Was listening to the news this weekend with the fear mongering of swine flu.Several news reports noted the fear is in churches too, they made a special report just on how the Catholic Churches in Raleigh were taking precautions with the common cup and the Grope of Peace.Some reports were more detailed how they Eucharistic ministers were having to wash hands,etc.

Most on report, not surprising, were simpleton looking and syrupy.

Here's a good health practice:

1.Eucharist handled by one person only, the priest,persona Christi
2. No "common cup". You get both either in the blood or host…you can return to Tradition by allowing the priest only to handle species.Byzantines have both in chalice and spoon it out on tongue..nicely eliminating need for man-or often women-handling……
3. Grope of peace…..no need to disrupt Mass being grabbing at each other, esp when it has devolved to priest flying off altar and going up down isles, people, same thing….it is man focused, not eyes front on Christ….led in front by priest….
4. Washing, the priest cleanses hands prior to Mass, the handling is largely done of things by altar acolytes…….he also does the cleansing o nthe altar…

THE LAVABO
Lava is Latin for for wash or bathe. In the early days of the church the priest would clean his hands after being brought gifts of oil, food and other goods. In the past it has been symbolic of Pilate washing his hands of Jesus' blood.
The priest then begins to recite Psalm 26 with "I shall wash" while the server pours water from a cruet over his fingers. He then prays the Gloria Patria and moves to the center of the altar and recites the seventh offertory prayer, in which he asks the Holy Trinity to accept our sacrifice in commemoration of our Lord's passion and resurrection and in remembrance of our Blessed Virgin Mother and the saints.

•Going to the Epistle side, the priest washes his fingers and says:                        

P:  Lavabo inter innocentes         P:  I will wash my hands among

manus meas:  et circumdabo         the innocent,  and will

altare tuum Domine.  Ut audiam     compass Thine altar,  O Lord. 

vocem laudis:  et enarrem           That I may hear the voice of

universa mirabilia tua.             praise,  and tell of all Thy

Domine dilexi decorem domus        wondrous works.  I have loved, 

tuae,  et locum habitationis        O Lord, the beauty of Thy

gloriae tuae.  Ne perdas cum        house,  and the place where

impiis Deus animam meam:  et       Thy glory dwelleth.  Take not

cum viris sanguinum vitam           away my soul,  O God,  with

meam.  In quorum manibus           the wicked;  nor my life with

iniquitates sunt:  dextera          men of blood.  In whose hands

eorum repleta est muneribus.       are iniquities:  their right

Ego autem in innocentia mea        hand is filled with gifts. 

ingressus sum:  redime me,  et     But as for me,  I have walked

miserere mei.  Pes meus stetit     in my innocence;  redeem me, 

in directo:  in ecclesiis           and have mercy on me.  My foot

benedicam te Domine.  Gloria,      hath stood in the right way; 

etc.                                in the churches I will bless

                                    Thee,  O Lord. 

                                    Glory be to

                                    the Father, and to the Son, 

                                    and to the Holy Ghost.  As it

                                    was in the beginning,  is now, 

                                    and ever shall be;  world

                                    without end. Amen

So, returning to Tradition, will not only offer a Mass in true worship of Christ, but also, would cut down on germs!.

2 Thessalonians 2 :14 Therefore, brethren, stand fast; and hold the traditions which you have learned, whether by word, or by our epistle