Giving away the graces from the Eucharist

[Virginia804]

A monk once told me that some people give back to Mary all the graces they receive from the Eucharist for her to give to someone else who needs them more.
After receiving the sacrament, one prays 'Holy Mary, please accept the grace that would come to me through this sacrament to give to whomever you desire, and I thank you for having this to give to you."

Do you know anyone who does this? Is this a valid way to bring grace into the lives of people who need it that may be far from God?

 

[John_Russell_Jr]

Aquinas taught that you can receive more graces from a spiritual communion than an actual communion. It depends on your disposition of course. There have been saints who were crazy about spiritual communions and received tons of grace from these. I don’t think anything much is impossible with God and you can give away your communion but if anyone considers it why not keep the actual communion for yourself and make many spiritual communions with real fervour and desire and offer them for others. It’s very generous to give but we need grace too so maybe we can do a little extra to help others. Just a thought

 

[Virginia804]

I thought that for a spiritual communion one needed to be at mass, and so why just not go to communion?

 

[MarieVeronica]

Hi Virginia. I’m not sure if this is an answer to your question… but our priest consistently tells us… “You can NOT receive a Sacrament for someone else”. I’m assuming, that he means… the graces which come from the Sacrament.

I’m in a BIG believer in petitioning Our Lady (or the saints) for their intercession, though. They can certainly gain graces for us… or people we pray for… through their intercession. Is it possible that’s what the monk meant?

 

[Miserissima]

A spiritual communion may be asked for at any time. If you are attending Mass (or watching it on TV) and are not able to receive the Eucharist, you may ask Him for the grace of a Spiritual Communion.

From EWTN (emphasis mine):

My Jesus,
I believe that 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 You sacramentally,
come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already there and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You. Amen.

You can also ask that the graces from the spiritual communion to be given to someone else.

 

[Virginia804]

I work full time so I’m not one who get to go to other masses or watch on TV (too bad). I agree we can’t accept the sacrament for someone else (as if they had received communion). Not sure if giving the graces back to Mary to give to another is a different matter - it may be - the monk who told me of this practice was a Benedictine priest so I would expect he’d be informed.

Isn’t it strange you can’t accept communion with the physical bread and wine for someone else, but can for spiritual communion. That seems inconsistent to me.

 

[Virginia804]

Regarding why one can’t receive communion for another, what about the place in scripture where it talks about being baptised for the dead? That sounds like receiving a sacrament for another.
See verse 29. This is not some odd interpretation of this verse…
1 Cor 15:
28When (AR)all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that (AS)God may be all in all.

29Otherwise, what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why then are they baptized for them?

 

[Eucharisted]

I know that you can obtain graces for others from the Lord, but I don’t think you can recieve Holy Communion for someone else.

 

[Virginia804]

I agree…the question is whether one can give the graces received back to Mary so she can give them to someone else…which is somewhat different from receiving Communion for someone. In the case of giving the graces to Mary, when she gives them to someone else, it is really a prayer for some person who needs help from God generally, not a specific intention to receive “Communion” for them.
Maybe I’m nuts but I see a difference.

 

[Eucharisted]

I agree…the question is whether one can give the graces received back to Mary so she can give them to someone else…which is somewhat different from receiving Communion for someone. In the case of giving the graces to Mary, when she gives them to someone else, it is really a prayer for some person who needs help from God generally, not a specific intention to receive “Communion” for them.
Maybe I’m nuts but I see a difference.

Strictly speaking, one cannot give back to Mary what she dose not give in the first place. Jesus, being the one who won for us all graces by His death on the Cross, is the King of Mercy, and as King, it is His right alone to give souls - including Mary - graces. Jesus gives us graces through Mary. Mary, like all of us, can obtain graces from Jesus by prayer. So it would not be correct to give graces to Mary.

But we can obtain many graces for others, as well as for ourselves, by praying constantly, with great trust in His Mercy.

 

[claude1]

In the consecration to Mary according to St. Louis Marie DeMontfort, you put yourself wholly in her care, including the value of your prayers and sacrifices and, I assume, any graces that are yours to give. It’s a matter of trust; does anyone seriously think that, if you give something to Mary, she hoards it or does something against you with it?

Whatever you give to Mary, she gives to God at once, you can be sure of that. Its what she did with her whole life.

But I suggest, that when you receive the Eucharist, you can talk directly to the heart of Jesus Our Lord, and if you want to ask Him to send someone else who needs it more some kind of help or grace, I don’t see how this could possibly “offend” Him.

 

[Virginia804]

That makes sense to me. I did that consecration to Mary.
It seems that giving it to Mary wouldn’t offend Jesus either…since she is in perfect obedience to the will of God.
I’m not one who goes to Mary instead of Christ in some sense…and I do know those and I think there’s something off with that approach. Mary wouldn’t want us putting her before Christ in any way.

 

[John_Russell_Jr]

I thought that for a spiritual communion one needed to be at mass, and so why just not go to communion?

you got a good answer. You can make spiritual communions anytime you like. Even whilst eating dinner etc. Some mystics were taught that they would receive as much grace from each spiritual communion as a genuine communion so they would make hundreds every day. This does not mean we will receive as much grace but it shows we can. You can make spirutal communions during mass before holy communion to help increase your desire and fervour for holy communion too. Many people make many spiritual communions throughout the day etc.

I’m sure I’ve read in the lives and writings of the saints that you can give the benefit of your communion to another. I have done this sometimes but I don’t know if it worked or not. But we need all the grace we can get for ourselves and holy communion is the chief means so it may be a good idea to offer many spiritual communions for the others and this way you and them will get abundant grace. Hope this helps with yours and some other questions posted here.