Our Catholic belief is that the person of Jesus Christ becomes really present to us both through the form of the consecrated bread of communion and also through the form of the consecrated wine. On occasion some Catholics, generally for health reasons, receive only from the wine and avoid the bread of communion. We believe they are receiving Jesus full and entire just as those who choose only the consecrated bread and bypass the consecrated cup. However Jesus’ words at he Last Supper set the standard and remain his invitation “Take and eat . . . Take and drink.” Here’s the question-do you receive both bread and wine, or do you skip the consecrated wine and if so why???

In the 1970’s communion from the cup was introduced with considerable enthusiasm as a proud expression of lay participation in the Mass and a faithful if long overdue return to the command of scripture. We offer communion under both forms here at Christ the King at every daily mass and on weekends at the 5 pm, 8am and 10:45am. We only omit it when the numbers seem consistently overwhelming (9:15) and the eucharistic ministers available ((7 am and 12:15) seem consistently too few. Many congregations report only a 10 to 20 percent participation as the norm as parishes that have introduced communion under both forms struggled with fears of germs, bacteria and even HIV! But according to repeated medical surveys no one has become sick from consuming the sacrament from the common cup. “The practice has never been found responsible for the spread of infection in the 19 centuries during which it has been used. And there have been some very close scrutiny done the past 40 years looking for just such an instance,” according to Dr. David Gould, who last year authored a study on the common cup for the Anglican Church in Canada. Anne LaGrange Loving, a professor of microbiology in New Jersey has just completed a 10 week study which shows no difference in illness rates among people who share the cup regularly, those who pass it by, and those who haven’t been inside a church in decades!

Here at Christ the King it looks like about 25-35% received the cup in the front of church, and 10% or less in the back. Do so many bypass the chalice out of habit, hurry, convenience or what? The question remains, “ if not, why not” and Jesus’ invitation remains as we “take and eat …take and drink!”