Holding God in our hands

Posted: 07.17.09

In the ‘60s, when I was in high school, I was very moved by an incident which a priest recounted in a homily regarding the nature of the Eucharist. He said that a man approached him for prayers and specifically asked the priest “to remember me when you hold God in your hands.” At first, the priest thought the man’s words were very poetic, but then immediately realized the man was referring to the priest’s holding of the host at Mass once it had become the body of Christ.

At that time, the long-standing custom of receiving the Eucharist only on the tongue was still the practice. More recently, as a result of the liturgical changes since the Second Vatican Council, we now have the option of receiving the Eucharist in the hand. Many of the faithful have also been commissioned as extraordinary ministers of holy Communion and have the great privilege of distributing the body and blood of the Lord. All of us can truly hold God in our hands and this awesome ability reminds us of the great respect we must show toward the Eucharist. Pope John Paul II in his encyclical on the Eucharist, “Ecclesia de Eucharistia,” (“Church of the Eucharist”) beautifully expressed, “There can be no danger of excess in our care for this mystery.”

It is appropriate for us to reflect upon the care and devotion we should exhibit in reverencing and in receiving the presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Once consecrated, the bread and wine are not symbols for Christ – they have become Christ. Only the appearance of bread and wine remain and Jesus Christ – body, blood, soul and divinity – is fully present before us as our food for life, and to be worshiped and adored as Our Lord and God. We truly hold God in our hands and should be filled with joy and awe at this tremendous gift of God’s infinite love.

When we come into a church, the first thing we should do is to pay respect to the Lord’s real presence in the tabernacle. The usual manner of doing this is to genuflect before the Blessed Sacrament unless we are prevented by age or disability. Of all the deference we may show to others, the one we show to the Blessed Sacrament is unique, as before us is the presence of our God and Savior. In his Letter to the Philippians, St. Paul tells us that “at the name of Jesus every knee should bend” (Phil 2:10). Moreover, St. Paul tells us that this should happen because for us, “he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross” (Phil 2:8). Out of love for us, Christ truly bends his knee before us. Out of love and respect for him, we should do the same. As we genuflect, it is appropriate to reflect that Christ is doing the same before us.

Spending time before Christ present in the Blessed Sacrament is another way to show our respect and love for his great gift. When we love someone, we spend time with that person. We share of ourselves and the person does the same with us. Many times we do not have to use words. The same is true in our relationship with Christ who is present in the Blessed Sacrament. We spend time with him in adoration and devotion, and silence is sometimes our best form of communication. In a letter to priests at the beginning of this Year for Priests, Pope Benedict XVI used the example of St. John Mary Vianney, the saintly Curé of Ars, in this regard. The pope quoted the saint’s words: “One need not say much to pray well. We know that Jesus is there in the tabernacle: Let us open our hearts to him, let us rejoice in his sacred presence. That is the best prayer.”

Receiving the Eucharist is a powerful means of growing in our relationship with Christ and of helping us to grow in virtue and grace. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that “Holy Communion separates us from sin” (1393). It states, “The Eucharist cannot unite us to Christ without at the same time cleansing us from past sins and preserving us from future sins” (1393). At the same time, the catechism emphasizes, “Anyone who deserves to receive Christ in eucharistic Communion must be in the state of grace. Anyone aware of having sinned mortally must not receive Communion without having first received absolution and the sacrament of penance.” (1415). This teaching is an important element of our understanding of what the Eucharist is and of the respect it deserves.

Our respect and reverence for the presence of Christ in the Eucharist must be evident in the manner in which we receive it. Our response of “Amen” should be affirming and coming from a deep spirit of faith which recognizes that Jesus Christ is before us. Whether we are receiving on the tongue, or in the hand or accepting the chalice, we should do so with careful reverence, respect and love, realizing that we are holding God in our hands. The words of St. Cyril of Jerusalem in his “Catechetical Lectures” are appropriate: “Approaching, therefore, do not come with your wrists extended or your fingers open; but make your left hand as if a throne for your right, which is about to receive the King.” A nonbeliever observing us receiving Communion should immediately see that we are holding something most precious.

Another sign of respect for the Eucharist is the eucharistic fast. Except for the infirm, we are to abstain from any food and drink for a least one hour before holy Communion, with the exception of water and medication. This is a minimum requisite of law which points to the deference we are to have to the Lord’s presence in the Eucharist. Some of us can remember the time when we had to abstain from midnight of the night before.

We have a great gift and mystery in the Eucharist. The Lord has entrusted himself to us out of love and literally places himself in our hands. May we grow in love and appreciation for this sacrament of sacraments. God shows his infinite respect and love for each one of us in this wonderful mystery. Let us do the same for him.

Return to the Diocese of Palm Beach Front Page