Reverence in Reception of Holy Communion
Celebrating the Holy Eucharist
By Francis Cardinal Arinze
The individual Catholic who receives Jesus in the Holy Eucharist shows reverence in many ways.
The most important proof of a communicant's reverence is given by his being in a state of grace. Any Catholic who is unfortunately in the state of mortal sin is bound to go to confession and receive absolution before approaching the Eucharistic table. The Council of Trent declared that it is necessary "by divine decree to confess each and every mortal sin" (Council of Trent, DS 1680). And the 1983 Code of Canon Law says clearly: "Individual and integral confession and absolution are the sole ordinary means by which the faithful, conscious of grave (mortal) sin, are reconciled with God and the Church; only physical or moral impossibility excuses from such confession, in which case reconciliation can be obtained in other ways" (can. 960).
Pope John Paul II, in his April 7, 2002, Apostolic Letter Misericordia Dei, requested bishops and priests to do everything possible to make individual access to the sacrament of Penance readily available to the faithful. The Synod of October 2005 repeated this appeal (see prop. 7).
It is therefore to be deplored that in more than one parish, many people regularly go to receive Holy Communion but rarely or ever go to confession. And some of them may be walking around with the weight of mortal sins on their consciences. Some such people are misled by erroneous views that very few people are able to commit a mortal sin or that one lone act cannot be a mortal sin or that they need not bother following the Church's teaching authority when she declares certain actions (such as abortion, contraception, premarital relations, or euthanasia) to be mortal sins but that it is all right just to follow their own consciences. The Catholic who wants to show genuine reverence to the Holy Eucharist will make sure to be in a state of grace before approaching the Eucharistic table.
We also show reverence by the way we receive Holy Communion, kneeling, standing, on the tongue, or in the hand. Even how we dress, how we walk, and how we share in the congregation's acts of singing, standing, sitting, listening, and kneeling can show our faith.
Personal prayer prepares us for proper participation in the liturgy and helps us to savor its fruits. This applies particularly to the reception of Holy Communion. Bearing in mind that "the sacred liturgy does not exhaust the entire activity of the Church" (SC 9), we appreciate the need for personal reflection and meditation, internal prayer, continuing conversion of heart to God, and ever greater desire of union with Christ. These promote reverence for so great a mystery.
According to personal devotion, a communicant may wish to kneel or to sit in quiet thanksgiving after Communion. Both the priest celebrant and the choir should make room for this. And the diocesan Office for the Sacred Liturgy should not try to regiment movements at all such moments.
Thanksgiving after Mass has traditionally been greatly esteemed in the Church for both the priest and the lay faithful. The missal and the breviary even suggest prayers for the priest before and after the Eucharistic celebration. There is no reason to believe that this is no longer needed. Indeed, in our noisy world of today, such moments of reflective and loving prayers would seem indicated more than ever before. Proposition 34 of the October Synod of Bishops dwells on this. It is a beautiful testimony to hear parishioners say of their pastor: "Father is making his thanksgiving after Mass and will be available to us about ten minutes later." And why should this not be applicable to the congregation, too? Reverence is not automatic. It has to be nurtured, to be built up, to be kept up. (Pages: 37-39)
21.01.2012. 20:05