No cup on Easter?

[TheRealJuliane]

We went to a different church this year…Both my kids are on a gluten-free diet and thus, they receive through the cup - they cannot have the Host. We have never been to an Easter Mass that didn’t include the cup. Of course we are used to the Good Friday service that doesn’t include the cup either…but this was Easter!

But this time…No cup! I felt so rotten for them. My younger one, never one to turn down a challenge, decided to take the Host in spite of a high risk of uncomfortable symptoms. I pray that receiving the Body of Christ will burn through him like a wildfire…

But our older son chose not to receive at all. I thought new wine was consecrated for the catechumens?? What did I miss?

 

[Phemie]

We went to a different church this year…Both my kids are on a gluten-free diet and thus, they receive through the cup - they cannot have the Host. We have never been to an Easter Mass that didn’t include the cup. Of course we are used to the Good Friday service that doesn’t include the cup either…but this was Easter!

But this time…No cup! I felt so rotten for them. My younger one, never one to turn down a challenge, decided to take the Host in spite of a high risk of uncomfortable symptoms. I pray that receiving the Body of Christ will burn through him like a wildfire…

But our older son chose not to receive at all. I thought new wine was consecrated for the catechumens?? What did I miss?

Er, catechumens couldn’t receive and those who were baptized last night received last night.

Many parishes don’t offer the Cup at all, at any time.

 

[Corki]

If you are attending any Church where they don’t know you well, it only makes sense that you ask ahead of time about your children receiving from the cup if that is their only healthy option for Communion.

Our parish does not offer the cup on a regular basis and did not for Easter either.

I thought new wine was consecrated for the catechumens??

Do you mean those who were in RCIA and entered the Church last night? Even if they offered the cup at the Vigil Mass, the Precious Blood is not reserved so it wouldn’t be left for this morning.

 

[Mrs_Sally]

Our parish is one of theose that never offers the cup. Many don’t. On Easter and other busy holy days, even parishes that normally do offer the cup may not. Reason is that it takes longer for communion and more people (ordinary or extraordinary ministers) are needed. Also at a Mass with a very high pecentage of ‘casual’ attendees, there is a greater risk that the Precious Blood may be spilled.

I am sorry your children couldn’t receive the Precious Blood today and I hope your child who did take the host will be fine.

Next year, contact the parish you will be attending in advance and ask them to help you. Perhaps you can receive a special cup (that happens in my parish) or low gluten hosts.

 

[TheRealJuliane]

This church offers the Blood even on weekdays. Every other day except Good Friday, the cup is present.

It’s just been easier for them, less hassle, if they can receive from the cup without going into all the hoo-hah of contacting the priest, getting the procedures down, etc. These are very large parishes, over 3,000 families - I think the one today may have as many as 12,000 families. Neither boy wants to stand out or cause a fuss or inconvenience. That’s just their character, and the age/stage they are in.

I was the younger son’s EM for years, he had his own dedicated cup that I took home after he received. The older one has always just been careful to go through the line that did not include the Priest’s cup. Now the younger one doesn’t go to church and so I am not his EM any longer. We worked out his routine when he had his First Communion, with the Pastor.

They have the option of using a pyx and the low-gluten host, but it takes contacting the priest and working out some kind of routine, and then you always take the risk that something could go wrong.

I wonder what other celiacs at this parish do when there is no cup? I didn’t see anyone get a pyx but then we were pretty far back in the pews so…

I sure will contact the eucharistic ministers between now and next year to see what we can do. There is every possibility that they deal with this on a routine basis, since the parish is so large, and it will be no problem whatsoever.

 

[LemonAndLime]

We went to a different church this year…Both my kids are on a gluten-free diet and thus, they receive through the cup - they cannot have the Host. We have never been to an Easter Mass that didn’t include the cup. Of course we are used to the Good Friday service that doesn’t include the cup either…but this was Easter!

But this time…No cup! I felt so rotten for them. My younger one, never one to turn down a challenge, decided to take the Host in spite of a high risk of uncomfortable symptoms. ** I pray that receiving the Body of Christ will burn through him like a wildfire…**

But our older son chose not to receive at all. I thought new wine was consecrated for the catechumens?? What did I miss?

In terms of the bolded section - I think you mean you pray it won’t burn?

I was baptised and confirmed last night, and they didn’t serve us wine. In fact, my parish never administers wine - only ever the Body of Christ. It appears they do that in America much more than in the UK.

 

[Paul1961]

T

They have the option of using a pyx and the low-gluten host, but it takes contacting the priest and working out some kind of routine, and then you always take the risk that something could go wrong.
.

I’m not sure what you think will go wrong.

My son is a celiac. The church provides us with a small supply of the hosts. They are kept in the freezer. To make them last longer, we use one half each week. We place it in his pyx and close it. His pyx is marked with his initials. So as not to contaminate it, it will not be re-opened until he receives it back during communion. We give it to the presiding priest before mass and sit in the section that will be in his line. His closed pyx is place on the alter during the mass. During communion, the priest holds up his pyx and says, This is the body of Christ." Then he hands the closed pyx to him. My son takes the pyx; glaces at his initials; opens it and puts the host in his mouth.

The only thing that does happen occasionally is in the hurry to leave the house no one remembers to bring his pyx and host.

 

[Scott_D_1]

At my church we always have both, the host and the cup, you can par take in one, or both.
I am not sure how common this is though in other parishes. I attended a daily mass at the National Shrine in DC and do not recall if it was just the Host, or Host and cup.

 

[laszlo]

In my regular church there is communion only under the species of bread. People who need used to kneel at the bars of the altar early and they (2-3 people) get gluten free host.

 

[thequeen]

Er, catechumens couldn’t receive and those who were baptized last night received last night.

Many parishes don’t offer the Cup at all, at any time.

I think he was probably referring to the catechumens who were baptised last night

 

[benedictgal]

The offering of the Precious Blood is not mandatory. In fact, it is not offered at the Papal Masses. Furthermore, Redemptionis Sacramentum notes that if the number of faithful is so great, the Precious Blood may not be offered due to a risk of profanation.

I know that this does not help your situation, but, I hope that this clarifies it.

 

[maryjk]

I wonder what other celiacs at this parish do when there is no cup? I didn’t see anyone get a pyx but then we were pretty far back in the pews so…

I sure will contact the eucharistic ministers between now and next year to see what we can do. There is every possibility that they deal with this on a routine basis, since the parish is so large, and it will be no problem whatsoever.

I wonder if there aren’t any? Celiacs that is.

Also, it could be that there are so many, no one is handed the pyx, but receives the low gluten host directly. That is how it is done at our parish. At any one mass there could be numerous people that would receive the low gluten host. I couldn’t see our priest handing out a different pyx to five different people.

 

[MarkThompson]

We went to a different church this year…Both my kids are on a gluten-free diet and thus, they receive through the cup - they cannot have the Host. We have never been to an Easter Mass that didn’t include the cup. Of course we are used to the Good Friday service that doesn’t include the cup either…but this was Easter!

But this time…No cup! I felt so rotten for them. My younger one, never one to turn down a challenge, decided to take the Host in spite of a high risk of uncomfortable symptoms. I pray that receiving the Body of Christ will burn through him like a wildfire…

But our older son chose not to receive at all. I thought new wine was consecrated for the catechumens?? What did I miss?

This is unfortunate, but it is easy to see why this situation arose. For average Sundays, the priest or sacristan can usually gauge pretty accurately how many people will be present, and consecrate an appropriate amount of wine. The Precious Blood cannot be retained after Mass – it must all be consumed – so on special days with unpredictable attendance there are two risks in trying to guess how much wine to consecrate: winding up with way too much, which someone must then gulp down; or winding up with way too little, meaning that you run out and some people feel slighted. Other possibilities are that a Mass with huge attendance would require more stations for the cup than the parish actually can supply with suitable sacred vessels; or that there is not enough room to station Eucharistic ministers for the cup in a packed church and still keep lines moving safely; or that the priest is concerned that people (C&E Catholics) who very rarely show up would be too prone to making a mistake and causing the Blood to be spilled.

Although it’s far from the ideal situation, I think a suitable course in a one-time situation like this would be for a person who is gluten intolerant – especially if he can manage to get into the priest’s line – to quietly say, “I’m gluten intolerant. Could you please break me off a very small piece?” I know there are some people who simply cannot have any gluten whatsoever, but for many others taking 1/10 of a Host would be ten times better than taking a whole Host. God is fully present in every portion that can be identified as bread, so the Communion is complete even with a small fragment.

 

[Paul1961]

I wonder if there aren’t any? Celiacs that is.

Also, it could be that there are so many, no one is handed the pyx, but receives the low gluten host directly. That is how it is done at our parish. At any one mass there could be numerous people that would receive the low gluten host. I couldn’t see our priest handing out a different pyx to five different people.

They would use them for everyone.

The low gluten hosts are handmade and expensive. They come from the Benedictine Sisters. A package of 20 is $5.15 before shipping. Their standard people hosts(depending on size) range from 4.75 to 8.35 per 500.

The hosts themselves are a bit smaller than a quarter. The are like a hard potato chip in appearance and crunch.

 

[Brendan]

This church offers the Blood even on weekdays. .

FYI, the Precious Blood and the Holy Body are present fully in each species.

So if your parish offers Holy Communion in the species of bread, it, by definition, offers the Blood of Christ.

Both species are the exact same Substance, the Risen, Living Lord Jesus Christ in His Entirety (Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity).

The offer difference between the contents of the cup and contents of the ciborium is how our senses interact with them.

 

[Seatuck]

It is wise to not offer the cup on the major holidays because so many non practicing as well as non Catholic people come that there is danger of profanation of the Blessed Blood. They just don’t know how to handle the cup and the crowds often make it awkward to station the EMHC. Also, it is very difficult to determine how much to consecrate due to the large amount of unfamiliar people there.

 

[maryjk]

They would use them for everyone.

The low gluten hosts are handmade and expensive. They come from the Benedictine Sisters. A package of 20 is $5.15 before shipping. Their standard people hosts(depending on size) range from 4.75 to 8.35 per 500.

The hosts themselves are a bit smaller than a quarter. The are like a hard potato chip in appearance and crunch.

I know what they look like, I receive one every time I receive.

I am guessing you meant to say they “wouldn’t” use them for everyone. You are right, they wouldn’t. BUT they would use them for every person that has Celiac. Our parish has 8 that I know of. If we all attended the same mass, Father wouldn’t hand out a different pyx for each of us. We receive the low gluten host directly on our tongue or in our hand.

If the OP attended our parish, she wouldn’t see someone receiving a pyx. And unless she said something to the usher, she wouldn’t know from whom her sons should receive.

 

[Corki]

We went to a different church this year…Both my kids are on a gluten-free diet and thus, they receive through the cup - they cannot have the Host. We have never been to an Easter Mass that didn’t include the cup. Of course we are used to the Good Friday service that doesn’t include the cup either…but this was Easter!

But this time…No cup! I felt so rotten for them. My younger one, never one to turn down a challenge, decided to take the Host in spite of a high risk of uncomfortable symptoms. I pray that receiving the Body of Christ will burn through him like a wildfire…

But our older son chose not to receive at all. I thought new wine was consecrated for the catechumens?? What did I miss?

This church offers the Blood even on weekdays. Every other day except Good Friday, the cup is present.

It’s just been easier for them, less hassle, if they can receive from the cup without going into all the hoo-hah of contacting the priest, getting the procedures down, etc. These are very large parishes, over 3,000 families - I think the one today may have as many as 12,000 families. Neither boy wants to stand out or cause a fuss or inconvenience. That’s just their character, and the age/stage they are in.

IThey have the option of using a pyx and the low-gluten host, but it takes contacting the priest and working out some kind of routine, and then you always take the risk that something could go wrong.

I wonder what other celiacs at this parish do when there is no cup? I didn’t see anyone get a pyx but then we were pretty far back in the pews so…

I sure will contact the eucharistic ministers between now and next year to see what we can do. There is every possibility that they deal with this on a routine basis, since the parish is so large, and it will be no problem whatsoever.

I’m getting confused here.

First you said it was a different parish and then you said you know about their daily Mass practices and will be a “next time”.

I was the younger son’s EM for years, he had his own dedicated cup that I took home after he received. The older one has always just been careful to go through the line that did not include the Priest’s cup. Now the younger one doesn’t go to church and so I am not his EM any longer. We worked out his routine when he had his First Communion, with the Pastor.

EM - do you mean Eucharistic Minister? Only ordained priests and bishops are EMs.

I hope you mean that you took the cup home after it had been purified, not after he received.

If your younger child does not go to Church anymore, why way this an issue at Easter? If he’s over the age of reason (and it seems to be so since you say he already had his First Communion years ago) and isn’t regularly attending Mass, is Communion really an option?