Dear Parishioners,

Years ago, while I was serving as the Director of Worship in the Diocese of Superior, WI, I was offering a presentation for Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion. As I consistently do, I emphasized the importance of reverence, especially when handling the Blessed Sacrament, because a lack of reverence or too casual an approach with toward the sacred elements can weaken or even destroy people’s faith in the Eucharist. An elderly woman at the workshop then made this observation, It was easier, she said, to believe in the Real Presence years ago in the “old days.” Her statement was without guile and was in no way a criticism of the liturgical reforms from the Second Vatican Council.

When I asked her to elaborate on her statement she reminded us that in years past there were a number of ritual gestures and practices that supported the Catholic belief that the bread and wine at Mass truly become the real, sacramental presence of the body and blood Christ. In other words, through the action of the Holy Spirit, exercised through the ministry of the ordained priest when he prays the Eucharistic Prayer at Mass, these humble elements are substantially changed (in their inner reality) into the divine presence of Christ even though their “accidents” (the external appearances) remain the same.

Throughout history, the church, in her wisdom, employed ritual actions and gestures to reinforce this belief such as; genuflecting or bowing before the tabernacle, speaking in hushed tones while in the presence of the Sacrament, keeping a candle lit wherever the Blessed Sacrament was enshrined, never touching the host or even the sacred vessels with one’s hands (unless a person was ordained), greeting the priest at the door with a candle whenever communion was brought to the homebound, etc… There were other such practices similar to these as well. The woman who made this observation was not advocating a return to all of these practices. She simply maintained that such practices were helpful tools that deepened what we believe about the Blessed Sacrament. Removing these practices that engaged our bodies as well as our minds, resulted in a weakening of this belief.

I would argue that this is a universal concept for any value that people want to maintain. The value must be fostered through specific, concrete and historical means, such as actions, postures, language and events or else risk losing the value altogether. We are embodied people who depend on our senses to communicate what is most important to us.

With this in mind, we are introducing “Communion Kits” for our parish “Care Givers” who take Holy Communion to the sick and homebound. These kits contain a number of ritual items that reinforce our belief in the Real Presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament. They will also help to create a sacral space in people’s home when Communion is brought to them. These Kits will include a clean white corporal which is the linen cloth spread on the table where the Blessed Sacrament will be placed. The word “corporal” is derived from the Latin word corpus meaning “body” because the Body of Christ will rest upon it. There will also be a lovely olive wood crucifix from Bethlehem and a small votive candle that will be lit by the candle lighter that is also included. There is a bottle of Holy Water that may be used to bless the home and the people gathered for the rite and a bottle of hand sanitizer. A copy of the ritual text in a simple user friendly format is included and finally the burse and pyx that contains consecrated host. The minsters may also include other sacramental items such as rosaries, medals and scapulars. All of these “supplies” will be carried in a simple, elegant black box with a magnetic flap to secure its contents.

It is my hope that this new feature to our Care Ministry will help to deepen the love and faith of both those who are privileged to bring Communion to the sick and those who gratefully receive it.

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