How do you receive Holy Communion?

[JimR-OCDS]

The Precious Blood must be consumed at the end of Holy Communion by ether the priest, deacon or Ministers of the Cup.

No consecrated wine is to be stored, unless for special reasons which a priest must obtain permission.

At least, that's my understanding. I'm open to correction by those with expertise on the issue.

Jim

 

[Esdra]

The Precious Blood must be consumed at the end of Holy Communion by ether the priest, deacon or Ministers of the Cup.

No consecrated wine is to be stored, unless for special reasons which a priest must obtain permission.

At least, that's my understanding. I'm open to correction by those with expertise on the issue.

Jim

Completely correct, also from my experience!

 

[Decanus]

I can honestly say, no word of a lie, in all the years i've gone to mass, i've not once seen anyone kneel to receive communion.

In school, we were just taught to receive standing up, in the hand. This is what has stuck with me ever since. I get too scared to receive on the tongue for fear of dropping it as I can be rather clumsy, so I just don't do it. I've also never seen an altar rail in any Church other than an Anglican one.

 

[gurneyhalleck1]

I receive Holy Communion on a spoon, the leavened bread miraculously changed into the Body of Christ, the RED wine (can't believe how our local Catholics use white wine, what the heck?!) transformed into the Blood of Our Lord, from the chalice onto the holy spoon. We then kiss the chalice and take the Antidiron blessed bread....

 

[Decanus]

the RED wine (can't believe how our local Catholics use white wine, what the heck?!)

I watched a BBC Documentary that's on at the moment called "Catholics" and one of the episodes focused on Children making their first Holy Communion here in England. They were given an unconsecrated taster of the bread and wine. The wine was white and I thought it was very odd.

Is this a new thing or....?

 

[JimR-OCDS]

Well, we don't know the vintage of wine Jesus used at the Last Supper.

It all probability, it was not red as Merlot, but more of a rosé wine type in color.

Jim

 

[Esdra]

I watched a BBC Documentary that's on at the moment called "Catholics" and one of the episodes focused on Children making their first Holy Communion here in England. They were given an unconsecrated taster of the bread and wine. The wine was white and I thought it was very odd.

Is this a new thing or....?

No, I've never seen red wine to be used at a Roman Catholic mass. Never ever since I've been attending masses.

 

[ebia]

No, I've never seen red wine to be used at a Roman Catholic mass. Never ever since I''ve been attending masses.

Interesting question. If I get to Sevenhill again I'll ask. Red wine is safer - more antibacterial.

 

[Esdra]

Interesting question. If I get to Sevenhill again I'll ask. Red wine is safer - more antibacterial.

Yes do that and then tell us.
However, my grandpa was a sexton for a long time and I've often been in the sacristy with him and helped him preparing the vestments for mass. And he only used white wine. Actually I was asking myself often why this is so, as red wine would fit better as blood. ;-)

 

[JimR-OCDS]

Interesting question. If I get to Sevenhill again I'll ask. Red wine is safer - more antibacterial.

Depends on the alcohol content.

My parish uses a Sacramental Wine produced by a monastery somewhere.

It looks more like Madeira and actually taste good.

A parish nearby where my wife and myself sometimes attend Mass, the wine taste like watered down sweet wine. I'm almost afraid to receive it, for the alcohol content is so low, I doubt it kills germs left on the cup.


Jim

 

[ebia]

Depends on the alcohol content.

My parish uses a Sacramental Wine produced by a monastery somewhere.

It looks more like Madeira and actually taste good.

A parish nearby where my wife and myself sometimes attend Mass, the wine taste like watered down sweet wine. I'm almost afraid to receive it, for the alcohol content is so low, I doubt it kills germs left on the cup.

Jim

No wine has a sufficient alcohol content for that alone to make much difference. The anti-bacterials are more important, and they are enhanced by the presence of alcohol and silver. Even heavily diluted a red wine is still powerfully antibacterial. For alcohol alone to be effective you need to be up towards 30%abv.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

No wine has a sufficient alcohol content for that alone to make much difference. The anti-bacterials are more important, and they are enhanced by the presence of alcohol and silver. Even heavily diluted a red wine is still powerfully antibacterial. For alcohol alone to be effective you need to be up towards 30%abv.

Well I'll be darn, it's actually 70%. http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_alcohol_concentration_is_required_to_kill_bacteria

But here's an interesting piece;

“Exposure to wine had a persistent antibacterial effect,” the authors wrote in their study, detailed in an upcoming issue of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. Prior to their research, the authors said the effects of wine against germs found in the mouth hadn’t been studied.




Red wines have stronger bacteria-fighting effects than white wine, although not by much. Curiously, the acidity and alcohol isn’t responsible for wine’s germ-fighting properties—instead, it’s a collection of organic (carbon-containing) compounds found in the drink.



After isolating the compounds from wine, which included lactic, malic, succinic and tartaric acids, the researchers neutralized their acidity. They then showed that the isolated antibacterial compounds were more successful than wine alone at killing 99.9 percent of the dental and sore throat bacteria, even when used in far lower concentrations than found in wine.Wine: Kills Germs on Contact | LiveScience

Jim

 

[ebia]

Well I'll be darn, it's actually 70%. http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_alcohol_concentration_is_required_to_kill_bacteria

But here's an interesting piece;

Jim

The research I read found more difference between red and white than that quote implied. And it's from the skins - wine pressed not on the skins is much less safe.

 

[Michie]

A website calls attention to this item in a USCCB newsletter on the new Roman Missal, from January: What does the Missal say about the posture of the faithful when receiving Holy Communion? What about Communion in the hand? Both of these questions are covered in no. 160 of the GIRM.

Two small but significant changes regarding Communion reception in the United States...

 

[mg0086]

I actually genuflect first then receive on the tongue. I feel my hands are too dirty (even if they are bio clean) to touch my savior's body. I also feel on the tongue is the quickest way to the heart. Just an opinion tho...

One Easter during mass, this woman came up and took the host into her hand, carried it to the person serving the Precious Blood and dipped it in the cup like it was some kind of coffee.

The look on the man's face was priceless, as mine would've been. But in all seriousness, I don't think the Eucharist and the Precious Blood should be treated like a piece of sweet bread and coffee.

 

[Esdra]

I actually genuflect first then receive on the tongue. I feel my hands are too dirty (even if they are bio clean) to touch my savior's body. I also feel on the tongue is the quickest way to the heart. Just an opinion tho...

One Easter during mass, this woman came up and took the host into her hand, carried it to the person serving the Precious Blood and dipped it in the cup like it was some kind of coffee.

The look on the man's face was priceless, as mine would've been. But in all seriousness, I don't think the Eucharist and the Precious Blood should be treated like a piece of sweet bread and coffee.

Dipping the body in the blood is very common here. I also used to do it, but stopped. As this is a sort of self service, as the blood is also to be given to you as is the body.

 

[Starlightsobright]

We have two kneelers at the front of our Church. I kneel but some people stand we have a choice.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

Dipping the body in the blood is very common here. I also used to do it, but stopped. As this is a sort of self service, as the blood is also to be given to you as is the body.

It's forbidden.

The issue I have with it is, first off, the person is sticking their hand down into the cup that everyone is receiving from. Not very clearn.

Second, what happens if the host breaks off into the cup?

That being said, I asked my pastor what I as a minster of the cup should do, if a person comes up and wants to dip the host into the consecrated wine? He said, just let them do it. Don't make a scene over it.


Jim

 

[Esdra]

It's forbidden.

The issue I have with it is, first off, the person is sticking their hand down into the cup that everyone is receiving from. Not very clearn.

Second, what happens if the host breaks off into the cup?

That being said, I asked my pastor what I as a minster of the cup should do, if a person comes up and wants to dip the host into the consecrated wine? He said, just let them do it. Don't make a scene over it.


Jim

Yes nobody actually addresses that... I doubt that many people are even aware of that. Despite usually only the body is served. At least in my area.

 

[KatherineS]

One Easter during mass, this woman came up and took the host into her hand, carried it to the person serving the Precious Blood and dipped it in the cup like it was some kind of coffee.

The look on the man's face was priceless, as mine would've been. But in all seriousness, I don't think the Eucharist and the Precious Blood should be treated like a piece of sweet bread and coffee.

This is known as intinction. It is not permitted in the United States, but I think characterizing it as was done above is disrespectful to those places that practice it (including the Melkite and Coptic Catholic churches). They are our brother and sister Christians and their practices deserve respect.