On Worthy Reception of the Eucharist
Last night, I was very blessed to host and lead a Bible study with several men from my parish. It's a study that I wrote while in college, that I titled: "Beati Qui Ad Cenam Agni Vocati Sunt (Blessed are those called to the Supper of the Lamb): On Worthy Reception of the Eucharist". The study briefly explores a few passages from 1 Corinthians and from the Gospel of Matthew, and then a brief dip into the Last Supper as presented in John's Gospel. If you want to, you can find the outline for the study here.
We had a great two hour discussion, talking about the nature of the Eucharist, its place in our faith, how to be "worthy", and the proper disposition of the heart to receive Communion. Out of all of that, in this reflection I want to talk about worthiness.
Because obviously, we are not worthy to receive Him. We say it out loud every time when we echo the centurion: "Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed." We are not, and never will be, worthy of this great gift. What we really mean by worthy is that proper disposition of the heart. Primarily, we need to be in a state of grace! We must not be conscious of any mortal sin when we receive Communion - St. Paul says that to do so is to "eat and drink condemnation upon oneself". So, yeah - don't do it. Go to confession, monthly if you can (and more frequently if you must - no shade, been there).
But...that's not all there is to it. In a statement issued by the USCCB in 2006, the faithful are recommended to do quite a few things in order to properly receive the Body and Blood of Our Lord in the Eucharist, including:
- Regular prayer and Scripture reading
- Faithful and loving fulfillment of the duties of our vocation
- DAILY repentance of sin and regular confession
- Pray BEFORE MASS, and read the readings BEFORE MASS
- Fast for an hour prior to receiving Communion (I'd recommend at least a half hour before Mass). Side note, I think the reason for this is different from what we're commonly taught - check out 1 Corinthians 11:17-22. Let me know your thoughts, if you want!
- Wear proper clothing to Church
- Actively participate in the Mass
- Pay attention to the Penitential Rite (the first section of the Mass)
- Listen attentively to the readings and homily
- Unite your heart and mind with the priest and pray the Eucharistic Prayer with fervor
- EXCHANGE THE SIGN OF PEACE (respectfully)
- Approach the altar with reverence and solemnity. I love Louis de Montfort's recommendation to receive Communion as Mary received Christ from the Cross. There's a certain sadness, but as the answer to "Mary did you know?" is a resounding yes, I think she would still have been overwhelmed with joy at the knowledge that He would rise again and conquer all sin and death.
I don't want this to be too awful long, so I'll leave you there. You're probably going to Mass this weekend, so if you can, receive Our Lord with passion and fervor.
God bless,
Cole