I recently listened to another faithful Catholic's opinion that she shared on Instagram about the topic that Catholics don't treat the Eucharist like it's really Jesus. I have great respect for her and truly believe that she knows her stuff well; still, I disagreed with some of her points. And for conversation's sake, I don't believe that either of us is right or wrong. I believe the question is more about where we each are on our own faith journey.
The point that she made was that we don't treat Jesus - the Eucharist - as the Eucharist. And that, if we did, we wouldn't be touching him (i.e. receiving in our hands). I agree that we don't treat Jesus like he's Jesus but, to her second point... I have some questions.
But first, allow me to briefly share my own background. I vividly remember the first time I received on the tongue - it was the first time that I attended an Ad Orientum Latin Mass (I'm guessing I was in later Elementary school). I found it strange and uncomfortable - unfamiliar, truly - but within that I realized that it still felt so right to receive on the tongue and so I continued to almost exclusively thereafter. Until the pandemic hit.
When the pandemic happened, I began receiving on my hands again and I honestly wasn't sure if I'd go back to receiving on the tongue. My reasons were a valid recognition of growth that I still needed to experience: receiving on the tongue had always bothered me and the fact that it bothered me, bothered me. (Did you follow that?) My parents asked me some questions, mainly to elaborate, while my brother was amused that the fact that I was bothered bothered me. The reason for it was because I was aware that Jesus is the King of the Universe and that I should be falling flat on my face in his presence. It's a pride thing for me, I suppose (now that will be an interesting topic to raise with my new confessor!). That all being said, when I listened to this girl's take on it all, even though I didn't agree that if we truly treated Jesus like Jesus then we wouldn't be touching him, I actually decided to receive on my tongue again.
After two years of receiving on my hands during the pandemic, receiving on my tongue brought tears to my eyes. (I'm German/Irish, by the way. Tears do not come naturally to me so when I am moved to tears, I pay attention to what I'm feeling and why I'm feeling).
Here's my issue: She said that if we truly believe that Jesus is Jesus, then we wouldn't be touching him. I get that - she didn't mention it but a common argument there is that the laity don't have consecrated hands. But I'd like to note that neither did the apostles. During the Last Supper, they all received on their hands. Another time that comes to mind is the woman in the crowd who had faith that if she could even tough the hem of his garment, she would be healed.
Would we really not touch him? Because all I want is for Jesus to physically hold me close to his heart, to let me cry on his shoulder, to dance with me, to look at me the way a lover looks at his bride.
I have no problem with receiving on the tongue or on the hand. My loving challenge is this: if Jesus is truly Jesus, doesn't he want us to touch him?
