In our over-regulated world, I am cavalier, loosey-goosey about rules. I do 80 in a 65; jaywalk, run red lights and roll through stop signs. As a UPS supervisor with tractor trailers my specialty was pulling loads rejected by the union drivers for silly things like bad breaks, flat tires or missing lights. The mechanics called me "Mad Dog." Affectionately? I am years behind in my IRS returns. The home I direct is currently in non-compliance with perhaps 23 regulations from state, county, city, etc. (Our board members and the regulators do not read this blog so my confidence is safe with you, Trusted Reader!) You might call me an anarchist...not professionally like the Catholic Worker or the bomb-throwing types. As an amateur, an avocation. Psychoanalytically, I am in recovery from a strong superego, my ego now strong enough to be playful with my id. I indulge in potty-talk to the delight of my 2-4 year old grandchildren.
But when it comes to the sacraments and the Church, I go by the book. This is sacred. We do not fool around. Do not make up our own rules. If the Church says to pat your head and pick your nose while confessing you sins...you pat your head and pick your nose. No argument. No dialogue. Obedience!
If you invite me to your house for dinner I do it your way. If you say bring a salad, I bring a salad. If you say wear a tux, I wear a tux. If you say take off your shoes, I wear socks with no holes and take off my shoes. Or, of course, I don't come at all.
How much more with the Church and the Eucharist! Respect!
Requirements for Reception of the Catholic Eucharist
Are clear, simple, straightforward, sensible:
1. Be a baptized Catholic having received confession and first communion. (With rare exceptions for Catholic-adjacent Churches, Orthodox and Coptic, under specific circumstances.)
2. Have fasted for one hour from liquids and solids. (Water/medicine allowed; dispensation for sick/elderly.)
3. Believe in the Real Presence of Christ in the Sacrament.
4. Be in the state of sanctifying grace: free of conscious, unconfessed mortal sin.
Exceptions to the above in serious, specified emergencies such as imminent death.
The first two are empirical, objective, and straightforward. The third involves intellectual consent. Is the bar of certitude high? Pastorally, the Church is lenient and merciful. The forth is most difficult. This is left to the conscience of the recipient. The minister cannot judge the soul so denial of communion would only be in the face of obvious scandal. (I took someone to mass once who approached communion munching on a Big Mac; she was refused. Young people obviously intoxicated at Christmas midnight mass need to be denied.)
Widespread catechetical ignorance causes us an epidemic of irreverent, sacrilegious reception. The most common mortal sins, requiring confession prior to worthy reception, are missing mass on Sunday and sex outside of sacramental marriage. The ignorance is possibly invincible and involuntary on the part of the recipients. Perhaps more vincible and deliberate is the responsibility of catechists and ministers.
This sounds easy enough. It is not. I share my experience in four ministries.
Sunday CCD
Most of my 7th grade students do not attend mass on Sunday. They come to class and then go home. It is not their fault. Their parents want them to be confirmed, but otherwise are detached from sacramental life. Do I clearly tell them this is a mortal sin? No. Pastorally, that would be upsetting and unhelpful. I treat the topic lightly. In explaining the precepts of the Church, I note it without undue emotion or attention. I encourage devotion to the Eucharist by visits to the Church and prayer before the tabernacle. It is delicate catechetical dance: drawing them to Christ in the Eucharist without arousing guilt or judgment against the parents. I trust their young but robust consciences and intelligences to make some sense of the reality: recognize Catholic practice and their families' non-compliance, in a gentle, kind tone.
Eucharist at Magnificat Home
About once a year, Fr. Tony Azzarto S.J. (of happy memory) would visit our residence for low-income women, with an amiable group of volunteers, bringing a good diner and celebrating the Eucharist. There has never been a priest more loved, kind, gentle, holy, endearing than Fr. Tony. Our women all LOVED the visit and especially the liturgy. BUT: Fr. Tony was excessively informal. He preferred the living room to a beautiful chapel. He welcomed all, of whatever belief or disposition, to receive. After mass he tossed the remaining hosts into a bag in careless fashion. For me personally this was a difficulty: on the one hand pastorally fruitful, but also irreverent. I still cannot get my mind around it. I would guess that Christ is mostly pleased. But I am not at home with it.
Hospital Ministry
Fr. Ceasar, the Catholic chaplain, firmly, clearly directed that we dispense communion discretely, in accord with Church practice. This took some getting used to, but now we are comfortable. About half the patients (like the rest of NJ) are Catholic; 10 % or so of these practice Eucharistic worship. We may visit 30 patients and dispense 3 or 4 hosts. Often we know right away that we can offer communion as they volunteer the name of their parish. Otherwise, I do not to hesitate to ask: Do you go to Sunday mass? Many volunteer: I need confession. I have been away. Very feeble, elderly folks, obviously unable to get to Church on their own, are given some leeway. They also will admit that they are not prepared. Sometimes, we will place the pix, with the sacrament within, on their chest, as when awaiting heart surgery, so the physical presence of Christ is invoked for healing. Often, they express a desire to return to Church. If appropriate, we ask if they want to see a priest for confession/anointing/communion. The ministry has become comfortable and immensely rewarding. With Catholics we do Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be and communion. With Protestants the Our Father. With observant Muslims, Jews, Hindus, and Buddhists we might offer shared silence. Spontaneous prayer of healing for all. With Pentecostals we strongly invoke the Holy Spirit; with Baptists and Evangelicals we center on Jesus. Most agnostics and even atheists go along with it. Some decline. Often those are obviously practicing Catholics who do not like this informal, "holy roller" prayer stuff. Many of my own family might well decline. But those who decline often offer thanks for the offer. With them I feel a unique, special bond.
Jail Ministry
Our Catholic Communion Ministry, stable and simple, is warmly welcomed in the Ocean County Jail, by Protestant chaplain, prisoners, and even guards (who sometimes receive communion themselves.) Security there is intense and we are disciplined and compliant. (Here I am not the rule-breaking anarchist described in the first paragraph above. I would not dare mess with the tattooed, muscular chaplain who is clearly tougher than any convict in the place.) We share a simple communion service and then discuss the mass readings for the following Sunday. Perhaps 40 minutes. The participants are reverent, attentive, grateful and very impressive. There is some sharing. We leaders talk a little but not too much. It is a deeply holy experience. In presenting Communion, we declare that it is the real body and blood of Christ and that they may, if they believe, receive. If not, they fold their arms and receive a blessing.
This is important but, in my view, not adequate. An unbaptized man that I have been preparing for entrance into the Church told me this week that he has been coming to the sessions and receiving. This is not right! There is no blame for him. But we ministers have to explain better the practice. When explained clearly, simply, reverently...most comply happily.
Particularly important is the practice of spiritual communion.
Spiritual Communion: Unknown, Unpracticed, Underrated
If unprepared for worthy reception one can simply, quietly pray: "Jesus, I am not prepared at this time to receive you in your body and blood. I ask you to come to me spiritually, in my heart and soul, unworthy as I am."
One might be unworthy for any number of reasons: just ate or drank prior to the service, have been away from Sunday mass, had sex outside of marriage, living in a non-sacramental marriage, and other.
Reception of communion in any of these states is irreverent and sacrilegious, possibly more serious than the sin impediment itself. Eating an egg sandwich 25 minutes before reception is a minor act in itself; but in defiance of Church direction is grave. Cavalier dispensation of the sacrament in defiance of rubrics is false mercy, irreverent and sacrilegious.
When I personally see participants at mass abstaining from reception I am edified: they love our Lord enough to come; but they are humble before the Eucharist such that they refrain for some reason unknown to myself. They remind me of my own unworthiness; of the unmerited mercy of Christ.
Conclusion
Spiritual Communion is the great secret of the Church. It is largely unknown and unpracticed. It's usage will increase genuine Eucharistic devotion for all of us. We who catechize have to especially be clear on this and worthy reception of Holy Communion.
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