Instructions for Receiving Holy Communion
Instructions for receiving Holy Communion this morning
Of necessity during the pandemic Holy Eucharist must be done differently in order to protect the health of our parish as best we can. As has been previously announced we use the single-use, sealed World Communion Cups (WCCs). WCCs are a tiny combined paten and chalice with a small wafer and wine sealed in them on either side.
During Holy Communion, after the breaking of the bread and after Fr. Jon says The Gifts of God for the People of God please be seated at your pew in the Nave. Fr. Jon and Allen will come down from the Altar and distribute one cup to each person present wishing to receive Holy Communion this morning. Place your WCC down on the pew next to you with the bread facing up. Use one hand to steady it against the pew.
Fr. Jon will then ask us to peal the foil from the bread. When Fr. Jon says The Body of Christ, the bread of heaven we will all say Amen together and consume the wafer.
Then turn the cup over so that the wine side is facing up and be sure to hold it down with one hand to steady it against the pew. Fr. Jon will then ask us to peal the foil. When Fr. Jon says The Blood of Christ, the cup of salvation, we will all say Amen together and then consume the wine.
After we have consumed the bread and the wine we will pause for a moment of reverent silence before continuing.
After this silence Fr. Jon will say Amen and ask us to place the two foils and the empty WCC into the ziplock baggie (which will have been provided) and seal it. Please take this home with you and perform the ablutions using the following instructions.
Ablution Instructions
Receiving Holy Communion in this way requires extra responsibility on the part of each of us for the proper cleaning of our used WCC once we get home. This “cleaning” is called ablutions or “the ablutions” and is a process well known to clergy and Altar Guild members.
Once home pour a small amount of clean water into the baggie with the foils and the WCC. Reseal the ziplock and shake gently to be sure all the remaining consecrated bread crumbs and wine residue have been rinsed. You may then consume this water or pore it directly onto the soil outside your home. This is all meant to be done mindfully and reverently. Once this has been done you may dispose of the baggie, foils and WCC as you would otherwise dispose of any item.