YOU may notice that after Communion, the dea-
con and I seem to be cleaning the patens and chal-
ices before we sit back down in our chairs. What
are we doing?

ALTHOUGH it may appear to be an ordinary
chore, this is actually a ritual action, referred to as
“the purification of the vessels.” But first, some
context: Our Eucharistic faith tells us that the
bread and wine are transformed, whole and entire,
into the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Christ.
While the “substance” or essence of the bread and
wine are completely changed, the “accidents” or
appearance of bread and wine remain. Therefore,
anything after the consecration that looks like
bread and wine, no matter how small, is really the
Body and Blood of Christ, and needs to be treated
with reverence.

THIS is where the purification of vessels comes in.
When Communion has ended and the Hosts are
returned to the tabernacle, there will naturally be
some drops of the Precious Blood remaining in the
chalices or some small particles of the Sacred Host
left over in the Communion patens used to distrib-
ute to the faithful. According to the Roman Missal
(the book that describes how the Mass is to be cele-
brated), these vessels should be “purified” after
Communion, rinsed with water or wine that is
then consumed, so that no small particle of the Eu-
charist is lost. The ritual also has a prayer that the
priest says quietly as he purifies: “What has passed
our lips as food, O Lord, may we possess in purity
of heart, that what has been given to us in time
may be our healing for eternity.”

OUR reverence for the Lord’s enduring Presence
in each fragment of Holy Communion is also why
most churches have a sacrarium somewhere in the
sacristy. A sacrarium is a special sink that empties
directly into the earth (not into the sewer system).
That way, any water used to cleanse vessels or lin-
ens in case of a mishap (like if the Blood of Christ
is spilled) can be emptied into the ground.

YES, we’ve got lots of “rules” and “rituals” around
the Eucharist! It’s an indication of how precious it
is to us. Jesus comes to us. Thanks be to God!