Communion question

To Jason:

To the best of my knowledge, the Eucharistic Wine is never poured into individual cups. At our Church, the original chalice and a pitcher of wine are consecrated, then the pitcher is poured into other chalices, to all be distributed as you saw.

The choice to receive wine is up to each person. I myself will refrain from receiving the wine if I have a cold.

I have read that there have been NO documented cases of illness spread through the use of communal wine. The Eucharistic Minister takes care to use a cloth to wipe the rim of the chalice after a person drinks, and then rotates the chalice slightly for the next person. As far as "backwash," you should only tip the chalice enough to barely get enough wine to sip. Shouldn't be a pig, you know...


Peace be with you,
~VOW

Hoonbaba,

According to the Catholic Church, one need only partake of one of the species (either Body or Blood) to receive the entire Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of our Lord, Jesus Christ. You are not blessed twice as much for partaking of both, you are not blessed half as much for partaking of only one. God gives His grace to those who honestly seek it.

According to either the GIRM or Canon Law (I cannot remember which), if at all possible the ciborium and chalice containing the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ respectively, should be either made of gold, or lined with gold. Why? It is only fitting that the most precious of metals be used to house the most precious Presence. This is similiar to the situation involving the Ark. Obviously in poorer diocese, this may not be possible, but to pour Jesus Christ out into little paper/plastic Dixie cups should horrify Catholics.

I'm not trying to be contentious, Hoonbaba, but it is no longer wine at that point. It is the blood of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

The blood is never served in cups, as Protestants may do, for one really good point: no control over the possibility of spilling the blood. If you put it into little cups, then even kids might drink it, which, if they have not had their first communion, is a mortal sin.

We have to take care of the blood, so that not one drop falls on the floor. Which is why the Church serves the blood typically through a chalice, or other nicely adorned cup.

As for the possibility of backwash, let me ask you this. Assuming you believe as I do, which is that the wine has been turned into the blood of our Lord, Jesus Christ - WHY WOULD YOU LET ANYTHING DETER YOU FROM SHARING IN HIS SACRIFICE, AND ACCEPTING HIS BLOOD? Mere possibilities, which may or may not take place, cannot stop me from drinking his blood when the blood is offered at mass.

As others have said, you need accept only one to have received our Lord. Remember, the Eucharist is the flesh, which is alive. For something to be alive, it must have the blood within, otherwise we are eating a dead Jesus, not a living Jesus.

may i comment from a protestent viewpoint ? episcipalians also use a chalice. most baptists do not even go to the altar but are served in the pews. i dont care for that myself. Methodists go up and kneel at the altar rail. the cups resemble shot glasses and re prepared before hand by deacons and deaconess. some tear bread into pieces and some use broken saltines or oyster crackers. i heard of a youth group once who on an outing used soda and chips. i think that was a bit much.

i feel that communion is more the a set of rules to follow. i have had priests tell me i could take communion during a funeral mass and others say i can t so i see two opinions there

Didymus said:

i have had priests tell me i could take communion during a funeral mass

Click to expand...

Unfortunately, you have encountered a priest who is not in conformity with the teachings of the Catholic Church. It doesn't happen often, but it does happen.

As for your question about whether or not you can receive communion at a Catholic Church,the answer is NO. Not even a funeral mass. It is sacreligous for the priest to say differently. Nor would it be OK for us to receive communion at a non-Catholic Church, even an Orthodox Church.

However, if you wish, you may receive a blessing from the priest instead of the Eucharist.

Again, I am sorry there has been some confusion regarding this issue.

thanky you i grew up in a town that was 3/4 catholic and when the church burned my church --methodist --became their home for daily masses funerals and weddings --they used the movie theater on sundays which also burned later. it is a small town and i have several catholic cousins. it was about that time that we protestents were allowed to take communion on special occasions. when the monsigenour who had been there during the fir retired the new one changed all the rules. when my step grandfather died his nephew said the mass. he was very upset that the local priest would not give the family members permission to partake.

Today at 06:48 PM Hoonbaba said this in Post #5

Thanks everyone for your response.

As for the backwashing thing, I was thinking about the current SARS situation =P

-Jason

Click to expand...

If you are sick, it is usually a courtesy not to receive both forms. Regardless, I trust in God that His Will be done.

Here, we divide the priest pours the wine from a pitcher into five to six chalices after consecration. After each person has received, the minister wipes the chalice and gives it a quarter turn. Somewhere around half of the members receive both forms. Some may be uncomfortable with receiving under both forms because in many parishes, it was only instituted as the regular practice a few years ago. Others may have problems with alcohol (the Blood retains the accidents of wine).

Today at 07:22 PM Didymus said this in Post #8

thanky you i grew up in a town that was 3/4 catholic and when the church burned my church --methodist --became their home for daily masses funerals and weddings --they used the movie theater on sundays which also burned later. it is a small town and i have several catholic cousins. it was about that time that we protestents were allowed to take communion on special occasions. when the monsigenour who had been there during the fir retired the new one changed all the rules. when my step grandfather died his nephew said the mass. he was very upset that the local priest would not give the family members permission to partake.

Click to expand...

I haven't heard of there being a dispensation for non-Catholics to receive the Eucharist. The monsignor may have been unorthodox.

Both species are present in both the communion wafers and wine. No need to take both if you don't want. A good alternative for recovering alcoholics, those who don't like ethanol (I loathed it for quite awhile), and those with communicable diseases.

I have considered the germ thing, but dismissed it. It's like, on no day do I feel safer driving then on my way to church because if I die on the way, well, God knew my intentions and they were purely good. If I receive some germs from the communion cup, in my mind, it was meant to be. I've been drinking from the cup for a long time, and I'm still here. It's a little extra amount of trust.

I'm not sure what the Catholic tradition is, but in an Orthodox Church if the precious Blood is ever spilled, the priest must get a knife, cut out the stained section of carpet, and burn it. Burning is also how any blessed or holy item is disoposed of, such as a tattered and useless Bible. It is more respectful than just trowing these things in the garbage or down the drain.

Today at 03:31 PM Hoonbaba said this in Post #13

Here's another question that crossed my mind:

If the cup was being given and someone accidently dropped it or spilled it...(i.e. let's say an earthquake happened), what happens to the wine? Is it to be drank?

Just curious that's all =)

-Jason

Click to expand...

The minister places the purificator (the cloth they wipe the cup with) onto the spill and uses it to soak up the blood. It is then cleaned in the same process that purificators usually go through. I don't know how they would do it with carpet.

I think if it spills onto the carpet the priest has to dilute it to the point of it being more water than blood. At that point it is no longer the Real Presence.

I shudder to think.

Being a sacristan, I have dealt with this on several occasions. The minister places a purificator over the spill to a) soak up the blood, and b) make sure no one steps on it (including the minister when soaking up - DO NOT STEP ON IT). There is some immediate clean up but most is done after mass. Then you bring out the water and more purificators and continue to clean as best you can. You do reach a point where the diluting has occured and it is no longer the Blood of Christ. The purificators are then cleaned in the normal process.

On another friend, those with wheat allergies often can't partake of the Body of Christ, and hence they drink only of the Blood. I have a friend who has some other allergies as well and hence has a special type of wine that she uses (which is still in line with GIRM and Canon Law regulations) that only she partakes of after consecration.

As to someone's mentioning of the gold, here is what the GIRM (290) states: Vessels should be made from materials that are solid and that in the particular region are regarded as noble. The conference of bishops will be the judge in this matter. But preference is to be given to materials that do not break easily or become unusable.

Gold is not necessarily what should be the proper for each diocese.  In some cultures, gold isnt very known.  Ebony wood in many times would be more precious than gold to the people.  It varies.  But in American culture, gold would be generally chosen if possible.  But you should not be spending money on gold vessels if you are neglecting other immediate and urgent needs of the church.  Discernment should be used.

God bless

 

Our previous priest used silver, but our current one uses glass. I admit I am a bit uncomfortable with glass being used, although I cannot think of a particular reason why I should be. I think our first parish used pewter. I really liked that. I felt that it was very appropriate. Again I can't say why I felt that way. Maybe because it was so solid and strong. *shrug*

Peace be with you.

Oh, I always receive the Body and Blood, my hubby usually only receives the Body, my oldest daughter receives under both species, but my oldest son will only take the Body, he won't drink from the cup. I'm not sure if they are only following the example of the parent they identify more closely with or if they have other reasons.

Jason-

Actually, if you receive EITHER the bread OR the cup, you have already received BOTH the Body and the Blood. You don't have to partake of both "species" to receive both species.

A good alternative for recovering alcoholics, those who don't like ethanol (I loathed it for quite awhile), and those with communicable diseases.

Click to expand...

On another friend, those with wheat allergies often can't partake of the Body of Christ, and hence they drink only of the Blood

Click to expand...

I thought the substance of the bread and wine changed. How is it possible that wheat or alchohol is still present?