In a conversation with Filipino Catholic evangelist Adrian Milag, Korean priest Fr. Daniel Seo shared a powerful testimony which has resonated deeply with many Catholics.
In the interview, Fr. Daniel revealed how a near-death experience in his youth changed the entire course of his life and led him to promise God that he would give Him everything. His words reveal a priest profoundly shaped by gratitude, humility, and a deep awareness of God’s mercy — themes that also shape his strong views on Eucharistic reverence.
As a teenager he nearly died after being thrown from a moving bus. In that moment of crisis, he cried out to God, promising that if he survived, he would dedicate his entire life to Him. God spared him, and Fr. Daniel kept his promise.
That event became the foundation of his vocation and the reason he serves the Church with zeal and seriousness. His preaching reflects that same gratitude and urgency: life is a gift, salvation is real, and God deserves our deepest reverence — especially in the Eucharist.
Fr. Daniel explains that up until the Second Vatican Council, there was only one way Catholics received the Eucharist: on the tongue, while kneeling.
He emphasizes:
- You kneel before a king, and Jesus is the King of the universe.
- Kneeling is an act of adoration and gratitude, since Eucharistia means thanksgiving.
- Receiving on the tongue is an act of humility, mirroring the ancient symbol of the pelican feeding her young with her own flesh — an image of Christ feeding His children with His Body.
- This posture expresses the “highest reverence and love” we can offer to the Lord in Holy Communion.
Fr. Daniel also clarifies that Communion in the Hand was never mandated by the Church. It was allowed only as an exception in certain missionary circumstances. When the Vatican surveyed bishops around the world, the majority were against introducing reception in the hand. It became widespread later, but not because it was ever declared the norm.
What follows is the transcript of his statement on the topic:
It’s important to remember: up until the Second Vatican Council, there was only one way of receiving the Eucharist, and that one way was reception on the tongue while kneeling. There was no other way, because you kneel for the King — and Jesus, being the King of the universe, it’s only appropriate, out of gratitude (because Eucharistia means thanksgiving), to kneel before the King in order to adore Him, and then receive with the utmost humility.
Receiving directly on the tongue is the act of humility. The Church, in her tradition, uses the image of the pelican because the pelican — the mother — will, using her beak, pick at her own flesh, and then feed each of her babies. And when she feeds each of her babies from her flesh, she feeds them directly on the tongue. This is a model of how Christ gives of His own flesh to His children.
When we receive kneeling on the tongue, I see this as the highest expression of reverence and love to our Lord.
Since the Second Vatican Council, the Church has allowed for reception of Communion on the hand. This is where there’s a lot of heated debate, but there was a document released by the Congregation of Divine Worship (now the Dicastery). A survey was put out to all the bishops in the world about reception on the hand and if it should be introduced, and the majority across the board were against the idea. But there was a sublet of priests who were open to the idea for the case of missions — like missions to the Amazon — and through that, in these grave circumstances, when necessary, such reception of Communion was allowed.
Growing up, I learned — and when I received First Communion — it was on the hand. All throughout my childhood, I only knew about receiving Communion on the hand. It wasn’t until I entered seminary that I saw other seminarians receiving on the tongue, and I was thinking, What are they doing? After talking to them about it, theologically it makes sense. Bolstering the courage to attempt to receive on the tongue myself, after having done so, it’s almost like the scales fell off my eyes. This is what it is. It makes so much sense now, and after having done so, it’s hard to go back.
I’m so grateful that I got to learn about this tradition, and it’s helped me in my own devotion and my reverence to the Eucharist. I can only encourage it for those who haven’t tried it before. It could be a very awkward thing to try for the first time, but as Jesus says, Be not afraid, because this is the true living Body of Christ. We want to treat Him with the best care.
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