thought of it frequently, at least through the day.
ReplyDeleteAs I was receiving one Sunday, the Priest went to place the Host on my tongue and it seems Jesus lept off of my tongue. I was so afraid I happened to open my hands and He amazingly fell directly into my hands. The Priest and Alter Server were shocked as much as I was. It was incredible.
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