What does it mean to receive Holy Communion? Why can't non-Catholics receive? What benefits or fruits can I receive from Holy Communion? I answer these and other questions in my homily, so listen and find out!
Below are related bulletin articles...
Holy Communion Part 1 of 3
Raising
the Eucharist and the Chalice, the priest says, “Behold the Lamb of God, behold
Him who takes away the sins of the world.
Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb.” This is from John 1:29 and Rev. 19:9. It also points to Jesus as the Suffering
Servant from Isaiah 53. We are blessed
to participate in the Mass, the Wedding Feast of the Lamb.
Revelations
19:6-9 reveal the Lamb as the bridegroom.
Jesus is the bridegroom, and we, the Church, are the bride. Here, during Mass, the Lamb comes to be with
His bride and unite Himself to her in a union of one flesh (See Rev. 21-22; Eph
5:21-33). The two are united in Holy
Communion where the Lamb makes a total gift of Himself to His bride, and she in
return gives herself to Him. The two
become one, which is why the Church is the Mystical Body of Christ.
We
respond with humility and faith, as we echo the words of the Roman centurion
(Lk 7:6-7), “Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but
only say the word and my soul shall be healed.”
The strong faith of the centurion is what we should have, and if we
don’t, then we should pray for it.
We
should be well disposed to receive Jesus in Holy Communion before we approach
the altar. Let us consider if there are
any serious sins that we have not yet confessed. If we are aware of any, then we should go to
the Sacrament of Confession before receiving Holy Communion. If there is a serious situation, such as an irregular
marital one, then such a person should speak to the pastor about it to address
it before going to Holy Communion.
We
should also fast from food and drink for one hour before receiving Holy
Communion. Fasting can help us to be
better disposed to encounter Jesus since we are being more mindful of what we
are preparing to do. The exceptions
are: The elderly and the sick do not
need to fast, and we are allowed to have water and medicine within the one hour
fast.
(To be continued…)
Holy Communion Part 2 of 3
(Continued from the previous bulletin…)
The
faithful then process to the altar to receive Holy Communion. We should process reverently like those who
are in the procession at the beginning of Mass, at the Preparation of the Gifts,
and as those who are at a wedding. This
a time to focus on encountering Jesus, so try to avoid distractions, by not
looking around at other people. Before
receiving communion, we should bow or have some other sign of reverence.
The
minister says, “The Body of Christ” to us before giving us Holy Communion. We receive, and do not “take” Holy Communion
because it is a gift to be received. We
reply “Amen” before receiving, and the “Amen” means that we do believe that it
is truly Jesus Christ who is present in the Eucharist. Those who do not believe should not receive. Those who have difficulty believing, but do believe,
can receive.
Receiving
Holy Communion also means that the recipient believes ALL of the teachings of, and
is a member of, the Catholic Church.
Given what it means to receive Holy Communion in the Catholic Church,
only Catholics, who are free of serious sin, are allowed to receive.
At
Ascension parish, those who are not going to receive Holy Communion can stay in
the pews and pray, or come forward with their arms crossed over their chest,
such that their hands are touching the opposite shoulders, in order to receive
a blessing or prayer.
Those
who receive Holy Communion on the tongue should open their mouths and extend
their tongues, so that the minister can place the Eucharist on the tongue before
the mouth is closed. If receiving in the
hand, then one hand should be on top of the other such that a throne is made
for our Lord. Hands should not be
presented side-by-side. The bottom hand,
then comes out from underneath the hand with the Eucharist in it, and picks up
our Lord and places Him in the mouth to be consumed.
(To be concluded…)
Holy Communion Part 3 of 3
(Continued from the previous bulletin…)
If
the Precious Blood of Jesus is also to be received, then a sign of reverence
should be given, just like before receiving the Body of Christ. The chalice is received with both hands to
avoid possibly spilling the Blood of Christ.
Jesus
is fully present under both species. So,
whether you receive the Body of Christ or the Blood of Christ, you are
receiving all of Christ: Body, Blood,
Soul, and Divinity. This is why many
people can choose to receive the Body of Christ without receiving the Blood of
Christ, because to receive under both species is to receive all of Jesus
twice.
After
receiving Holy Communion, we should make the Sign of the Cross, return to our
seats, avoid distraction, and focus on being with Jesus. This is the best time pray, because we cannot
get any closer to Jesus here on earth than having Him inside of us.
Through
Holy Communion, Bridegroom and bride are united. Just as when spouses come together in the
marital embrace, remain with each other, and enjoy each other’s company, so too
we should stay with Jesus, give Him proper thanksgiving, and express our love
for Him after receiving Him in Holy Communion.
We should not be eager to leave and ignore who it is that we have within
us. This is a time to rest with Him and
speak with Him.
Holy
Communion can bear the following fruits in us:
Union with Jesus Christ, spiritual nourishment for spiritual growth, strengthening
Christian charity, removal of venial sins, strengthening to avoid mortal sin,
establishing and strengthening the Church, making it easier to see Jesus in
others, and increasing a desire for the union of all Christians (CCC 1391-1398).
The
Communion Rite ends with the priest praying the Prayer after Communion. Like the Collect, this prayer gathers us
together again after we prayed in silence as individuals.
Let
us joyfully be united to Jesus in Holy Communion and give Him thanks.
