Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

The Cordial Catholic

Home
Catholic
Why Does the Priest Do The Dishes?

Why Does the Priest Do The Dishes?

Last updated on: April 16, 2018 at 1:09 pm by K. Albert Little

Why Does the Priest Do The Dishes? 2018-04-16T13:09:58-04:00 K. Albert Little

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Photo Credit: Art4TheGlryOfGod.

At the end of the Liturgy of the Eucharist, the Lord’s Supper, the Priest does the dishes.

Sometimes a fellow priest who is present and concelebrating can do them, or sometimes it’s the deacon. But someone does the dishes.

I’m of a generation, I think it’s safe to say, that’s returning to many of the traditions of our faith. I’m not alone, and statistics bear this out. Disillusioned with a doctrinal liberal and laissez faire approach to non-denominational Christianity, many Christians are returning to more traditional faith practices whether Anglican, Catholic, or Eastern Orthodox.

For Christians who move from church plant to church plant, whose bread and butter becomes a church that suits their mood, the allure of a church that’s done things in one particular way for thousands of years is strong.

Obviously, I can relate.

But there’s something beyond the mere pull of tradition, something beyond the feeling of safety in the tried and true, and it’s something I didn’t quite expect to encounter—at least not in the place I encountered it. It’s a phenomenal reverence for Jesus Christ, and it takes place when the priest does the dishes.

I can think, in my evangelical upbringing, of only a handful of times I’ve experienced true reverence on display. I can think of several times where I’ve been emotionally moved; to tears, to prostration, to my knees by a working of the Holy Spirit. But I can’t think of many times where I’ve seen deeper reverence towards Christ.

I can think of a guy I knew, a worship leader, who used to take off his socks and shoes when he played. Like Moses at the burning bush, on Holy Ground. That was reverence, but that was few and fair between.

On the other hand, the Catholic Mass is dripping with reverent actions, and it compels me to my knees, to a deeper relationship with Christ.

My sister, upon hearing that I was becoming Catholic, joked that I love to sit down, stand up, and kneel. She’s right, but those actions carry with them profound significance, even if those taking part don’t fully understand it. It’s the significance that I love so much. Indeed, we stand up to pray. We kneel at the consecration of the Host. We make the sign of the cross on our forehead, lips, and heart when the gospel is read because these are the actual words of our God, written and recorded infallibly, and we’re praying they penetrate our minds, be spoken on our lips, and sink deep into our hearts.

These liturgical actions have deep, ancient meanings.

And then the priest does the dishes.

Following Communion the priest does the dishes because Catholics believe that Jesus is really present in the Eucharistic elements and if that’s really true then the wine and wafer need to be treated with a mind-boggling amount of reverence and respect. So the priest cleans up. He drinks every last drop of the wine, then washes and wipes the cup. He cleans up every last particle of the Communion wafers, and then wipes out those dishes too and any leftover consecrated wafers go into the Tabernacle which Catholics bow to when they pass, out of reverence for the consecrated elements inside.

And if an earnest priest were to drop even one particle of the Host on the floor he would assuredly get down onto his hands and knees and pick each piece up—right there in front of everyone.

Because in the actual presence of God we would be reverent, wouldn’t we?

We wouldn’t be able to speak but for His grace, right?

In the Protestant circles I grew up in Jesus was our friend, our buddy, our pal. Certainly, these things are true about Jesus. But these things and so much more.

Jesus is our accessible savior, our hope, our best friend but He’s also God Almighty and in the presence and power of God we can’t help but be reverent. And for all the goodness of the Jesus as Best Friend message there’s something to be said for understanding God in all of His glory.

We can’t help but be overwhelmed and on our knees and snatching up every last morsel of Him that we can.

What the Catholic faith offers me, and what it extends to everyone, is a truly reverent experience of God.

In the Mass, in the daily devotions, rituals and practices, there is a wholly holy rhythm. A rhythm that seeks to revere God as guide, and friend, and as a king. With all its trappings and rituals the Catholic Church seeks not to build up things in the way of salvation and Christ, but to properly express the reality of our incredible helplessness and fragility. We don’t sit down, stand up, kneel, and bow in some sort of meaningless aerobic routine. We sit down, stand up, kneel, and bow because, if we really understand whose presence we’re in, we can’t help but do anything else.

That’s why the priest does the dishes.

Previous Post

April 9, 2018

I Love Being Catholic (But I Don't Always Like It)

Next Post

April 17, 2018 Oh My Gosh, I Was On The Journey Home!

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Appearances Christian Living Explaining the Faith Podcast Tough Questions Uncategorized Why I'm Catholic

Select a Month January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 October 2017 September 2017 July 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

I was beautiful and cunning, leading a rebellion against my father by stealing the hearts of Israel. Who am I?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Solomon Amnon Adonijah Absalom

Support this
Column