“There are people in the world so hungry, that God cannot appear to them except in the form of bread.” (Mahatma Gandhi) Our gospel passage this Sunday is summed up in Jesus’ proclamation towards the end: “my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread from God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” Thus, it is fitting to consider the Church’s guidelines on the elements of Holy Communion, sanctified into the Body and Blood of Christ Jesus. For many centuries, hosts were made primarily in monasteries. (The word host comes from the Latin hostia, which means victim, one to be sacrificed.) Even today, several monastic communities of women religious support themselves by baking hosts and selling them directly to parishes. No matter who makes the bread, the requirements are the same. In the Roman Catholic Church, bread for the Eucharist must be made of wheat, be unleavened, and be recently made and unspoiled, according to the General Instruction of the Roman Missal and canon law. Other than water, nothing other than wheat flour (white or whole wheat) is to be used in making the eucharistic bread. The familiar thin, round hosts are made by mixing flour and water to make a batter. The batter is poured onto a hot griddle with upper and lower plates, similar to a waffle iron. The batter cooks for a short time between the plates, which may be engraved with crosses or other symbols to create embossed hosts. The sheets of bread that come out of the griddle are allowed to cool. After they have cooled, they are quite delicate. The church requires unleavened bread in remembrance of the Last Supper, where the first Eucharist was celebrated at a Passover, according to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. (U.S. Catholic, June, 2017). Like many parishes in our diocese, our hosts are packaged by the Carmelite community. The wine that is used in the most sacred celebration of the Eucharistic Sacrifice must be natural, from the fruit of the grape, pure and incorrupt, not mixed with other substances (sugar, sweeteners, artificial flavorings, etc.). During the celebration itself, a small quantity of water is to be mixed with it (as the symbol of the blood and water that flowed from Jesus’ side while on the cross). Great care should be taken so that the wine intended for the celebration of the Eucharist is well conserved and has not soured. It is altogether forbidden to use wine of doubtful authenticity. Nor are other drinks of any kind to be admitted for any reason, as they do not constitute valid matter. Wine is one of the two elements absolutely necessary for the sacrifice of the Eucharist. The pure juice of the grape naturally and properly fermented, is to be used. (Code of Canon Law, 924) At this time and possibly for the near future, the Bishop has stipulated that parishes are not to offer the Blood of Christ at Communion (for obvious reasons). Gluten Free Hosts for Individuals with Celiac Sprue Disease: In 2017 the Vatican came out with a reiteration of the policy pertaining to ‘gluten free hosts. Hosts that are completely gluten-free are invalid matter for the celebration of the Eucharist. However, the policy states that “low-gluten hosts (partially gluten-free)” are valid matter, provided they contain a sufficient amount of gluten to obtain the confection of bread without the addition of foreign materials and without the use of procedures that would alter the nature of bread. Like most parishes we receive such hosts from the Benedictine Sisters of Perpetual Adoration, Clyde, Missouri. They have been approved by the Vatican, and supported by the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops; and too, independent laboratories have tested their “low gluten free hosts” and deemed them safe for those who suffer the Celiac Disease. We offer these consecrated hosts to such individuals unable to consume bread with gluten. In a separate container, the priest at each Mass offers the Gluten Free Consecrated Hosts. Finally, stipulations for the sacred vessels used for the Eucharist. Sacred vessels should be made from precious metal. If they are made from metal that rusts or from a metal less precious than gold, they should generally be gilded on the inside. In the Dioceses of the United States of America, sacred vessels may also be made from other solid materials which in the common estimation in each region are considered precious or noble, for example, ebony or other harder woods, provided that such materials are suitable for sacred use. In this case, preference is always to be given to materials that do not easily break or deteriorate. This applies to all vessels that are intended to hold the hosts, such as the paten, the ciborium, the pyx, the monstrance, and others of this kind. (USCCB, 328, 329) May we consider the gift of our Holy Communion as expressed in the words of St. John Chrysostom: "How many of you say: I should like to see His face, His garments, His shoes. You do see Him, you touch Him, you eat Him. He gives Himself to you, not only that you may see Him, but also to be your food and nourishment." God Bless, Fr. Tim FYI: “Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul.” (John Muir, “father of our National Park System”)