Eucharistic Reflection - Don't Stay Away

(Photo©Michael Seagriff)

“This same God who in His incarnation deigned to unite Himself so closely to me [Blessed Mother Mary] also wants to be united to you, my child, through Communion. But you are much less eager to receive than He is to give.

Your laziness and a false humility will suggest excuses for staying away from the holy table; do not accept them.

There is the excuse of fear and reverence; but fear and reverence must be subordinated to love and simply serve to make love more attentive.

To stay away from Communion out of a false reverence is to rob Jesus of the satisfaction He finds in dwelling with you

He has told you of this satisfaction when He said: “My delight is to be with the children of men” (Proverbs 8:31).

You say that because of your frequent sins you dare not frequently approached the Holy of Holies. But, my child, however weak a soul may be, if it makes every effort to improve, Jesus will always find it a joy to come to it.

You say you stay away from Communion because you feel yourself unworthy. You ought rather to say: I want to try to become worthy, as far as I can, of receiving Communion, so that I may share in the graces Jesus gives to devout souls who unite themselves to Him in Communion.

Your Communions are infrequent only because you fear the inconvenience they involve and the obligations they impose.

You are afraid of the fervent life that is required if you are to receive Communion frequently.

You bemoan your soul's weakness and frailty. Well, then, profit by the effective remedy offered you in the bread of life (John 6:35).

In His Gospel Jesus calls to the divine banquet the poor and the crippled, the blind and the lame (Luke 14:21).

He is well aware of your wretched state and therefore in His sacrament offers you a food that strengthens and gives courage.

It would be best, of course, if you brought to Communion a perfect holiness, but Jesus does not require that.

In fact, if perfect holiness were required, few indeed would be admitted to His table, despite all His invitations.

To claim that such holiness is required for communicating is to turn the fruit of Communion into a disposition for Communion.

Therefore, bring to Communion a sincere sense of your own unworthiness; most specially, bring a great purity of heart or at least a firm determination that you will try to reach such purity. Then your Communion will be what it ought to be.

Remember that Communion properly received never fails to profit a soul.

If you are watchful and faithful and thus maintain the dispositions that will allow you to receive Communion frequently, you will be already well advanced along the path of perfection

The soul that is impatient to enjoy the presence of Jesus in heaven will find its delight in enjoying that presence on earth through the frequent reception of Communion.”

(From The Imitation of Mary)