A Communion question

[Blackwing]

Hello people!!!!

I was wondering why the cup is not served to the common folk and only Priests get to drink it?

The Priest gives the bread to everybody but why not the wine?

Thanks for your replies!!!!

 

[Kotton]

Originally posted by Blackwing
Hello people!!!!

I was wondering why the cup is not served to the common folk and only Priests get to drink it?

The Priest gives the bread to everybody but why not the wine?

Thanks for your replies!!!!

All the parishes in our area DO SERVE the cup, no doubt at the urging of the Archbishop. This was one of the issues at Vatican II, when it was recommended that both species be given especially at special celebrations.

We believe that Jesus Christ is present in either the bread or the wine, whole and complete. It was probably instituted as an answer to those who thought they HAD to have both to get the complete Jesus. The practice goes back a few centuries, but today we find a return to both.

Kotton

 

[Wolseley]

In the old days of the Middle Ages, the Sacred Blood was reserved for the priest, since spillage was always a concern; it would not be seemly for Christ's Blood to be trampled underfoot. In addition, there was always sanitary fears, since diseases from trench mouth to plague abounded. Coupled with this was the fact that the priest, all by himself, would be spending a lot of time distributing the Sacred Blood.

After Vatican II, when laypeople were instituted to be extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist, there was less concern about overworking the priest, since he now had plenty of help, and diseases are much less prevalent these days. (No one is required to receive the Blood, if they happent o be squeamish, however---or if they have a weakness for alcohol and wish to avoid it.) Ministers are also trained to avoid spillage, and if an accident does happen, they're trained how to handle it. (You place a pall over the spot to keep people from stepping on it, and you clean up the spill after Mass.)

In the United States, we have received both Species since Vatican II, under an indult from the Holy See; this was not the case with much of the rest of the world. However, I am happy to report that with the issuance of the revised Roman Missal within the last couple of months, the norms have been expanded to include the entire world---so you will probably be seeing Communion under both Species everywhere very soon.

 

[jukesk9]

Hey Wols,

I keep hearing our priest say something about a revised Missal, we have yet to see it. Do you know what differences will be included?

Also, to add to the Communion question, weekday services in our parish just offer the Body. The Blood is offered during the weekend masses with the Body. The biggest reason why the Church offered the Body only was to reinforce the teaching of the Real Presence. They witheld the wine to teach that the Body and Blood were contained in the host.

 

[Wolseley]

As far as I know, the impact of the revised missal will be minimal here in the U.S.; the biggest changes are that the congegation is supposed to remain kneeling from the end of the Sanctus until the end of the Eucharistic Prayer; and that the priest alone is supposed to pour the Blood into the various chalices after the Consecration, instead of the ministers, but this is expected to be circumvented by an indult from the USCCB with permission from the Holy See for practical purposes.

The priest alone is also supposed to consume the remainder of the Blood after Communion, instead of the ministers; I don't know what the norms would be for a large amount left over---I would assume that the priest might ask for some help from the ministers, unless he wanted to perform his 11:00 Mass in a tipsy mood.

 

[Dave Ulchers]

Is this the new missal which goes into effect May 19th?

I heard that Bible readings must all be from the NAB translation (for masses in English of course) after that date.

 

[nyj]

Has anyone heard when the new translation for the Pauline Mass was to be issued? I had heard that there would be some significant changes to the Liturgy when this was done.

Off the top of my head, here were some examples....

For instance in the Nicene Creed where we say "... seen and unseen ..." would be changed to "... visible and invisible ...". Likewise when the Priest says "The Lord be with you" the congregations reply would be changed from "And also with you." to "And with your spirit."

From what I have heard, the Vatican has been taking a long hard look at the English translation of the Liturgy and was not too pleased with what it saw and has sent it back with revisions many a time, though at this point (from what I have heard) things are starting to shape up.

Has anyone got any information on this?

 

[nyj]

Originally posted by Wolseley
As far as I know, the impact of the revised missal will be minimal here in the U.S.; the biggest changes are that the congegation is supposed to remain kneeling from the end of the Sanctus until the end of the Eucharistic Prayer; and that the priest alone is supposed to pour the Blood into the various chalices after the Consecration, instead of the ministers, but this is expected to be circumvented by an indult from the USCCB with permission from the Holy See for practical purposes.

The priest alone is also supposed to consume the remainder of the Blood after Communion, instead of the ministers; I don't know what the norms would be for a large amount left over---I would assume that the priest might ask for some help from the ministers, unless he wanted to perform his 11:00 Mass in a tipsy mood.

Aren't these changes due to changes made to the G.I.R.M. rather than the Pauline Missal itself, and that there is indeed an upcoming change to the Pauline Missal (the exact wording of the Mass) sooner rather than later which makes the translation more faithful to the Latin equivalent?

 

[pax]

I don't think its set to happen for a few years. I'm not entirely sure what's going on with this, or how it will be implemented, but I think that the change will happen to the missal itself. There's a good article explaining all this @ http://www.catholic.net/spiritual_living/template_article.phtml?article_id=412&channel_id=6

 

[OldBadfish]

I grew up Catholic, and the Priest never gave us a drink of the wine, just the bread.

 

[jukesk9]

Thanks Wols for your reply and everyone else!