​     As mentioned in my bulletin articles the past two Sundays we are reintroducing the reception of the “Blood of Christ” starting this weekend. If perchance, you have not seen these articles you will be able to access them on the parish’s website and if not there, you are able to secure a copy from the parish staff. The aforementioned articles have pertained both to spiritual and practical issues, I will continue in this vein for this article, trying to make it practical and helpful at the same time. A few things to ponder:
 

• To prepare ourselves to receive the Lord in the Eucharist the Church asks us to fast for at least an hour before we receive the Body and Blood of Christ. (Note: this request does not pertain to medication, water, or anything related to health issues. Some will remember when the requirement was 3 hours and when folks were required to fast from midnight on – including from water and\or medications.) Try not to be paranoid about this – the point is to prepare ourselves for what we are about to do and not be too casual about receiving communion. I encourage parents to help their children grow in a sense of importance about receiving communion. Children of “communion age” should not be eating snacks, chewing gum and\or drinking juice boxes in church before communion or any other time for that matter. (again does not pertain to health issues) They learn from us – what are we teaching them?
•  When using a “pyx” (usually a small container folks use to take the Blessed Sacrament to those who are sick) please make sure it is a pyx and not an old pillbox, cosmetic container, etc. etc. It should be a container that speaks of the dignity of what it is being used for. There should be no cotton, gauze, etc. in the pyx; it should be a container that is easily cleaned and only used to carry the Blessed Sacrament. Remember you are carrying the Body of Christ, not breath mints.
• When coming forward, in the communion line, with a pyx remember, your primary focus is to receive the Lord. Receive communion first and then present the pyx. When the minister says “Body of Christ” the response is not “two please.” After you have received then request the Sacrament for a loved one. If needing more than a couple of host come and see us after mass.
• Personal pieties are just that, personal – they do not make us better than anyone else but speak to a person’s heart if they are authentic. A personal piety should never be expected of nor forced upon anyone else, it is personal!
• At Holy Angels, the position when receiving communion is standing. We do not provide for those who wish to kneel and as a result, I do not recommend doing so. In a church where there is a communion rail, kneeler then it is fine. At Holy Angels you may not be able to get back up easily, you may fall, you may cause another to fall because they are not expecting you to kneel. Remember this is not about you and\or what you want. For the safety of all I ask you to remain standing when receiving communion.

     Receiving communion is a communal act and by doing so we are united with each other in Christ. Whatever we do must help us all stay focused on Christ and not on us – if it becomes about the individual then we have lost a sense of why we are there in the first place. Yes, different parishes may do things a little differently – that is the way their parish expresses their communal action when worshipping, different – not better or worse – different.
 
Blessings,
 
Fr. Howard

     As we prepare to reintroduce the reception of the “Blood of Christ” to the community, I will continue to offer some points for your reflection so that the experience of the reception of the Eucharist will be positive for all. Things to think about and remember:

• As Catholics, we believe Jesus is really, truly and substantially present under the appearances of bread and wine. When we receive the Body and Blood of Christ, it is an act of faith. We receive it, we don’t take it, we do not deserve it, we can’t demand it but we receive it as an act of faith. When we approach the Minister of the Eucharist and they say “Body of Christ\Blood of Christ” the proper response is “Amen” or “I Believe”. We are responding to the statement of faith – Body of Christ\Blood of Christ. We do not respond with (these have all been heard here) yea, okay, thank you, sure, silence, or “I’ll take two father” referring to the number of host one wants for a pyx. Remember: a statement of faith has been made, Body of Christ\Blood of Christ, we respond to that statement of faith.
• One may receive only the Body of Christ or the Blood of Christ; one is not required to receive both. If receiving only the bread or the wine you are not receiving only “part” of Jesus. As a church, we have taught that in receiving only the bread or wine we receive the full presence of Jesus. If one is extremely sensitive to gluten (even in the so-called “gluten free” host there is an extremely small amount of gluten which is required) then I suggest one receive the Blood of Christ for communion.
• Intinction (dipping the host in the wine to receive both species) is only permitted to be done by a priest and\or a deacon and not by the general congregation. We will not do intinction at Holy Angels.
• Whether one receives on the tongue or in the hand is a moot point. One way is not holier or more respectful than the other. I suggest to folks to receive in the hand because I believe it helps to keep people healthier. If you have a cold and\or a respiratory issue, etc. please receive in the hand and please refrain from the cup. This may not be your preference but then again this is not about you and what you want. It is about the Lord and about how what we do connects us in the Lord – what you prefer may make people sick. Not to care about that is a sin.
• As I have mentioned before if you are sick, please stay home and take care of yourself and\or those of your family that are ill. There are no “holiness points” gained by coming to mass and getting people sick.
• When receiving from the cup the minister will say: “Blood of Christ” and you will respond “Amen.” They will hand you the cup, please make sure you have a firm hold so as not to drop the cup. Once you have taken a sip, not a gulp but a sip then hand the cup back to the minister – making sure they have it before you let go. If the Precious Blood is spilled or a cup is dropped don’t panic, the ministers will know what to do. Remember there is no sin involved here unless you have done something intentionally.
• Parents, particularly those of younger children, make sure you have gone through this process with them before they come forward to receive Communion, particularly if they want to receive from the cup – kids are curious. We will be working with our younger members both in the school and in the Formation Program in the coming weeks but some may want to receive before that time. Let them taste a red wine before they receive so they don’t end up spitting it out, gagging or make all sorts of facial contortions when they receive. Help them understand what they are doing and what they are receiving.
• Finally, at least for this letter, the cups for the Blood of Christ will be located by the two side doors on the north and south side of the church in front – door that leads to the sacristy and the door that leads to the car port.
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     We have an opportunity to re-educate ourselves when it comes to the reception of the Eucharist. Let’s not miss it for our sakes and for the sake of all.

​Blessings, Fr. Howard 

     Over the past several months, I have hinted at and folks have inquired about returning to the reception of the Blood of Christ during the Eucharist. Though I tend to be a little more cautious when it comes to such issues (trying to keep folks healthy and respecting the Eucharist) there will be no perfect time and the necessary logistics will never be perfectly in place to take the next steps. I do understand neighboring parishes have already re-started the practice of receiving from the cup and I believe we will learn from both their successes and their challenges.
     I have received many suggestions of how to go about restarting this practice: having individual mini-cups, intinction (dipping the host in the wine) and many more. One thing we must always remember, any practice we adopt must be within the parameters of our Catholic Tradition\ Eucharistic Theology and maintain the greatest respect we can have for the Body and Blood of Christ. Here are some things to ponder:

• We will resume the practice of receiving the Blood of Christ on the weekend of August 26th and 27th. We will have an earlier start for the weekday masses.
• As we begin, we will do so gradually having two cups of the Precious Blood available at first. It is hard to say how receiving from the cup will be received by the parish. Reports and numbers from other parishes have been at both ends of the spectrum. As we develop a better sense of how folks respond, we will be able to adjust as to how many cups will be needed and how much of the Precious Blood should be made available.
• Parish and school leadership will be working with our children (both school and formation programs) when it comes to receiving from the cup recognizing for some of our younger members they have not had the opportunity to receive from the cup since they made their First Communion. Parents will play an important role in helping their children engage in this sacred practice.
• Finally, for now, we need new members of the parish to come forward and assist in the distribution of the Precious Blood. This is not a priest\deacon thing – we need your help in ministering to the members of this community in all sorts of ways but right now by being a Eucharistic Minister of both the Body and Blood of Christ. If you are willing to assist please contact, Michelle Heeren (info in the bulletin) and she will arrange a time and place for learning the appropriate procedures. We cannot accomplish this without your assistance.
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​     Over the next few weeks you will be receiving more information about receiving from the cup, reception of the Eucharist in general (sometimes we all get into bad habits), and how we can be more intentional when it comes to receiving the Body and Blood of Christ. We must be willing to ask ourselves “what we believe when it comes to the Eucharist,” “how we believe,” and what we do with the belief when it comes to living out our lives.

Blessings, Fr. Howard