Communion: Hand or Tongue? Allowed or Sacrilege? - Explaining the Faith 

Please bring back the communion rail so we can worship and adore and receive the body and blood of Christ with reference and humility Amen 🙏

I'm from India. Recently our Parish Priest spoke on this and requested everyone to receive Holy Eucharist on the tongue. I'm so happy because in many Churches, Holy Eucharist is distributed only in the hands.

My reverence for the Holy Eucharist has become so intense since I’ve decided to only receive from consecrated hands and only on the tongue.

I believe the reason for the lack of belief in the true Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist began when people started receiving in the hand. It's time to go back to the tongue only.🙏🙏🙏🙏

I’m going to start receiving Communion on the tongue. I’ve never done it before. I’m 52 years old and we were trained to receive in hand in my generation.

Father Chris, I was a lukewarm catholic my whole life, and it is with great gratitude that I tell you that you have saved my life. Thank you so much, truly. These explaining the faith videos literally ignited my love for the catholic faith, and there's no going back. I'm spreading these videos around as much as I can. You have no idea how many souls you are saving with all these videos. You are a blessing to this generation of people who are deprived of knowing the truth of God. Never in history has there been so much crucial knowledge heavily researched, easily available, and summarized for us in such a great way. I would bet that almost none of the people watching these videos would have learned any of this otherwise. When it is your time to go to heaven, God will give you the entire list of souls that you helped save because of all your talks, and it's gonna be a loooooooong list! ❤️

Last year, I received holy communion in my hand. While attending many masses I would see parishioners receive holy communion on the tongue. I spoke to a friend about this as I saw her receive on the tongue. Month after month and day after day, I felt the Holy Spirit working through me. I made the choice last year to only receive holy communion from our priests. The next strong feeling was for me to only receive Holy communion on my tongue. And for several months now, I feel so much closer to our Lord. My hands will never be used to receive my Lord. I encourage you to make the change in your life's. God bless my sisters and brothers 🙏

My reverence for the Holy Eucharist has become so intense since I decided only to receive by kneeling and tongue like our Ancestors and all the Saints... But with my real experience the Most hurtful is that the Bishop of Lucena (Province in the Philippines) rejected me to receive the Holy Eucharist in the most reverent way. Please pray for his real conversion and to love Jesus truly. 🙏

In 2021 our local bishop celebrated my daughter’s Confirmation Mass. before the Mass started it was announced that no one was allowed to receive on the tongue due to COVID concerns. Luckily our local priest did not deny us when we kneeled before the Eucharist. But the people in the Bishop’s line had to receive on the hand. The Catholic Church is suffering! We need good and Holy Shepards!

This is what I have observed in my 93 years of Catholicism. What amazes me is that when we had communion rails, not everyone in the church received our Lord in communion. Once the communion rails were removed, everybody in church comes up for communion. The sad thing is when I went to confession on Saturdays, only 10 to 15 people were there to confess their sins 😢.

Great video, back in 2016 Christ asked me to renew faith in the Eucharist. I had no idea how to do it, so I just started receiving kneeling and on the tongue, going to confession more. Etc… life completely changed. Mother Angelica was a massive help. The crisis of the faith would not be so crazy if we understood sin and respected the Eucharist.

Father i grown up in Việt Nam all people received communications on the tongue when I came to United State 25 years ago I started to received by hands and not on knees. But 4 Years ago. I asked God if he wants me to receive him hand or tongue? Then I got many dreams after that “ I received holy communion on the tongue in kneeling. And God show me that my hand was dirty can’t touch him. From there I receive on my tongue and kneeing. One time on my birthday when I received holy communion I tease the fragrance in my tongue and it last all day. It smells so good that only one time in my life. It’s amazing.

Absolutely knocked it out of the park, Fr. Chris!!! Deo Gratias! Such a needed talk for our times, especially during this National Eucharistic revival. Praying your intensive labor bears much fruit!

Communion on the tongue is the right one Fr. Chris. Thank you.

I am a convert for five years now. I have been catechized by traditional sources, and I am only familiar with the Latin rite that I was able to attend during travels. Thanks to what I learned from Father Alar, that it is sinful to avoid the Novus Ordo if it is available, I went to a local Novus Ordo Mass this morning (after going to confession regarding streaming the Mass for years instead of going personally). I have never once received in the hand, and I wasn't going to begin today. I was the ONLY parishioner to receive on my knees and on the tongue. Thanks be to God, the priest did not refuse me. It is so awkward to get up and down in a dress without a communion rail!😅

I was very embarrassed for receiving on the tongue, and became so self-conscious that I couldn't focus on receiving on the tongue. When I could receive on the hand, I was able to focus on my reverence. But lately, I have started receiving on the tongue again, and it was because of talks like these. The idea that pulled me over the fence was the line: "Worship God the way He wants to be worshipped" - together with the idea from CS Lewis, that God is an infinite being, so He gains nothing by us worshipping Him. So the only reason He would want us to worship Him, is for our own sake.

Fr Chris, amazing talk. This video needs to be watched by every Catholic, both lay and ordained. Thank you 🙏🏻 ❤

We use communion rails 🙏❤️🙏 not only high reverence but efficient. Thank you Fr. Chris you are in our prayers daily. God bless and keep you.

I am a cradle orthodox Catholic and your teaching is so informative! Thank you, Father, for your teaching spirit and reaching so many people; when parish priests seem to either not know these church teachings, themselves, or just fail to shepherd their flock in providing important teachings of the faith. Thank you very much!! May God bless you and hold you in His precious love.

As an 83 year old cradle Catholic I’m delighted to listen to your podcast. Hopefully my priest is open to reception on the tongue. Thank you.

Thank you Fr. Chris for the enlightening talk. May God bless you and all the Marian priests and family.

Listening from the Philippines. Great to hear that Fr. Alar is coming here in July. It would be a great honor if I and my wife will be allowed to listen to Fr. Alar in person. Fr. Alar plays a vital role in my reversal back to faith after being disaffiliated for over 30-some years. We learn a lot about the Catholic faith from Fr. Alar's "Explaining the Faith" series.

We were at a mass at the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem and a friend was embarrassed because the Brother shook his head NO when she tried taking it on her hands. After mass she was flustered with embarrassment, I told her that I tried to never get it other than on my tongue. And on my knees even though I have a bad knee and can’t kneel for more than a few seconds. The Sacrament deserves my respect and bit of pain I suffer when I do this.

Good morning Father Chris, I’m an Australian citizen, but from Filipino origin. And I’m on my holidays here in the Philippines right now, and attend mass almost every day. We have a priest here that does exactly what you said. Sometimes he just sits and lets all the EUCHARISTIC ministers do the distribution of OUR LORDS most precious body. I get upset especially he lifts our LORD with one hand when he does the doxology. I’m about to go to mass now because it’s Sunday morning here and my house is one minute away from our LORDS holy temple. I pray for his conversion. GODBLESS you father Chris🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏 You are an inspiration to the world. You are always in my prayers. Thank you♥️🙏

Fantastic talk Father Chris. I'm in Palm Springs California and we have been asked NOT to receive on the tongue. They are still using covid as an excuse. Please pray for us🙏

I am from the Philippines and I am saddened that we are to receive the Communion on the hand. I do agree it is sacrilegious to accept Christ on the hand. I am praying that receiving Christ on the tongue to be practise again. It is only recently I realized this, too

Thank you, Father Chris, for a good talk. I WISH that the church brings back the tradition of kneeling to receive the Eucharist.

Hi Fr. Chris! I am a Marian Helper from the Philippines. I asked our parish priest when we could receive Holy Communion on the tongue. He said, there isn't a go signal yet. He added what matters is we receive Him with reverence. It's such a sad thing we are not allowed yet. 😔🥺

Thank you so much for this video! I have been waiting for someone to completely explain this for years. It was perfect. God bless you. I totally wish communion rails would be back.

Father, I will be offering my fasting and prayers for our parishes in the Philippines to start returning the communion rails and allow people to receive Holy Communion kneeling and on the tongue. Your talk has been a great blessing. ❤ God bless you

I am watching this from the Philippines.🇵🇭 I Will start to receive the Holy communion on the tongue again. Due to Pandemic, this has been the Practice in Church.

Ty🙏 Father Chris, I understand it better now. I was confused when I was denied communion on my tongue and had to receive it on my hand. I wanted to walk out‼️ but I didn’t want to lose my Grace in not receiving my King 👑 We need to continue to Pray🙏🧎‍♀️🙏 May God continue to Bless you and protect you always♥️ Jesus I Trust in you♥️🙏♥️🙏

Thank you Fr. Chris!✝️🕊 May God bless you and the Marians abundantly always!❤

Dear Father Chris, you are saving millions of souls one of them is Me.. Thank you and God bless

Growing up, I always recd communion on the tongue. Priests at that time refused to give it in the hand in my country. After moving to the US, it seemed like it was always given in the hand and I didn’t know better and recd it in the hand for almost 2 decades 😢 Thanks to videos like this I realized the error and actually reverted back to only receiving in the tongue since churches reopened June 2020. I’ve found a supportive priest who doesn’t hesitate and changed parish so that I will be able to receive the communion on the tongue ..am now a daily communicant 🙏🏼

I wish we would get our communion rails back and receive on the tongue...I remember and loved kneeling at the rail to receive

Thanks so much, Fr. Chris. I have been receiving communion by tongue after Fr.Chris’s Saturday talk previously.

🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻Fr. Alar, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU for speaking the TRUTH!!! even as difficult as that is for Priest now days 😪😪😪

For He alone is worthy! He deserves the greatest respect and reverence.. Let's go back to traditional!🙏🙏

Love it. Thank you ! This confirms my strong beliefs and my actions for the last 25 years. Yes, I encountered an old priest that kept me waiting on my knees for a few very long moments (!!) in front of the congregation - before administering the Holy Communion on my tongue - trying to make me stand up (!) for the Communion. Horrifying experience (Oh. woe!).

Thank you Father Chris. Yes let's pray 🙏 that things change for true reverence for our lord and the eucharist.

I am a 69 year old grandmother and great grandmother who has always received my Saviour on my tongue . Now since COVID we not allowed to receive on our tongue . I cry sometimes when I can not show my Lord the reverence when receiving his body Thank you for this show . 🙏🙏💓

This is personal to me, I was refused by a priest in my parish to receive on the tongue. So, I found another church that gives you the option. I will share this.

THANK YOU Fr. Alar! You answered ALL my questions related to receiving the Eucharist. Like many people, I would prefer to kneel when receiving our Lord, however, if I did, getting up would be a real trial & take a lot of time. So... I'm all for bringing back the Communion rails!!

I’m Filipino Catholic! Born in Quezon City Philippines near Manila! I hope you’re going there Father!

Several questions that I keep were answered in today’s talk, thank you, Fr. Chris. One of the questions is this: In the daily Mass I participate in our parish, a certain lady would come up with a linen in her hands to receive Holy communion and eat the sacred host without touching it. Now, I understand that she did it with deep reverence for Jesus. Yes, we should show profound respect, love and gratitude to His Body. It’s a pity that until now we receive the Eucharist in our hand. I hope this will change someday soon and go back to the most reverential way of receiving it. Lord Jesus, come and give what we longed for!

I am a member of the Devotion of the Precious Blood of Jesus Christ. We bow and kneel and receive the Holy Eucharist in Tongue.

I've recently started watching Fr. Alar's talks. I am so happy I did because I have learned so much and love his well researched and common touch style of delivery of the serious issues we, as Catholics, are facing today. This topic is near and dear to my heart as I do receive kneeling and on the tongue and I went back to the practice of veiling years ago when I started going to a local TLM (Latin Mass). I get some double takes from some Priests, and have been refused Holy Communion by others. I was also trained by my Pastor at the time on how to properly dispense the Eucharist as an extraordinary minister, but I pulled away from the ministry. It just didn't feel right, and I will only receive Communion from the hands of a Priest. So I would like to thank Fr. Alar for his excellent lectures. May God abundantly bless this wonderful Priest. 💓✝️📿💓

Fr Chris, we have missed your “Explaining the Faith” talks during your absence - and what a talk you gave us today! Here are my two big takeaways: 1) we cannot condemn what the church permits and 2) whether it be in the hand or on the tongue, communion needs to be taken reverently. As an extraordinary minister of holy communion, you have given me some extra reassurance - especially since I will be performing this duty with you during DM weekend. Since some listeners today obviously have strong feelings, I pray that you get no negative letters. Thank you, Father Chris, for all the hard work you and Father Matt have done to bring us this talk today. All of your hard work and dedication is so appreciated. God bless you for your courage in continuing to give us the truth on these challenging topics of our time. Praying for your family as well as the recovery of our dear friends Anne and Christopher. 🙏

We have a communion rail where we kneel. Father, I'm so blessed by your teachings. Thank you.

Thankyou Father Alar. We have kneeled and Communion Rail in 2 local churches here in Waitakere, Auckland, NZ, praise God.

Praise you Jesus 🙌 thank you Fr. Alar ... for clarity on this subject ... receiving on the tongue, kneeling as opposed to receiving in the hand, standing ... South africa 🇿🇦 My God, my God I believe 🙏

Absolutely necessary talk! I send it to all my contacts including priests and EM. Thank you Fr. Chris. May God bless you and keep you safe for announcing the truth publicly.

Good to have you back Fr. Chris! Please pray for me, I am having a hard time with life :(

Let us pray for all good and faithful priests who dedicate themselves to their people with generosity and unknown sacrifices🙏🏻❤️

GOD BLESS YOU, Father Chris! You have such a gift for explaining the Faith. We are blessed to have you as a father.

Father, thank you for an interesting lecture. My family visited Düsseldorf, Germany in 1975. At Mass, we saw people going to Holy Communion and receiving the Sacred Host in their hands. We were flabbergasted. I am back to TLM which is the Mass of my youth and, of course, The Eucharist is reverently received on the tongue. There is no “Amen” after the Sacred Host is placed on the tongue.

Yes, a sacrilegious reception of Holy Communion is one received in the state of mortal sin, not because in the hand.

Happy to hear this. I go to great lengths to received from consecrated hands. Decided after Covid decreased to go back to only receiving on the tongue.

I was denied Eucharist on my tongue by a priest in Chicago. The priest said he couldn’t risk my saliva getting on his hand. I told him I couldn’t touch the Lord’s body. Priest said only in my hand. I returned to my pew in tears.

God bless you, Fr Chris, for clearing up all the confusion about Vatican II.

I encountered a reverent use of Eucharistic ministers at Mass today - before they went back to sit down, after distributing, they all used the purification water. If priests and Eucharistic ministers need to do that, why should we take communion on the hand? We are not purifying our fingers/hands. It doesn’t make a whole lot of sense

Awesome teaching Father. I wish more people in MN could hear your (Our Church's) teaching. May God Bless you!

Thank you Fr.Chris! After listening to ur vid on Vatican II, for the 1st time after 3 years I prayed to Jesus to allow me to receive him on my tongue and now I do praying my husband too does it willingly. Sadly, 1st Holy communicates are taught to receive on hand, so my son learnt it in that manner but have taught him to geneflict and receive on his tongue. Traditions are beautiful, if only all understood the reasons behind them. God Bless you and the Marian priests for all ur efforts in explaining our faith and traditions. Will be forawrding this vid to the commited adorers group, may the Holy Spirit guide them.

Thank you Fr Chris for your knowledge and gift of teaching our faith. This answered all my Q&A. I am sharing this Talk to my friends and family. Praying for you, your family MIC and Marian Helpers. God bless you abundantly your family and everyone 🙏❤️

Father Chris thank you for helping me to learn so much..I am grateful God made you a Priest..

Prayers to bring back communion rail

Thank you Lord Jesus for loving us sinners by opening our eyes about the Holy Eucharist to receive your Holy Body in tongue ,Amen 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻💕and thank you father Chris to know us about the importance of the Holy communion 🙏🏻

Am from Phils. Thank you father cris in advance. Looking forward to your coming. Please tell the priests about this communion in the hsnds🙏🙏🙏my heart is bursting with joy now..my happiness of your coming is just over flowing❤️❤️❤️

Allowing communion on the hand was a way for people to loose the Reverence for the Holy Eucharist. They have lost the Faith 😢 Dear Lord forgive us. We Pray for Holy Priest 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

I was so happy last Christmas Eve when my brother who's the parish priest announced before Communion that starting that night, he will be distributing Communion only on the tongue.

I really really appreciate this talk! My love for the Holy Eucharist that I only receive in the tongue! Love this talk! Thanks for this

Father Chris, thank you for this beautiful, enlightening and very powerful Explaining of the Faith Talk! On Communion, Tongue vs Hand. It is so informative! God bless you, your parents and sister, always! 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

Fr Alar 😊 When I was lukewarm, I not only attended Mass irregularly but also received Communion on the hand. Haha! I didn’t know better! Whoa, but here I am late, but will receive the same payment! The more I learned (from you & the Marian Fathers) the more I had a thirst quenched, that I didn’t even realize I was longing for! This is an update: 3 years after the Pandemic, I am still here & I haven’t gone back to my lukewarm ways, Thanks be to God. Thank you too, we need to keep these videos going for people like me. Fr Alar, I’ve been waiting a long time for you to make this video. For it was you, who made me realize that I should never receive Communion on the hand. Not that it was because you directly said that in any video, but because you taught me how to love Jesus: attending Mass, Adoration, Meditation, Rosary. You have spoken in many videos on the Eucharist being truly God. I listened to every word & it hit me like a thunder bolt- that, if this is true, I should never receive Communion by hand. One Sunday, (it was the last day I ever received Communion by the hand) I remember looking down at my hand that had held God & my hands became too sacred for me to bear washing. Never again, I said in my heart. It was very confusing for me to hear you not speaking up on this Fr Alar. How could you teach me to believe & celebrate in the real presence, and yet, accepting by the hand was appropriate too. I felt crestfallen that you didn’t speak up Father. But I knew in my heart that I would never stray from the Marianship. ❤ I’ve waited 3 years for this video. I consider it closed. I am very aware that I may offend many many fellow sisters & brothers of mine. Even the Holy Clergy, the Sisters receive by hand- which bewilders me, but I understand, I am not holier than anyone! In fact, I know I am a repeating offender! And as I always like to say, I will continue to receive on bended knee & on the tongue, as long as I am physically able, Thanks be to God.

Ty. I liked the painting of the woman receiving the Eucharist on the cloth...it immediately brought to my mind St Veronica and the true image of Christ on the way... I'm only a RCIA student and I'm looking forward to Easter Vigil.. bless you all ❤️

Exactly Father ! The same thing happened to me and I’ve heard many many other parishioners say the same!

Thank you Father for the great talk on this. I used to receive in tongue since childhood while I was in India where I was born , once I arrived to Australia I have copied from every one and started to receive in my hand. Since one year back I have gone back to my tongue and I believe that it the best decision I made in my life to receive our Lord with great reverence in my tongue. Now I am praying for my self for Lord to grand grace to receive my Lord by kneeling. Some churches I go and I kneel down and not in my parish . I need to be humble and I should start in my parish this too. God bless you Father for the great revelation

Thank you Fr. Chris for another wonderful presentation. I plan to ask my Pastor about “receiving on the tongue”. I also plan to only receive Holy Communion from the Priest unless the Church is crowded, rare occurrence today🙏🏻🙏🏻🕊🙏🏻🙏🏻

Love Maria Simma’s book! Lots of very good information in that book, should require all those entering into the Church to read it!

I was brought by my good old fashioned grandmother when altars were faced toward the cross we were veils on our heads and took our Rosary beads every where. We said our prayers in the morning and at night before bed there was a prayer for breakfast,lunch , dinner yes I am old fashioned and plan on staying that way

Pray to Rosa Mystica for faithful and holy priests and bishops. There are only a few of us who wish to kneel and receive on the tongue. We have been persecuted, made spectacles of and it has caused enormous suffering but I offered for the priests as Rosa Mystica asked. We need her now more than ever. Our God, Our Creator, Our Saviour and Sanctifier deserve our reverence and respect as we are only creatures made in His image.

Thank you Fr Chris Alar for this explanation of receiving the holy coummunion on tongue and that what I want and hope our local parish will put it practice.

Once when receiving in the hand there were several visible small particles on my left palm. The host the priest gave me was a part of the fragmented priest’s host. It shook me up. Not knowing what to do I licked up the fragments. Now I receive on my tongue.

I am thrilled to hear this!! I have been refused on the tongue by an Archbishop in the UK, and hubby and I were refused on the tongue by our Parish Priest on Xmas Day 2020 who told us, "It is forbidden!"

It’s all about the reverence in receiving the Holy Eucharist and the one giving the Holy Eucharist. Keeping in mind in the Real Presence. 🙏❤️🕊

Thank you Fr Chris..... When I was younger and communion in the hand was first allowed, I wanted to continue on the tongue however our pastor instructed us that we are not babies and he didn't need to feed us. I wish alter rails would return.

Dearest Father Alar. Thank you for this video. I was speaking to people about this to just a few weeks ago and one lady commented "why don't we hear these instructions at church"? There is only one thing I want to add. I believe it is Redemptoris Sacramentum that states that only a Priest is a "Eucharistic Minister" having the power to bring Christ down upon the altar. The laity are "Extraordinary" only. This has caused much confusion and weakened reverence for the Office of Ministerial Priesthood. The Extra Ministers are very uneducated on this. It is rare to find one who knows. God keep you!

I’m blessed to have found your videos. From a new Catholic ☺️🌺🕊️🙏🏽

Fr Chris, thank you for this clarification. I shall be writing to our Archbishop of Malta, Europe, to ask whether he will now lift his ban on receiving on the tongue, that he put in place during the pandemic & has refused to lift. God bless your ministry - we need good priests like you to shepherd us.

Great Talk fr. Chris , you've answered alot of Questions I had rolling around in my head about this Very important Subject on Commion in the hand 🙏 . Nice to see the Awsome.Shout out to Fr. Mark Goring . He is Another one of my favorite. Priests I love to listen to on his RU-vid channel . I am from.C.B. N.S. (Canada ) God Bless You Father Chris ❤ Viva Cristo Rey !!🙏🙏🙏

Thank you Fr Chris for this talk. And thank you Lord for inspiring Fr to give this talk. Been waiting a long time for the clarification. Praying all priests will also get to see this talk as some situations you described in your talk were happening in our diocese. Everyone Catholic should listen to this talk! By the way, our Cardinal has clarified the confusion too, just a day before your talk.Praise God!

Thank you Fr Chris for a deep study on this topic and Beautiful explanation of the same with Teaching on the Catholic Church and for us Laity, to stand for Our Faith to face challenges that come our Way... Praying for you Fr and all the Marian Priests...

Thank you ❤️ 😊 so much Fr. Chris! I live at PA and I go to 2 churches that the priest are good giving Communion on the tongue. I went to NY Dec 2021 for my Mother's funeral Mass and the priest declined me receiving on the tongue.

Father Alar your talk has convinced me that I need to pray for my community. When I go to mass I try to imagine that all gathered at mass will be together in heaven. Now , I will pray that we can all gather in heaven together. I will ask that we all receive with reverence. Thank you for teaching us.

I'm from the Philippines and I live in the nation's capital. As far as I can tell, most parishes here distribute Holy Communion by hand only. Prior to the pandemic, we could still receive communion on the tongue. During the pandemic and until now, communion by the hand has become the norm. I hope that you can convince our bishops in your upcoming talks to restore communion on the tongue. Thanks and God bless.

Thank you Fr Chris for putting so much effort research and depth in your talks. We as the body of Christ are dependent on the proper teachings and guidance of our Shepherds. Through the evils of Covid, God opened the doors of His Kingdom through homilies and teachings of the Marian Fathers. May God bless and protect you good priests.

Thank you so much Fr Chris for this talk it cleared up so many questions I get asked all the time by Jon Catholic friends May God protect you and keep you safe.

With deepest gratitude for your stellar talk on receiving communion. Thank you for teaching us reverence of communion and making our final goal HEAVEN. Charles and Nellie Yezak May God bless you abundantly and bless you with the best health. The Marian family are in our daily prayers. l

Thank you father Chris for protecting Jesus in the Eucharist. I almost never see this care taken to be sure someone isn't leaving with Our Lord in their hands.

I am truly in love with Our Lady of the Rosary Church in Greenville, SC! Father Dwight Longenecker is a holy Priest. Incense, 10-12 altar servers at Masses, the Communion rail-all at his Masses. My grandson attends OLR school and is learning Latin-from 1st grade on. What a gift!