Blood of Christ

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Michael_Owens

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Hello. My name is Michael. I am new to this site so forgive me if I posted this thread in the wrong section. If I have done that, will someone please correct and guide me? My question is this. I want to receive both the Body and Blood if Christ. I know it would enhance my Mass experience and help me feel closer to Jesus. I am also a recovering alcoholic. It has been quite a while since my last drink and I’m certainatly not doing it to get drunk. I simply want to experience all the Eucharist has to offer and increase my faith. I have e-mailed the head Pastor of my parish and have yet to get a reply. Figured I could get some insight here. Thank you for your views and advice. God Bless. -Michael
 
Please understand that by receiving only the sacred host, you are still receiving the “Body, Blood, Soul & Divinity” of Christ in His entirety, and you cannot receive this in any fuller form by also receiving from the holy Chalice. Just like you receive no more of Christ by having a larger piece of the host, or a bigger “gulp” of the Precious Blood from the Chalice.
 
Big_Feet said:
Please understand that by receiving only the sacred host, you are still receiving the “Body, Blood, Soul & Divinity” of Christ in his entirety, and you cannot receive it in any fuller form by also receiving from the holy Chalice. Just like you receive no more of Christ by having a larger piece of the host, or a bigger “gulp” of the Precious Blood from the Chalice.
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^^This. The tiniest crumb of a host or the tiniest drop of Blood is the entire Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ. Note I say “or.” While we call the host the “Body” and the Blood the “Blood,” they are really both, individually.
 
I am also a recovering alcoholic. It has been quite a while since my last drink and I’m certainatly not doing it to get drunk.
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Michael,

As others here have said, Jesus is entirely present in either.

I fear that your brain is doing what my compulsive brain does to get me to return to a harmful habit.
 
Michael_Owens said:
Hello. My name is Michael. I am new to this site so forgive me if I posted this thread in the wrong section. If I have done that, will someone please correct and guide me? My question is this. I want to receive both the Body and Blood if Christ. I know it would enhance my Mass experience and help me feel closer to Jesus. I am also a recovering alcoholic. It has been quite a while since my last drink and I’m certainatly not doing it to get drunk. I simply want to experience all the Eucharist has to offer and increase my faith. I have e-mailed the head Pastor of my parish and have yet to get a reply. Figured I could get some insight here. Thank you for your views and advice. God Bless. -Michael
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Here are a few points for you to think about:
  1. As other people have jumped to say, each species (the consecrated bread and consecrated wine) contains the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus, which are inseparable. Therefore, theologically speaking, there is no difference in receiving only one, only the other, or both; although, since Jesus instituted the sacrament under two species, it is a better sign for both to be offered. Nevertheless, for several centuries the Church restricted Communion to the consecrated bread alone, in part to combat the mistaken view that both species must be received to have a “real” Communion. Regular Communion under both kinds is still not at all universal, and there are many people who receive only under the species of bread (for reasons like yours, or because of hygiene concerns, etc.) or only under the species of wine (due to gluten intolerance, etc.).
  2. If you are wondering whether drinking the consecrated wine could have the same effect on a person as standard wine, given that the Church teaches that it is no longer wine but the Blood of Christ (well, Body, Blood, etc., but for clarity we’ll call it the Blood), the answer is yes. The consecration effects a metaphysical transformation of wine into Blood, but what are called the “accidents” – smell, taste, appearance, chemical structure, effect on the body, and so on – are not changed. Drinking a bottle of the consecrated Blood will get somebody every bit as drunk as drinking a bottle of ordinary wine of the same proof.
  3. You are presumably the best judge of your own condition, but I have a hard time imagining that taking a minuscule sip of wine, from a chalice during Mass, could have much of an effect on an alcoholic. Then again, I also have a hard time imagining that eating a little bitty crumb of bread could have much effect on a gluten-intolerant person, but I am regularly assured that it does – so what do I know.
 
MarkThompson said:
  1. You are presumably the best judge of your own condition…
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It is my understanding that alcoholics (and there are no “former” alcoholics) are not good judges of their own condition, and are highly advised to scrupulously avoid that which has the accidents of alcohol.
 
As you are an alcoholic (the tell us in AA and al-anon there is no such thing as an ex) I would ask your accountability partner or counsellor how this would play out in your own personal situation. You may not be the best judge of how you would react. In receiving Christ under the form of consecrated bread you receive whole entire and undivided His Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity so there is no need to receive under both forms.

We instruct the children preparing for communion to simply tilt the cup enough to wet the lips, not to gulp or do more than sip.
 
Receiving Holy Eucharist from the Cup is not a requirement but we do believe it to be a fuller sign of the mystery we celebrate. Good that you want to experience this fuller Sign…but I’m sorry to say that, as an alcoholic, you should not. Although we believe we are drinking Christ’s blood from the Cup of Salvation, it is also true that the alcohol remains.
Remember that even though you may only obey Christ’s command to “eat” and not “drink” , participation in the prayers, the readings, the singing can bring you much joy and peace. The church has given us a goal for “full, conscious and active participation” at our liturgies. We do the best we can and not one of us can fulfill that goal perfectly. We each have our own limitations.
 
Attend a Byzantine Rite parish. You have no control over the amount of the Eucharist given to you by the priest through a spoon, thus preventing any abuse on your part.
 
ConstantineTG said:
Attend a Byzantine Rite parish. You have no control over the amount of the Eucharist given to you by the priest through a spoon, thus preventing any abuse on your part.
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But there is nothing to prevent him from leaving church and sliding backwards due to the exposure to the alcohol in the blood …an alcoholic should have NO alcohol ever at any time.
 
Catholic90 said:
But there is nothing to prevent him from leaving church and sliding backwards due to the exposure to the alcohol in the blood …an alcoholic should have NO alcohol ever at any time.
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I’m answering his question the way he asked the question. I have no experience with treating alcoholics or advising them, nor have been an alcoholic myself.
 
Michael_Owens said:
Hello. My name is Michael. I am new to this site so forgive me if I posted this thread in the wrong section. If I have done that, will someone please correct and guide me? My question is this. I want to receive both the Body and Blood if Christ. I know it would enhance my Mass experience and help me feel closer to Jesus. I am also a recovering alcoholic. It has been quite a while since my last drink and I’m certainatly not doing it to get drunk. I simply want to experience all the Eucharist has to offer and increase my faith. I have e-mailed the head Pastor of my parish and have yet to get a reply. Figured I could get some insight here. Thank you for your views and advice. God Bless. -Michael
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As an alcoholic, you have to decide for yourself if you are ready to drink the blood of Christ. If you are thinking about the alcohol or the taste of the wine in an impure manner then I would suggest that you stick with receiving the host.

I am a former drug addict (that includes alcohol) and I am no longer an addict or a drunk. Don’t believe people when they tell you in twelve step programs that once you are a drunk you are always a drunk. Addiction is something that you can overcome, I am proof to myself of that. I have no desire to drink or drug and cannot be aroused by the opportunity to do so. You have to make a choice, you either drink or you don’t. If you don’t then your over it and no longer an alcoholic. I choose to drink from the cup, without thinking about my former addiction, in order to receive the blood of Christ. That is the only alcohol that touches my lips. I abstain from alcohol because in all honesty it tastes like junk and its only purpose is not to quench thirst but to get trashed. If alcohol actually tastes good to you then you know you have a problem with it because the truth is alcohol tastes like junk.
 
Don’t forget we’re talking about the Blood of Christ here. To those who have faith, why should it do them harm?
 
Thank you all for your replies. They all have helped me greatly. I have spoken to my head priest and have come to a answer. I will follow whatever Gods will is for me. It’s not what I want, its what He wants. I know what I must do now. I will not revel my decision in fear it may spark debate between you wonderful folks. Pray for me as I will for you. Thanks again.
 
ConstantineTG said:
Don’t forget we’re talking about the Blood of Christ here. To those who have faith, why should it do them harm?
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It’s not a magic drink! Good to have faith but also one must be aware that the accidents of bread and wine remain. The alcohol remains. A person with celiac disease cannot eat the Host for this reason.
 
Anna_Claire said:
Receiving Holy Eucharist from the Cup is not a requirement but we do believe it to be a fuller sign of the mystery we celebrate. Good that you want to experience this fuller Sign…but I’m sorry to say that, as an alcoholic, you should not. Although we believe we are drinking Christ’s blood from the Cup of Salvation, it is also true that the alcohol remains.
Remember that even though you may only obey Christ’s command to “eat” and not “drink” , participation in the prayers, the readings, the singing can bring you much joy and peace. The church has given us a goal for “full, conscious and active participation” at our liturgies. We do the best we can and not one of us can fulfill that goal perfectly. We each have our own limitations.
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Anna Claire, I hope you don’t mind if I take this quote of your’s and start a new thread about something you mentioned here. I don’t want to derail this thread.
 
As an alcoholic/addict, I have to be very discerning aboutmany things. Having a history of narcotics addiction, I had to discuss very carefully medications perscribed for after surgeries.The doctor explained that pain meds were needed if pain was so severe that it inhibited healing.( Healing occurs in the parasympathetic state of nervous system. Very difficult to heal in the "flight of fight "state that severe pain can keep someone in).
I chose to heed his advice and take meds when pain reached an “8” on pain scale. In aftercare, I had someone I trusted who valued my recovery dispense my meds to me as perscribed and only as needed- she had the bigger vote than I as to if I needed. It’s worked out for me.

I do recieve from the chalice. Obviously with much greater reverence, wonder and awe than if I have to take pain meds. But with a similar outlook. I’m not having a drink with dinner, or a cocktail with friends. I am recieving the Lord. Yes the alcohol remains and I must have respect for that as well. But it is a Sacrament of Healing. Medicine -actually nourishment for my soul.But if there were ever a moment when I thought I was receiving “wine”, I would not approach. -I don’t swig it down or gulp. I barely wet my lips.

Every alcoholic will have to determine for himself. My only suggestion is to be really honest about how big a trigger it may be(Some can’t tolerate certain mouthwashes because of the alcohol,;others don’t think twice about it.) And get some (name removed by moderator)ut from your Pastor or Spiritual Director.
 
Anna_Claire said:
It’s not a magic drink! Good to have faith but also one must be aware that the accidents of bread and wine remain. The alcohol remains. A person with celiac disease cannot eat the Host for this reason.
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At what point do we say its not magic, and at what point do we stop treating it as if its just ordinary wine? Surely there is a fine line between those two. During Theophany, our bishop gave a nice homily about the Holy Water he just blessed for all to consume. He said the water is still water, its not magic, but to those who have faith, the blessings and the prayers of all that were present there go with the person who consume the water. What more the Precious Blood of Christ! Its not magic, true, but if the person has faith then what harm would come of that person?
 
Anna_Claire said:
It’s not a magic drink! Good to have faith but also one must be aware that the accidents of bread and wine remain. The alcohol remains.
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Theologically, no – “alcohol” is a substance, it is not an accident of wine, therefore the substance of alcohol no longer exists after the consecration. It is certainly true, however, that the accidents of the alcohol remain.
ConstantineTG said:
Don’t forget we’re talking about the Blood of Christ here. To those who have faith, why should it do them harm?
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Quite simply, because the accidents are unchanged, and ability (vel non) to do harm is one of the accidents of drink.
 
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