Requirement
for receiving Holy Communion
in the Catholic Church? In the inside cover of the
missalette the guidelines for the reception of communion are printed. For
the complete guidelines see that inside cover.
Part of what is written states that a Catholic, “who is conscious of grave
sin is not to receive the Body and Blood of the Lord without prior
sacramental confession except for a grave reason where there is no
opportunity for confession.” For non-Catholics it states: “Because
Catholics believe that the celebration of the Eucharist is a sign of the
reality of the oneness of faith, life and worship, members of those churches
with whom we are not yet fully united are ordinarily not admitted to Holy
Communion.”
We, as Catholics, have a slightly different view of what the gathering
signifies. For non-Catholic, the sharing in the meal is a remembrance of
the meal Jesus shared with his disciples, and so those churches invite all
to partake. Our Eucharistic meal is much more than a remembrance of the
Last Supper. In fact, the Eucharist is a celebration of the Paschal
Mystery, the death and resurrection of Jesus. The Last Supper is only a
small part of the gathering. The focus is actually on the sacrifice of
Jesus, who gave his body and blood for us through his death on the cross.
This sacrifice pleased God the Father, who then raised him from death to
life. Each time we receive the Eucharistic presence we share in the great
mystery of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Further, we believe the bread no
longer is bread and the wine is no longer wine. These elements are changed
into the very presence of God. To receive these is a wonderful blessing.
Catholics who are not married in the Church or who are living together out
of wedlock are not to receive the Eucharist. Catholics can choose to
receive the Eucharist in the hand or on the tongue, and those not able to
receive are encouraged to come forward in the procession for a blessing.
Those coming forward to receive a blessing ought to cross their arms across
their chest so that the priest or minister knows they simply are to be
blessed. |
