At that meeting, we talked about some of the things we do and whether we could do them better. At that time, we made one change on an experimental basis. Some of the Ministers asked if we could do the purification before the Mass ended. Purification is one way we take care of the vessels that hold the Body and Blood of Christ. Two things have to happen with these vessels. First of all, anything that remains of the Eucharist is still itself the Body and Blood of Christ. Reverence dictates that we do not simply dispose of the Eucharist. Purification with water allows anything that remains to be consumed reverently. In addition, a practical concern for our health tells us that we should give a good hygienic washing to the vessels that so many people have handled. Part of the job of the Eucharistic Ministers is to wash the vessels after Mass, as we wash the dishes after dinner. In the past in some parishes, the Ministers also took care of the purification. But a few years ago, Pope Benedict XVI reminded everyone that only a priest or deacon could purify the vessels insofar as possible.
That decree left us with two choices. The practice here was for the Ministers to wait in the sacristy until I could purify. They sometimes had to wait for a while as I was in the back greeting people. If someone had something specific to say to me, that might stretch the wait out a bit. So I agreed to try purifying the vessels right after Communion. That, after all, was the way it was done years ago, when I was an Altar Server. That allowed the Eucharistic Ministers to wash the vessels immediately after Mass, and it allows me to take a little more time visiting with people in the narthex after Mass. On the other hand, that does extend the time after Communion by a couple of minutes. For some people, that means more time for quiet prayers of thanksgiving. Others, however, would prefer not to take the extra time during Mass. We have tried it now for several months, and the subject arose at a recent Worship Commission meeting. So I decided to cover the question here in my column so that everyone would understand what is happening and also so that anyone with any thoughts on the matter could make them heard. If I get enough response, we can revisit the issue after Easter.
Speaking of Lent, don’t forget that this week is Ash Wednesday. Please see the flyer in the bulletin for the Church’s Lenten regulations and for a schedule of Lenten activities here at St. Malachy. Let us make this Lent a beautiful season.
Father H
