Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ – B
June 2, 2024 5pm
Our Lady of Grace Parish, Parkton
My Chalice
This afternoon, I want to talk about the sacrament that we honor in a special way this weekend – the Body and Blood of Christ.
And I want to do this by focusing on my chalice. This is my ordination chalice and paten.
I am proud to say that I designed it! I got this idea back in 1971, and my parents and I went to a silversmith in downtown Baltimore.
He took my idea and fashioned this chalice and paten. I used this at my first Mass in 1972.
Well, there are some features of this chalice that I want to share with you. And they convey some valuable points about the Eucharist.
Shape
First, the shape.
This is the traditional shape of a chalice for Mass. It is different from virtually any other drinking glass or cup that we would use.
It is not the only possible shape, but it is the traditional shape for a chalice in our Church. That was important for me in this design.
I wanted the chalice in some way to reflect tradition. I wanted it to connect us with Jesus’ words at the Last Supper: “Do this in memory of me.”
We have been following Jesus’ words and continuing this tradition for two thousand years. That is what I see in the shape of this chalice.
Walnut
The next feature I want to note is the walnut.
Walnut has long been a favorite wood of mine. Besides that, it is directly from the natural world and nature speaks to me of God.
It is creation – coming from our creator and bringing the creator present to us. So, the walnut in a sense prepares us for the extraordinary presence of God in the Eucharist, a presence that this chalice will hold.
That is why I selected this rather unusual exterior for the cup and base of the chalice. I like it as much today as I did fifty-two years ago.
Gold
And then there is gold.
The inside of the cup is lined with gold – I think you would call it gold plating over another metal. Gold is, of course, a very precious metal.
Many chalices have this gold lining in the cup out of reverence for the precious blood of Christ which it will hold. This expresses our faith in the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist.
It is not just ordinary wine and is not just a symbol. We believe that this is Jesus, Christ present here.
This is also why the paten is gold-plated. It holds the consecrated bread, the body of Christ, and the gold is again an expression of our faith in the real presence.
Cross
Then, on the base of the chalice is a gold cross.
It is very visible as it stands out against the walnut background. The cross expresses what the Eucharist is all about – remembering Jesus’ sacrifice of himself on the cross and remembering also his resurrection.
This is why, after the words of consecration, the priest says: “The mystery of faith.” And then we sing one of the acclamations, like: “We proclaim your Death, O Lord, and profess your Resurrection until you come again.”
The cross and the mystery of death and resurrection is the heart of this sacrament. That’s why the cross is on my chalice.
Band
Finally, encircling the cross on the base of the chalice is a wedding band.
My father had given my mother a new set of rings for their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary. This band is my mother’s original.
It has two meanings for me. It reminds me that both my mother and my father gave us our faith.
It is with that faith that I began to think of becoming a priest. The other significance of the band is universality.
The circle speaks of the universe – that Jesus’ death and resurrection is for the salvation of all humanity. Jesus’ words that we repeat for the consecration of the wine speak of his blood as “poured out for you and for many.”
The word “many” is a very literal translation of the Latin. In context, the word really means “lots of people – too many to count – all – everyone.”
The band encircling the cross conveys this idea. Jesus’ death and resurrection are for all.
Conclusion
Well, I hope these features of my chalice help us to appreciate a bit more the gift of the Eucharist.
Maybe, when we come to Communion and the priest or other minister says, “the Body of Christ,” or “The Blood of Christ,” our response – “Amen,” “Yes, I believe” – maybe this will now have an even richer meaning.
