Why don't Catholics drink the communion wine during Mass?

Question

Jesus shared both bread and wine, not just bread.

Just curious

Answer 1

Most parishes do distribute the Blood of Christ.

The General Instruction of the Roman Missal states:

It is most desirable that the faithful, just as the priest himself is bound to do, receive the Lord's Body from hosts consecrated at the same Mass and that they partake of the chalice so that even by means of the signs Communion will stand out more clearly as a participation in the sacrifice actually being celebrated.

http://www.usccb.org/liturgy/current/chapter2.shtml#sect3c

There are significant challenges to the distribution of the Blood of Christ. Because we believe that the wine has changed into the actual blood of Jesus Christ, we cannot just pour it into four or five hundred little paper cups and then throw the cups away.

With love in Christ.

Answer 2

Some parishes offer consecrated wine at Communion.
Some don't.

Why? I don't know. The pastor and/or parish council of each individual parish makes the decision. Many factors could govern this decision.

The Full Graces of Communion are bestowed upon the recipient, whether they receive the Body, or the Blood, or both.

Personally, I prefer receiving both the Body and the Blood. In my opinion, there is more reverence for the Eucharist when parishioners can receive both.

Answer 3

Peace!
I am a Catholic. My understanding is you do not have to take both bread and wine. Either species will do. Some parishes use the instinction method: you dip the bread in the wine.

Answer 4

The Eucharist is often taken under both species - the consecrated bread and the consecrated wine - by the congregation. When it is not given under both species it is mainly for logistic reasons - the relative difficulty and time involved in serving the consecrated wine to a large number of people. In any case, you don't receive anything more by receiving both species. You receive the fullness of the risen Christ, body and blood, soul and divinity, when you receive the Eucharist under both species, or under one or the other species. It's still the Eucharist.
.

Answer 5

If the bread is the Body of Christ, and the wine is the Blood of Christ, then Christ is fully present to both. You're not getting "half a God" because infinity is indivisible.

So while it is good to receive both species, you're not compromising if, for logistical reasons, only the Host is being offered.

Answer 6

We take of both the bread(the host) and the wine to symbolize what Jesus told the apostles to do at the last supper

Answer 7

Depends on the parish. But according to Roman Catholic doctrine ... the entirety of the Real Presence is contained wholly in either the consecrated bread or wine. So if you receive only one element, either one . . . .you are getting the full efficacy of the Sacrament.

Answer 8

It isn't required to drink the Blood of Christ at the Holy Eucharist. We believe that the entirity of the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Christ are present in both the Host and the Cup.

Many people who are ill (or are worried about becoming ill) may pass on the cup - it is a personal choice.

Answer 9

Most people don't drink the wine, although it is offered. They don't want to drink other people's backwash and germs. Catholics used to take the host and dunk it in the wine to avoid sharing the cup.

Answer 10

I'm guessing it's probably due to sanitation. If everybody drank from the same cup, it would pass germs around. Also, it might be considered demeaning to the ceremony to pass out the wine in little Dixie cups.