Devotion for today: come to me, O my Jesus

When you cannot get to church, make a Spiritual Communion

Scripture for meditation: John 6:30-37

So they said to him, “What sign can you do, that we may see and believe in you? What can you do? Our ancestors ate manna in the desert, as it is written:  ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” So Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave the bread from heaven: my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” So they said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.” Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life: whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst. But I told you that although you have seen [me], you do not believe. Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and I will not reject anyone who comes to me.”

 Scripture for reflection: Ephesians 6:18

With all prayer and supplication, pray at every opportunity in the spirit.

 What is Spiritual Communion?

 We are obliged to attend Mass each Sunday and every other Holy Day of Obligation. Sometimes, though, we just can't be there....Sometimes, too, we just crave Communion with our Eucharistic Lord but have already received Him sacramentally that day. In all these instances, we are encouraged to make what is known as a "spiritual Communion," an act expressing what was described by St. Thomas Aquinas as "an ardent desire to receive Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament and in lovingly embracing Him." In a spiritual Communion, we, with contrite, humble hearts, ask our Lord to come to us in the same way He would if we were able to receive the Sacrament. This can be done as often as one likes, informally in one's own words or through one of the traditional prayers which appear below. What is the value of this practice? The graces received may be as great as -- or greater than -- those received by some people in the actual Sacrament. Though, of course, the Sacrament itself is inherently greater, our disposition toward the Sacrament affects whether and how we receive its fruits. For example, imagine a woman who is unable to be with her husband but who desires him as contrasted with a woman who has her husband's presence but doesn't care for him. Which husband would be more apt to pour out his love for his wife?

How to Receive Spiritual Communion

St. Leonard of Port-Maurice offers this advice for receiving Spiritual Communion:
In order to facilitate a practice of such great excellence, ponder what I have to say. When the priest is about to give himself Communion in holy Mass, do you, keeping composed externally and internally, excite in your heart an act of true contrition, make all those acts of love, of self-surrender, of humility, and the rest, which you are accustomed to make when you communicate sacramentally, and then desire with a lively longing to receive your good Jesus, veiled in the sacrament for your benefit. And to kindle your devotion, imagine that most holy Mary, or some saint, your holy advocate, is holding forth to you the sacred particle; figure yourself receiving it, and then, embracing Jesus in your heart, reply to Him, over and over again, with interior words prompted by love: “Come, Jesus, my Beloved, come within this my poor heart; come and satiate my desires; come and sanctify my soul; come, most sweet Jesus, come!” This said, be still; contemplate your good God within you, and, as if you really had communicated, adore Him, thank Him, and perform all those interior acts to which you are accustomed after sacramental Communion. (http://www.fisheaters.com/TLMmissingmass.html)

Prayer: Act of Spiritual Communion
by St. Alphonsus Liguori (A.D. 1696-1787)

My Jesus, I believe that you are present in the Blessed Sacrament. I love you above all things and I desire you in my soul. Since I cannot now receive you sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. As though you were already there, I embrace you and unite myself wholly to you; never permit me to be separated from you.

My thoughts: I recently had surgery to remove cancer from my eye rim, and this resulted in my eye being sewn shut for three long months. I could not drive safely, and therefore watched daily Mass on EWTN. I longed to receive Jesus in the Eucharist, but could not physically do so. I can tell you first hand that a Spiritual Communion, done as described above, is a moving and loving experience. I now find myself uttering the prayer of St. Alphonsus during the day, making Spiritual Communions when my cross feels to heavy, when loneliness or self-pity envelop me, or when life just seems unfair. I receive immediate relief.  In the words of Jesus, “Whoever believes in me will never thirst.”

Our prayer to God: Memorize the above prayer and recite it when you are driving the kids to school, visiting the sick or helping a friend in need. They will appreciate the gift of God’s presence to them, and you will be richly blessed!