This is how we treat what remains. How do Protestants do this?

[AlegreFe]

I thought to post a new thread in response to the “Protestant Communion” thread. One of the posters (others too) pointed out how the Catholic Church treats what remains of the Body & Blood of Christ after Holy Communion. Here is that response to the poster;

The services themselves can be very, very reverent, but their belief that it is merely symbolic can lead to some bizarre things happening to the remaining elements afterwards, such as the Body of Christ being used as turkey stuffing, the Blood being poured down an ordinary kitchen sink along with day-old coffee and skunge from dirty dishes, etc.

It’s probably a mercy that they don’t have valid Holy Orders, because if Jesus could really come to them in Holy Communion, He would suffer a lot of abuse at their hands, I think - not so much in Church, but after the service is over.

You’re so right. I agree. If some Protestants knew how the Catholic Church treats what remains then they would know just how reverant the Church is when it comes to Christ’s Body & Blood. I have even heard of some converts that converted due partly to how we treat the Body & Blood of Christ.

When I read about the miracle of the loaves and the fishes I think of the Eucharist right away and how everything is gathered up and nothing is wasted.

After communion the Priest has to drink whatever Precious Blood is left in the chalice. Watch the Daily Mass on EWTN some time. Here’s a schedule with the times of all the shows on EWTN.

None of the Precious Blood is left in the chalice because the priest drinks all of it. That is why if there is only one priest saying Mass he will pour less wine into the chalice before consecrating it. The priest also pours water from the cruet into the chalice after drinking the rest of the Precious Blood so as to “rinse” the chalice before drinking the last drops of the Precious Blood of Christ. After that, the priest wipes the inside of the chalice with a “purificator” which is a small white linen cloth. The blood of Christ is precious and the Church should treat it as such.

After communion, the priest and any of the extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist that ministered Holy Communion should dip their fingers in an ablution cup so that none of the Body of Christ remains on their fingers.

After all of that, the chalice, the paten (small round plate that hold’s the hosts before consecration and the Body of Christ after consecration), the cruets and all the holy vessels are washed in what is called a “sacrarium” which is basically a special sink in the sacristy. This sink is only used for sacred vessels. The excess of holy water, holy oils and blessed ashes are poured into this sink also.

As far as the precious Body of Christ, the “hosts” which are actually and still the body, blood, soul & divinity of Christ, are all gathered up and put away in the Tabernacle. The Tabernacle is even locked so no one could mess with the Body, Blood, Soul & Divinity of Christ.

The Tabernacle is also considered as storage so that the Priests and/or Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist take the Body of Christ can go to sick people, whether in their homes or the hospital and minister Holy Communion to them. The precious Body of Christ is even treated with reverance when taken to the sick becaues it is placed in what is called a pix.

How much reverance is put on what happens to what remains in your church?

 

[AlegreFe]

Now sadly to say that these practices are not always carried out. I don’t see the extraordinary ministers dipping their fingers in an ablution cup. I do see the priest do this but not all priests and not at all parishes.

Father Fanelli so far, is the most reverant that I have seen at the Mass. He makes sure that no particles remain either on the paten or on his fingers. He scrapes up what he could from the corporal and/or the altar linen (which are two different things) and places it in the chalice and then pours water in it and drinks it. You can’t get any more reverant than that.

 

[kellie]

Hi Sandy,

I think the way we treat the Body and Blood of Our Lord is beautiful

I have to tell you though, when I was young, I used to not know the reason behind all the rituals after Communion, and I just thought the Priest really really really liked the wine, seen as he drank every last drop

 

[Le_Cracquere]

I think the average Protestant church would at least baulk at using the Communion elements in turkey stuffing, as cited above. Even people who consider the bread and grape juice strictly symbolic [no wine at my old church, you better believe] tend to have some sense of decorum. They don’t like just throwing the leftovers away, but if you don’t actually believe it’s Christ’s body and blood, there’s little point in doing as the Catholics do with it.

However, this seems like one issue where Cs and Ps should be on the same page: Protestants don’t believe that their communions feature the actual Body and Blood of the Lord, and Catholics also don’t believe that Protestant communions feature the actual Body and Blood of the Lord. In that light, why shouldn’t Protestants do whatever seems fitting with the leftovers?

 

[tundramom]

However, this seems like one issue where Cs and Ps should be on the same page: Protestants don’t believe that their communions feature the actual Body and Blood of the Lord, and Catholics also don’t believe that Protestant communions feature the actual Body and Blood of the Lord. In that light, why shouldn’t Protestants do whatever seems fitting with the leftovers?

The final straw with my leaving the Assembly of God and finally embracing the Catholic Church was when my former Pastor held up the elements and said, “We could be doing this with a snickers bar and a coke and it would be the same thing.”

in Christ
Steph

 

[Image_of_God]

The final straw with my leaving the Assembly of God and finally embracing the Catholic Church was when my former Pastor held up the elements and said, “We could be doing this with a snickers bar and a coke and it would be the same thing.”

in Christ
Steph

:bigyikes:

 

[Damascus]

The final straw with my leaving the Assembly of God and finally embracing the Catholic Church was when my former Pastor held up the elements and said, “We could be doing this with a snickers bar and a coke and it would be the same thing.”

in Christ
Steph

Lets all be very thankful for that poor man, as he led another to the Church in his words, actions and misdeeds.

Lord have mercy!

 

[Lil_M]

Double to that snickers bar post!!

OP: thank you for detailing the process. It’s important to understand the reverence for the Eucharist before, during and after it has been distributed. This is not something I was ever taught but had to find out for myself (among mannnyyy other things, sigh)

 

[AlegreFe]

Hi Sandy,

I think the way we treat the Body and Blood of Our Lord is beautiful

I have to tell you though, when I was young, I used to not know the reason behind all the rituals after Communion, and I just thought the Priest really really really liked the wine, seen as he drank every last drop

Sorry just had to laugh at this. Not at you but just the thought of people thinking the same thing; they must think Priests are a bunch of “winos.” LOL

Okay, enough with the laughing. It is understandable that anyone would think that. I myself, don’t remember what I thought about that. I guess I just thought it was something they have to do so it must mean something but for the most part I just ignored it.

 

[AlegreFe]

I think the average Protestant church would at least baulk at using the Communion elements in turkey stuffing, as cited above. Even people who consider the bread and grape juice strictly symbolic [no wine at my old church, you better believe] tend to have some sense of decorum. They don’t like just throwing the leftovers away, but if you don’t actually believe it’s Christ’s body and blood, there’s little point in doing as the Catholics do with it.

I could imagine that if a particular protestant church knows that the communion does hold some meaning, I think they would at least treat the leftovers with some kind of reverance.
Le Cracquere:

However, this seems like one issue where Cs and Ps should be on the same page: Protestants don’t believe that their communions feature the actual Body and Blood of the Lord, and Catholics also don’t believe that Protestant communions feature the actual Body and Blood of the Lord. In that light, why shouldn’t Protestants do whatever seems fitting with the leftovers?

This is true but only for some Protestants. There are some denominations that do believe that they have the real body & blood of our Lord. I think this is good for each individual to have that kind of faith. I say they are just that much closer to the Kingdom! It’s too bad that it’s not the real presence due to the fact that no Protestant denomination has ordained Priests.

And you’re right, if they really don’t have the real presence, why should they treat what is just a cracker or piece of bread with any kind of reverance. But I don’t know, I still think they should anyway, but that’s just me.

 

[AlegreFe]

The final straw with my leaving the Assembly of God and finally embracing the Catholic Church was when my former Pastor held up the elements and said, “We could be doing this with a snickers bar and a coke and it would be the same thing.”

in Christ
Steph

Huh? :nope: That’s pretty sad.

18 Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought out
bread and wine, and being a priest of
God Most High, he blessed Abram Gen 14:18

 

[AlegreFe]

OP: thank you for detailing the process. It’s important to understand the reverence for the Eucharist before, during and after it has been distributed. This is not something I was ever taught but had to find out for myself (among mannnyyy other things, sigh)

You’re so welcome; all for the Glory of God!

I also didn’t know much of the significance of each and every little thing that they did in Mass before and/or after Holy Communion. It was very interesting to find out. All I knew was that this was Jesus Christ “right here in church with us!” I was happy to receive Jesus but I admit I stopped going to Mass but I’m so glad that I started going to Mass again and then learned so much about the Catholic Church.

 

[kellie]

Sorry just had to laugh at this. Not at you but just the thought of people thinking the same thing; they must think Priests are a bunch of “winos.” LOL

Okay, enough with the laughing. It is understandable that anyone would think that. I myself, don’t remember what I thought about that. I guess I just thought it was something they have to do so it must mean something but for the most part I just ignored it.

lol, and guess what else I used to think when I was young.

You know the part during the Consecration when after the Priest holds up the Bread and the Wine, he genuflects each time …

I thought he had dropped a piece of bread both times.



I was young lol

 

[AlegreFe]

18 Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought out
bread and wine, and being a priest of
God Most High, he blessed Abram Gen 14:18

I would like to add to this post. It was too late to edit so I’ll just add it here.

15 It is even more obvious if another priest
is raised up after the likeness of Melchizedek,
16 who has become so, not by a law expressed
in a commandment concerning physical descent
but by the power of a life that cannot be destroyed.
17 For it is testified; “You are a priest forever
according to the order of Melchizedek.” Heb 7:15-17

Jesus Christ is our one High Priest. But Jesus allows a shared ministerial Priesthood, in which Catholic Priests share, and only Catholic Priests. We all share in a priesthood but not this particular Ministerial Priesthood.

During the Liturgy of the Eucharist one of the prayers that the priest says mentions “… bread and wine offered by your Priest Melchizedek.”

Jesus also changed water into wine in the wedding at Cana. So these things combined tell us that it should be bread and wine at the altar and not snickers and coke.

 

[AlegreFe]

lol, and guess what else I used to think when I was young.

You know the part during the Consecration when after the Priest holds up the Bread and the Wine, he genuflects each time …

I thought he had dropped a piece of bread both times.



I was young lol

You’re adorable is what you are. (I don’t mean “God Worship Adorable”).
You know what I mean.

What’s sad for me is that I guess I never really paid attention to some of the things the priest did. Shame on me. At least you were attentive to what the priest was doing. And it is so cute as to what some children think as to what the priest is doing up there.

I wish I paid more attention at Mass when I was young.

 

[Cardinalsong]

Thank you all for your wonderful posts

I never knew what went on after the Eucharist or what all the ‘rituals’ (in a very good way!) were. Thank you OP for your explaination:thumbsup:

It’s early & I was tired:yawn: This really started my morning off right

 

[AlegreFe]

Thank you all for your wonderful posts

I never knew what went on after the Eucharist or what all the ‘rituals’ (in a very good way!) were. Thank you OP for your explaination:thumbsup:

It’s early & I was tired:yawn: This really started my morning off right

Bless You too! Happy tears I have for you! I’m so glad this started your day right! All for the Glory of God! :bowdown2: Blessed Be God Forever!

 

[puzzleannie]

again, another global generalization about “Protestants” given without citing a source, making an claim about “Protestant” beliefs without specifiying which denomination holds such beliefs or does such actions. very poor practice for an apologetics site. and totally useless for discussion.

If you want a thread on the Real Presence, start one.
If you want a thread about Catholics who abuse the Eucharist, get in line.

If you want to bash Protestants, you are on the wrong forum.

If a non-Catholic came here with a general inaccurate statement about Catholic practice and used it as a basis for bashing Catholics you would be all over him.

I know no Protestant clergy and elders who do not conduct their communion services with reverence and decorum and deep respect and love for Christ, whose actions they believe they are emulating.

 

[kellie]

again, another global generalization about “Protestants” given without citing a source, making an claim about “Protestant” beliefs without specifiying which denomination holds such beliefs or does such actions. very poor practice for an apologetics site. and totally useless for discussion.

If you want a thread on the Real Presence, start one.
If you want a thread about Catholics who abuse the Eucharist, get in line.

If you want to bash Protestants, you are on the wrong forum.

If a non-Catholic came here with a general inaccurate statement about Catholic practice and used it as a basis for bashing Catholics you would be all over him.

I know no Protestant clergy and elders who do not conduct their communion services with reverence and decorum and deep respect and love for Christ, whose actions they believe they are emulating.

There has been no “Protestant bashing” at all here.
We haven’t been discussing how the Protestant clergy conduct their communion services, but rather how they clean up afterwards.

As the last question in the OP asks "How much reverance is put on what happens to what remains in your church?"

The OP then says in her 2nd post how some Catholic priests dont always follow ritual exactly as desired. So in fact she isnt “bashing” Protestants, she is “bashing” anyone who doesnt handle the remains of the Body and Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ with utmost reverence.

REMAINS being the word to focus on, not how the service is conducted.

 

[GKC]

Greetings, AlegreFe,

I almost never comment on a thread that asks questions about what Protestants believe/do, since, as an Anglo-Catholic I’m not one (yes, I know you believe otherwise), but I’ll make an exposition here, just to spread the word. Anglo-Catholics, as well as most Anglicans generally, do precisely as you have described in your OP, and for precisely the same reason: the Real Presence. Same reason we reverence the altar where the Tabernacle is located, every time we approach it. The Body is reserved there for use, as you suggest (the word is “pyx”), or for adoration/contemplation before it.The *sacrarium/piscina *drains directly to consecrated earth, as does one in a RC church. Any remaining Precious Blood is consumed by the priest, or a con-celebrating priest, or other clergy/acolytes, as needed. In addition, no one not in Holy Orders, may touch, handle or distibute the consecrated elements in any fashion (that is, no lay Extraordinary Eucharistic Ministers).

Yes, I know what you believe about Anglican orders, and the validity of our Euchrist; Apostolicae Curae, and all.

GKC