Frequent reception of the Eucharist discouraged?

[JRTJ]

When I said that we should always desire to make a worthy communion I meant in so much as we have done all that we could possibly do to prepare for the communion. That is due preparation and the appropriate thanksgiving. It is true that the only requirement is not to be in a state of mortal sin. I simply stated my own personal policy of receiving only after I’ve felt that I have given the Sacrament everything that I have.

I have far too often went up and knelt without any real preparation, almost on a mere whim. I personally believe my communions are worth more and deserve more than that.

Yours in Jesus and Mary,
OS.

Of course. One must always keep in mind that Communion is a privilege and not a routine - this is essential.

Totally agree

 

[hazcompat]

I would recommend The Imitation of Christ by Thomas-a-Kempis.
Specifically:

BOOK FOUR
AN INVITATION TO HOLY COMMUNION
1 The Great Reverence With Which We Should Receive Christ
2 God’s Great Goodness and Love is Shown to Man in This Sacrament
3 It Is Profitable To Receive Communion Often
4 Many Blessings Are Given Those Who Receive Communion Worthily
5 The Dignity of the Sacrament and of the Priesthood
6 An Inquiry on the Proper Thing to do Before Communion
7 The Examination of Conscience and the Resolution to Amend
8 The Offering of Christ on the Cross; Our Offering
9 We Should Offer Ourselves and All That We Have to God, Praying for All
10 Do Not Lightly Forego Holy Communion
11 The Body of Christ and Sacred Scripture Are Most Necessary to a Faithful Soul
12 The Communicant Should Prepare Himself for Christ with Great Care
13 With All Her Heart the Devout Soul Should Desire Union with Christ in the
Sacrament
14 The Ardent Longing of Devout Men for the Body of Christ
15 The Grace of Devotion is Acquired Through Humility and Self-Denial
16 We Should Show Our Needs to Christ and Ask His Grace
17 The Burning Love and Strong Desire to Receive Christ
18 Man Should Not Scrutinize This Sacrament in Curiosity, But Humbly Imitate Christ
and Submit Reason to Holy Faith

Peace

 

[TimothyH]

Introduction to the Devout Life
by
St. Francis of Sales

“As to daily Communion, I neither commend nor condemn it; but with respect to communicating every Sunday, I counsel and exhort every one to do so, providing the mind has no attachment to sin. So says S. Augustine, and with him I neither find fault nor unconditionally commend daily Communion, leaving that matter to the discretion of every person’s own spiritual Guide; as the requisite dispositions for such frequent Communion are too delicate for one to advise it indiscriminately.”

This is not discouraging daily communion. No one should approach the sacrament without proper disposition for reception.

Peace

This is exactly what the Council of Trent and the Catechism of Trent had stated a few years earlier.

Peter Lombard, St. Thomas, St. Bonaventure, St. Catherine of Siena - all were generally in favor of frequent reception.

-Tim-

 

[ProVobis]

This is exactly what the Council of Trent and the Catechism of Trent had stated a few years earlier.

The Catechism of Trent provides IMO the best insight into the reception of communion.

Recipient of the Eucharist

Threefold Manner Of Communicating

That the faithful may learn to be zealous for the better gifts, they must be shown who can obtain these abundant fruits from the Holy Eucharist, must be reminded that there is not only one way of communicating. Wisely and rightly, then, did our predecessors in the faith, as we read in the Council of Trent, distinguish three ways of receiving this Sacrament.

Some receive it sacramentally only. Such are those sinners who do not fear to approach the holy mysteries with polluted lips and heart, who, as the Apostle says, eat and drink the Lord’s body unworthily. Of this class of communicants St. Augustine says: He who dwells not in Christ, and in whom Christ dwells not, most certainly does not eat spiritually His flesh, although carnally and visibly he press with his teeth the Sacrament of His flesh and blood. Those, therefore, who receive the sacred mysteries with such a disposition, not only obtain no fruit therefrom, but, as the Apostle himself testifies, eat and drink judgment to themselves.

Others are said to receive the Eucharist in spirit only. They are those who, inflamed with a lively faith which worketh by charity,’ partake in wish and desire of that celestial bread offered to them, from which they receive, if not the entire, at least very great fruits.

Lastly, there are some who receive the Holy Eucharist both sacramentally and spiritually, those who, according to the teaching of the Apostle, having first proved themselves and having approached this divine banquet adorned with the nuptial garment, derive from the Eucharist those most abundant fruits which we have already described. Hence it is clear that those who, having it in their power to receive with fitting preparation the Sacrament of the body of the Lord, are yet satisfied with a spiritual Communion only, deprive themselves of the greatest and most heavenly advantages.

IOW, the power of spiritual communion is not to be underestimated.

 

[Pilgrim1701]

I would recommend The Imitation of Christ by Thomas-a-Kempis.
Specifically:

BOOK FOUR
AN INVITATION TO HOLY COMMUNION

Great book, one of my favourites.

This is exactly what the Council of Trent and the Catechism of Trent had stated a few years earlier.

Peter Lombard, St. Thomas, St. Bonaventure, St. Catherine of Siena - all were generally in favor of frequent reception.

-Tim-

I don’t think anyone is against frequent communion, per se, only that one should be properly disposed, that is, not in a state of mortal sin. It seems that the contention could be that it is harder to do that daily, but it could be said that one could make a ‘bad’ communion even when it was only once a year also.
At any rate, no one truly knows a persons soul other than God.

On a side note, and I may wrong on this, but are the Orthodox a bit stricter as regards reception of the Eucharist, in terms of frequency, having been to confession etc.
This more a question than an observation, if anyone could shed some light?

 

[ProVobis]

On a side note, and I may wrong on this, but are the Orthodox a bit stricter as regards reception of the Eucharist, in terms of frequency, having been to confession etc.
This more a question than an observation, if anyone could shed some light?

In fact, yes.

orthodoxengland.org.uk/confessio.htm

To wit,

It does not matter which Local Orthodox Church you belong to: Confession is the norm before communion and it is not limited to just the Russian, Romanian, Serbian and Bulgarian Churches (90% of all Orthodox). The bad habit of some Greeks, especially in the Diaspora, who have over the last forty years or so fallen into the decadent Western practice of not having confession before communion and adopted by those who do not know any better, is not justified. Just because some have fallen into bad habits, this does not mean that they are to be aped. Communion without confession is NOT the Orthodox norm anywhere.

 

[Boy_Wonder]

Is daily/very frequent communion encouraged for persons not in a state of mortal sin?

Yes. I love Introduction to the Devout Life, but we must remember it was written in an era when frequent lay reception of the Eucharist was discouraged. That mindset changed well over 100 years ago.

 

[Brendan]

Yes. I love Introduction to the Devout Life, but we must remember it was written in an era when frequent lay reception of the Eucharist was discouraged. That mindset changed well over 100 years ago.

I would phrase that slightly differently. That is was neither encouraged nor discouraged.

Also remember that the fasting and confessional requirements were more stringent.

To receive Holy Communion, you could not have either eaten nor drank anything (including water) since midnight the previous night.

And having received a Sacramental confession recently.

So those two combined also discouraged frequent reception of Holy Communion.

 

[judynurse]

I used to be able to get out daily to Mass and receive Holy Communion, but only went regularly to Confession about once a month. Now that I’m so much older, and partially disabled (not to mention hazards such as icy roads), I normally attend Mass weekly, and unless I am conscious of a Mortal sin, I only go to Confession about every 8 weeks. But, at my age, and during winter particularly, I spend most days at home alone, & I don’t often commit Mortal sins. If I do, I will go to Confession prior to receiving Communion. That might not be appropriate for those working out in the world. When I was working, I often went to Confession each week before my weekly Mass and Communion, simply because I usually got a) angry at someone b) lied to a co-worker over a minor matter (often to just shut them up!)) or some other Mortal sin which was more frequent due to constant contact with non-believers or mockers of my Faith. Plus, exhaustion, and lack of patience which resulted. As a child, for a couple years after my First Communion, I thought I had to go to Confession every week, and sometimes every day, due to disobedience or getting mad at my Mom! Severe scrupulosity! Good training, though!

At my age, and living alone, with not as much interaction with outsiders other than in my Parish, it is easier to avoid Mortal sins. Not really easy, but I recognize it much faster! Maybe all those Confessions when I was young sensitized me to the “near occasions of sin” and make me more careful now!??

 

[Cat]

When I said that we should always desire to make a worthy communion I meant in so much as we have done all that we could possibly do to prepare for the communion. That is due preparation and the appropriate thanksgiving. It is true that the only requirement is not to be in a state of mortal sin. I simply stated my own personal policy of receiving only after I’ve felt that I have given the Sacrament everything that I have.

I have far too often went up and knelt without any real preparation, almost on a mere whim. I personally believe my communions are worth more and deserve more than that.

Yours in Jesus and Mary,
OS.

Perhaps if you were able to receive Jesus daily, you would find that you would be in a more constant state of readiness to receive Him.

I’m a little confused, here, folks. I have frequently heard priests and laypeople speak of “making a good confession.”

But I have never heard anyone, including priests, use the phrase, “Make a good Holy Communion.” Is this more common elsewhere?

 

[ProVobis]

I’m a little confused, here, folks. I have frequently heard priests and laypeople speak of “making a good confession.”

I don’t know about that but I’ve heard “make a good act of contrition.” Now there is a difference between perfect contrition and imperfect contrition but either is valid for the sacrament.

But I have never heard anyone, including priests, use the phrase, “Make a good Holy Communion.” Is this more common elsewhere?

I haven’t either. It seems very few have read the Trent catechism on the three ways of communicating. See #23.

 

[Vico]

Prayer of St. John of Damascus
I stand before the gates of thy Temple, and yet I refrain not from my evil thoughts. But do thou, O Christ my God, who didst justify the publican, and hadst mercy on the Canaanite woman, and opened the gates of Paradise to the thief; open unto me the compassion of thy love toward mankind, and receive me as I approach and touch thee, like the sinful woman and the woman with the issue of blood; for the one, by embracing thy feet received the forgiveness of her sins, and the other by but touching the hem of thy garment was healed. And I, most sinful, dare to partake of thy whole Body. Let me not be consumed but receive me as thou didst receive them, and enlighten the perceptions of my soul, consuming the accusations of my sins; through the intercessions of Her that without stain gave Thee birth, and of the heavenly Powers; for thou art blessed unto ages of ages. Amen.

 

[judynurse]

Thank you Vico! That will stay with me for a long, long time. I’m going to print it off and use it as a form of meditation prior to Masses. How beautiful!

 

[Vico]

Perhaps if you were able to receive Jesus daily, you would find that you would be in a more constant state of readiness to receive Him.

I’m a little confused, here, folks. I have frequently heard priests and laypeople speak of “making a good confession.”

But I have never heard anyone, including priests, use the phrase, “Make a good Holy Communion.” Is this more common elsewhere?

It was taught in the Baltimore Catechism (which some still use):Q. 901. What is necessary to make a good Communion?
A. To make a good Communion it is necessary to be in the state of sanctifying grace and to fast according to the laws of the Church

Q. 902. What should a person do who, through forgetfulness or any other cause, has broken the fast necessary for Holy Communion?
A. A person who through forgetfulness or any other cause has broken the fast necessary for Holy Communion, should again fast and receive Holy Communion the following morning if possible, without returning to confession. It is not a sin to break one’s fast, but it would be a mortal sin to receive Holy Communion after knowingly breaking the fast necessary for it.

Q. 903. Does he who receives Communion in mortal sin receive the body and blood of Christ?
A. He who receives Communion in mortal sin receives the body and blood of Christ, but does not receive His grace, and he commits a great sacrilege.

Q. 904. Is it enough to be free from mortal sin to receive plentifully the graces of Holy Communion?
A. To receive plentifully the graces of Holy Communion it is not enough to be free from mortal sin, but we should be free from all affection to venial sin, and should make acts of lively faith, of firm hope, and ardent love.

From No. 3, Lesson 23