the new life after receiving holy communion
"The Lord Jesus on the night in which He was betrayed took bread, and after He had given thanks, broke it and said, 'This is My body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of Me.' " —1 Corinthians 11:23-24
The teachings of the Church, and especially the Scriptures, are clear that we receive Jesus' body and blood, soul and divinity when we receive Holy Communion. There are many corollaries to this amazing fact. We should therefore:
- try our very best to receive Holy Communion frequently or even daily,
- prepare for each Communion by prayer and fasting and not limit ourselves to the mandatory one-hour fast,
- go to the Sacrament of Reconciliation regularly before going to Holy Communion,
- pray and read the daily eucharistic readings before praying the Mass,
- try to come to Mass early to recollect,
- try to stay after Mass for thanksgiving or come back later to adore the body of Jesus in the tabernacle,
- invite as many people as possible to do whatever would be necessary for them to receive Holy Communion, and
- warn others not to receive Communion if they are not Catholic or not in the state of grace for they could make themselves sick or weak (1 Cor 11:30).
Because we believe in the fact that we receive Jesus' body and blood in Holy Communion, our entire lives change and become eucharistically centered. Live the Eucharist!
Prayer: Father, may I treasure each Communion in my life as if it were the only one.
Promise: "When the deputation returned to the house, they found the servant in perfect health." —Lk 7:10
Praise: St. John Chrysostom could preach the word of God so effectively because he received the eucharistic Word so often.
Nihil Obstat: Reverend Richard L. Klug, January 16, 2004
Imprimatur: †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, January 26, 2004