Q: Please help me answer this question. A parishioner asked me today a question on the Liturgy: why does the Church allow us to receive communion by hand, a thing we weren’t allowed to do in the past? What is the reason or message behind this change? Thanks for your help as always.
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A: The custom is quite ancient. Even the church fathers commented on it favorably in the 4th century. Communion in the mouth is a later development. When Jesus said, “Eat” and “Drink”, he surely meant it the way we usually do it in everyday life.