Elijah Cup

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Joannm

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I was approached by a parishioner to consider beginning the Elijah Cup program in our parish. She showed me an article about it and honestly I have some major reservations about it. For those who don’t know what it is, basically it is a program where families pray for vocations to the priesthood. Great you say, how can one object? What I have a problem with is that each week, a family brings home the chalice that was used at Mass to consecrate and hold the Precious Blood. They “enthrone” the chalice in their home and use it at the focus of their prayer for vocations. I believe, and a good priest friend of mine agreed, that the sacred vessels should be used for only one purpose and utmost care should be taken that they are treated with respect. Having a family take a chalice home leaves it open to mishandling and possibly abuse. I can just think of a little kid taking it and playing Mass with it, or the family deciding to fill it with wine or grape juice and passing it around the dinner table. In my house, it would probably get knocked down by the cats who jump on everything (OK so I can’t have anything good out that I would be heartbroken if it broke).

We were discussing that if we want families to pray for vocations, why don’t we ask them to commit to an hour before the Blessed Sacrament, or to bring home a cup that is only used for this purpose and is not blessed nor ever contained the Precious Blood.

Have any of your parishes ever done this program? What are your thoughts on it? Like I said, the premise is good, but I don’t like using the chalice used at Mass. I am trying to look for some documentation to support my postion. I don’t think our pastor would go for it, but I want something to show the person who asked why we should not be doing it.
 
First time I’ve ever heard of this practice. Hope it’s the last. Will “innovation” never end?
 
Joannm said:
What I have a problem with is that each week, a family brings home the chalice that was used at Mass to consecrate and hold the Precious Blood.
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I have heard of this done before, but I thought it was expressly stated that it is a non-sacramental chalice; in other words, it’s not a chalice that holds the Precious Blood, it’s a chalice specially designated for this prayer for vocations.
Joannm said:
Having a family take a chalice home leaves it open to mishandling and possibly abuse. I can just think of a little kid taking it and playing Mass with it, or the family deciding to fill it with wine or grape juice and passing it around the dinner table.
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One would hope it would be an opportunity for catechesis of the children by the parents – you know, the “domestic church”. But I agree there are too likely to be dangers and abuses.
 
Sounds like an extreme traditionalist group, because it reminds me of the ancient practice of Christians taking the Eucharist home so they could worship it with their families.
 
japhy said:
I have heard of this done before, but I thought it was expressly stated that it is a non-sacramental chalice; in other words, it’s not a chalice that holds the Precious Blood, it’s a chalice specially designated for this prayer for vocations.

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THIS is the way I have seen it done.
 
In my parish, yes it is a Melkite (Byzantine) parish, we did something similar but we used an Icon that was commissioned by the Byzantine Ruthenian Catholic Church for vocations.

Here is the Icon.

http://r-fol.com/st.athanasius/images/vocationsIcon.jpg

We passed it around with a vocation prayer.

Here is a web page with some information on the Icon.

r-fol.com/st.athanasius/Vocations.htm

Maybe you could suggest this as an alternative as well as express your concerns with the Elijah Cup program. I think it might go over better if you have an alternative rather than just stating your concerns.
 
japhy said:
I have heard of this done before, but I thought it was expressly stated that it is a non-sacramental chalice; in other words, it’s not a chalice that holds the Precious Blood, it’s a chalice specially designated for this prayer for vocations.
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now that you bring that up, the program at our parish uses a Chalice that isn’t the same as the one used at Mass. As far as I know it could be, as it is a Chalice and a Paten. I do not know if it has ever been used before, but like I said, it isn’t at the Mass it is given out after
 
Our parish does this, but we call it the “vocation chalice”, and it’s never been used for Mass (this is emphatically stated). At the parish we visit when we’re out of town at my ILs, they do the same thing w/ a Crucifix.

In Christ,

Ellen
 
Our parish has the Elijah Cup program. A special chalice just for the program is used.
 
Ideally, laymen shouldn’t even be touching a consecrated chalice, let alone taking it home. But if the parish purposes a chalice specifically for this purpose, that objection would be deflated. I think the idea of a crucifix or icon, though, is still far better because you have an image that is truly sacred but that is also open to lay - and non-liturgical - use.
 
ByzCath said:
In my parish, yes it is a Melkite (Byzantine) parish, we did something similar but we used an Icon that was commissioned by the Byzantine Ruthenian Catholic Church for vocations.

Here is the Icon.

http://r-fol.com/st.athanasius/images/vocationsIcon.jpg

We passed it around with a vocation prayer.

Here is a web page with some information on the Icon.

r-fol.com/st.athanasius/Vocations.htm

Maybe you could suggest this as an alternative as well as express your concerns with the Elijah Cup program. I think it might go over better if you have an alternative rather than just stating your concerns.
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I like the idea of an icon. I think I will suggest that.
 
I have not seen it done with a chalice, but I have seen it where it was a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary who is considered the mother of all priests. I have also seen it with a statue of St. Aphonsus Liguori who I believe is the patron saint of all vocations.

Each week a different family would take the statue home when they would pray especially for vocations.

The statue was then presented as a gift to the next family that had a son become a brother or priest or a daughter become a sister. Then a new statue would be purchased and it would start all over again.

An icon would be excellent.
 
Can someone tell me what this “unusual” (I’m being kind here – to me it’s actually bizarre) practice has to do with the Holy Prophet Elias? (And before someone asks, no, I do not and will not use the other spelling.)
 
malphono said:
Can someone tell me what this “unusual” (I’m being kind here – to me it’s actually bizarre) practice has to do with the Holy Prophet Elias? (And before someone asks, no, I do not and will not use the other spelling.)
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It relates to the story of Elijah and the widow, that the cup of oil did not run dry. By praying with the cup, the program states that vocations will not run dry.
 
malphono said:
Can someone tell me what this “unusual” … practice has to do with the Holy Prophet Elias?
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Well, there was/is a Jewish Passover tradition that involves an extra cup for Elijah, the awaited guest. I suppose we are “awaiting” more priests… but it is a bit of stretch, I admit.
 
japhy said:
Well, there was/is a Jewish Passover tradition that involves an extra cup for Elijah, the awaited guest. I suppose we are “awaiting” more priests… but it is a bit of stretch, I admit.
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Well yeah, I’m familiar with the seder tradition of a cup for Eliyahu but you’re right: for this purpose it’s a stretch. 😉 I don’t buy it one bit.
 
Joannm said:
It relates to the story of Elijah and the widow, that the cup of oil did not run dry. By praying with the cup, the program states that vocations will not run dry.
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Prayer for vocations is wonderful (and necessary), but as ByzCath said, use an Icon.

I’m a “cradle Oriental” and am quite a fan of the Holy Prophet Elias (we call him Saint Elias (or Mar Eliya) and have asked his intercession on more than one occasion.

That said, and no offense intended, but the explanation just doesn’t make any sense to me. It’s beyond a stretch. Then again, so many things in post-conciliar “neo-Catholicism” are. :o
 
ibkc said:
Our parish has the Elijah Cup program. A special chalice just for the program is used.
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Same here. The chalice was never used at Mass and purchased (by the K of C) just for the program. If and when we have a vocation to the priesthood come out of our parish, he will get the chalice to use at Mass, and we’ll purchase another one.
 
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