Practical Instructions For Worthily Approaching Holy Communion

Source: THE SCHOOL OF JESUS CRUCIFIED, Fr. Ignatius of the Side of Jesus, TAN BOOKS, 
with Nihil Obstat and Imprimatur, 1895

THE Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist is that most adorable Sacrament instituted by Jesus Christ our Lord the night before His Passion and death, in which is contained, under the species of the bread and wine consecrated by the Priest, the true Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, and he who eats thereof feeds on Jesus Christ Himself, and is nourished with the most holy Flesh and adorable Blood. Our Divine Redeemer Himself assures us of this when He says, "He that eateth my Flesh and drinketh my Blood abideth in me, and I in him." How sweet, and at the same time how stupendous a reflection it is, that God should so love us as to conceal Himself beneath the Sacramental species in order to become our food! But what an incomprehensible mystery of ingratitude it is, that we Christians should display indifference and coldness toward our God in the very Sacrament in which He gives us such efficacious proofs of the excess of His love for us!

Our Divine Saviour is absolutely independent of men, and yet He thinks nothing of remaining hidden to the end of time for their sakes in a Host, so much does He love and delight to be with the children of men. Men, on the other hand, cannot persevere in His service without the assistance of His grace, and yet appreciate but little the favor he does them in dwelling among them. But little do they love Him, but little do they value Him, but little do they care to unite themselves to Him, and receive Him in the adorable Sacrament, while He is burning with desire to enter their hearts!

Very many Christians through guilty negligence, many others through unwillingness to leave their sins, and many more through tepidity of spirit, approach but rarely to receive their Lord in the Sacrament of Holy Communion. To abstain from Communion because of imperfections is to refuse medicine and a doctor because you are ill.  To abstain from Communion because you are not holy is to require that which properly is the effect of this Sacrament as a preparation for it, and thus never attain true sanctity. To abstain from Communion because you are living in sin is to determine never to rise from that state of perdition. If you have sufficient religious feeling to deter you from wishing to make an unworthy Communion, take courage, and have resolution sufficient to liberate yourself from what keeps you at a distance from the sacred Table. But this is precisely what terrifies lukewarm, careless Christians. Preparation is necessary, and preparation is troublesome; and unpleasant. It is necessary to deprive yourself of certain gratifications, to withdraw yourself from certain occasions, to renounce certain vain attire, to mortify your senses; in short, to renounce sin, to which you are fondly attached---this is what gives you pain; and in the meantime you keep at a distance from this Sacrament of life and grace, and hurry on in the path that leads to eternal death. It is true that your faith should be lively and your reverence profound in regard to this great Sacrament; but instead of deciding on this account to keep away from Communion, you should resolve to reform your evil habits, amend your life, and renounce sin, in order thus to render yourself less unworthy of approaching to receive the Bread of Angels.
 
All the Saints have ever regarded the Sacrament of Holy Eucharist as the richest treasure of the law of grace, and the source of all their strength, their fervor, and their holiness. Dear Christian, if you also are desirous that your soul should partake of the unspeakable benefits which this august Sacrament can bestow, if you need strength to overcome the enemies of your salvation, if you wish for abundant graces to preserve you from falling into sin, if you desire to be imbued with fervor and courage to walk in the path of the Commandments, often receive the Bread of Angels. Look upon the time of Communion as the most precious of your whole life, and let your soul burn with an ardent desire to feed on this heavenly Bread. Remember, nevertheless, that he that eateth unworthily, eateth to his own condemnation. Besides the fast from the previous midnight to the moment of Communion, [This was a former discipline of the Latin Rite of the Church regarding the Communion fast. Since the late 1960's, a fast of only one hour is required, and water does not break the fast.---Publisher, 2002.] which you should most carefully observe, it is necessary that you should be in the grace of God, that is to say that your soul should be unburdened from any mortal sin, to which state you may attain, after having fallen, by means of a good Confession; otherwise you will commit a most horrible sacrilege. If you have venial sins only on your conscience, there is no obligation to confess them, but it would be better to do so; and it is a fault not to endeavor, as far as possible, to cleanse your soul from the smallest venial sin, both on account of the respect you owe the most holy Sacrament, and in order to derive greater benefit from it; therefore, if you cannot actually go to Confession, make at least an act of contrition, and beseech Jesus Christ to cleanse your soul with His Precious Blood.

But this is not sufficient preparation for so sacred an action, in order to perform it devoutly, and derive from it abundant fruits. You must fervently prepare your soul, animating your faith by pious reflections and meditations, considering with the utmost attention Who the great Lord is Whom you are about to receive in the Holy Communion, and making pious acts of adoration, hope, love, desire, humility, and repentance, which I subjoin for your greater convenience. Do not limit your preparation to those few moments which precede your Communion after you enter the church, but endeavor to keep it present to your mind the previous day, and in the evening before going to bed. And if you chance to awake in the night, let your mind be instantly occupied with this sweet thought: I am to receive Communion. I am to receive into my breast Jesus Christ my Redeemer; my Father; and my God.

Remember, above all, that the intention of Jesus Christ in instituting this most holy Sacrament, and in leaving us this most precious pledge of His love, was, that as often as the Divine Mysteries should be celebrated, or His most holy Body received in the Blessed Eucharist, so often should there be a special remembrance of Him, and of all that He had done and suffered for us. It is therefore very pleasing to God, when approaching the Sacred Table to receive Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, to remember the sufferings, crucifixion, and death of this most loving Redeemer, and to bestow one thought at least upon that Divine Blood which He shed for you at the expense of so much suffering, and of which He has made you a most delicious banquet in the Holy Eucharist.
 
St. Charles, St. Philip Neri, St. Francis de Sales, and other Saints, advise all seculars [lay persons], of whatever state or condition, to approach the sacred Table once a week. Do you also follow this salutary counsel, when your confessor gives you leave, [This refers to a former discipline of the Church, before the instruction of Pope St. Pius X (1903-1914) urging frequent and even daily Communion for all Catholics who are in the state of grace, are observing the prescribed Communion fast, and have a right intention.---Publisher, 2002.] and without necessity never depart from so excellent a custom, and your soul will surely derive great benefit from it. One means of persevering in the practice of frequent Communion is to propose to yourself some particular pious intention, to which you may direct a certain number of Communions, renewing your intention each time.

I here propose some for your consideration which may serve as a sweet and holy inducement to you to approach the holy Table so many times for each intention, until all the weeks of the year have passed away. SEE NEXT PAGE.



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