Wine For Purification?

[PadrePioOfPietrelcino]

I've been reading thru Ceremonies of the Modern Roman Rite, The Eucharist and The Liturgy of the Hours, and I found an interesting part which I don't really understand.

346. While a server pours a reasonable amount of water (and wine) into the chalice or cibourium, the celebrant may place his fingers over the vessel so that fragments adhering to his fingers are washed into the cup...


Why would wine be used with water for the purifications? Obviously water is sufficient in itself, so am I missing something?

[Theoketos]

I think you copied the wrong text into your question. It is also late, so I could missing something. Anyway...


...Wine and Water are mixed as a symbol of the Incarnation. 

 

Also in old times this was done to make sure the water would NOT KILL THE PRIEST WITH ALL THE BACTERIA AND AMOEBAE THAT WERE ONCE LURKING IN ALL WATER BEFORE OUR amesome SEWAGE AND WATER SYSTEMS WE HAVE IN THE FIRST WORLD. The alcohol kills the germs. 

[Theologian in Training]

This is very common in the Tridentine Rite and, actually, required. You have to remember that with that Rite, though you can do it in the New Rite as well, the priest was to keep what were known as the "canonical digits," meaning he was to keep his thumb and index finger closed once he consecrated the host and was not to let go until after purifying himself with both the water and the wine. As to the full reason for this, I will let a Legionnaire explain it, since he does a great job http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/ablutions-with-wine-and-water