Question: My question, Bishop, is when our Lord on that first Holy Thursday, that Passover meal, handed his body to each apostle, why? And that was reverent. Why would it not be reverent to receive in the hand?
Bishop Schneider: Okay, good question. First, it is not proven that Our Lord gave the consecrated bread in the hand. It is not proof.
Fr. Mitch Pacwa: In fact, the text is silent on that issue and therefore, in the mouth or in the hand, it is not needed proof.
Bishop Schneider: Therefore, we cannot use this argument. The second important distinction is that these were priests of the New Testament covenant. They were all priests, the apostles, and lay people are not priests in this manner as the apostles. Therefore, the Lord said, Take and eat it. The translation, take, is not correct because the Greek says labete. Laben in Greek does not mean take, touch with the hand, but receive. The Lord also used the same word, labete, when he said, Receive the Holy Ghost. We cannot touch him with the hand. Holy Communion is not an event of touching something. Holy Communion is not receiving something materially but is deeply spiritual. You receive your love firstly in your soul. This is a high spiritual event. Therefore, take it does not mean touch it. It would be better translated as in the Slavonic languages and in our missal in Russia, receive it and eat it. We have to make these distinctions.