“The Body of Christ.” AMEN. “The Blood of Christ.” AMEN. These are words we hear and say on a regular basis as we celebrate the Eucharist. I have come to appreciate the sacredness of receiving Jesus Christ in four ways during the celebration of the Eucharist – the gathering of people, the proclamation of the Inspired Word of God in the scripture readings, the carefully chosen elements of Bread and Wine and the person of the priest. Our response of AMEN indicates several things, and we have no real clean interpretation of AMEN into English. I have come to believe that it means three things.
First of all it means, “I believe.” As we receive the Body and Blood of Christ and as we say the word AMEN as many as seven times during the Eucharist, we are saying that we believe in Christ’s real presence with us in this sacred meal. Secondly, AMEN means “Yes.” It is a verbal high five of sorts that celebrates and accentuates the importance of Christ’s real presence. Thirdly, AMEN means “As I receive, I am once again committing myself to be the Body of Christ and to ratify the Covenant in his blood.”
In one simple four letter word we are making a statement of belief, we are making a statement of identity, and we are making a statement of affirmation. Pretty amazing, isn’t it, that we can express so much in one word? Receiving the Eucharist is a ritualistic spiritual exercise that states who we are and what we are willing to do. St. Paul tells us that we are the Body of Christ, and in our participation in the Eucharist, we are boldly confirming that identity. We are stating what we believe and we are reclaiming our Covenant with God through Jesus Christ, and being fed and inspired for our mission of Christianity in the world.
I would like to take this Feast day to remind you to say your first name as you approach BOTH the minister of the Bread and of the Wine. It is a statement of who you REALLY are, as your REAL presence meets Christ’s REAL presence. I would also like to reflect a bit more on the importance of receiving the Blood of Christ from the cup.
“The Blood of Christ!” AMEN. Receiving the Blood of Christ for the entire assembly has really only been a practice in our Church since the Second Vatican Council. It is different from receiving the Body of Christ. First of all, it is liquid so it requires special care. When receiving the host there is one exchange, from minister to the recipient. With the cup there are two exchanges – from minister to recipient, and then back to the minister. And what is being exchanged? The Covenant, the new and eternal Covenant of Jesus Christ! The words that Jesus said at the last supper that we take very seriously are, “Take this ALL of you and drink from it. This is the cup of my Blood, the Blood of the New and Eternal Covenant…”
When we receive the Blood of Christ, we are not only drinking from the cup as Jesus instructed us, but we are holding the Covenant for a brief moment. In other words, God’s Covenant with us in the form of Jesus Christ is being ratified and entrusted to us because it is being shared in a reverent way again, and again, and again in this holy exchange.
Many people are hesitant to receive the Blood of Christ from the cup for several reasons, the top one being they feel that it spreads germs. I can’t deny that there may be germs passed from sharing the cup, but I have to ask an important question here: “Do Catholics get sicker than other people?” The answer is NO! Almost every Catholic Church offers the cup and we do not get any sicker than any other group of people who do not share the cup. We can get sick shaking hands or hugging. Sharing some germs is a fact of regular living.
Some people think that the act of INTINCTION, or dipping the host into the cup of wine, lessens the spread of germs. Please let me affirm, that is NOT true. Consider the following: There are more germs on your hands than almost anywhere else on your body. Intinction, or dipping, inevitably means you are touching the cup with your hand. As any minister will tell you, it is very difficult to hold a cup of wine while another person dips something into it. Inevitably, the end of your fingers are also dipped into the wine. Many people need gluten free hosts and they can either ONLY receive communion in the form of the Blood of Christ, or they wish to receive from the cup. Dipping a host that has a lot of wheat into the cup contaminates it for our brothers and sisters who are gluten sensitive.
There are other practical reasons against dipping the host, but the theological reasons against dipping it are many as well. Jesus didn’t say, “Dip a piece of host into the cup.” He said, “Take this ALL of you and drink from it.” If I intinct or dip, I am not holding the Covenant of the cup. I am missing a key element of the experience, namely, having it be entrusted to me for one brief moment. Actually receiving from the cup makes a more profound statement of unity than receiving the host because it says that “We are in this together!” The cup is passed, so to speak, it is held, but it is shared at the same time. In addition to holding one of the most sacred things and a carefully chosen vehicle for Christ to convey his real presence, it is a concrete vessel that stays in our midst. This is a bit different than the host which we consume. BOTH elements come into our body and physically become a part of us, but the shared cup symbolizes unity in our sight, in our midst.
Please take the cup, drink from it and drink of the Blood of Christ. Hold the Covenant and feel it being entrusted to you, give it back reverently and making a significant statement of unity – all in one simple, sacred act. AMEN!
We welcome Fr. Rich Jakubik, our new Associate Pastor, who will introduce himself at all Masses next weekend. Welcome, Rich!