Why is the Blood of Christ served in the Chalice?

[LAMBOFGODGIRLY]

I was wondering if anyone could help me. My husband is Mormon and has been going to church with me lately ( I pray for his conversion), and he asked me, “Why do y’all drink from the chalice, when y’all could all prevent the spread of germs?” I told him “because we can not have the Blood of Christ in anything porous.” He then said, “I think Jesus would have used wooden cups, and wood is pourus.” Does anyone have an answer, or comment to help me with his comment. I don’t want to say anything to discourage him from the faith. He is a non-practicing Mormon, but he still believes in their practices, but he has been going to church with me every Sunday he is off work. I’m planting seeds…hopefully they grow!!
Thank you,
Alisha

 

[EasterJoy]

Well, first of all, commend him for being willing to ask questions.

You might ask if he has some archeological evidence that cups used for Passover in Jesus’ time were wooden, or did he just make that up? Sometimes we get these romantic ideas from our imaginations alone. As far as I know, a variety of materials were used at the time, including precious metals, both at Passover and at Mass in the early Church, so there is no way to know what was used at the Last Supper. We do know that we in our time can afford precious and noble materials that will not break, tarnish, nor contaminate the wine, and that will allow the Precious Blood to be consumed by the faithful, rather than the chalice itself.

As to his first question, the CDC has stated that the use of common communion cups does not pose a serious health threat, nor does it heighten one’s overall chances of falling to illness, when normal precautions are used.

forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?p=4196399

You might also point out that Our Lord is fully present in either species, so out of charity we do not receive from the common cup when we know we are at particular danger of passing on or falling to illness.

 

[Joe_Kelley]

I think it was, and is, Jewish custom to use their finest dishes for the Passover meal.

 

[benedictgal]

The Precious Blood of Christ is indeed the precious treasure of the Church because it contains Christ, whole and complete, Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity. Such a magnificent Treasure needs to be in the finest of vessels. Evidently, the Church certainly agrees, as Redemptionis Sacramentum notes:

[117.] [117.] Sacred vessels for containing the Body and Blood of the Lord must be made in strict conformity with the norms of tradition and of the liturgical books.205 The Bishops’ Conferences have the faculty to decide whether it is appropriate, once their decisions have been given the recognitio by the Apostolic See, for sacred vessels to be made of other solid materials as well. It is strictly required, however, that such materials be truly noble in the common estimation within a given region,206 so that honor will be given to the Lord by their use, and all risk of diminishing the doctrine of the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharistic species in the eyes of the faithful will be avoided. Reprobated, therefore, is any practice of using for the celebration of Mass common vessels, or others lacking in quality, or devoid of all artistic merit or which are mere containers, as also other vessels made from glass, earthenware, clay, or other materials that break easily. This norm is to be applied even as regards metals and other materials that easily rust or deteriorate.207

I hope this helps.

 

[Charioteer]

I was wondering if anyone could help me. My husband is Mormon and has been going to church with me lately ( I pray for his conversion), and he asked me, “Why do y’all drink from the chalice, when y’all could all prevent the spread of germs?” I told him “because we can not have the Blood of Christ in anything porous.” He then said, “I think Jesus would have used wooden cups, and wood is pourus.” Does anyone have an answer, or comment to help me with his comment. I don’t want to say anything to discourage him from the faith. He is a non-practicing Mormon, but he still believes in their practices, but he has been going to church with me every Sunday he is off work. I’m planting seeds…hopefully they grow!!
Thank you,
Alisha

In the Latin Rite both species are offered individually for their improved sign value – that’s how the consecrated bread and wine were offered at the Last Supper by Jesus Himself. It’s most likely the holy grail (the chalice used by Jesus Christ at the Last Supper) was actually carved out of something like agate (a type of quartz.)

There is little to be worried about when it comes to picking-up germs from the chalice. The chalice is wiped and turned between sips and the matter has a antiseptic quality to it.

 

[Cluny]

I’m willing to bet that at the Last Supper, the usual Kiddush Cup was used, which is traditionally made of silver.

While I don’t claim to have seen all such cups ever used in the history of the world, every Kiddush Cup I’ve seen in a Judaica store has been silver or silver plate.

In fact, one set I saw even had a little plate with it. Except for the Star of David on both cup and plate, it could easily be a traveling chalice set.

I will mention, on a practical note, that wine gets a funny taste unless it’s in gold or silver (at least plated) or glass vessels–which is why Kiddush cups are at least silver plate.

Glass vessels were VERY rare until the last few centuries.