Bigger Fish to Fry

We abstain from meat at a parish fish fry by enjoying a heaping plate of fries, crispy double-battered haddock with tartar sauce and a coke on ice during the closing penitential season of Lent. Well, at least we’re getting ourselves and others to follow the abstinence from meat.  We have to ask ourselves about another often-overlooked issue, the “small potatoes” of Eucharistic reverence.

Many of us who attend the Novus Ordo Mass have wondered why so many are going “trad,” that is, seeking Masses that offer the traditional practices fully, or partially combined in the Novus Ordo.  Partly it’s because the particulate of The Eucharist is all-so-important when the priest is cleaning the holy vessels, and the Eucharistic ministers wash their fingertips, but it’s seemingly not so important when pieces of Christ’s body fall onto the floor, even with the “throned hand” gesture in reception.

With the traditional reception on the tongue, accompanied by the auxiliary paten, we don’t face that irreverence. Yes, there is the saying of the ancient Eastern Saint, Cyril of Jerusalem, that explained hand reception, but since those early times, more reverence was developed by the Church over the centuries – if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!

In 348, St Cyril gave this instruction to his congregation:

When you approach Holy Communion, make the left hand into a throne for the right, which will receive the King.  With your hand hollowed, receive the Body of Christ and answer ‘Amen.’

I was once told by a priest, “Stand up, keep the line moving”.  When I knelt to receive.  I forgot about that all-important “stand up” part! There seems to be sort of a “divide-and-conquer” mentality; the need for speed. When four Eucharistic ministers are needed to distribute the Eucharist to 150 parishioners versus one priest and perhaps a deacon, we have a problem. My late heroic grandmother Angelina (with swollen ankles and all) would gladly wait in line with a wincing smile, I can assure you, God rest her soul.  Honestly, the rate of standing isn’t all that different since one doesn’t stand until ready to go up anyway.

I recall attending Mass in a Basilica basement years ago.  One holy lady used to wait until after the congregation and priest cleared out, then she picked the tiny fragments of The Host off the burgundy red carpet and consumed them.  Yes, one could see the stark contrast of the white Host crumbs against the dark red carpeting.  Perhaps that woman could be likened to a modern-day St Tarcisius, that early Christian boy martyred for carrying the Eucharist to prisoners.

However, Jesus is more concerned with us being kind to one another, so don’t worry about such matters.  I can assure you, those who have no issue dropping the particulate of Christ in The Eucharist would consider another as “unkind” or “irreverent” if they were to leave their shoes on when visiting their home with fine Oriental carpets, or not using a plate and dropping crumbs when eating hors-d’oeuvres while standing at their dinner party.

Well, time to get ready for Mass. Uh-oh; I accidentally ate an Oreo 15 minutes before Mass, not a big deal, even though my forefathers and mothers fasted the night prior for 12-plus hours.