I was browsing through products in an online shopping app when I spotted something I haven’t seen sold online before. There were listings for hosts or flakes of unleavened bread that often are offered at mass. The prices were much cheaper than mall prices, of course, and the cost of delivery can be waived with certain promotional vouchers. People don’t have to search for religious stores anymore. Liturgical goods can already be delivered at one’s doorstep.
Then it struck me that this could pose a serious problem.
For the mass to be valid, the gifts of bread and wine offered at the altar must meet liturgical standards. The bread has to be unleavened (Canon 926) and of wheat, recently made so that there is no danger of spoiling (Canon 924, paragraph 2). The wine must be natural from the fruit of the vine and not spoiled. (ibid., paragraph 3).
For most of history, these gifts have been prepared by reputable sources. Religious and consecrated sisters devote their time for the production for Mass bread and wine. These then are marketed, sold, bought and offered at mass. The advent of online listings for these gifts can possibly disrupt the presumed validity of the bread and wine.
In Church lingo, the mass is valid if both the matter and form of the Sacrament are valid. Matter pertains to the bread and wine offered at Mass that meets the liturgical standards stated above. Form is the Eucharistic prayer of consecration performed by the priest with the liturgical text approved by Church authorities. If any of these are not met, the mass is invalid – meaning, no consecration has occurred and the bread remains bread, the wine remains wine.
New technology brings new opportunities and with it new dangers. It is always disruptive. The traditional ways of sourcing the gifts for Mass is no longer the only way. We used to presume the suitability of the bread and wine but new ways of shopping invite us to revisit these presumptions. The faithful must learn to make sure that the bread and wine they offer meet the canonical and liturgical criteria. As the world moves forward, we welcome changes but guard what is essential.
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