The communion hymn - when does it start?

By Lauren Bierer, Pastoral Support - Community Life & Worship

The entrance hymn at Mass starts as the entrance procession begins and continues for as long as needed to allow the congregation to gather and prepare for the celebration (General Instruction of the Roman Missal #47).

Maybe this is a controversial statement, but I’d suggest that the hymn does not need to end as soon as the presider reaches the sanctuary as singing together includes the celebrant in the gathering.
If a hymn is sung during the procession of the gifts, it starts when the preparation of the gifts begins and continues until the altar is prepared and the priest is ready to say ‘Pray, my brothers and sisters, that our sacrifice…’ Similarly, the recessional hymn begins right after the words of dismissal and accompanies the procession out of the church.
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Logic would suggest that the communion hymn should begin as soon as the celebrant and congregation start receiving communion and continue until everyone has received. However, many parishes do not follow this practice. Why is the pattern for other hymns at Mass not applied to the communion hymn?

Liturgical documents state that the communion song begins as the priest receives the sacrament and continues while it is administered to the faithful (GIRM, #86), ‘its purpose being to express the spiritual union of the communicants by means of the unity of their voices, to show gladness of heart, and to bring out more clearly the ‘communitarian’ character of the procession to receive the Eucharist’.
Delaying the song misses an opportunity to foster the spirit of unity and joy appropriate for this moment. After communion, the faithful may, ‘if appropriate, pray quietly for some time’ (GIRM #88) to ‘praise and pray to God in their hearts’ (GIRM, #45). This period of silent thanksgiving occurs after the distribution of communion, not during it.
Despite this guidance, it is common for the communion procession to happen in silence or be accompanied by quiet instrumental music, with the communion hymn only being sung after the Eucharist has been received. Delaying the start of the communion song disrupts the flow of the Communion Rite and puts the congregation in a passive, observant mode at a time of peak participation in the Mass.
Moreover, delaying the song can subtly suggest that the priest’s communion is somehow different or more special than anyone else’s. Communion, by its nature, is communal – there are no distinctions between the priest’s communion and that of the congregation. There is only one communion: ours with Christ and, through Christ, with one another.
The communion procession is a joy-filled movement to partake at the banquet of the lamb, yet it sometimes resembles more of a sombre, reluctant march. Our music ministers can be encouraged to carefully reflect on the hymn selections, drawing inspiration from the Communion Antiphon in the Missal for each Sunday Mass.
Liturgy committees may offer various reasons for the current practice: we’ve never sung during communion’, ‘people prefer to say private prayers during communion’, or ‘how can people sing and walk at the same time?’. Some may argue that hymn books can’t be carried while going to communion. These concerns can be addressed through liturgical education and thoughtful changes. Music ministers can stagger when they receive communion or have the choir/cantor receive while the congregation is singing a refrain.

The accompanist can be the last to receive the Eucharist before the period of silence begins. Transitioning should be done gradually in consultation with the priest, offering clear explanations to the extraordinary ministers of holy communion and the whole community, using hymns that the congregation knows well.
Ordinary Time is an ideal period to introduce hymn singing during the communion procession if this is outside the norm for your parish. Simple hymns with short refrains are a good starting point. Cantors or choirs can lead the verses, allowing the congregation to join in the refrain without needing hymn books.
Hymns focused on adoration or individual reflection are not appropriate for this moment. The communion song should emphasise the unity of the people of God as they come forward to receive the body of Christ and become the body of Christ.
With proper catechesis, careful planning and patience, the congregation can come to experience the communion procession as a joyful and unifying part of the liturgy.