The Communion Rite–Part II

Holy Mother Church never tires of inviting us, never ceases to urge us to receive holy Communion frequently, yes, even daily. And she encourages us, whenever we assist at the holy sacrifice of the Mass, to receive the body and blood of Christ with the priest, not only spiritually, by way of desire, but actually, by the sacramental participation of the sacred species. The divine heart of Jesus burns with desire to communicate himself to those who assist to the holy sacrifice of the Mass. “Take and eat,” he says, “this is my body (Mt. 26:26).”

Receiving holy Communion at Mass is a gift of Christ, but it is necessary that we examine our conscience to make sure we are truly prepared to receive Jesus. What are the “required dispositions” of which the “Catechism of the Catholic Church” speaks?

That we are in a “state of grace,” not conscious of any unconfessed grave sins.
That we have observed the one-hour fast from food and drink.

Processing the Altar
Now we leave our place and process toward the altar ourselves. This procession should be dignified and reserved. We should walk with our hands together, contemplating the great moment that is about to take place. We should receive the Eucharist with the same devotion and seriousness that accompanied our first holy Communion. Before we receive holy Communion, if we are standing, we should bow as a sign of reverence toward the Eucharistic Lord before receiving him.

Receiving the Eucharist
There are two ways in which we may receive Communion: on the tongue, or in the hand, where this is permitted. The priest or Eucharistic minister will slightly raise the Eucharist as we approach, and say “The body of Christ.” We reply “Amen.” This is our assent to the following:

We believe that Jesus Christ is fully present under the appearance of this bread that we receive.

We believe that all his body, the Church, teaches is true.

We declare that we are members of his body—the Church.

We should receive the Lord reverently in the manner we choose. If on the tongue, open our mouth and extend our tongue in a reverential way allowing the Eucharist to be placed there before closing our mouth.

If we receive our Lord in the hand we should hold our hands open, making a throne for the Eucharist. Again, we meaningfully take the Eucharist with our right hand and place it in our mouth. We consume the body of Christ immediately.

Everything should be done reverently. After receiving the Eucharist, we walk back to our place in the congregation in the same reverential manner that we approach the altar. It is time to contemplate and adore this great gift that we just received.

The moments that immediately follow holy Communion are most precious and rich in graces. We received our Lord into the abode of our heart; we have satisfied not only our longing to receive him, but also his longing to be united with us. There is no more fitting or efficacious time to thank God for his favors and to implore new ones than in the precious moments after holy Communion, when our Lord himself, with body and soul, divinity and humanity, reposes in our breast.

St. Philip Neri once saw a person turning his steps toward the church door very soon after having received holy Communion, evidently with the intention of leaving. The saint immediately ordered two acolytes to accompany him with lighted candles. The man, astounded at this action, inquired of St. Philip what was the purpose of this ceremony, and the latter answered with grave courtesy: “When a priest carries the Blessed Sacrament in a ciborium he is invariably accompanied by two boys with lighted candles, and it seems to me that a similar honor ought to be paid to him who bears the holy Eucharist in his heart.” Thereupon, the man, greatly ashamed, knelt down to offer the acts of adoration and thanksgiving, which were his due.

After Communion, the priest invites us to pray, a prayer that gives thanks to God for what we have received in this Eucharist. We answer this prayer with an “amen.”

Final Blessing
At the beginning of the Mass we blessed ourselves. Throughout the Mass we blessed ourselves. We bless ourselves coming into the church, as we genuflect or bow toward the tabernacle, at the beginning of the Mass and after receiving Communion. Now we receive a blessing. How should we receive a blessing? We should bow our head slightly in a posture of receptivity, and listen the prayer that being prayed for us and make the sign of the cross slowly, reverently and deliberately.

Go In Peace
The Lord has come into our lives, and in the same way that the Lord sent out his disciples; he is sending us out, too. The Mass receives its name from the concluding statement of the priest or deacon: “ Ite Missa est” a Latin phrase that literally means “Go, all of you, she (the Church) is sent.” The fact that the Mass takes its name from this final act of the celebration points to the purpose of it. We are being sent on a mission.

Our Lord does not send us out into the world as orphans, but equips us for the journey. He has formed us by teaching us through his word, which we have heard proclaimed, and he has fed us with his very presence for our missionary activity.

The Closing Procession
At the end of the Mass the priest will go to the altar again, and kiss it. After this he is joined by the other ministers in front of the altar, and after a brief moment they all bow toward the altar. While this is happening the congregation may sing a final hymn that usually gives expression to the fact that we—now renewed—are being sent back into the world.