Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

Book 4 Chapter 6: On the Question of Proper Preparation before Communion

“I am fearful, O Lord, and inwardly confused, when I think of Your greatness and my own wretchedness.’

Today we look at two extremes regarding Holy Communion.  The first extreme is failing to receive Holy Communion and the second is receiving Holy Communion unworthily.  Both are equally wrong and are grave sins.  Under the first situation, when I fail to attend Mass and receive Holy Communion, “I run away from life”.  I run away from the one food that provides both spiritual and physical healing for my soul. I am telling God that I do not want Him and that I do not need Him.  I can go and tackle the world on my own.  In the second extreme, I receive Holy Communion unworthily and “I incur God’s wrath.”  God asks us to be purified and clean when we approach the altar.  He asks us to recognize our sinfulness and to be contrite in our hearts. If we have mortal sin on our hearts, we are to go to confession to remove the stain.  This would beg the questions, “What then must I do before I receive the Body and Blood?”  Can I ever be perfect?  The answer is no, but I can sure make every effort to try to be. If you have mortal sin on your soul, you must go to confession before receiving communion.  In doing so, you are telling God that you recognize your unworthiness and do not want to offend His greatness with your weakness.  You are telling Him that you want to align your soul with His will.  Before Mass, meditate on the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.  Meditate on His Passion which you are about to celebrate.  During the Mass, participate fully and actively so that the Holy Spirit can infuse your body.  Lastly, when approaching the altar, acknowledge your weakness and ask for the strength and the healing to be fully purified before receiving Him. We should ask God to inspire us through His words that we listen to during the Liturgy of the Word.  We should ask that the words of the priest make our heart restless for His love. In doing these simple things, you are preparing your soul “with reverence and devotion” to receive His great and divine sacrifice through the offering of the Mass.

A Simple Prayer

Lord, help me find purity in my life.

Infuse me with wisdom so I can truly understand the Sacrifice of the Mass.

In doing so, my heart will desire to be properly prepared to receive you into my house.

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon