The Body, but not drinking the Blood

[Amateis]

Hey everyone,

I have an idea of why this is, but I would like to be able to explain it to my Lutheran girlfriend. Why do some dioceses only distribute the Body? Jesus says to take both, and I know that you can’t exactly have one without the other, but why isn’t the Blood distributed sometimes? I think that the Mass even isn’t valid without the priest drinking it. So shed me some light please.

In Christ
CM Amateis

 

[JimG]

You are right that you can’t have one without the other. Where Jesus’ body is, there is His blood also, since we receive the living Christ.

Distribution under both species is more a matter of logistics and safeguarding the sacred species than anything else. Some parishes do it, some don’t. Some do it on occasion. Large parishes would find it unwieldy to distribute under both species to large congregations at say, seven Masses every weekend.

 

[theMutant]

Additionally, I understand that around the time of the Reformation there were those who argued that you MUST receive both species in order to receive the Eucharist. The practice of only receiving the “body” was to emphasize that the Church teaches that in the whole Christ, body, blood, soul, and divinity, is present in the smallest crumb or drop of either species. The separate consecration is symbolic of the Crucifixion and Christ’s death. The Eucharist itself is the resurrected, glorified Lord!

 

[GeorgeCooney]

ADDITIONAL NOTE:

The priest celebrant MUST consume the Blessed Sacrament under BOTH species, and must consume that which is consecrated during that same Mass. These actions are necessary for a valid Sacrifice of the Mass which he offers in persona Christi. The communicants, those attending and assisting in the Sacrifice, may receive under either or both species, according to the applicable local regulations; and may receive the Sacred Species consecrated during the same or an earlier Mass. As stated above, the smallest crumb or drop IS the Real Presence of the entire physical sunbstance of the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Christ Jesus. It remains as the Real Presence as long as the accidental properties of bread and/or wine remain intact.