Can one get sick from the Eucharist?

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holdencaulfield

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I was just wondering about this. When many people drink from the Cup at Mass, is it possible to get sick from the Blood of Christ?
 
Do you think a germ would DARE to exist with the Precious Blood of Christ?
 
Sure.

The substance changes, the accidents (physical appearances and effects) all remain the same as those of bread and wine.

So it’s possible to get drunk if you take too much Precious Blood, it’s possible if you’re celiac (allergic to gluten) to fall ill if you consume the Sacred Host (which contains gluten). And you can catch disease from sharing the Chalice.
 
bpbasilphx said:
Do you think a germ would DARE to exist with the Precious Blood of Christ?
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Why not? Christ in His human form suffered all that humanity suffers, including, no doubt, sickness as well as pain and death. The Host is the same Body that was broken on Calvary, is it not? Equal in its frailty as well as its preciousness?

You do know that celiacs will suffer exactly the same effects from consuming the Sacred Host as from an ordinary piece of bread, no? That’s why they either need to be provided with no- or low-gluten Hosts or else do without.
 
LilyM said:
Sure.

The substance changes, the accidents (physical appearances and effects) all remain the same as those of bread and wine.

So it’s possible to get drunk if you take too much Precious Blood, it’s possible if you’re celiac (allergic to gluten) to fall ill if you consume the Sacred Host (which contains gluten). And you can catch disease from sharing the Chalice.
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But why wouldn’t the Blood of Christ destroy the disease?
 
LilyM said:
Why not? Christ in His human form suffered all that humanity suffers, including, no doubt, sickness as well as pain and death. The Host is the same Body that was broken on Calvary, is it not? Equal in its frailty as well as its preciousness?
You do have a point, the Body and Blood is human. I forgot.
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You do have a point, the Body and Blood is human. I forgot.

It’s His Body and Blood, Soul AND** DIVINITY.**
 
bpbasilphx said:
You do have a point, the Body and Blood is human. I forgot.

It’s His Body and Blood, Soul AND** DIVINITY.**
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I don’t get your point.

It’s scientific fact - celiacs who consume the Host will get sick, sometimes dangerously so, even though His divinity is present. So why would His divinity wipe out germs but not gluten?

Surely if, as you suggest, germs can’t coexist then if I were to receive with a cold then I should be cured of it. Having done it, I can tell you t’ain’t so.
 
LilyM - I agree that His Divinity does not affect the germs, but I think there is some disagreement on whether the alcohol in the wine is sufficient to kill them.
 
This is the brilliance of Transubstantiation:

Only the substance of the bread and wine is changed, not the physical characteristics or attributes. When Christ said “This is My Body”, He was referring to the underlying and essential reality of the Eucharist’s substance - to a real change but not to a physical one.

In order to discern the Body and Blood of Christ, we need to see with the eyes of faith, beyond what sense can perceive. So, it’s wrong to look for signs that the substance of the Eucharist somehow wipes out physical impurities surrounding it. The presence of Christ in the Eucharist is something that goes beyond the physical realm.
 
bpbasilphx said:
Do you think a germ would DARE to exist with the Precious Blood of Christ?
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A while back, someone essentially answered your question by answering mine about the presumably breadlike and starchy properties of the Host. In a nutshell, it’s this: if someone had taken a tissue sample of Jesus and put it under the scope, would he have seen little “God cells”? Glimmering particularates of divinity? No. He would have seen skin cells, human hairs, and the various microscopic organisms that festoon every square inch of out human bodies. What the researcher was looking at would be entirely human–but none the less entirely God for all that. So yes, germs would so dare to coexist with Christ’s Body and Blood, just as sinners dared to sit down to dinner with Him, rub elbows with Him, breathe on Him, etc., during His ministry on Earth. Not saying that we, or the germs, deserve it. There’s a mystery, if you like.
 
Dauphin said:
This is the brilliance of Transubstantiation:

Only the substance of the bread and wine is changed, not the physical characteristics or attributes. When Christ said “This is My Body”, He was referring to the underlying and essential reality of the Eucharist’s substance - to a real change but not to a physical one.
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I have to disagree with you on this one. People should talk about accidents vs. substance and not about physical presence, at least for a couple of reasons.

1- The definition of physical status changes from person to person. Do you define the physical change as a phase transition where the atoms stay the same or do you define a physical change where you keep the same thermodynamical phase and change the atoms or both are necessary? If a physical change an irreversible process or not? etc. etc.

2- Another definition of physical can be based as an answer to the question: “Can the Eucharist affect the physical life of a person?” Lets consider that some saints have lived on the Eucharist alone for years (miracles), and considering some of the demonstrated healing effects (miracles) after reception of the Eucharist.

Based on these two points I can say that Christ is physically present in the Eucharist even if He still looks like bread and vine to me.
Dauphin said:
This is the brilliance of Transubstantiation:

In order to discern the Body and Blood of Christ, we need to see with the eyes of faith, beyond what sense can perceive. So, it’s wrong to look for signs that the substance of the Eucharist somehow wipes out physical impurities surrounding it. The presence of Christ in the Eucharist is something that goes beyond the physical realm.
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This is the correct point that really nails it down how we should look at the Eucharist. 👍
 
bpbasilphx said:
Do you think a germ would DARE to exist with the Precious Blood of Christ?
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Germs do not have a conscience (immortal soul) and so they cannot dare anything. Daring is a conscious act for beings like Angels and humans. However, God may allow them to populate the chalice.
 
So the way I see it from this discussion is this.

Although the Bread and Wine is the Body and Blood of Christ. It is still nonetheless human. Therefore although it is God’s Body and Blood, because it is the human flesh of the Son it still is not impervious to bacteria and germs just like any other human flesh and blood.
 
This is why one should make it a practice to never drink after anyone.

Myself, I wouldn’t drink after the Pope himself.
 
The question would be, if there are indeed infectious microrganisms present in the Body and Blood, how did they get there? Usually the priest washes his hands before Mass (and during Mass too) so as to minimize spreading any germs himself. And traditionally the priest was the only one allowed to touch the chalice as well. Alcohol is used as a disinfectant so the chances of “germs” in the Blood itself are quite remote; however there are no such guarantees in the Body. Answer to OP: Yes.
 
Actually, they did a couple of studies using altar wine. The germ infestation was appalling. The alcohol content is not high enough to provide any antiseptic relief. And it wasn’t just cold viruses. It was flu, herpes, etc. I’ll see if I can wrangle up the link.

The whole thought of passing around a cup is revolting, quite frankly.
 
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