Taking Communion

[BusyCM]

I'm going to a baptism on Sunday and would like to take communion (I think, I'm still deciding). However it's been probably 30 years and I was a child last time! Can anyone step by step talk me through it? Do they still put the bread on your tongue or do you take it from them?

Are you Catholic? You have to be baptised Catholic to have communion in a Catholic Church. The priest will put the bread on your tongue if you want but it’s more usual to hold out your hand and sign the cross afterwards.

It will depend on the denomination and the individual church. Also, things changed a lot because of Covid and not everything has gone back to the way it was before.

You could look on the church's website to see if they live-stream or upload recordings of their services, then you could see how they do it.

Yes I am (though begs the question how would they know?)

I would prefer to take it in my hand so glad to hear this is done at least sometimes.

i take communion every thursday... they place the wafer in my hand and then they hand me the goblet with the wine

I did wonder if covid had changed things.

Thank you @quietlifeneeded

This is how it’s done at my CofE church.
When invited, you go up to altar and kneel if able. Someone comes to the end of each row of chairs in turn to invite anyone from that row who wants to take communion (plenty of people don’t go up).
If you want to take communion you put your hands together in front of you, palms up ready for the bread to be put in to. ( If you want to go up to the altar for a blessing but not communion, go up and kneel but don’t put your hands out in front of you).
They put the bread in your hands and you can say amen (some people do, some don’t).
Then you put the bread in your mouth and put your hands back together in front of you, palms up, ready to receive the wine.
At my church you can choose whether to have a tiny individual cup, or take a sip from a big common cup.
You take which cup you want and have a sip (you do this yourself rather than having it put to your mouth).
You stay kneeling until the person next to you has had their wine (although my kids never wait), then go and sit back down.
At my CofE church all wine is gluten free, so as to include everyone, and the wine is alcohol free.
Anyone who wants to can have communion at my church - you don’t have to be CofE, baptised or confirmed.

If you are a baptized Catholic the conditions to take communion are that you must go to confession/sacrament of reconciliation a minimum of 1 per year.
Also if you are in mortal sin you must go to confession before receiving communion. Missing mass on Sunday without good reason is a mortal sin.
Please please speak to a priest before you receive communion. Or go to confession before the baptism and get some advice. It would be so great if you want to start practicing your Catholic faith again but please do get some guidance.

At our church you go up to the altar rail, the sidespeople (two members of the congregation) will tell you when to go up.

Kneel or stand depending on ability. As the priest approaches make the sign of the cross and then put your hands together one over the other, palms up, left hand above the right, as the left hand sins less, was what I was taught! so that the wafer is placed in your left palm with the right hand underneath. The priest says "the body of Christ" and you reply "Amen," and then you can take the wine if offered (not everyone does, especially post covid.) If the wine is offered the chalice bearer will say "the blood of Christ" and you reply "Amen" even if you're not taking the wine. Make the sign of the cross and return to your seat.

Thank you this is all very helpful.

What type of church?
I'm Catholic. In our church we are directed up to receive communion by the servers, we queue up with prayer hands and shuffle forwards. We haven't had communion wine since Covid and the bread is now placed in your hand (hold out your hands in a cupped shape with your dominant hand underneath). The Priest says 'The Body of Christ' then puts the wafer in your hand and you respond 'Amen' then put the wafer straight in your mouth.
Speak to the Priest beforehand if you can, or one of the welcomers on the door. It would be best to go to Reconciliation (confession) first. You can alternatively have a blessing by joining the communion queue with your arms crossed over your chest.

Out of curiosity, why do you want to receive communion if you’re not a practicing Catholic?

I don't know that I do, I'm still deciding and want to be prepared.

I don't want to go in to details but I'm going through something quite traumatic at the moment and this invitation came at such a an important time for me that I'm wondering if it's a sign. I don't know, maybe I'm just grappling around for something that isn't there but I'd like to consider it at least.

I think there are a lot of Catholics who never go to Confession!!

And since when is missing mass on a Sunday a MORTAL sin?

Given you are unsure and you are not currently a practising Catholic, I would go up for a blessing. You go up with your arms crossed over your chest and the priest will say a lovely blessing. Now I am confirmed (converted from Methodist), I miss those blessing words!

It varies from church to church. In ours it's a bit like a relay race in slow motion. Someone will break the bread in two pieces and gives it to the person sat in the front row on the left next to the aisle (usually the pianist). They pass it down the row and then to the row behind. The person who broke the bread then goes to sit in the front row on the right and waits for the bread to go backwards down the left hand side, then across and forward down the right hand side. Then he puts it back on the table and does the same with the wine.

I don’t make the rules!
Q. Is it still considered a mortal sin to miss Mass on Sundays or holy days without a good reason? Where in the Bible does it say that? I think it should be a matter of personal choice. I love to go to Mass, and I have never missed except when I had to, but I don’t think it should be that strict. (Iowa City, Iowa)
A. It is still considered a mortal sin to miss Mass on a day of obligation without a good reason. The church has always believed that this obligation stems from the Ten Commandments given to Moses, one of which was to “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.”
https://catholicreview.org/what-if-eucharist-is-stolen-still-mortal-sin-to-miss-mass/#:~:text=Iowa%2520City%252C%2520Iowa)-,A.,%252C%2520to%2520keep%2520it%2520holy.%E2%80%9D
No one is forcing anyone into Mass!

This is how its done in our fairly informal CofE church.
Anyone is welcome to take communion if it is their practice to take it at their usual church. If you don't want communion, you can either come up for a blessing or stay in your seat, it's up to you.
We are in a modern building so there is no altar rail, people line up in turn as directed and simply walk up to the vicar (or curate) at the front who will put the bread into your hand and say "The body of Christ keep you in eternal life". You can ask for gluten free wafers when you are at the front.
You then move along the line where another person will be handing out the wine. We've never gone back to the common cup after Covid, so you will be given either a small stainless steel cup or if you ask, a glass one with non-alcoholic wine.
You drink the wine there and then, put the cup into a tray that's on the side, then follow the line back to your seat.

OP, I don't know much about Roman Catholic traditions, but it's lovely that you feel prompted to return to the Church. I agree with pp that it might be a good idea to speak to one of the priests first. I'm sure they would be happy to advise you

Technically you should go to confession first as it's been so long or you could go up and cross your arms over your chest and receive a blessing.
If you wish to take holy communion, the you just follow the orderly line, cup you hands, dominant hand underneath so it's easier to put host in your mouth. Host is put in your hands, you say "Amen" and then you do the sign of the cross and the return to your seat. It will come back to you when you do it, I bet.

You've had some excellent advice here op. Do you recall examining your conscience when you were a practicing Catholic? Perhaps you could start there, ask yourself if you have done anything sinful in the last 30 years. Perhaps reconciliation will also help you In your hour of need.

It’s the 3rd commandment, keep holy the Lord’s day

But a mortal sin on a par with killing someone? I think the vast majority of catholics might give mass a miss now and then/practise contraception/live together before marriage. I suspect most priests know this ( large families being a rarity).
My son was at a Catholic school and no one I knew to confession and only had two max three children.
The link you provided was American and I think they’re much more fundamentalist.
Sorry OP… we seem to have derailed your thread. I’m just shocked to read it was a mortal sin ( as opposed to venial)

as a catholic i really dislike when people put up these exaggerated barriers that make the church seem unwelcoming.
go enjoy the service.

Are you sure there will be a Mass? Most Catholic baptisms are just the baptism service.

I think it's really poignant that you've said you are thinking about it. It very much depends on whether it's a CofE church or Catholic Church, but at most you'd be able to receive as an adult with no questions asked. Here if you want to chat.