“The liturgy is about communion with Christ through your being part of the body of believers. It’s not about your ‘self-expression.’” In a Faith & Reason essay published online on May 8, Stephen Adubato chronicled how his understanding of external expressions of faith has shifted and how this shift informs his present irritation at behavior—often seen at Mass in how people receive the Eucharist—that he calls “performative piety.” Our readers had much to say in response.

I really appreciate this. I struggle with judging those people, not so much the ones who kneel, but the ones who take Communion on their tongue. I want to say to them, “Jesus said, take and eat.” He didn’t go around at the Last Supper putting bread on each Apostle’s tongue. Even as I write this, I am feeling self-righteous. I will try and remember this essay and focus on a great gift I am about to receive rather than what other people are doing.
Susan Lanning

As a new Catholic, I’ve erred to both extremes. My enthusiasm has me buying every book, a second rosary made by hand, an excessive number of prayer cards, a dainty gold crucifix. And then I also shied from standing up as a newcomer or drawing attention to myself for not receiving Communion. Sometimes, when you are new, you are quick to model others in a performative way until you figure it out for yourself.
Shannon Tierney

I must say the good points of this article cut both ways. It’s performative when a whole parish won’t use the word “Lord” because some think it has colonialist roots. It is performative when a priest says people can’t kneel during the Eucharistic prayer. It is performative when a priest makes the congregation say the Pledge of Allegiance immediately following the dismissal, or invites the congregation to make a racial justice pledge that actually makes folks of color feel othered immediately before the dismissal. (I’ve seen all of these in different parishes.)

Respect each other and approach the Eucharist with reverence. The parish I go to for the Vigil every year has the option of receiving at the rail or on the hand. I get in line with the mantilla-wearers and kneel at the rail with my ear and septum piercings, my visible A.M.D.G. tattoo, my gay Latino body kneeling before God.
Jason Villarreal

Whichever side of the Communion on the tongue/hand issue we fall on, it’s important to avoid adopting the attitude of the Pharisee in Luke 18, thanking God that we’re not like the other.
Michael Moran

How about the other side of the coin that probably more of us who try to be reasonably pious fail at: judging those who lack piety at the Eucharist by what they wear, what they’re chewing, who they’re talking to, etc.? It goes both ways. Bottom line: Judge not and be not judged. In any case, we should be celebrating that people are at Mass.
Paul Gulig

I think sanctimoniousness is more apt than piety in this discussion. There is no way to externally judge the piety of a communicant receiving in the hand versus on the tongue.
Shayne LaBudda

Interesting! I can’t say it’s ever bothered me that some folks prefer to kneel and receive Communion by mouth. I think the option to receive in the hand while standing simply offered more choices but didn’t negate the choices of those who preferred the more traditional way. It’s a big tent, and it’s not my business to tell someone else they’re wrong if they don’t choose my way. But before I pride myself on being open-minded, I will admit that when people say the prayers louder than all around me, I find myself getting prickly—and feeling that the person thinks their prayers are more important than mine. So I’m not as “live and let live” as I claim.
Diane McManus

Don’t discount the volume of propaganda (of what it is to be truly Catholic) that Stephen would have had to work through upon reception to the church. Stephen’s openness to his friend’s counsel showed he was genuinely searching. Let’s hope there are many more kind and caring people like Stephen’s friend in our communities, or let us be that friend ourselves.
Steve Ronson

This article appears in July/August 2026.