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The churches were closed. Masses were offered at major intersections so that people could watch the mass from a distance. No, I’m talking about COVID-19. I’m talking about an outbreak of the plague in Milan in 1576 and the drastic measures taken by bishop St. Charles Borromeo to protect the people.
It’s my pleasure to welcome you to All Things Catholic. I’m your host, Deacon Rudy Villarreal, and I’m so glad you’re here! Together we are going to explore what it means to be Catholic. Extraordinary measures are being taking to slow the spread of COVID-19. Participation in the mass for many is not currently an option. But that hasn’t stopped the great heroism or our priests who continue to offer mass daily and many of those masses including the Pope’s masses are being live-streamed to Catholics worldwide. The faithful are asked to make a spiritual communion. Before we unpack what that means, let’s talk about the Eucharist for a minute.
Now, I realize this will offer little comfort, but I think it’s important to know that frequent reception of the Eucharist which is a wonderful blessing is a relatively new phenomenon in the life of the Church. Between 1905 and 1910, Pius X issued a number of decrees encouraging the frequent reception of the Eucharist. He lowered the age of children to receive the Eucharist as long as they understood the difference between ordinary bread and the Eucharist. In contrast to his contemporaries, Pius believed that the Eucharist is nourishment for those struggling to lead a Christian life. He put in a requirement that as long as you were free from mortal sin, then you are free to receive the Eucharist daily.
Most of us have been raised with this idea that we should receive the Eucharist as often as possible. So, to find ourselves in these extraordinary circumstances where access to the Eucharist is almost nonexistent in light of the pandemic can be worrisome. But, my brothers and sisters, now is not the time for panic.
Look who’s panicking. It’s those people around us who put their trust in themselves, their paychecks, the government, in this world. And now they’re coming to realize that none of the things of this world can bring them peace. For the Christian, our faith is in Christ Jesus. We have already been saved by his most precious blood. We believe that death in not the end, but only a transition. So, we cannot panic.
We may find ourselves cutoff from the Eucharist, but that doesn’t mean that we are cutoff from Jesus Christ. What happens when we receive the Eucharist? No one forces us to receive the Eucharist, right? We willingly receive the Eucharist and then we pray. We might thank God for his gifts. We might pray for our loved ones. We might pray that our family and friends convert, as well as the conversion of all souls. Maybe we pray for our friends and family who have passed away and all the souls in purgatory. And we might pray that God help us in the coming days or weeks as face challenging circumstances at work or in the home, for example. In short, we pray for God’s graces to rain down upon us.
In spiritual communion we do something very similar. There’s quite a long history of spiritual communion and it’s good for us to learn about it because there may be other occasions when we are not physically able to attend mass long after COVID-19 is just a memory. Let’s walk through the process together.
First, let’s try to quiet the noise around us and the noise in our minds.
Next, it’s important to have the intention to be united to Jesus Christ. Do you love Jesus Christ and have a real desire to be united to Him?
Now, we need to call to mind our sins. In what ways are we not living the way we should? Ask God’s forgiveness. Try to feel God’s goodness and mercy maybe the way, with your eyes closed, you might feel sunlight dance across on your face.
Offer in prayer an act of spiritual communion: My Jesus, I believe You are present in the Most Holy Sacrament. I love You above all things, and I desire to receive You into my soul. Since I cannot at this moment receive the Eucharist, I invite You to come into my heart. I embrace You and unite myself to You. Never permit me to be separated from you. +Amen!
As you make an act of spiritual communion, invite Jesus into your soul. Receive Him. Welcome Him. Picture yourself embracing Him and feel His strong embrace.
Now, offer an act of thanksgiving, like a sacrificial gift to help Christ’s ministry on earth, or to help those among us who might be in need of a home cooked meal, or help with errands, or some other tangible example of Christian charity.
Finally, ask Jesus to bless you, all your family and friends. Ask for the conversion of all souls. Pray for all your family and friends who have passed away and all the souls in purgatory.
You may stay in this moment as long as you’d like. When you are ready, you may move on.
What did you think? There is no one prescribed format for a spiritual communion. There are many out there. Find one that works for you. Look, we are all part of the Body of Christ. Christ wants to draw all of us together – the community of believers – into Himself. United with Christ, we become God’s glory. United with Christ we become part of true liturgy – that cosmic liturgy which strives to draw all of us to God. We may be isolated, but we are not alone!
Do you got it? Do you get it? Good! May Almighty God bless you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit! +Amen!
This episode was produced by deacon rudy’s notes. Our theme music was composed by Silent Partner. You can find all sorts of helpful information on the website at www.deaconrudysnotes.org. You’re listening to All Things Catholic. I’m your host, Deacon Rudy Villarreal. Join us again next time and don’t forget to check out the weekend edition where we break open the Word. Peace!