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The Sacred Triduum is upon us, marking the passion of Jesus Christ; His suffering and death on a cross; the celebration of His glorious resurrection at Easter…and people going up for Holy Communion who should not be.
Catholic talk shows field calls ahead of time from loved ones asking, “What should I do to stop them?”
What indeed? It’s awkward. Family gatherings often have a No Politics pact to avoid arguments and hold onto connections.
How does one approach such a milieu without triggering resentment from being told not to receive communion? Gently, prayerfully, and pre-emptively.
To receive the Eucharist, a person must be in good standing in the Church and in a state of grace. Yet the would-be offender may not understand what being in a state of grace even means. It means we practice the Catholic Faith, which includes attending Sunday Mass, and do not have serious (mortal) sin on our soul. We can encourage them to go to confession before Easter so that they can go up for communion or, if they don’t, to cross their arms over their chest for a blessing as they go up.
I’ve heard people say: “It’s not my job to tell people what to do. It’s between them and God.” But if we believe in the True Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist and know of the Church’s rule that receiving while not in the state of grace is a sacrilegious communion, and yet still choose to say nothing, who are we caring about? Jesus? The relative or friend in error? Or just ourselves?
When we say nothing despite knowing that a sacrilegious communion hurts the soul and well-being of the individual and is disrespectful to Jesus, it is just ourselves that we are worried about.
But the silence harms us spiritually.
“Instructing the ignorant” is a Catholic Spiritual Work of Mercy; it is to relieve intellectual and spiritual poverty by sharing the truth and guiding others closer to Jesus. To ignore that Jesus will be received unworthily is denying Him. “But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven” (Mt. 10:33).
Would we speak up if someone was about to step in front of a bus? We do not follow Jesus’ command to love our neighbor as ourselves if we do nothing to stop them from spiritual danger.
In 1 Corinthians 11:27-30, St. Paul warns that receiving the Eucharist “in an unworthy manner” or failing to “discern the body” makes one guilty of sinning against the Body and Blood of Jesus. He states that such individuals eat and drink judgment (or condemnation) upon themselves, resulting in physical sickness or spiritual weakness.
Paul stressed to the Corinthians that the central focus of the Eucharistic celebration is to remember Christ’s sacrifice and His work of salvation (1 Cor. 11: 23-26). “So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord” (1 Cor. 11:27).
My church lets everyone receive communion, some might say in protest. But we are not in communion with one another. We don’t share the same teachings of our faiths. It is a lie for either of us to go up for communion in the church of the other. Since they are not practicing Catholics, Holy Communion is not ours to give them.
The goal is for people to feel loved and cared for and presented with an example of strength and love of Jesus. If it is not taken that way, and our message is resented, we have still chosen holiness and the love of Jesus.
“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven,” as Christ states in the Beatitudes in Matthew 5:10. We risk backlash even after our best efforts, but Jesus declares that those enduring hardship for their faith are blessed and shall receive the kingdom of heaven.
We can offer up our discomfort in union with the suffering Jesus endured, thus bringing supernatural power into our lives and those we pray for. The holy martyrs died a physical death for their faith. We can choose a bloodless martyrdom and die to ourselves for the love of Jesus Christ.
Here is a simple message that I’m sending to family members as a group:
Dear Family, Just a reminder that anyone wanting to receive Jesus in Holy Communion at Easter must be a Catholic in the state of grace. If you have not been going to Sunday Mass or holy days of obligation, or if you’ve been away from confession for a long time, there are many opportunities before Easter. I don’t say this in judgment because for many years, I often skipped Mass. I’m not seeking a response, and I don’t ever look to see who receives communion since I’m praying, so I’m not checking up on anyone. I say this out of love for you and for Jesus, wanting you to be fully blessed with all that God has to give you.
Photo by Julia Michelle on Unsplash
