The Benefits of Detachment

According to St. Alphonsus Ligouri, there are two ways in which we can prepare ourselves. First, he tells us we can do this by being detached from creatures and by driving from our heart everything that is not of God and for God. He emphasizes this point be telling a story from the life of St. Gertrude.

Sr. Gertrude asked our Lord what preparation he required of her for Holy Communion. He replied, “I only ask that you come empty of yourself to receive me.” What does this mean? It means that everything that captures our attention must be directly or indirectly related to God. If something becomes an end in itself, then it distracts us from God.

For example, television might not be outrightly evil, but it certainly can become a distraction. Today especially, TV has a great potential for instilling a worldly spirit within us. St. Alphonsus recognized that a worldly spirit, in general, is always assailing us. Even though the harried, preoccupied soul may be in a state of grace and, therefore, still be God’s friend, the heart can be so overtaken by a worldly spirit there is not room to grow in divine love. We need to detach ourselves from any worldly spirit that does not have a direct relationship with God. (See 1 John 3:7-10).

Jesus said, “For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be” (Mt 6:21, NAB). People who are centered on Christ are not worldly people. They do not dedicate most of their time to superficial reading or television, except to the extent that these things will, at least in some remote way, lead them closer to God. Shopping, making phone calls, and writing letters are all necessary and natural things to do, and there is nothing wrong with these activities. Yet, they can be elevated by the intention behind them. They can become spiritual and prayerful activities that bring us closer to God. How? By remembering that  communing with God prepares us for communion with God. By sharing our lives with God, we develop a yearning for deeper union with him.

In the course of your daily activities, try to imaging Jesus with his arm around your shoulder while you are washing dishes, setting the table, or answering the telephone. Imagine yourself united with Jesus as you perform these activities. Imagine these activities as an extension of that intimate union you experienced with Jesus during your last Holy Communion. Let the living presence of Jesus permeate and sanctify your daily life. By doing so, you will discover that the things of this world become less and less appealing. You will find that the spirit of the world is contaminating you less and less each day. You will find that the prayer of Jesus to his Father in heaven for his disciples at the Last Supper is answered by a change in your own life: “I do not ask that you to take them out of the world but that you keep them from the evil one. They do not belong to the world anymore than I belong to the world” (Jn 17:15-16, NAB).

The second recommendation St. Alphonsus makes for preparing ourselves to receive the Body and Blood of Jesus is to stir up “a great desire to receive Jesus Christ and his holy love,"  with a view of advancing in divine love. He points out that St. Francis de Sales once said, “The principal intention in receiving Communion should be to advance in the love of God.” He reminds us that only those who are famishing will receive their fill and that Jesus came into this world only after people had awaited his coming from many centuries. Therefore, we would not expect him to delight in entering our soul if we have no longing to receive him. In fact, he writes, “It is not becoming that such food should be given to someone who has a loathing for it.”

Yet, Jesus does have a great desire to come into our souls. St. Alphonsus quotes Jesus’ words to St. Matilda: “No bee flies with such impetuosity to flowers to suck their honey, as I fly to souls in Holy Communion, driven by the vehemence of my love.” It is only fitting that we should respond to Jesus’ own yearning by our desire to receive him and his divine love in the Eucharist!

We should take great care that we do not go to Communion as just another act within the ceremony of the Mass. We should see it as the tremendous privilege it is, rather than as an obligation. We should desire to receive Jesus with a view to loving him more and advancing in love of God. If fervent love is not present, then something is drastically missing. We should frequently ask ourselves whether the component of love is present in our relationship with Jesus, and most especially in the sacrament of love, the Holy Eucharist.

Looking again at St. Alphonsus’ words that “only those who are famishing will receive their fill at this sacred banquet,” let us be aware that the ones who are really satisfied, who feel enriched, and who experience healing in their lives are those who truly hunger and yearn for Jesus and not for healing in itself. Remember the blind man who called our, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me.” He did not call out, “Jesus come and heal my blindness,” First he acknowledged Jesus as the Messiah. First he sought the Healer. He sought the healing only after Jesus asked him, “What do you want?” We too have to seek the Healer before we seek the healing.

This can be difficult for many people. When people suffer, it is so easy for them to become preoccupied with the pain or with the urgency of the problem. As a result, they focus on the physical, emotional, or spiritual healing and forget about giving glory to God, We need to be sure that our priorities are right. Jesus was a man of great priorities: “Seek first the kingdom [of God] and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides” (Mt 6:33 NAB, emphasis added). We need to focus primarily on Jesus as a person in the Eucharist, and only then approach him with our own needs, such as healing.

This excerpt is from the book The Healing Power of the Eucharist, by John H. Hampsch, C.M.F., originally published by Servant Books, an imprint of St. Anthony Messenger Press. This and other of Fr. Hampsch's books and audio/visual materials can be purchased from Claretian Teaching Ministry, 20610 Manhattan Pl, #120, Torrance, CA 90501-1863. Phone 1-310-782-6408.