Spiritual Communion: In Union with the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar

Act of Spiritual Communion

O my Jesus, I love You, I adore You, I hope in You, my God so good. I believe that You are truly present in the Most Holy Sacrament of the altar. Although I cannot now receive You sacramentally, I desire to receive you into my soul, and ask that You may at least come spiritually into my heart. Lord, keep me always in communion with You, and never permit me to be separated from You. Amen.

(Adapted from St. Alphonsus Liguori)

We can learn much about spiritual communion from the saints. One of the most memorable accounts of spiritual communion is documented by St. Josemaria Escriva, who, as a child, learned about spiritual communion from his mother's confessor, a Piarist priest. His version went like this:

"I wish, Lord, to receive you with the purity, humility and devotion with which your most holy Mother received you, with the spirit and fervour of the saints."

St. Thomas Aquinas described the practice of making acts of spiritual communion as "an ardent desire to receive Jesus in the most holy sacrament and lovingly embrace Him", noting that this was especially significant for times when we cannot receive the Eucharist sacramentally.

We can find other references to spiritual communion. The Catechism of the Council of Trent, during its 16th century programme of renewal, devoted a special section to the topic of spiritual communion. St. Pope John Paul II was also devoted to the practice, having written in his April 2003 encyclical, Ecclesia de Eucharistia, that the practice of spiritual communion "was a wonderful part of the Catholic life for centuries and recommended by saints, who were masters of the spiritual life".

Modern times call for a need for spiritual communion more than ever. With many "marriages" not recognised by the Church, and people, for whatever reason not being in full communion with the Church, or unable to get to Mass due to travelling work schedules etc., sacramental communion at Mass is getting to be less of a norm. However, in conversation with a priest from the U.S., he said it was important to stress that, as much as possible, even those who cannot receive sacramental communion should refrain from skipping Mass altogether, because there are still many spiritual graces from attending Mass that they could receive. Moreover, what they have to offer at the altar in terms of spiritual communion is still valuable to the spiritual good of the community.

Since spiritual communion requires no special instruction, but only the disposition to desire and turn to Jesus sincerely in one's heart, it is a practice that can be adopted by anyone. Many saints, who are considered masters of the spiritual life, adopted this practice. Other than St. Josemaria Escriva, St. Pio of Pietrelcina (more commonly known as Padre Pio), and St Alphonsus Liguori were also commonly known to have adopted the practice. St. Alphonsus' version is probably one of the most widely used versions (above), though there is no specified format by the Church.

As someone who wanted to become a Catholic for many years, but had to wait as I was a minor and my parents wouldn't agree, I discovered the practice of spiritual communion in my mid-teens. The version I initially came across was on EWTN (I think), on their website, and I adopted the practice several times daily, in ardent hope that one day, I may be able to receive sacramental communion. It brought about a lot of grace in my life, and helped me through some of the toughest times, while helping me to learn to trust God in all things. I still make acts of spiritual communion throughout my day, though I also go to (almost) daily Mass. I say "almost" because where I live, there isn't always Mass at certain times of the month or sometimes, I am unable to get to Mass (I'm referring to weekdays, because weekends are not an issue) due to various reasons. However, I use acts of spiritual communion to punctuate my day, to remind me of the love of God, and my mission to His people, daily. It also helps me to unite more closely and more fully to Him each day, as I grow in faith, hope and charity, on this journey of life.

So, I would recommend to all of you to try out this beautiful and wonderful practice of the Church. God bless you all.