Communion Rite: Holy Communion

We have reached the apex of the Mass for us, that of Holy Communion. Pope St. John Paul II described Holy Communion as the culmination of the Liturgy, an intimate union with our divine Bridegroom, Jesus, in the Eucharist. At this point in the Mass, we have almost completed the reenactment of the Last Supper. And now, it is time for us to partake of and enjoy the main course of the meal, the body and blood of Jesus Christ, our savior.

When the priest says, “Blessed are those who are called to the supper of the Lamb,” do you realize that we are receiving a wedding invitation? We are being called to participate in the marriage feast of Jesus and his Church. Think of yourself as the bride. When you walk down the aisle to receive Holy Communion, as a member of the Church, you are coming to be united to your bridegroom, Jesus.

But we are mere human beings – and sinful ones at that – so we recite a prayer that acknowledges our complete unworthiness to receive Jesus and, at the same time, expresses our confidence that He calls us and can heal us. We say, “Lord I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.”

The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains the presence of Christ in the Eucharist: “In the most blessed sacrament of the Eucharist, the body and blood together with the soul and divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ and, therefore, the whole Christ is truly, really, and substantially contained. The Eucharistic presence of Christ begins at the moment of the consecration and endures as long as the Eucharistic Species subsist. Christ is present whole and entire in each of the species and whole and entire in each of their parts, in such a way that the breaking of the bread does not divide Christ.”

After the distribution of the Eucharist, the priest cleanses the vessels and prays for the spiritual fruits of the Eucharist to take effect in our lives. Again, quoting from the Catechism, “There is no surer pledge or clear sign of this great hope in the new heavens and new earth in which righteousness dwells than the Eucharist. Every time this mystery is celebrated, the work of our redemption is carried on and we break the one bread that provides the medicine of immortality, antidote for death, and the food that makes us live forever in Jesus Christ.” What a wonderful and uplifting way to end the Mass going forth into the world with an assurance that salvation is within our reach.