The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1912-06-01

Is it proper for the people at High
Mass to stand when the priest leaves
his chair to walk to the altar after
the GIora and Credo?
The people should rise with the
priest or, at least, in time to be stand
ing when he turns around and salutes
them with the words, "Dominus Vo-
biscum." They should not wait until
he has turned towards them before
rising from their seats.
1. How are the waters (hosts) pre-
pared and what is used in them? 2.
Why do people receive only the host
(body in bread form) and why do they
not receive the blood lin wine form)
also? | know from the Catechism that
in the bread form we also receive the
real blood as it is the live body Of
Christ, but why did Christ give it to his
Apostles in both bread and wine form
and tell them or say that We should eat
his flesh and drink his blood If we
would have life in us. Of course, in
the Mass the Priest receives both in
bread and wine form but where did
Christ say that only the Priests and
not the pubuic should receive in both
forms? Did he not use the word drink?
1. The hosts or altar breads used
at Mass are prepared from wheaton
-four and water baked and moulded
into the ordinary forms with which we
are familiar. 2. You answer this
question yourself when you say that
the reason we do not receive Holy
Communion under the form of wine as
we'll as under the form of bread is be-
cause Christ, being living person, is
present whole and entire, body and
soul, humanity and divinity, under the
appearance of bread as well as under
the appearance of wine. Hence, those
who receive under the form of bread
alone receive the entire Christ just as
truly as the priests at Mass who
receive under both forms. The Holy
Eucharist is sacrifice as well as
a sacrament, and, therefore, at Mass
Christ is present under both forms
and to complete the sacrifice the
priest receives Communion under the
form of wine as we'll as under the
form of blood. In the same man
ner, at the first Mass on Holy
Thursday night Christ gave His apos-
ties His body and blood under the
form of bread and wine. He did not,
however, command the Apostles and
the faithful to receive it under both
forms. At Emmaus where the disci-
pies recognized Him Gin the breaking
of bread" there is reference to a real
Communion in which there is no men
ton of receiving under the form of
wine.
There is evidence in Holy Scripture
that the early Christians received Com
munion under one form only (Acts H.
AZ; Xxx, y. Besides, We know that they
were allowed to carry the Blessed Sac
rament home with them under the spe-
cies of bread only in order to receive
Holy Communion privately. Thus Holy
Scripture as we'll as the custom of
early Christians proves that the Apos-
ties and their immediate successors
gave Communion, at least sometimes,
under one kind alone, and that, there
fore, the giving of Communion under
both kinds was not considered essen
tial either by the nature of the Sacra-
ment or the command of Christ, but
was left to the judgment of the Church.
Nor do the words of Christ, unless you
eat the flesh of the Son and man and
drink his blood, you shall not have life
in you" imply any obligation to receive
Communion under both forms. There is
here question, not of the mode or man
ner of partaking of His blood, but of
the possibility of giving His real flesh
as food. His hearers did not enquire
about the manner in which they were
to receive it, but the possibility of their
eating His very flesh. How can this
man" they said, give us His flesh
to eat?" The answer of our Lord is a
command to partake of His flesh and
blood in reality and not an insistence
upon the manner of receiving it under
the particular species of bread and
wine This view is borne out by
words of St. Paul q Cor. XI, 30
Therefore, whosoever shall eat this
bread, or drink the chalice of the
Lord unworthily, shall be guilty oil
the body and blood of the Lord" Thus
by receiving Communion unworthily
under one species, whether of bread OIL
wine, a person becomes guilty of both
the body and blood of the Lord. From
this is follows that by receiving under
one form person receives the entire
sacrament. Much more might be said
on this point but the foregoing will
suffice to show that Christ left nc
command to receive His body an6
blood under both forms and the Church
has been free to legislate on this mat
ter according as she deemed it neces
sary.
1t may be said, in conclusion, thai
the giving of Holy Communion tt
the laity under the form of bread
alone renders the administration O