What do non-Catholics do with the "leftovers" from their Eucharist or Lord's Supper?

[Wannano]

OddBird:

The celebrant usually finishes the wine

I am wondering if more than a few have been taken in and become alcohol dependent.

It gives me an uncomfortable feeling to think that one could get drunk by drinking too much of the Blood of Jesus.

 

[mcq72]

It gives me an uncomfortable feeling to think that one could get drunk by drinking too much of the Blood of Jesus

Well, not drunk but maybe a slight pleasant buzz.

 

[Wannano]

You can’t get drunk by drinking wine?

 

[Wannano]

Why is there no Mass on Good Friday?

 

[Wannano]

As I understood your link, pre-consecrated elements are partaken at the Good Friday Communion. Does that not mean that Jesus is there waiting for you even on Good Friday?

 

[Wannano]

Thank you for sharing. I do not doubt your sincerity even if I must admit I do not know how to relate to it. It takes great faith to believe as you do.

 

[esieffe]

My Dad was an Episcopal Priest. At his church the host just stayed in the tabernacle in the chapel in a pyx and the rest was in the sacristy in an ornate cabinet. There was reverence there, the usually older, head alter boy was called the Crucifer. The Priest would offer the host and the Crucifer would offer the cup wearing white cotton gloves.

 

[Pattylt]

Thanks for the link. May I ask, then why still take communion? I understand the reasoning of not consecrating any hosts but I would think that also not consuming any would be an even stronger reminder. Or, must you still consume Him…and why?
Thank you for sharing your knowledge…and the story below it!

 

[Pattylt]

You explained it quite well. Thank you!

 

[HomeschoolDad]

The celebrant usually finishes the wine

The accidents of wine remain even after it becomes the Precious Blood of Jesus — taste, aroma, and yes, alcohol content. I am given to understand that traditional communion wine does not have that much alcohol content in it. Nonetheless, even this could be a problem for alcoholic priests (alcoholism is a disease, not a moral failing), and the Church allows such priests to use very recently-pressed wine — mustum — for their portion of the Precious Blood. In those cases, couldn’t the EMHCs or servers (assuming they are adults) be called upon to consume the leftover Precious Blood from other chalices?

 

[OddBird]

I am wondering if more than a few have been taken in and become alcohol dependent.

There is usually not much left (I’m one of said celebrants). On the odd occasion when finishing it on one’s own doesn’t feel quite reasonable, a few parishioners help. Or the sacristan pours it down the drain before we realize it, that happens too.

It gives me an uncomfortable feeling to think that one could get drunk by drinking too much of the Blood of Jesus.

It actually happened to one of my husband’s teenage years’ pastors in South Korea. It was a church from the Calvinist tradition where the Lord’s supper was only celebrated four times a year so the community was not used to preparing the right amount of species, the wine quantities had been badly calculated and the equivalent of one bottle was left remaining, and the pastor thought nobody but him could be allowed to drink the leftovers. Add to that the fact that as many South Korean pastors, he usually was a teetotaler. He spent the afternoon drinking up the leftovers in his office, as he felt was his pastoral duty, and showed up drunk at the evening service.

Thinking of it makes me cringe too, although the poor pastor tried to act in the best possible (if misguided) way, and visibly had a sense of respect for the consecrated species.

I am given to understand that traditional communion wine does not have that much alcohol content in it.

You’re right, but the Protestant traditions I know just use regular (often red, but not always) wine.

 

[mcq72]

There is usually not much left (I’m one of said celebrants). On the odd occasion when finishing it on one’s own doesn’t feel quite reasonable, a few parishioners help. Or the sacristan pours it down the drain before we realize it, that happens too

Thank you. I also understood it to be mixed with water…when I grew up there were no other celebrants, only the priest drank from it, they also had more masses, early morning weekdays, 6 or 7 am ( no breakfast yet?) and 2 or 3 consecutive on Sunday mornings…I do recall that big half gallon clear glass bottle ( with a lift ring on it?) of maybe Gallo (? Lol) wine in the sacristy.

 

[mcq72]

I am given to understand that traditional communion wine does not have that much alcohol content in it.

and the Church allows such priests to use very recently-pressed wine — mustum —

See, you are not so far apart then from Protestants who use unformented wine, grape juice lol.

Will have to remember this next time someone knocks us for using merely grape juice lol.

Mount La Salle bottle is only $77 dollars, plus shipping…no wonder our diocese declared bankruptcy… ( sorry, could not avoid the humor on an otherwise sad reality).

“The priest in question (allowed to use mustum) should therefore not normally preside at a concelebration except for very special occasions. When such a situation arises, two chalices must be provided: one with mustum and another with ordinary wine”

https://zenit.org/articles/use-of-mustum-at-mass/

I am sorry…I see too much legalism…reminds of Judaism adding so much to original Writ.

 

[GKMotley]

When my son in law was a regular acolyte, our priest would occasionally ask him to consume the Blood remaining. He was a hefty young man.

I speak here of an Anglican parish.

 

[Wannano]

HomeschoolDad:

I am given to understand that traditional communion wine does not have that much alcohol content in it.

and the Church allows such priests to use very recently-pressed wine — mustum —

See, you are not so far apart then from Protestants who use unformented wine, grape juice lol.

Will have to remember this next time someone knocks us for using merely grape juice lol.

Mount La Salle bottle is only $77 dollars, plus shipping…no wonder our diocese declared bankruptcy… ( sorry, could not avoid the humor on an otherwise sad reality).

“The priest in question (allowed to use mustum) should therefore not normally preside at a concelebration except for very special occasions. When such a situation arises, two chalices must be provided: one with mustum and another with ordinary wine”

https://zenit.org/articles/use-of-mustum-at-mass/

I am sorry…I see too much legalism…reminds of Judaism adding so much to original Writ.

I wonder why it is only if the priest is an alcoholic, what about the laity?

 

[Wannano]

But the Biblical account of the Last Supper is very plain and concise in the instruction to both eat and drink of it.
What would be the basis of determining which wine can be used?

 

[HomeschoolDad]

I am given to understand that traditional communion wine does not have that much alcohol content in it.

The kind of unfermented wine that alcoholic priests use is not “grape juice”, at least not in the sense that this term is commonly understood (Welch’s, etc.). It is the juice of crushed grapes that has been allowed to stand for a while, thereby beginning the fermentation process but interrupted before any appreciable amount of alcohol begins to materialize.

These problems could be avoided by reserving the Precious Blood, consecrated from mustum, for the priest alone, and allowing the laity to receive the Host only.

 

[HeDa]

I have had to help Father consume the rest of the Precious Blood. I wont do it again in that parish as the vine they use has a higher alcohol content than average vine and it is very hard to keep my face straight.

 

[HeDa]

The priest has to consume the Blood of Christ for the Eucharist to be complete. The laity doesn’t have to receive at all or can choose to receive the Body of Christ. Priests can celebrate Mass without another human being present.

 

[mcq72]

I wonder why it is only if the priest is an alcoholic, what about the laity?

Never seen laity do more than a sip, at most one gulp? But a priest may have seen it all.