Topic:  Is the blood of Jesus intoxicating?

Source of this posting: Moderator response

Date originally posted: April 22, 2003

Moderator who originally posted this source: Father Phillip

Question:   If you drink too much of Jesus's blood, do you get drunk? Most programs of recovery for alcoholics require that you abstain from alcohol completely. I do believe in transubstantiation but when I go up to receive communion I don't drink from the cup. I feel guilty about not drinking from the cup because I feel like it shows a lack of faith. I don't know whether or not I should. Basically, I'm really confused.

Answer: 

Dear “Andrew” –

Thanks for your questions. I am going to answer them all but in separate emails if that’s ok…otherwise, I’m afraid that you’d get a book from me and that’s not what you want or need! So, your first question is the following:

“If you drink too much of Jesus's blood, do you get drunk? Most programs of recovery for alcoholics require that you abstain from alcohol completely. I do believe in transubstantiation but when I go up to receive communion I don't drink from the cup. I feel guilty about not drinking from the cup because I feel like it shows a lack of faith. I don't know whether or not I should. Basically, I'm really confused.”

What a great question! You shouldn’t apologize about having questions about your faith; that’s the only way any of us can learn and grow.

The Church teaches that, after Consecration, while the “substance” of wine is changed into the “substance” of the Lord’s Precious Blood, the “accidents” remain the same. This teaching is based largely on Saint Thomas Aquinas’ understanding of Aristotle, but that’s not particularly pertinent to your question …anyway…In the context of your question, the intoxicating “accidents” of wine would remain even after the “substance” of the wine had been transubstantiated into the Precious Blood of Christ by the miraculous action of God and the liturgical prayer of a validly ordained priest. So, I suppose the answer to the first part of your question is: Yes, if a person were to drink too much of Jesus’ Precious Blood that person could get drunk.

As to the other part of your question, I have two comments. First, the Church teaches very clearly that when a person receives EITHER the Body of Christ OR the Precious Blood of Christ, that person receives the Risen Christ whole and entire. So, a Catholic ought not feel “obligated” or that she/he is doing anything wrong by not receiving from the Cup. If for good reason, a Catholic chooses not to receive from the Cup, she or he is not manifesting a lack of faith.

Catholic liturgical theology says that by participating in Holy Communion under BOTH species – that is, by receiving the Body of Christ AND the Precious Blood of the Lord – a person of faith is participating MORE FULLY in the symbolic dimensions of Christ’s Eucharistic Presence. (Of course, we believe that the Eucharist is much more than a symbol only; it is the REAL PRESENCE of Christ. Nevertheless, the Eucharistic Liturgy has many important symbolic aspects.) Since we tend to think of a human person as “body and blood,” that ‘symbol’ is more fully experienced by the reception of both the Lord’s Body in the Host and His Blood in the Cup. Still, no Catholic should feel that she or he is doing something inappropriate if the particular circumstances of her or his life make not receiving from the Cup the more prudent course of action.

Your faith is strong and good. I am completely confident that you and God will make a great decision about how best for you to participate in the Eucharistic Liturgy!

Blessings!
Father Phillip