John 6 - #3

 

Receiving worthily –

Receiving holy Communion is a statement of faith, of belonging to this covenant community which we call the Catholic Church.  Receiving holy Communion is not a matter of hospitality.  It is also not a sign that those receiving this holy gift “have it all together”.  It is a sign of commitment and belonging, which includes receiving in faith all that the Church teaches or proposes for belief. 

So, beyond the issue of having been baptized in the Church, it also means we really do “belong” – body, heart, mind, and soul!  Because of this it must never be “ok” to approach the Church and Her teaching like a buffet (from which we get the term “cafeteria Catholic”).  I admit, this can be difficult because it calls us to a real examination of conscience before receiving Communion.  Am I in communion with the Church, or am I not?  If I am not, then integrity would demand not receiving Communion until I have resolved that conflict of heart and mind.  To do otherwise would be to lie to God, to those present, and to myself.

Who ever imagined receiving Communion was such a big deal?  I have to believe in what I am receiving; I have to believe what the Church teaches not only about the Eucharist, but everything else as well; and I have to definitively stake my claim as a child of God within His household – the Church.  That’s a lot!  Indeed, it is.  And that is why the Church takes the reception of holy Communion so seriously.

This is why the Church does not, cannot, invite those outside of formal communion with the Church to receive holy Communion.  To do so is to, in fact, do them a disservice – not only from a social perspective (they don’t really belong to this covenant community: either fully, or in part), but also from a spiritual perspective.  St. Paul warns in his first letter to the Corinthians (11:27-30) about the unworthy reception of the Lord’s Body & Blood and observes that to do so leads to illness (spiritual or physical) and even eternal damnation.

There is so much more to be said on the worthy reception of Holy Communion – more than can be covered in this space.  So, if you have any questions about this, or are simply struggling to understand and accept this, please feel free to address these with me.  I am always very happy to help in your understanding and acceptance of this admittedly “hard” teaching.