A Sign of Abundance REV. JAMES MORGAN ’22, ARCHDIOCESE OF WASHINGTON
About a year ago, I was sitting in one of our lounges with some other men from my archdiocese talking about what the NAC was like before the pandemic. In particular, the first and second-year men, who had never experienced our liturgies with the distribution of the Precious Blood. This caused us to wonder when or even if Communion from the chalice would return. One man remarked, “If you believe in the true presence in the Eucharist, then you shouldn’t want the practice to return.” He was referring to a Church teaching called concomitance. The understanding that Christ is fully present in each of the Eucharistic species—the bread and the wine. We don’t receive any more grace from receiving Communion under bother species. Yes, I do believe in that teaching, but I also believe Jesus instituted the Eucharist under both species, choosing bread and wine for a reason. Researching this topic became the groundwork for my tesina—the final paper to conclude my STL degree before I return to America.
A few months later, Pope Francis delivered his most recent apostolic letter on the importance of the liturgy and liturgical formation: Desiderio Desideravi. One significant part was his call for us to reclaim our understanding of the signs and symbols present in our liturgical celebrations. This speaks to the primary reason for Communion under both species, which is the fullness of the sign of the Eucharistic banquet. While Christ is literally present in each species, he also communicates himself through both Eucharistic symbols—the bread and the wine. Reception of the Blood of Christ communicates a wealth of symbolic language that enriches our celebration of the Eucharist. For instance, the Precious Blood comes to us appearing as wine, which is a sign of the abundance of God’s mercy and goodness. Christ’s first miracle produced an abundance of wine at the wedding feast of Cana.
While Christ is literally present in each species, he also communicates
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The Pontifical North American College
Rev. James Morgan '22 (Washington) elevates the precious blood during Mass at the station church of Sant'Eusebio.