Body Down To The Ground . . .

Does the five second rule apply if a priest drops Jesus on the ground?

If I remember Catholic Urban Legend correctly, if the host has already been consecrated into the Body Of Christ, and it falls on the ground, the Priest is supposed to eat the host immediately.

Today at mass, when the priest was lowering the "Body and Blood of Christ" back down to the altar during the consecration I watched the "Body Of Christ" slide right off the plate and onto the ground.

It was totally one of those slow motion moments and I could see the look of horror on the Priest's face as it was happening.  I am not sure how many parishioners even noticed the accident because the priest quickly picked the "Body Of Christ" up and put it back on the plate.

My mind went to two places.

First, I immediately felt the urge to burst out laughing.  I may be 36, but mentally I am clearly 12.

Second, I was watching to see if the priest broke the host up into smaller pieces to eat it.  He did break it up but I could not tell if he ate the whole thing.

Then I scanned the room and counted the number of parishioners in attendance.  22.  Odds are highly likely I am going to get a piece that landed on the ground.

Sure enough, when it was my turn to receive communion and the priest lifted the bread and said, "The Body Of Christ," it was a piece of the larger host that had fallen on the ground.

Five second rule.  

Five second rule.

Five second rule.

"Amen."

Jesus, was really testing this hypochondriac today!

The Song Of The Day - Shake Your Body (Down To The Ground) by The Jacksons