Communion Question & Angel Question

[Tony_B]

1. Following communion our priest went to the altar and had a few extra Eucharist’s. I’ve noticed other priests do this only a few times before and the thought of it has my curiosity. Why do they do this?
2. Why do we ask God to send an Angel to bring our offering, or our sacrifice to his altar in Heaven??

Thank you.

 

[puzzleannie]

ideally enough hosts should be consecrated so that all may receive communion with the species consecrated in that celebration. the “extras” are there on purpose, to be reserved for the sick and dying. that is why the body of Christ is reposed in the tabernacle, and why we can adore Him present in this way.

we ask the angels to join our prayer (preface, just before the Sanctus) because it is in the Bible, that the angels are constantly before the throne of God praising and worshipping Him.

 

[Tony_B]

puzzleannie,

Thanks for the response, much appreciated…

However, I may not have worded my question properly. (That seems to be happening a lot lately). The priest returned to the altar after distributing the Eucharist, and then he consumed some more himself. He must have had 4 or 5 more. I’ve seen it done a couple times before. Why did he do this?

As for my 2nd question, why do we ask specifically for an angel to BRING the sacrifice or offering to the Lord’s table in heaven. I understand your response but I am looking for a specific answer. If there is one? Am I looking to deep into this or?

Thanks.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

Tony B.:

puzzleannie,

Thanks for the response, much appreciated…

However, I may not have worded my question properly. (That seems to be happening a lot lately). The priest returned to the altar after distributing the Eucharist, and then he consumed some more himself. He must have had 4 or 5 more. I’ve seen it done a couple times before. Why did he do this?

As for my 2nd question, why do we ask specifically for an angel to BRING the sacrifice or offering to the Lord’s table in heaven. I understand your response but I am looking for a specific answer. If there is one? Am I looking to deep into this or?

Thanks.

A priest or someone else will usually consume the remaining Hosts if there is no tabernacle. It may have been that there was too few Hosts to take over to the tabernacle and it was just simpler to consume them.

One of he best commentaries I have here on the Mass says that the Angel is difficult because it has different meanings in different liturgies of the Church. some indicate that the Angel is christ Himself, others the Holy Spirit, still others simple angels and archangels.

 

[DL82]

As to your question on ‘bringing the sacrifice’ to God’s altar in heaven, I believe the Dominicans have theorised that the substance of the bread and wine is assumed into heaven at the moment that it is substituted for the substance of the Body and Blood of Christ. This may be an allusion to this, although as I understand it it’s not a teaching of the Church, and the Jesuits disagree.

 

[John_Lilburne]

From the 2002 General Introduction to the Roman Missal (GIRM) approved for the USA, which can be accessed from romanrite.com/girm.html :
“163. When the distribution of Communion is finished, the priest himself immediately and completely consumes at the altar any consecrated wine that happens to remain; as for any consecrated hosts that are left, he either consumes them at the altar or carries them to the place designated for the reservation of the Eucharist.”
It is good if a priest always concecrated a few host too many, to be sure that people can receive the Blessed Sacrament consecrated in the Mass. This is encouraged by the GIRM
“85. It is most desirable that the faithful, just as the priest himself is bound to do, receive the Lord’s Body from hosts consecrated at the same Mass …”

But if the priest never consumed the extra hosts, the ciborium and tabernacle would overflow. So it should not be unusual for a priest consume consecrated hosts that are left.