At the conclusion of the liturgy, the priest goes over to the Table of Oblation where the chalice now resides and, using the spoon, consumes all of the particles that are left inside the cup. He then takes up the chalice and drinks the remaining Blood. Following this, it is customary to pour very hot water into the cup (and also over the communion spoon) while “tilting and turning” the chalice so that the hot water both, washes and sterilizes the entire inside of the chalice. The priest then drinks this water and dries the cup using a communion cloth and/or a sea sponge blessed for this purpose, which then remains inside the cup.
Interestingly, consuming the Chalice is one of the specified duties of a deacon. However, if there is no deacon available, this responsibility rests upon the priest.
