Can someone make some rational sense of these decisions for me?

[leanne12346]

Regarding the sacraments, at the last supper, Jesus broke the bread saying this was his body, and blessed the wine saying was his blood.

The Catechism of the Catholic church states that the sacrament is complete in either species, but I still have questions about it. I’ve read a lot about it, listened to commentaries, and this is probably about the only thing that I can’t completely agree with, though still can’t deny.

When I think of the Lord’s Supper, ad that Jesus specifically performed both acts, it brings to mind the concept of the trinity. One God, in three persons,and that each “personification” provides a specific aspect or method of God to reach us. It seems that his choice for provision of both methods of “delivery” of himself to us are equally important and perform separate activities.

My perception of this is much like how food itself (his Body) sustains us, that we also need “antibiotics” occasionally against disease, and that his blood washes our sins away, providing, in effect additional “cleansing” beyond reconciliation. This “feeling” is not just a personal observation in the sacraments, but evidenced in prayers asking for the Lord’s healing blood in us.

I bring this up because it seems so odd to me that we would “remove” the blood of Christ from the mass, the passing of the cup in times of illness. Across North America various dioceses have opted for this because of the H1N1 virus. When I think of how viruses are transmitted, even on surfaces, if someone brings it into a church, the virus remains on surfaces like the pew itself or hymnals, which are not disinfected between masses. Additionally, practice of passing the cup uses disinfectant wipe between uses, and there ought be a certain amount of “due diligence” for people ailing. It gets my dander up just a little that we further “isolate” people from community by removing a hug or a handshake as a sign of peace, but when mass is over the priest and the community are all shaking hands or hugging outside of the church.

I realize the grace of obedience, and the need for us to follow the church guidelines, but seriously, can someone make some rational sense of these decisions for me?

 

[Fr.Vincent_Serpa]

Dear friend,

The Catholic Church teaches as dogma that the sacrament of the Eucharist is complete in either species. All Catholics are obliged to accept such dogmas as a matter of faith. It is not up to us to question them or to attempt to formulate our own version of Catholic theology.

The fact is that Our Lord could have instituted the Eucharist with bread alone. But by instituting it with bread and wine, the sacrament becomes a sign of His death. A body that is separated from its blood has died. THIS is why we have both species. The Eucharist still remains a sign of His death even when it is received by the faithful under only one form. I have given the Eucharist under the form of wine to a person with cancer who could not consume solids. Nevertheless, that person received the Body and Blood of the Lord.

Further no one is isolated from the Christian community by not shaking hands or giving a hug when it is Christ Himself in the Eucharist who unites us and not such gestures that are only signs of such union.

Fr. Vincent Serpa, O.P.