Reception of Communion under Both Kinds: A fuller sign

Reception of Communion under Both Kinds: A fuller sign

Who among us goes to a wedding reception, eats the food and drinks nothing? Yet, I continue to observe the absence of the distribution of the Eucharistic cup in more than half the parishes I visited since I began my blog nine months ago. We go to the wedding feast and participate in half the banquet.  

Whenever I ask about the omission of the cup at the distribution of communion, I hear different answers. “The distribution of the cup lengthens Mass. People will go to another church if Mass becomes too long here.” “People are afraid of germs if they drink from the cup.” “Scheduling more extraordinary ministers becomes problematic.” “Wine for every liturgy gets expensive.”

Consider Jesus celebrating Seder with his followers. After praying the He tells them,

"Take and eat, this is my body."

Giving thanks, he then took the chalice and said:

"Take and drink, this is the cup of my blood.

Do this in remembrance of me."

Mt 26:26-27; 1 Cor 11:25

Before he breaks bread and drinks wine, Jesus recites the Hamotzi and the Kaddush. The prayers at the preparation of the gifts use these Jewish table prayers as a model.

Hamotzi:  Praised are you, Adonai our God, Sovereign of the Universe, who brings forth bread from the earth.

Kaddush:  Praised are you, Adonai our God, Sovereign of the Universe, who creates the fruit of the vine.

“Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation,for through your goodness we have received the bread we offer you; fruit of the earth and work of human hands, it will become for us the bread of life.”

Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation, for through your goodness we have received the wine we offer you; fruit of the vine and work of human hands, it will become our spiritual drink.”

takes, blesses, breaks and gives his body and blood to his followers  These special prayers are based on ancient Jewish table prayers  They recall that God is both  the  source and recipient of this food offering.  We praise God for the works of creation and fruits of the earth that with human labor also symbolize our world, our life and our work.

The prayers at the preparation of the gifts are modeled on a Jewish table prayers, the Hamotzi

when breaking bread and the  Kaddush when drinking wine:

While the Catholic liturgical adaptations of these  prayers retain much of the traditional Jewish texts, they also add much by way of acknowledging the element of human labor that goes into turning wheat to bread and grapes into wine.  Our liturgical texts also anticipate the consecration to come, where mere bread becomes the Bread of Life, and wine becomes “our spiritual drink.”    

Consider ritual dining in your parish. How do you celebrate the wedding feast of the Lamb, a foretaste of the heavenly banquet? A bit of liturgical mystagogy may be helpful here.  

Recall the words of the epiclesis in the Eucharistic prayer, the calling of the Spirit upon the eucharistic gifts of bread and wine.

“Look, we pray, upon your people’s offerings

and pour out on them the power of your Spirit,

that they may become the Body and Blood of your beloved son,

Jesus Christ, in whom we, too, are your sons and daughters.”

(Roman Missal, Third Edition: Eucharistic Prayer for Reconciliation I)

Finally, read this next section from Norms for the Distribution and Reception of Holy Communion Under Both Kinds in the Dioceses of the United States of America (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2001).

Holy Communion has a more complete form as a sign when it is received under both kinds. For in this manner of reception a fuller sign of the Eucharistic banquet shines forth. Moreover there is a clearer expression of that will by which the new and everlasting covenant is ratified in the blood of the Lord and of the relationship of the Eucharistic banquet to the eschatological banquet in the Father's kingdom. (30)

The General Instruction of the Roman Missal provides that “the faithful should be instructed to participate more readily in this sacred rite, by which the sing of the Eucharistic banquet is made more fully evident.” (GIRM 282)