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Thanksgiving after Holy Communion

"All honor must be given to My Son in the Eucharist. Man must kneel. My Son's House is the House of God and a house of prayer, and it must not be turned into a meeting hall." - Our Lady, July 25, 1979

The great escape is on: "Marge, get the kids and let's go." They slip away swiftly from the crowd and journey home. Elsewhere, in the same locale, flocks of seeming captives flee the scene making a run at the great escape. Amongst this activity thunderous noise erupts from differing directions, drowning out the footsteps of the escapees. Only one Prisoner, one Hostage remains, all alone, the One who cannot escape. Who is this solitary figure Who remains among the fleeing masses? Once again this Wounded and Crucified of the Father is betrayed and by those who were thought to be His companions. St. John the Evangelist relates the words of Jesus, "He that eateth bread with me, shall lift up his heel against me." (John 13:17) "And when He had dipped the bread, He gave it to Judas..." (John 13: 26) "He therefore having received the morsel, went out immediately." (John 13:30)

On any given Sunday or weekday Mass, for that matter, one can witness the great escape, the mad dash for the doors right after Holy Communion and immediately after Mass. Many of those who remain fill the church with the sound of chitter and chatter, with topics ranging from ball games, to beauty parlors, to bacon and eggs. Only a few, a handful, remain lovingly focused on the presence of the hidden Jesus in the tabernacle and in their souls.

One can only ponder and wonder: Is this not God, Jesus, who really physically dwells, Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity in the Eucharist and now in the souls of the recipients? Do we really believe this? Did Judas believe this? Do we betray Our Lord when we make the great escape or is it just a case of bad manners, leaving our divine Guest abandoned, forgotten, after such a long trip from heaven? Or is it a bit of both?

Sound words of direction about proper Eucharistic thanksgiving comes from the Vatican, in her Instruction on the Worship of the Eucharist Mystery, given on May 25, 1967. This document asserts, "In order to remain more easily in this thanksgiving which is offered to God in an eminent way in the Mass, those who have been nourished by Holy Communion should be encouraged to remain for a while in prayer." Importantly, there is a key footnote in this Instruction that refers to that great encyclical, Mediator Dei, which states:

"When the Mass, which is subject to special rules of the Liturgy, is over, the person who has received Holy Communion is not thereby freed from his duty of thanksgiving; rather, it is most becoming that, when the Mass is finished, the person who has received the Eucharist should recollect himself, and in intimate union with the Divine Master hold loving and fruitful converse with Him. Hence they have departed from the straight way of truth, who adhering to the letter, rather than the sense, assert and teach that when Mass has ended, no such thanksgiving should be added..."²

The document continues: "...the very nature of the Sacrament demands that its reception should produce rich fruits of Christian sanctity. Admittedly the congregation has been officially dismissed, but each individual, since he is united with Christ, should not interrupt the hymn of praise in his own soul "always returning thanks for all in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to God the Father."³ Furthermore, Pope Pius XII goes on to say, "...who would dare to reprehend or find fault with the Church, because she advises her priests and faithful to converse with the Divine Redeemer for at least a short while after Holy Communion..."⁴ "...The Liturgy (Mass) demands that whoever has partaken of the Sacrifice of the altar, should return fitting thanks to God."⁵

"Why then, Venerable Brethren, should We not approve of those who, when they receive Holy Communion, remain on in closest familiarity with their Divine Redeemer even after the congregation has been officially dismissed." He goes on to quote the Imitation of Christ, "Remain on in secret and take delight in your God; for He is yours Whom the whole world cannot take away from you."⁶

The dear Pope and the Catholic Church is saying most definitely that we as Catholics are bound to make a thanksgiving after Holy Communion. After all, it is estimated by some theologians that Jesus remains truly and sacramentally within us for about 15 minutes. This 15-minute mark seems to be the very minimum a soul should spend with Our Lord after Holy Communion. As holy men like St. Alphonsus de Liguori assert, "Let us then remain, at least for half an hour, with Jesus Christ after Mass; or at least for a quarter. But, O God! a quarter of an hour is too little." (Dignity and Duties of the Priest, p. 228)

The beautiful Eucharistic devotee St. Mary Magdalene di Pazzi explained this doctrine splendidly, "The minutes that follow Communion are the most precious we have in our lives. They are the minutes best suited on our part for treating with God, and on His part for communicating His love to us."⁷

St. Philip Neri, who put comedy into practicality, once noticed a man who always left the church immediately after receiving Holy Communion. St. Philip decided for the glory and honor of God that this man needed to be taught a lesson. He called two acolytes and asked them to take two candlesticks with lighted tapers and follow him home. The servers obeyed, and onlookers in the street stared in wonder at such a unique sight. The man, noticing the youngsters, finally asked why they were following him. They said that St. Philip told them to do so. He therefore returned to the church and asked the saint what was the meaning of this unwanted escort. St. Philip replied: "It is to pay proper respect to Our Lord, whom you are carrying away with you. Since you neglect to adore Him, I sent the servers to supply your place." The man saw that he was at fault, and kneeling before the altar, made his thanksgiving most devoutly. Needless to say, he remained in prayerful thanksgiving for a quarter of an hour.⁸

Another saint who left many beautiful words of wisdom about thanksgiving after Holy Communion was St. Teresa of Avila. This wise saint and Doctor of the Church says that at this time, as no other, we "can so easily enrich our souls with virtues, or so rapidly advance to a high degree of perfection."⁹ Teresa declares, "For we know that, until the accidents of bread have been consumed by our natural heat (up to 15 minutes), the good Jesus is with us and we should come to Him. If, while He went about in the world, the sick were healed merely by touching His clothes, how can we doubt that He will work miracles when He is within us, if we have faith, or that He will give us what we ask of Him since He is in our house? His Majesty is not wont to offer us too little payment for His lodging if we treat Him well."¹⁰ Teresa encouraged her sisters back then, and may I say us today, to "delight to remain with Him at the hour after Communion. Remember that this is a very profitable hour for the soul; if you spend it in the company of good Jesus, you are doing Him a great service. Be very careful, then, daughters, not to lose it."¹¹

Additionally, St. Teresa gives us this great promise if we thank the Lord, "I tell you, and tell you again, for I should like to repeat it often, that if you practice this habit of staying with Him, not just once or twice, but whenever you communicate, and strive to keep your conscience clear so that you can often rejoice in this your Good, He will not, as I have said, come so much disguised as to be unable to make His presence known to you in many ways, according to the desire which you have of seeing Him. So great, indeed, may be your longing for Him that He will reveal Himself to you wholly."¹²

Such beautiful promises and glories await those who thank the hidden Jesus in their souls. They truly are "the most precious moments in our lives." Just think, at the time of receiving Holy Communion we are "physically united to the Incarnate Word"! Also, the three divine Persons are, "through Him and by Him, united to you, and They love you now as They love the Word-Made-Flesh, whose member you are. When you carry Jesus in your heart, you also bear the Father and the Holy Spirit with Him. Thus, Holy Communion is a foretaste of heaven."¹³

There is much to be gained from proper thanksgiving—heaven itself—but, on the other side of the coin, what is the lot of those who make the great escape? St. Teresa gives us this warning: "But if you take your thoughts elsewhere, and pay no more attention to Him than if you had not received Him, and care nothing for His being within you, how can He make Himself known to you?"¹⁴ Cardinal Corsi relates, "He reveals Himself to those who believe and show their love! Getting up after Mass just after receiving Him and talking to people as you go down the aisle is a great sacrilege!"¹⁵ As Catholics, we must not fail to realize this, for it is said, "To fail, without reasons, to make any preparation and especially any thanksgiving, would not be without taint of venial sin, at least in persons who realize their obligations. And it is the duty of the priest to instruct the people how to profit by moments which are so precious."¹⁶ And the priest himself is under obligation according to Canon 909 of the new Code of Canon Law to make thanksgiving to God upon completion of the Eucharistic Sacrifice. To top this off, Cardinal Corsi, paraphrasing St. Teresa, had these very direct words to say:

"Where is your faith?... How can you hear Him and what He has to say to you if you don't care to listen? How can you shut your bodily eyes and open the eyes of your soul when you are walking out of the Church talking to people as though He had gone back to heaven and were no longer there. Poor, poor Jesus!! What can He do?"¹⁷

And for those who like to consume donuts right after Communion, without a proper thanksgiving, Rev. James O'Kane in his classic book on rubrics tells us "that there is a certain irreverence in taking food while the consecrated species is still unaltered in the stomach." Most theologians have held that those eating right after Communion "cannot be excused of venial sin, unless there be some reasonable cause...."¹⁸

What a contrast of attitude as compared with the saints who thanked Our Lord and received great benefits for their thankfulness! Greats such as St. Francis of Assisi St. John of the Cross, St. Juliana Falconieri, St. Catherine, St. Paschal, St. Veronica, St. Joseph Cupertino, St. Gemma, and multitudes of others, often fell into many loving ecstasies immediately after Holy Communion. One saintly little 11-year-old, Blessed Imelda, had an extraordinarily blessed event happen on her first Communion day. Upon receiving, Imelda, her desires at last fulfilled, could not bear such joy in her mortal body and, with a heavenly smile, fell into a sweet sleep from which she was never to awake from again. "She had gone to Our Lord on the day and at the hour of her first Holy Communion. O happy death! O happy child!"¹⁹

These minutes following Holy Communion can and must be the most important in our lives, heavenly minutes, minutes in eternity. Jesus, true God and true Man, in the Eucharist: Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity, must be welcomed as our heavenly Guest with attention, reverence and love. By remaining with Jesus, especially during these "precious minutes," in true interior spirit, we become champions of the Eucharist, true sons and daughters of the Eucharist. Then these "precious minutes" will be the happiest and most beneficial minutes of our lives. St. Teresa sums it all up: "In many places He is neglected and ill-treated, but He suffers everything, and will continue to do so, if He finds but one single soul which will receive Him and love to have Him as its Guest. Let this soul be yours..."²⁰

"Hey Marge, get the kids, let us kneel down and give thanks to the Lord."

REFERENCES:

¹ Douay Rheims Bible, Tan Books and Publishers, Inc., 1971.² Mediator Dei, encyclical letter of Pope Pius XII, St. Paul Editions, Boston, Mass., November 20, 1947, #50.³ ibid., #50.⁴ ibid., #51.⁵ ibid.,#51.⁶ ibid., #51, 52.⁷ Manelli, Fr. Stefano, Jesus Our Eucharistic Love, (Constable: Servants of Jesus and Mary, 1973), p. 49.⁸ Spirago, Rev. Francis, Anecdotes and Examples Illustrating the Catholic Catechism, (New York: Benzinger Brothers, 1903), pp. 309, 310.⁹Chaignon, S.J., Rev. Peter, The Sacrifice of the Mass Worthily Celebrated, (New York: Benzinger Brothers, 1951), p. 195.¹⁰ Peers, E. Allison, The Complete Works of St. Teresa of Jesus, (London: Sheed and Ward, 1978), p. 147.¹¹ ibid., p. 149.¹²ibid., p. 150.¹³Lovaski, S.V.D., Fr. Lawrence, The Eucharist in Catholic Life, (Faribault: The Lakeside Press, 1926), p. 148.¹⁴ The Complete Works of St. Teresa of Jesus, p. 149.¹⁵ Christian Family Renewal Magazine. "Are You Reverent in Church?" by Cardinal Corsi, Summer 1994, p. 5.¹⁶ Durieux, Canon P., The Eucharist: Law and Practice, (Faribault: The Lakeside Press, 1926), p. 178.¹⁷ "Are You Reverent in Church?" by Cardinal Corsi, p. 5.¹⁸O'Kane, Rev. James, Sacrament of the Eucharist, p. 231.¹⁹Maery, Helen, Eucharistic Lilies, (New York: Benzinger Brothers, 1912), p. 49.²⁰ The Complete Works of St. Teresa of Jesus, p. 152.

"My Son is much grieved, My child, in the manner in which many come to Him in His House. They come with disrespect. They do not have love for Him in their hearts. My child, please, they lead themselves onto the road to satan. They must not accept My Son with sin in their hearts. Many do not go to Our representatives. They accept My Son with sin on their souls! Shout it, My child, from the roofs: you must honor the Eucharist!" - Our Lady, November 23, 1974

Directives from Heaven

D2 - The Holy Eucharist PDF
D3 - Communion in the Hand PDF
D146 - Honor the Eucharist, Part 1 PDF
D147 - Honor the Eucharist, Part 2 PDF
D228 - Consecrated Hands PDF

Articles

Bishop Laise speaks out against Communion in the hand
BishopLaise.htm

Modernist and Protestant revolutionaries were behind Communion in the hand
CommunionInTheHand.htm

Fr. John Hardon speaks out against Communion in the hand
Hardon.htm

VIDEO: Bishop Athanasius Schneider on Communion in the Hand
BishopSchneiderOnCommunionInTheHand.htm

Communion in the hand should be rejected
VonHildebrand.htm

Re-thinking Communion in the hand
cih.htm

More reasons for rejecting Communion in the hand
cih2.htm

Communion in the Hand: Documents and History (Bishop Juan Rodolfo Laise)
BishopLaiseBook.htm

The consecrated hands of a priest
ConsecratedHands.htm

Links

Pope Benedict discourages Communion in the hand
http://the-hermeneutic-of-continuity.blogspot.com/2008/05/pope-benedict-discourages-communion-in.html

Pope Benedict to Catholics: Kneel For Communion
http://newsblaze.com/story/20090801065749zzzz.nb/topstory.html

VIDEO: Pope continues to support Kneeling to receive Holy Communion
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3zHpo3gtN0

VIDEO: New Vatican protocol for receiving Communion at Papal Masses
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PeiE-lznSYE

Vatican official: Church should reconsider Communion in the hand
http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0800606.htm

Regarding Communion in the Hand, Fr. Greg Markey
http://hughofcluny.blogspot.com/2008/12/regarding-communion-in-hand.html

Receptivity Fitting For The Lord, Fr. Roger J. Landry
http://www.catholicity.com/commentary/landry/00663.html