Gestures of reverence in a Catholic Church

When entering a Catholic Church, it should be obvious where the tabernacle containing the reserved Blessed Sacrament is (look for a burning lamp). It is a good idea to look for that right away, because that will determine how one should behave in all parts of the church. 

When in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament 

Upon entering or leaving the place where the tabernacle is, one should genuflect toward the tabernacle. Genuflecting is done by touching the right knee to the floor briefly and then standing back up. The short prayer that is usually said silently when genuflecting is, "Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, I adore you." 

       Also, when in the place where the tabernacle is, it is customary to be silent. The reason for this is that one of the secondary purposes for reserving the Blessed Sacrament is for the faithful to have the opportunity for prayer and adoration in proximity to the Real Presence. Many churches in Europe (especially in Italy) post large signs for the tourists to indicate that they are entering the Chapel of Reservation and they are to be quiet. 

Elsewhere in the worship space

Outside of the Chapel of Reservation, the most prominent feature in the worship space should be the altar — it should be in the center of the sanctuary. The liturgical norms of the Catholic Church specify that a profound bow (i.e., a deep bend at the waist) is the appropriate sign of reverence for the altar. A person must bow (1) when entering or leaving the sanctuary and (2) when passing in front of the altar. It is also customary to bow to the altar when entering and leaving one's pew at the beginning and end of the Mass. 

If the tabernacle is on or near the main altar

In some older churches, the tabernacle is on an altar behind the main altar or in a niche in the wall of the sanctuary. What's the appropriate reverence in this situation? The liturgical books specify that one is to genuflect when entering and leaving the pews, when entering or leaving the sanctuary, or crossing in front of the tabernacle.

       The exception is during the Mass: no one is to genuflect once Mass has begun, except for the presider who is to make three genuflections during the Liturgy of the Eucharist. Therefore, for most people, they need only genuflect when entering their pew before Mass and leaving their pew at the end of Mass. Not even the lectors who read the First or Second Reading — they are to bow to the altar as they enter and leave the sanctuary.

       Some may ask: isn't this disrespectful of the Blessed Sacrament? The answer is, "No, it is not." The reason it is not is because the celebration of the Eucharist is in progress, and if it weren't for the Eucharist (the Mass), we would have no Blessed Sacrament to begin with. The Church wants us to realize that our active celebration of the Eucharist should be the summit of our lives as Catholics, and the font from which all of our faith comes forth. Once the Eucharistic action is complete, then the Blessed Sacrament that remains is most definitely worthy of our adoration.

Why dipping the host is wrong

With the flu season upon us, I have noticed an increasing number of people in the Communion Procession who are wanting to dip the consecrated bread into the consecrated wine, rather than drinking from the cup. The Catholic Church has stated repeatedly that it is sacrilegious (and therefore not permitted) for a deacon or a lay person to do this. Why? After all, didn't we used to do this in the '70s?
       A brief liturgical history: Prior to some point in the 1970s, having lay people receive the Blood of Christ was all but outlawed, for fear of spilling the Precious Blood of Christ. Then, the Vatican loosened the rules on this, and many US bishops felt that it would be beneficial for all to receive both the Body and the Blood of Christ. At the time, Holy Communion was distributed by priests on the tongue in most locations. So, special "intinction sets" were made that were essentially an open ciborium with a small cup in the center. The priest would take a host, dip it in the cup, and place it on the communicant's tongue, saying "The Body and Blood of Christ." Meanwhile, an altar server would hold a paten under the communicant's chin in order to catch any drops or spills. (Further history: this practice of "intinction" grew out of an older practice at Masses with a large number of concelebrating priests. In order for all the priests to speedily receive Holy Communion, priests would dip their hosts into the chalice on the altar.)
       The next development was three-fold: lay people were permitted to distribute Holy Communion as "extraordinary ministers"*; people were permitted to receive the Body of Christ in the hand; and people were permitted to drink the Blood of Christ from a chalice or communion cup. The practice of the communion minister dipping the host and placing it on the tongue of the communicant more or less went away at that point.
       In recent years, however, it has resurfaced, except this time instead of the priest doing the dipping, the communicant themselves are doing the dipping. The exact reason for this is unclear, but it seems to be due in part to a fear of transmitting germs. But the General Instruction of the Roman Missal 2002 only permits intinction by priests, not by communicants, and other more recent Vatican documents make it clear that "self-intinction" is not permitted. 
       The theological value being upheld is that no one except a priest-celebrant is permitted to "take" Holy Communion: it is to be administered (offered by a minister) and received. Dipping a host is considered "taking" and not receiving.†
       A secondary concern is that there is an increase risk of spilling the Body or Blood of Christ if a drop of consecrated wine drips off the soaked host, or if the host itself disintegrates after being soaked with consecrated wine and falls to the floor.
       Another practical/pastoral concern is the rise of Celiac-Sprue disease. An increasing number of communicants have Celiac-Sprue, which means that they must not consume any gluten, which is present in wheat. In most cases, this means they can only receive Holy Communion by drinking of the Blood of Christ. A host dipped into a cup of consecrated wine will leave some amount of gluten dissolved in the consecrated wine, thus preventing someone who is gluten-intolerant from receiving Holy Communion at all.
       Thus, if one is concerned at all about transmitting or being contaminated with flu viruses, bacteria, germs, etc. through receiving the Blood of Christ, s/he should then not receive from the cup, rather than dipping their host into the cup.
       By the way, anyone interested in the Catholic Church's response to H1N1 or other influenza should check out the US bishops' web page on the subject, which can be found at www.usccb.org/liturgy/swineflu.shtml.
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*The ordinary ministers of Holy Communion are the ordained ministers of the Church: bishops, priests, and deacons.
†One dear parish leader often says, "Jesus said, 'Take and eat' and 'Take and drink'; he didn't say 'Take and dip!'"