Isn't it Time to Devise a Better Way to Receive the Precious Blood Other Than the Common Cup?

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Asperges_Me

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Even without the Swine Flu pandemic looming, I just can’t see why the current method of the common cup (chalice) couldn’t be improved upon. I’m sorry but the thought of drinking out of what may have 50 people’s saliva in it is not very appealing. This is not a one species vs two species debate. Of course, there is always intinction. But that wouldn’t gain favor with the communion in the hand crowd. Aren’t there any Eastern Rite church traditions or other ecclesial community practices that could be employed instead? How about separate tiny spoons similar to what the Orthodox use. Or, how about the separate tiny little cups like the Lutherans use? I think some of the reasons against these practices have to do with purification of the vessels/utensils. But it seems like if someone came up with a practical way to do the purification, why shouldn’t the Latin Rite Church adopt something different?
 
Asperges_Me said:
Even without the Swine Flu pandemic looming, I just can’t see why the current method of the common cup (chalice) couldn’t be improved upon. I’m sorry but the thought of drinking out of what may have 50 people’s saliva in it is not very appealing. This is not a one species vs two species debate. Of course, there is always intinction. But that wouldn’t gain favor with the communion in the hand crowd. Aren’t there any Eastern Rite church traditions or other ecclesial community practices that could be employed instead? How about separate tiny spoons similar to what the Orthodox use. Or, how about the separate tiny little cups like the Lutherans use? I think some of the reasons against these practices have to do with purification of the vessels/utensils. But it seems like if someone came up with a practical way to do the purification, why shouldn’t the Latin Rite Church adopt something different?
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The spoon is a valid way in the Latin Rite churches too, but if we do it like the Orthodox we’ll share ONE spoon rather than ONE cup. I wouldn’t like to see us go to separate glasses like some Protestant denominations do.
Redemptionis Sacramentum:
[103.] The norms of the Roman Missal admit the principle that in cases where Communion is administered under both kinds, “the Blood of the Lord may be received either by drinking from the chalice directly, or by intinction, or by means of a tube or a spoon”.[191] As regards the administering of Communion to lay members of Christ’s faithful, the Bishops may exclude Communion with the tube or the spoon where this is not the local custom. . .
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They used to dip the host in the wine and you received on the tongue…I think I will just receive uner 1 specie, and let those that want to receive the Precious Blood haggle over it…I don’t think their is an easy way to distribute the wine

I wouldn’t like the individual cups either
 
We already have an approved alternative to receiving the Precious Blood by way of drinking from the Chalice. Here is what Redemptionis Sacramentum has tos ay:
As regards the administering of Communion to lay members of Christ’s faithful, the Bishops may exclude Communion with the tube or the spoon where this is not the local custom, though the option of administering Communion by intinction always remains. If this modality is employed, however, hosts should be used which are neither too thin nor too small, and the communicant should receive the Sacrament from the Priest only on the tongue.192
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There are in fact, vessels that have two bowls, for lack of a better word. The bigger one is for the Sacred Hosts while the smaller one holds the Precious Blood. All the priest has to do is take the Sacred Host and dip it into the Precious Blood.

Now, reception of both species is optional, not a requirement. Furthermore, the whole and complete Christ, Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity is contained in either species.
 
Asperges_Me said:
Even without the Swine Flu pandemic looming, I just can’t see why the current method of the common cup (chalice) couldn’t be improved upon. I’m sorry but the thought of drinking out of what may have 50 people’s saliva in it is not very appealing. This is not a one species vs two species debate. Of course, there is always intinction. But that wouldn’t gain favor with the communion in the hand crowd. Aren’t there any Eastern Rite church traditions or other ecclesial community practices that could be employed instead? How about separate tiny spoons similar to what the Orthodox use. Or, how about the separate tiny little cups like the Lutherans use? I think some of the reasons against these practices have to do with purification of the vessels/utensils. But it seems like if someone came up with a practical way to do the purification, why shouldn’t the Latin Rite Church adopt something different?
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Jesus didn’t use separate cups…He used the same “cup” among His followers. I hear what you’re saying, I do…I am a germaphobe myself, but I can’t imagine using plastic cups …it’s not a picnic. :o
 
What would you do then, dispose of the plastic/paper cups while they may contain some of the presence in them? Each cup would have to be purified before it could be disposed. Intinction and receiving on the tongue is the only way that I can think of to circumvent the shared chalice.
 
whatevergirl said:
Jesus didn’t use separate cups…He used the same “cup” among His followers. I hear what you’re saying, I do…I am a germaphobe myself, but I can’t imagine using plastic cups …it’s not a picnic. :o
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Amen…I remember (back before I came to my senses) those little plastic shotglasses that were passed around on the tray with little holes in it. It just seemed tacky to me even when it was just Welch’s.

Intiction seems like a viable alternative although I don’t have any personal experience with it.
 
Phemie said:
The spoon is a valid way in the Latin Rite churches too, but if we do it like the Orthodox we’ll share ONE spoon rather than ONE cup. I wouldn’t like to see us go to separate glasses like some Protestant denominations do.
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It would spoil the sign value of Eucharistic participation - which would be entirely counter to the whole point of Eucharistic participation 😦 (As well as a contradiction of some very ancient Eucharistic prayers.) Separate glasses may be hygienic, but they are not good theologically.​

 
In all of the ‘chruchs’ I’ve attended (Protestant) I’ve found them to use small disposible plastic cups, filled with, but of course, grape juice. It probably is wiser from a health stand point than one cup that is passed around.
 
I just can’t believe that this is a health issue. Look at how many centuries a common cup has been used. I’m a protestant, and we use the little plastic cups, but I don’t like them.
 
Oh, PLEASE, don’t let us ever have Dixie cups in the Catholic Church…I just find that so undignified and there are so many ways that could go wrong.

I would rather see us go back to where the priest is the only one drinking the Precious Blood, than to see it being passed around in little plastic cups. Perhaps that would be the best solution now with all the swine flu scares.
 
we already have a better way, it is called intinction, by the priest, using vessels designed for the purpose, no need to reinvent the wheel. IMO it should be used exclusively instead of the common cup, because all the issues with the latter disappear, as do all the issues surrounding use of EMHCs, reception in the hand etc.
 
puzzleannie said:
we already have a better way, it is called intinction, by the priest, using vessels designed for the purpose, no need to reinvent the wheel. IMO it should be used exclusively instead of the common cup, because all the issues with the latter disappear, as do all the issues surrounding use of EMHCs, reception in the hand etc.
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But the OP was specifically looking for something OTHER than intinction:
Of course, there is always intinction. But that wouldn’t gain favor with the communion in the hand crowd.
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Gottle_of_Geer said:

It would spoil the sign value of Eucharistic participation - which would be entirely counter to the whole point of Eucharistic participation 😦 (As well as a contradiction of some very ancient Eucharistic prayers.) Separate glasses may be hygienic, but they are not good theologically.​

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Geer, which part were you referring to? If it was recieving like the Eastern Catholics do, the sign value is equally present in all Rites of the Catholic Church.

If you were referring to the seperate glasses, you are quite correct.
 
How about people stop letting the media hype them into a panic? That is a better way to live, recieve Jesus and trust in Him.
 
puzzleannie said:
we already have a better way, it is called intinction, by the priest, using vessels designed for the purpose, no need to reinvent the wheel. .
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Yep, here is my daughter’s First Holy Communion and you can see the vessel that Fr. Mark is using for intinction. (click on thumbnail for a larger image)

It’s a ciborium with a small chalice insert. The two may be seperated for purification.

The priest simply intincts the Host and presents it to the communicant. The altar boy (in this case, my son) offers a paten as well.

Of course, as the OP notes, with this modality, the option for communion in the hand does not exist for the faithful.
 
The flu is with us every year. I heard that last year 34,000 people (I think this was worldwide) died from complications from the seasonal flu outbreak. No one seemed concerned about receiving the Precious Blood last year.
 
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