Appropriate age for full communion?

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MrsR

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Hi everyone,
Am wondering when others feel is an appropriate age for children who have received First communion to receive the blood of Christ in addition to body of Christ when receiving communion?
 
Most children recieve their first Holy Communion at seven around here. I think that’s old enough unless the child really doesn’t tolerate the wine well.
 
They are only taking a very small taste of wine. Usually in the class, they are offered a taste of unconsecrated wine as a prep. Most kids don’t like the taste but usually in their first communion they do go or are expected to receive. What are your concerns here? Afterward, they can bypass the wine.
 
If both species are offered at First Holy Communion, then the age of the communicants is appropriate.
 
MrsR said:
Hi everyone,
Am wondering when others feel is an appropriate age for children who have received First communion to receive the blood of Christ in addition to body of Christ when receiving communion?
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As soon as they are of age for Communion, it is appropriate for them to receive both species. In the Latin Rite, that is the age of discretion (usually around age 7). In the Eastern rites, it is infancy.
 
My parents left the choice up to me. I did it occasionally from time to time from about 12 onward, and I think it was around my confirmation at 16 when I started doing it more regularly.
 
At our parish, First Holy Communion is administered by intinction, so the communicant receives under both species. The Body and Blood of Christ are present in the consecrated Host, however, and receiving under both species is not necessary. After the First Holy Communion, the new communicants are allowed to make their own choice about how they wish to receive, and it is not up to the parents. The children may receive under both species, or just the Host, on the tongue or in the hand. At that point, it is between them and God.
 
Thank you for your replies. was wondering because when my daughter received her first communion they were not offered the wine. She was asking about it so we asked our priest and he said that they can receive at the parents discretion but none of the children at our school are receiving yet. Because I was an adult convert I didn’t know if there was a typical age for this but now I know I will tell her to feel free to try when she would like to 🙂
 
mommamaree said:
At our parish, First Holy Communion is administered by intinction, so the communicant receives under both species. The Body and Blood of Christ are present in the consecrated Host, however, and receiving under both species is not necessary. After the First Holy Communion, the new communicants are allowed to make their own choice about how they wish to receive, and it is not up to the parents. The children may receive under both species, or just the Host, on the tongue or in the hand. At that point, it is between them and God.
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It’s important to note that intinction, the dipping of the the host in the wine, may only be done by a priest. This is to prevent the Most Holy Blood from dripping to the floor. I serve as a Eucharistic minister at my parish and we have been instructed to try and stop anyone that might want to do this and direct them to the priest.
 
gravity said:
It’s important to note that intinction, the dipping of the the host in the wine, may only be done by a priest. This is to prevent the Most Holy Blood from dripping to the floor. I serve as a Eucharistic minister at my parish and we have been instructed to try and stop anyone that might want to do this and direct them to the priest.
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It is not wine, and you are not a Eucharistic Minister.
 
🙂
Elizium23 said:
It is not wine, and you are not a Eucharistic Minister.
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Thankyou! I did know that you couldent dip but I didn’t know the reason behind it so I have learnt something else today!

I personally would prefer to receive body and blood of christ seperatly I think but I have seen a few post on caf asking if they can dip now I know the reasoning behind not doing it.
 
MrsR said:
Thank you for your replies. was wondering because when my daughter received her first communion they were not offered the wine. She was asking about it so we asked our priest and he said that they can receive at the parents discretion but none of the children at our school are receiving yet. Because I was an adult convert I didn’t know if there was a typical age for this but now I know I will tell her to feel free to try when she would like to 🙂
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If your daughter has never tasted wine before, you might want to do a test run first. We used to offer both species at First Communion but stopped because of the less-than-reverent reactions of some children when they first tasted the consecrated wine.
 
Corki said:
If your daughter has never tasted wine before, you might want to do a test run first. We used to offer both species at First Communion but stopped because of the less-than-reverent reactions of some children when they first tasted the consecrated wine.
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Thank you this is a great suggestion, she has asked about the Taist “does it taste like blood” etc our priest told her to try some of my wine at dinner but I was pregnant at the time so of course not drinking wine. I shall give her a taist this week, she does her first alter service this week so it might be a special time for her to first drink from the chalice 🙂
 
gravity said:
It’s important to note that intinction, the dipping of the the host in the wine, may only be done by a priest. This is to prevent the Most Holy Blood from dripping to the floor. I serve as a Eucharistic minister at my parish and we have been instructed to try and stop anyone that might want to do this and direct them to the priest.
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I never said she did it herself!:eek:
It was ADMINISTERED by intinction. The priest himself insists on doing it this way, personally administering First Holy Communion, by intinction.

BTW, if you are helping to distribute Holy Communion at your parish, you should know that only the priest and deacon are rightly called a Eucharistic Minister. EMHC stands for Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion.
 
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