Spiritual Communion
My Jesus, I believe that You are truly present in the Most Holy Sacrament. I love You above all things, and I desire to receive You into my soul. Since I cannot at this moment receive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as being already there and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You. Amen.
St. Alphonsus Liguori
What is Spiritual Communion?
Spiritual Communion is the heartfelt desire to receive Our Lord, even when we are unable because of circumstances beyond our control like the present Covid-19 pandemic. The desire to receive him through spiritual Communion is an act of love which prolongs our thanksgiving even when we are not in the Eucharistic presence of Our Lord. The wish to live constantly in his presence can be fuelled by acts of love and desire to be united with him and is a means of drawing more deeply from the life of the Holy Spirit dwelling within our souls in the state of grace. ‘The effects of a sacrament can be received by desire. Although in such a case the sacrament is not received physically... nevertheless, the actual reception of the sacrament itself brings with it fuller effect than receiving through desire alone.’ St. Thomas Aquinas.
Acts of Spiritual Communion
I wish, my 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. Come Lord Jesus.
Give me, good Lord, a longing to be with You...give me warmth, delight and quickness in thinking upon You. And give me Your grace to long for Your holy sacraments, and specially to rejoice in the presence of Your very blessed Body, Sweet Saviour Christ, in the Holy Sacrament of the altar.
St. Thomas More
Taken from ‘A Simple Prayer Book’ by the Catholic Truth Society.
