S/O Communion: Do you allow your child/ren to receive the Precious Blood?

[Trigger]

I hear some people say, "Of course I don't allow my child/ren to receive the WINE," and it sets my teeth on edge.

What say you?  My kids have each received the Precious Blood since they made their First Communion.

[la mamita]

My kid hasn't been prepared for First Communion, so no. When he does, it's his choice. I don't expect him to be taking huge gulps or anything, so it seems like it would be a non-issue. Are you only asking for answers from people whose children are receiving communion otherwise? Edit: Nevermind I saw there was an Other option on the poll, so I used it
Edited by la mamita - 12/26/10 at 5:51am

[Irishmommy]

Of course I do. But they won't.

[Katala]

When my sister and I were children we weren't allowed to take the wine (not even during our first communions) but not because of the minimal amount of alcohol, but because my mother thought it was unsanitary to have everyone drink of the same cup. She wouldn't drink it herself for that reason nor would my father out of respect for her (We were raised Roman Catholic). I remember one time my sister drank the wine anyway and got in trouble!

I stopped attending RC mass when I left home to go to college. For a while I attended an Episcopal church and there I would drink the whine from a communal cup (it felt a bit rebellious too!)

When my husband and I were first married we attended an ELCA Lutheran church for a few months (it was kind of a nice middle ground at the time--there was a liturgy for me who had been raised Catholic with Protestant elements that were familiar to my husband who was raised in an Evangelical Protestant environment) at the Lutheran church one could actually chose between a "wine line" and a "grape juice line" there was a communal cup, but the tradition in this particular church was to dip the wafer in the wine or juice.

One Christmas, my husband and I went to mass with my parents and it was very crowded. Around this time I think, DH and myself would sometimes attend a weekday Catholic mass where I would usually go up for communion and he, not being Catholic would wait in the pew. This is what we intended to do at Xmas that year, but for whatever reason my DH kind of got shoved into the communion line he tried to turn around but my dad said something like "it's too late, you have go up now" (Not sure if he thought receiving Catholic communion would all of a sudden make my DH Catholic or something but as a life long Catholic and a former catechist he should have known better!) Anyway, my poor DH got to the front of the line and just like we had done in the Lutheran church, he held onto his wafer until he got to the wine line and started to dip. The woman offering the wine looked at him in absolute horror and whispered "no! Like this" and proceeded to mime eating the wafer and then drinking the wine. DH, embarrassed and confused did as he was told and slunk back to his seat. Poor guy.

My mom, after her initial shock and horror at a. My non-Catholic DH taking communion and b. him doing it incorrectly commented about how much more sanitary the Lutheran way was and how she wished Catholics would do it that way. And oh my gosh, when she learned that some protestants got to drink wine out of individual paper cups....well forget it that might just be the closest my devout mother has ever come to considering conversion ;)

At this point, neither DH nor I practice Christianity, though we do intend to have our future Children baptized Catholic and if they wanted to attend church with their grandparents and chose to make their first communion we would be totally supportive of that. I would have no problem with them receiving the bread as well as the wine (I did not inherit my mother's germ0phobia) but they might need to be prepared for a 4 hour lecture on hygiene from their grandmother after...

[HollyBearsMom]

Yes I do and in our church I don't see any children who do not take part.  You don't need to have first communion to receive, just baptized. Most people do not actually drink form the cup though, most dip their bread.

[frugalmama]

My DD is too young yet for holy communion, but I don't think she'll take the wine much if at all. She has an allergy to white grapes, so first we'll have to try a bit of unconsecrated wine to see if she is allergic to it. If she's not, then she'll take it for 1st communion only.

[lilyka]

Katala ~  Your story was so cute.  

Of course my children receive the wine!  The children at our church receive the wine from their first communion (there is no other way, our bread and wine are mixed), first communion immediately follows baptism which can be received as soon as they are 40 days old.

They only get a small amount of wine.  even so, I would let my kids drink a small glass of wine so having a small spoon full doesn't even phase me a little.

[mamabadger]

Originally Posted by lilyka 

Of course my children receive the wine!  The children at our church receive the wine from their first communion (there is no other way, our bread and wine are mixed), first communion immediately follows baptism which can be received as soon as they are 40 days old.

They only get a small amount of wine.  

Ditto. Everybody receives Communion, in both kinds, together on a spoon. My children received it from 40 days after birth, onward.

[JollyGG]

My son received his first communion last year and our church doesn't even offer the wine to the first communicants. The priest mentioned that it was up to us as the parents if our kids received the blood or not but his attitude seemed to discourage it. However, my son does receive both the body and the blood. But every time he goes to recieve the blood the Eucharistic minister seems to have a mini panic attack and keeps their hands hovering around the cup. I don't know if they think he's going to gulp the whole thing or drop the cup or what. But he is certainly in the minority of kids receiving.

Due to a wheat allergy my husband can only take the blood and he can't participate in the body. So the blood/wine is important to us. We feel a definite loss in my husbands inability to participate in both the body and blood and so feel it is important to allow our son both.

[love4bob]

My kids aren't old enough to receive first communion yet, but when they are I'll allow them to take it. 

[Nitenites]

If you're talking about Roman Catholic communion, then the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Christ are present in both species. That is, when receiving either form, one does not receive solely the flesh or solely the blood of the Savior. 

But, back to your original question, I only have one child old enough to receive. I leave it up to him which form(s) he prefers to receive. 

[enkmom]

I allowed and encouraged it, and they always did.  There were a few of those "but it's WINE!" parents, but not too many. 

[indie]

I'm in the Episcopal church and my children start receiving whenever they start asking for it. This has usually been around 12-18 months I think (but can't totally remember). My oldest did start at age three because that is when she was baptized. I see a lot of parents in our church who either withhold the wine from their children or make them intinct, but I see no reason not to let my children drink from the chalice.

I am a chalice bearer and there is one child in our church that I really have to watch out for. He did once gulp down a significant amount before I wrested it away from him (ever so carefully, of course, so we didn't end up spilling). I had enough wine for everyone left in line until he got ahold of it then I had to go back to the altar for more. Now I watch him and give him verbal instructions whenever I see that tale tell gleam in his eye.

[Trigger]

Originally Posted by Katala 

One Christmas, my husband and I went to mass with my parents and it was very crowded. Around this time I think, DH and myself would sometimes attend a weekday Catholic mass where I would usually go up for communion and he, not being Catholic would wait in the pew. This is what we intended to do at Xmas that year, but for whatever reason my DH kind of got shoved into the communion line he tried to turn around but my dad said something like "it's too late, you have go up now" (Not sure if he thought receiving Catholic communion would all of a sudden make my DH Catholic or something but as a life long Catholic and a former catechist he should have known better!) Anyway, my poor DH got to the front of the line and just like we had done in the Lutheran church, he held onto his wafer until he got to the wine line and started to dip. The woman offering the wine looked at him in absolute horror and whispered "no! Like this" and proceeded to mime eating the wafer and then drinking the wine. DH, embarrassed and confused did as he was told and slunk back to his seat. Poor guy.

My mom, after her initial shock and horror at a. My non-Catholic DH taking communion and b. him doing it incorrectly commented about how much more sanitary the Lutheran way was and how she wished Catholics would do it that way. And oh my gosh, when she learned that some protestants got to drink wine out of individual paper cups....well forget it that might just be the closest my devout mother has ever come to considering conversion ;)

At this point, neither DH nor I practice Christianity, though we do intend to have our future Children baptized Catholic and if they wanted to attend church with their grandparents and chose to make their first communion we would be totally supportive of that. I would have no problem with them receiving the bread as well as the wine (I did not inherit my mother's germ0phobia) but they might need to be prepared for a 4 hour lecture on hygiene from their grandmother after...

I'm a catechist/Youth Minister/Eucharistic Minister, and I'm fairly certain I've ministered Eucharist to non-Catholics (a particular wedding comes immediately to mind) ... I don't worry about it.  I figure, it's my job to offer it, if someone is standing in front of me "asking" - and I can be at ease allowing the Lord to handle the rest.  I really can't, in good conscience, deliberately deny Christ to someone who asks ... their personal motives, good bad, or otherwise, are between them and God.
 

Originally Posted by JollyGG 

My son received his first communion last year and our church doesn't even offer the wine to the first communicants. The priest mentioned that it was up to us as the parents if our kids received the blood or not but his attitude seemed to discourage it. However, my son does receive both the body and the blood. But every time he goes to recieve the blood the Eucharistic minister seems to have a mini panic attack and keeps their hands hovering around the cup. I don't know if they think he's going to gulp the whole thing or drop the cup or what. But he is certainly in the minority of kids receiving.

Due to a wheat allergy my husband can only take the blood and he can't participate in the body. So the blood/wine is important to us. We feel a definite loss in my husbands inability to participate in both the body and blood and so feel it is important to allow our son both.

That's a shame.  If we want to keep the next generation in our pews, we should be encouraging them to receive all the graces and blessings that the Church has to offer!

I'm an EM, and I'm typically extra careful with the kids.  They tend to be distracted and "less careful" with the Precious Blood, and depending on the season we may be using a heavy chalice (we have a weighty cut crystal chalice).  We also have some kids with special needs (mainly, varying degrees of autism) who receive.  I always keep my hands hovering under the chalice, even with my own younger kids.  It's not a "panicky" thing, just a practical thing.
 

[Lollybrat]

I voted other. DS is in the first grade this year, so he has not yet made his First Holy Communion (We are Latin Rite Catholic). He has high-fucntioning autism, and at this point we are not sure if he will be ready to make the sacrament next year at the usual age.

I always take the Precious Blood myself, so I would like for DS to take it as well when he does receive communion. But I'm not sure how he will react to the smell and taste of the wine. We will have to do some preparation with unconsecrated hosts and wine. How he handles that will determine if we will let him take from the cup.

[Trigger]

Lolly - My DS is a high-functioning autie and has always done just fine with Eucharist.  He made his first in second grade and has always received under both species.  Hopefully, yours will be fine as well!

[Lollybrat]

Originally Posted by Trigger 

Lolly - My DS is a high-functioning autie and has always done just fine with Eucharist.  He made his first in second grade and has always received under both species.  Hopefully, yours will be fine as well!

Thank you for sharing that!  Did you use any special materials in preparing your son for the Eucharist? Did he make the Sacrament of Reconciliation as well? If so, how did you prepare him for that?

DS knows by rote that the bread and wine are changed into the Body and Blood of Christ in the Mass. But I'm concerned about how much he really understands it. Of course there is the issue of how much do any of us understand it - it is a Mystery after all.  I'm not sure how to tell if he is ready.

Preparation for Reconcilliation is another difficult thing. At home, we work on admitting when we do things wrong, saying "I'm sorry", and asking for forgiveness. I'm hoping that will lay a foundation for the Sacrament.

[Trigger]

Thankfully Lolly, our parish does an excellent prep job for First Reconciliation and Eucharist, IMO.  I think that most of the kids come to their "firsts" with a pretty clear understanding of their Sacramental significance, the beauty of the ritual, and so on - or at least, as well as a second grader can grasp those things.  With time, regular immersion in the Mass, and continued education, they will come to a fuller understanding of the Eucharist - though I do believe that there definitely is mystery there that we will never quite grasp in its fullness.

They do practice both rituals of confession and communion with unconsecrated hosts.  One thing that does disappoint me, however, is that they are not offered a sip of unconsecrated wine; in fact, they are specifically not offered the Precious Blood at their First Communion at all.  (The First Communicants receive before the rest of the congregation, and the EMs of the Cup do not take their places until after the FCs have received.  I know that this is to appease parents who don't want their children to receive from the Cup, but there must be a better way.)

Our communion wine is "watered down" before consecration, none of the kids who receive seem bothered by it and I never see any "ick" faces.  My son never tasted it beforehand, but was eager to receive the Precious Blood.  In fact, he has displayed a maturity in receiving Eucharist (despite his own sensory issues) that has always made me very proud!  He's 13 now.

My oldest, who is 20, has been a Eucharistic Minister for three years.  He and I ministered the Host at his uncle's wedding last year (there was no Mass, so no Precious Blood), and it was one of the proudest moments of my life!

[lilyka]

Originally Posted by Lollybrat 

Thank you for sharing that!  Did you use any special materials in preparing your son for the Eucharist? Did he make the Sacrament of Reconciliation as well? If so, how did you prepare him for that?

DS knows by rote that the bread and wine are changed into the Body and Blood of Christ in the Mass. But I'm concerned about how much he really understands it. Of course there is the issue of how much do any of us understand it - it is a Mystery after all.  I'm not sure how to tell if he is ready.

Preparation for Reconcilliation is another difficult thing. At home, we work on admitting when we do things wrong, saying "I'm sorry", and asking for forgiveness. I'm hoping that will lay a foundation for the Sacrament.

Lolly, I know my situation is not the same as yours but I think you hit on something big when you asked "how many of us really understand it"  How true is that!?!  So, as long as he gets that this is that this is the Body and Blood I think he has a good enough handle on the situation..

As for confession my youngest (8)  just went to her first confession and at least one of my little Sunday school kids go (she is 4).  I don't know how much they really get it or how well they actually prepare but they get it.  They do thins wrong and need to admit to it and ask God to forgive them.   Even if they only hit on a couple of things their heart is in the right place.  

[Lollybrat]

Originally Posted by Trigger 

Thankfully Lolly, our parish does an excellent prep job for First Reconciliation and Eucharist, IMO.  I think that most of the kids come to their "firsts" with a pretty clear understanding of their Sacramental significance, the beauty of the ritual, and so on - or at least, as well as a second grader can grasp those things.  With time, regular immersion in the Mass, and continued education, they will come to a fuller understanding of the Eucharist - though I do believe that there definitely is mystery there that we will never quite grasp in its fullness.

My parish has a good religious education program and they seem to do an excellent job preparing typically developing kids for the Sacraments. I just don't know if the materials and methods they use fit my son's unusual learning style, And his communication difficulties make it hard for me to determine how much he knows and understands vs. how much he can repeat back by rote. If he is not ready for the Sacraments at the usual age, I do not mind holding him back until he is ready. But if he is ready next year, I do not want to unneccessarily delay him in receiving them.

On Christmas Eve I discovered that DS has an understanding of the Divinity of Christ. While we were at Mass he said: "It's Jesus' birthday. Happy Birthday, God!"