Receive the Eucharist Worthily
By Dennis Graham | Eucharistic Revival Team
Compiled from an article by Dr. Jared Staudt
As practicing Catholics, we all know that we must be in a proper state of disposition to receive Holy Communion. It’s disarmingly simple: you must be a baptized Catholic in good-standing with the Church; you must be in a state of sanctifying grace, meaning you are not aware of any unconfessed mortal sins; you must keep a one-hour fast from all food and drink except for medicine and water before receiving the host. But we should strive to go beyond the minimum!
In the article “How to Receive the Eucharist Worthily,” published in the Denver Catholic Register (October 2021), Catholic writer and teacher Dr. Jared Staudt reminds us of the consequences of receiving the Lord unworthily and offers five things to consider to fully enter in communion with Christ.
You must have faith.
First, to approach Christ in the Eucharist we must have faith in His true presence. To receive without belief is the ultimate sacrilege and prevents us from recognizing and receiving the grace Christ wants to give us. Unfortunately, many polls have shown that a large number of Catholics who attend Mass do not believe in the Real Presence.
You need to confess before receiving.
The Church requires us to go to Confession at least once a year, but we are prohibited from receiving Communion in a state of mortal sin. If we do so, we commit another grave sin. Beyond that, we need to confess more regularly to break sinful habits and our attachment even to venial sin (as St. Francis de Sales recommends).
Be intentional.
We should make a deliberate choice to receive Jesus in the Eucharist, breaking out of any routine complacency. Although it is good to receive Communion frequently, it can be helpful to remember that we are only required to receive once a year. If we are not properly prepared or need to go to Confession, it may be better to wait to receive. Sometimes the waiting can increase our “appetite” for this Divine Gift, and break the cycle of complacency.
Prepare.
If we do make the choice to receive the Eucharist, we should prepare through prayer and removing ourselves from distractions. Saturday traditionally has been a day of preparation for the Lord’s Day and it would help to say some extra prayers and to avoid things that would pull our mind and heart away from Christ. We should pray for the grace to make a good Communion when we wake up the day we are going to Mass and should say a prayer before Mass. There are beautiful prayers written to help us prepare to receive, such as the prayers of St. Ambrose and St. Thomas Aquinas found in most traditional prayer books.
Follow up.
We should follow up from receiving our Lord by staying recollected after Communion and making a thanksgiving right after Mass. There are also beautiful prayers written for after Mass. We should try to keep the Lord’s presence in us by continuing to pray throughout the day and making a spiritual communion on other days throughout the week. In this way we are living the teaching of the Church that the Christian life comes from and is oriented toward the Holy Eucharist.
Have faith, repent, be intentional, prepare, give thanks and pray. These are simple but essential steps that can help us to receive the body and blood of our Lord more worthily.
TAKE ACTION
Make an intentional plan to prepare yourself to receive the Holy Eucharist. Before attending another Mass, implement your plan, and then receive Jesus not only in your hands or on your tongue, but in your heart.
Click here to read Dr. Staudt’s full article
