Wednesday Liturgy: Follow-up: Consecration of Both Species for Mass

ROME, JULY 13, 2010 (Zenit.org).- Answered by Legionary of Christ Father Edward McNamara, professor of liturgy at the Regina Apostolorum university.


Somewhat related to the question on the need for a double consecration (see June 22), a reader asked about the need for the double reception of communion. He wrote: "When receiving communion, parishioners have the choice to drink from the cup, which has the blood of Christ. There are some, including myself, who do not drink from the cup (because of a medical condition, I fear that I may drop it). After Mass I feel left out because I did not receive the blood of Christ. Can a person say that he/she has received both the body and blood of Christ when they did not drink from the cup?"

Although receiving both species is preferable in virtue of the sign value of communion, the Church's teaching is that one receives the whole Christ -- body, blood, soul and divinity -- under either species. Therefore, a person who receives only under the species of bread, or exceptionally only under the species of wine, receives the same grace as the person who receives both species.

At the same time, our reader's difficulty in receiving from the chalice could be solved with a simple consultation with the parish priest. Once his difficulty is recognized, a means could be arranged, such as communion by intinction, allowing him to receive under both species. Almost every community has some parishioners with particular needs, and they can usually resolve these difficulties in full respect of Church law and liturgical decorum.