I was watching mass on EWTN as I usually do at seven o'clock p.m. I have two questions. Number one, why does the alter server ring a bell when the priest offers up the chalice and the bread? My second question is, why doesn't the congregation partake of the wine, only the bread? I was always taught that we, as christians, were to drink of the cup and eat the bread both. I AM NOT CHALLENGING CATHOLIC BELIEFS! I myself am being converted over to catholicism, but these were two things I wasn't sure about. Thanks!

-- Shawn G. (www.sharvin@acsworld.com), November 19, 2003

Answers

Dear Shawn, The only reason i am awear of is to bring peoples attention back to Our Lord in important moments in the Mass, there maybe another reason iam not sure. As far as taking the chalice, it is dne diffrently in the New Mass but in the Old rite it isent done because there is a grave chance for some to spill or get droped is passing the chalice and so on. Besides Our lord is present body, blood soul and divinaty in the Blessed Sacrament. So you get just as much as if you receaved the chalice as so.

KeV

-- Kevin Wisniewski (kez38spl@charter.net), November 20, 2003.

"Besides Our lord is present body, blood soul and divinaty in the Blessed Sacrament. So you get just as much as if you receaved the chalice as so."

Kevin, you have confused terms. The Blessed Sacrament refers to both species--bread and wine.

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Hello Shawn,

Regarding your questions:

1) Ringing the bell. Here's a quote from the Catholic Encyclopaedia at NewAdvent.org::

"A small bell placed on the credence or in some other convenient place on the epistle side of the altar. According to the rubrics it is rung only at the Sanctus and at the elevation of both Species (Miss. Rom., Ritus celebr., tit. vii, n. 8, and tit. viii, n. 6) to invite the faithful to the act of adoration at the Consecration."

2) Receiving the Holy Eucharist. It is a common practice to receive the Holy Eucharist in the form of bread. I believe that this preference is based on practical reasons related to the distribution [someone else may have more to add here]. As Kevin wrote, Our Lord is fully present (body, blood, soul, and divinity) in both species--He is not "divided" into parts. Receiving the Holy Eucharist in either species is receiving all of Our Lord.

God bless you,

Mateo

-- (MattElFeo@netscape.net), November 20, 2003.

Shawn, The use of the "Sanctus Bells" as they are called was to draw the attention of the faithful to the the Altar where Christ has just become presesnt so that they may adore Christ hidden under the froms of Bread and Wine. When one recieves the Host they recieve the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ. The same is true for the Chalice. So it is perfectly acceptable to recieve the Host only since it fufills the requirement of Chirst in the Gospel of St. John chapter 6 "...must eat of the Flesh and drin of the Blood of the Son of Man..." † Adoremus in aeternum Sanctissimum Sacramentum!

-- Jeff (jmajoris@optonline.net), November 21, 2003.

When the priest says "Body of Christ", Who does he mean, you or the Host?

-- Watchy (Watchman@the rhine.com), November 21, 2003.

He means the exact same thing Christ meant when He placed the Eucharist into the outstretched hands of His Apostles, saying "Take ye, and eat. This is my body". (Matthew 26:26)

-- Paul M. (PaulCyp@cox.net), November 21, 2003.

Shawn,

The reason might be that EWTN is showing a TV Mass and usually at these Masses they only have one species because it helps shorten the Mass for TV.

-- Scott (papasquat10@hotmail.com), November 21, 2003.