Spiritual Communion in the Roman Catholic Church

According to my knowledge and experience a spiritual Communion may be made by anyone who believes that Christ is truly present in the tabernacles of the Roman Catholic Church, who earnestly and fervently desires to receive Him sacramentally, but for whatever reason is unable to do so.

But the Cure d'Ars made it clear that these circumstances are not the only ones in which a spiritual Communion is desirable or efficacious, for it "acts on the soul as blowing does on a cinder-covered fire which was about to go out. Whenever you feel your love of God growing cold, quickly make a spiritual communion. When we cannot go to the church, let us turn towards the tabernacle, no wall can shut us out from the good God." One is reminded of St Paul's saying: "Nothing can separate us from the love of Christ" and with the Church's encouragement of spiritual communion where necessary, she makes sure that noone who desires that love, is left outside its compass. By the same token she assures us that Christ, in the absence of the possibility of sacramental Communion with Him, will not refuse the love of one who truly desires to give it to Him, and will come to that person. In other words, one can and should make a spiritual communion, anywhere and at any time, not only when sacramental Communion is impossible. Indeed we are impelled to make one, in those graced moments when we long for His Presence, to see His face and to tell Him how much we love him.

In anticipation of those times, if you do not already do so, why not keep at hand or commit to memory one of the several formulae approved by the Church for making a spiritual communion. That of St. Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787)is probably the most well known:

"My Jesus, I believe that Thou art present in the Blessed Sacrament. I love Thee above all things and I desire Thee in my soul. Since I cannot now receive Thee sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. As though thou wert already there, I embrace Thee and unite myself wholly to Thee; permit not that I should ever be separated from Thee."

The beauty of this prayer is that one can spend as much time over it as is vouchsafed. And the more one prays it, the more one yearns for that time to be extended.

Another approved spiritual Communion is made in the company of Our Blessed Mother and this I will quote here on the Solemnity of her Immaculate Conception next Monday.

ICPP
J