kudzujean

If you're in a church that does Communion, and they don't use grape juice, they use wine. As a recovering alcoholic, how do you handle it?

BadCompany

Talk to the Priest/minister. there may be a "work around". I am Orthodox and i commune regularly. The wine is cut with water and the serving size is the size of a baby spoon.

airwick

You do not need to accept it, and that decision will be respected. No questions asked.

WMJ1012

I simply say quietly, "Thank you, no,"

I have a friend in AA who years ago when I was getting baptized and confirmed (I did this as an adult my parents didn't do it for us as kids) this friend of mine came to support me and I saw him drink out of the chalice. I couldn't believe it. I was a year sober at the time, he was 21 yrs sober

I asked him about it and he said it was something between him & God

MIRecovery

I just don't take the wine. I know a Priest that uses blessed grape juice

Johno1967

Now I remember where my drinking career really started. As a 7 year old altar boy sneaking communion wine in the sacristy. Totally forgot about that.

richardegan5

im a daily communicant and I justed said no thanks at first and after that it wasn't offered as they seem to have gathered I wont want it.they understand.

dsmaxis10

I didn't know that they use real wine so when I went up there I could smell it I just tipped the glass and acted like I took a sip never been to a catholic church since I was a kid.

FeenixxRising

Yes, I did the same thing when I was an alter boy. Didn't get drunk though, as we were usually only able to sneak a sip or two of the wine.

tomsteve

Matthew 26:29, Mark 14:25, and Luke 22:18 tell us the contents of the cup. Fruit of the vine isn't fermented.

Logic says the Lord wouldnt use something that represents sin and corruption to be a symbol of His blood

I don't see how it would be acceptable to the Lord to only take the bread and not the fruit of the vine and 1Corinthians 11:26-29 tells me something to that point.

skg

Take the bread, then cross your arms across your chest and the chalice will pass you by. No need to explain. God already knows...

Music

I asked this same question. When I was young in the program, I remember a guy with 10 in AA, stating at a meeting that he'd joined a church as was going to be a deacon. As a deacon he was required to take the wine. When he was warned, he said he'd been sober long enough to be able to handle it. He died drunk. At about 3 years sober, I went to Christmas Eve mass with my sponsor at a catholic church. I took communion and was shocked when I realized I'd drunk some wine. My sponsor simply said, "just remember where you are and why you're here". Fast forward to 2007 when I was confirmed catholic. I learned in RCIA class that if I take the host, I'm getting the body and blood of Christ so it's not necessary to take the cup. So, now I take the cup on Easter and Christmas; the rest of the year I bow to the cup as I pass. I'm also a Eucharistic Minister so I give communion as well.

The reason I don't take the cup except on those two occasions is because I know my mind. I believe at some point I'd start looking forward to mass because of the cup, and not because of the Eucharist liturgy.