The celebrating priest places near the chalice, and always on the corporal, the multiple hosts that will be consecrated in a consecrated chalice or in a consecrated pyx; if a fitting vessel is not available, he arranges them on the corporal in front of the chalice if they are too numerous to fit on the paten. At the consecration, he proffers the words of consecration over the host that he holds in his hands, and over all the other hosts which are exposed to his eyes. After the consecration, he gathers them in a fitting place on the corporal so that the remainder of the ceremonies can proceed unimpeded.
When the time for communion approaches, the friars who will receive communion approach the presbyterium in the order in which they sit in choir. Once there, having made a profound bow, they kneel. If there is not a tabernacle containing consecrated hosts in a pyx on the altar where Mass is being celebrated, the deacon, preceded by candlebearers carrying their candles, brings such a pyx containing the Most Holy Body of the Lord to the corporal, and immediately opens it. Then all the friars (except for the celebrating priest who adores only by genuflecting), seeing the deacon bearing the pyx, prostrate themselves on their knees in adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament until he places it on the corporal. When this is done, the ministers, kneeling erect, make a brief prayer. Then the ministers prostrate themselves again as before; the other friars prostrate themselves in the manner of making the venia, extended lengthwise. All say together the Confiteor, etc., and the priest, receding slightly from the middle of the altar (lest he turn his back on the Most Blessed Sacrament) gives the absolution, saying Misereatur, etc., and Absolutionem, etc.
After this, all raise themselves erect on their knees. The first to communicate are the ministers according to their grades, who, coming before the middle of the altar, at the same time make a profound bow below the bottom step, and ascending to the highest step, again they make a profound bow, and immediately kneel, their bodies remaining erect, taking care to avoid casting their eyes about, making any unusual or unfitting faces, or indiscriminate motions. They open their mouths moderately when, with fitting reverence, they receive the Most Holy Body of the Lord from the hand of the priest. Having received communion, they stand up together, simultaneously make a profound bow, and divide facing each other towards the sides of the altar, lest they turn their backs on the Most Holy Sacrament, and below the bottom step of the altar again they bow profoundly in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament and then kneel in the prebyterium.
While the ministers communicate, the other friars, wearing the cappa of the Order, approach the middle of the altar two by two in succession according to their order. When they arrive, they likewise make a profound bow below the bottom step, and when the ministers at the top step move away, they take their place, and having made another profound bow, they kneel. Once they have received communion, according to their order, they depart in the same manner as the ministers (described above), except that they do not remain kneeling in the presbyterium, but return to their places in choir, where they pray separately in silence. And let all beware lest they spit soon after communion, and if it cannot be avoided, let what is spat be cast into some fitting place.
But in the first place, when the ministers communicate, the deacon and subdeacon, kneeling on the top step of the altar, here and there, turned to face each other, hold a clean and worthy mappula, prepared for this purpose, extended between the priest and the communicants, under which the communicants place their hands. After the acolytes will have communicated, let them then hold the mappula until all have communicated.
The priest distributes first the consecrated hosts that were reseved in the pyx, and then those that were just consecrated, so that a few will remain in the pyx after Communion in order to be reposed and kept. When he distributes the host to someone, let him take the host with the thumb and forefinger of the right hand, with the pyx or paten held under the host by his left hand; let him transfer the host to the communicating friar thus. And when he gives it to him, forming a cross with the host before the mouth of the communicant, he says Corpus Domini nostril Jesu Christi custodiat te in vitam aeternam. Amen. The priest does say anything before this, nor does he give the blessing to those who have communicated; instead, having placed the pyx on the corporal, he proceeds with the Mass, since he will give a blessing at its end. If, however, the priest gives Communion at the conclusion of Mass, or outside of Mass, then, after giving Communion and having placed the pyx in the tabernacle, and he gives the blessing, saying: Benedictio Dei omnipotentis, Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti descendat super vos, et maneat semper. R: Amen.
If there are any others among us [i.e., non-Dominicans] who might wish to communicate, the priest allows them, if there are sufficient hosts. If, however, there are not, they may go to another lesser altar to communicate. It is to be noted, nonetheless, that if a great multitude is awaiting the end of Mass, or there be some other impediment, Communion can be postponed until after Mass (except on Holy Thursday) if it seems well to the Prior. Otherwise it is done before the Communio of the Mass is said. Those, however, who are in choir and do not receive, meanwhile prostrate themselves upon the forms.
Communion being finished, if the Priest sees that some consecrated hosts remain, even if they be great in number, he ought to repose all of them in a pyx, and thus have the Deacon put them the tabernacle, if it is located upon the altar. Otherwise, they may be taken to a duly honorable place, preceded by candles, with the Brethren prostrated in the way described above.
Where it is the custom that wine be taken after communion, the host having been consumed already, the communicating friars ascend to take it. Then, standing, they take it, in moderate quantity, so that the mouth is washed out diligently, lest some particles of the host remain in the teeth.
The Deacon ought to receive the wine in this way in a chalice other than the one with which the Mass is celebrated, and afterwards he ministers it to others, standing at the Gospel corner. He ought to hold the foot of the chalice with a clean and decent purificator, with which the Brethren, after they rinse their mouths, may wipe their lips.
If, moreover, there be a great number of communicants (as on Holy Thursday), the Subdeacon, standing at the Epistle corner, may minister the wine in another chalice in the same way, so that it all may be expedited more easily. The Brethren may even receive apart from the rest from some wine which has been prepared by the Sacristan behind the altar.
