Of Frequent Communion.
It is said of Mithridates, King of Pontus, that, having invented a certain potion called by his name, Mithridate, he became so strengthened by the use of it that, when afterwards he sought to poison himself, in order to escape the servitude of the Romans, he could never succeed. In like manner, the Saviour instituted the most august Sacrament of the Eucharist, which truly contains His flesh and blood, that whoever eats of it may live for ever. Therefore, whoever often partakes of it with devotion so strengthens the health and life of his soul that it is almost impossible for him to be poisoned by any kind of evil affection. One cannot be nourished by this divine flesh and live in mortal affections; so that, just as men in the terrestrial Paradise could preserve themselves from bodily death by eating the fruit of the tree of life which God had planted there, so can they preserve themselves from spiritual death by making use of this Sacrament of life. Now, if the most tender fruits, and those most subject to decay, such as cherries, apricots, and strawberries, are easily preserved throughout the year when candied in sugar or honey, how wonderful is it that our hearts, weak and frail as they are, should escape the corruption of sin when penetrated by the virtue and incorruptibility of the flesh and blood of the Son of God? O Philothea! Christians who shall be damned will have nothing to answer when the just Judge shows them the wrong they did in allowing themselves to die spiritually, since it was so easy for them to sustain their health and life by feeding upon His body, which He left to them for this very purpose. Wretches! He will say to them, why are you dead, you who had at your disposal the fruit and source of life?
It is said of Mithridates, King of Pontus, that, having invented a certain potion called by his name, Mithridate, he became so strengthened by the use of it that, when afterwards he sought to poison himself, in order to escape the servitude of the Romans, he could never succeed. In like manner, the Saviour instituted the most august Sacrament of the Eucharist, which truly contains His flesh and blood, that whoever eats of it may live for ever. Therefore, whoever often partakes of it with devotion so strengthens the health and life of his soul that it is almost impossible for him to be poisoned by any kind of evil affection. One cannot be nourished by this divine flesh and live in mortal affections; so that, just as men in the terrestrial Paradise could preserve themselves from bodily death by eating the fruit of the tree of life which God had planted there, so can they preserve themselves from spiritual death by making use of this Sacrament of life. Now, if the most tender fruits, and those most subject to decay, such as cherries, apricots, and strawberries, are easily preserved throughout the year when candied in sugar or honey, how wonderful is it that our hearts, weak and frail as they are, should escape the corruption of sin when penetrated by the virtue and incorruptibility of the flesh and blood of the Son of God? O Philothea! Christians who shall be damned will have nothing to answer when the just Judge shows them the wrong they did in allowing themselves to die spiritually, since it was so easy for them to sustain their health and life by feeding upon His body, which He left to them for this very purpose. Wretches! He will say to them, why are you dead, you who had at your disposal the fruit and source of life?
To receive Communion every day is what I would neither praise nor blame. But to communicate every Sunday is what I approve, and what I counsel each one to do, provided that the soul have no affection for sin. Such are the very words of Saint Augustine, and with him I neither absolutely blame nor approve communicating every day; but on this point I refer each of the faithful to a director: for the dispositions required for so frequent a Communion must be so perfect that it is not good to give such counsel in a general way; and because these dispositions, though exacting, may be found in many good souls, it is not good either to dissuade everyone from it in general. This is a matter to be dealt with according to the inward state of each person in particular. It would be imprudent to counsel indiscriminately everyone to make such frequent use of the Eucharist; but it would likewise be imprudent to blame those who practise it, especially if in this they follow the advice of some worthy director. Saint Catherine of Siena gave a very fitting answer on this subject: when, to dissuade her from these frequent Communions, they objected that Saint Augustine neither blamed nor praised the practice of communicating every day: “Ah!” said she, “since Saint Augustine does not blame it, I beg you not to blame it either, and with that I shall be content.”
But, Philothea, you see that Saint Augustine strongly exhorts and counsels that we receive Communion every Sunday; do so, then, for as long as it is possible for you. If, as I suppose, you have no attachment of any kind to mortal sin, nor any attachment to venial sin, you are in the true disposition that Saint Augustine requires, and indeed in a still more excellent disposition, since you not only have no will to sin, but have not even an attachment to sin; so that, if your spiritual father thought it good, you might usefully receive Communion even more often than every Sunday.
There might nevertheless be several legitimate impediments, if not on your part, then at least on the part of those with whom you live, which might give your director occasion to reduce the number of your Communions. For example, if you are dependent on others, and those to whom you owe obedience or respect are so ill-instructed in their religion, or of so strange a disposition, that they become anxious and troubled at seeing you receive Communion so often, then, all things duly considered, it may perhaps be good to yield something to their infirmity, and to receive Communion only every fortnight; but this applies only if their resistance cannot absolutely be overcome. Otherwise, it would be difficult to settle this in any general way. You must do what your spiritual father says, although I can assure you that the longest interval between Communions for those who wish to serve God devoutly is one month.
There might nevertheless be several legitimate impediments, if not on your part, then at least on the part of those with whom you live, which might give your director occasion to reduce the number of your Communions. For example, if you are dependent on others, and those to whom you owe obedience or respect are so ill-instructed in their religion, or of so strange a disposition, that they become anxious and troubled at seeing you receive Communion so often, then, all things duly considered, it may perhaps be good to yield something to their infirmity, and to receive Communion only every fortnight; but this applies only if their resistance cannot absolutely be overcome. Otherwise, it would be difficult to settle this in any general way. You must do what your spiritual father says, although I can assure you that the longest interval between Communions for those who wish to serve God devoutly is one month.
If you are truly prudent, there will be neither father, nor mother, nor husband, nor wife to keep you from receiving Communion often. For, since on the day of your Communion you will not fail to give the care that is proper to your station; since you will be gentler and more gracious toward those who come near you; since you will refuse them no kind of duty; there is no likelihood that they will wish to turn you away from a practice that causes them no harm, unless they be of a wholly irksome and unreasonable disposition; in which case, as I have said, your director will gladly have you show forbearance.
As for married people, it is enough to tell them that under the old law it was displeasing to God for creditors to demand, on feast days, payment of what was owed them; but it was not wrong for the debtor to pay debts on those days if payment was demanded. In the same way, in the married state, to demand the marriage duty on the day of Communion is to fail in a holy propriety, although it is not a grave sin; but to perform this duty on those days if it is demanded is to conform to religion. It is therefore true that this obligation of marriage ought to deprive none of those who are moved by the desire to partake of Communion. Indeed, in the primitive Church, Christians did not refrain from receiving Communion every day, though they were married and had a great many children. That is why I said that frequent Communion causes no sort of inconvenience either to fathers, or to wives, or to husbands, provided the soul that receives Communion be prudent and discreet.
As for married people, it is enough to tell them that under the old law it was displeasing to God for creditors to demand, on feast days, payment of what was owed them; but it was not wrong for the debtor to pay debts on those days if payment was demanded. In the same way, in the married state, to demand the marriage duty on the day of Communion is to fail in a holy propriety, although it is not a grave sin; but to perform this duty on those days if it is demanded is to conform to religion. It is therefore true that this obligation of marriage ought to deprive none of those who are moved by the desire to partake of Communion. Indeed, in the primitive Church, Christians did not refrain from receiving Communion every day, though they were married and had a great many children. That is why I said that frequent Communion causes no sort of inconvenience either to fathers, or to wives, or to husbands, provided the soul that receives Communion be prudent and discreet.
As for bodily illnesses, there is none that is a legitimate impediment to this holy participation, except that which would frequently provoke vomiting.
Thus, to communicate every eight days, it is necessary to have neither mortal sin nor any attachment to venial sin, and, moreover, one must have a great desire for Communion. But to communicate every day, one must also have overcome most of one’s evil inclinations, and do so with the advice of one’s spiritual father.
Thus, to communicate every eight days, it is necessary to have neither mortal sin nor any attachment to venial sin, and, moreover, one must have a great desire for Communion. But to communicate every day, one must also have overcome most of one’s evil inclinations, and do so with the advice of one’s spiritual father.