Wow, Lord have mercy on us.

The Catholic Church teaches that Jesus is really, truly, and substantially present in the Eucharist (both the bread and the wine). Which means that if even a small part of a host falls to the ground during communion, that small bit is Jesus himself on the floor, maybe being walked on.

We have to take the Eucharist seriously, folks!

A recent meme making the rounds on social media makes this point in a very striking way.

Here it is:

The text reads: “‘If anyone denies that in the venerable sacrament of the Eucharist the whole Christ is contained under each form and under every part of each form when separated, let him be anathema.’ … Council of Trent / It is dogmatically defined in the Council of Trent that every particle of the Sacred Host is Jesus Christ in Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. / For this reason, the tiniest particle that might fall to the ground is exactly the same as if the whole Host fell. / And if particles fall to the ground, it is dogmatic belief that it is the same Jesus Christ, His Body and His Blood, that are now on the ground.”

This is all true, which is why the Eucharist must be handled with care.

This fact is one argument some Catholics make for why communion should only be received on the tongue, since they say receiving on the hand makes it more likely that crumbs will fall to the floor.

The Church today allows communion to be received both on the tongue and in the hand. Whichever method by which you receive, it’s very important that you handle the Eucharist carefully!

[See also: Are Catholics Really Not Supposed to Chew the Eucharist? Here Are the Facts]

[See also: 3 Ways Many Catholics Are Receiving the Eucharist Wrong]