The love of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is burning passionately for every one of us! In all times, in all places, and in all circumstances, no matter how difficult and challenging they may be—the love of the Sacred Heart of Jesus beckons us to rest in Him.
From the very depths of the Sacred Heart of Jesus issues forth these most consoling words, words that offer us consolation, comfort, security and strength: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Mt. 11:28-30)
1. NO MASS OR SACRAMENTS; STILL GOD’S LOVE ENDURES FOREVER. Even though due to the Coronavirus these measures have been taken for security, God’s love is perennial. God’s love is eternal. God’s love has no limits. God desires ardently, now more than ever, to pour forth His super-abundant love into our hearts, if we desire this Gift. He invites us to come and we have only to heed and follow His most generous invitation.
2. A MOST EASY AND EFFICACIOUS CHANEL TO RECEIVE GOD’S LOVE. At this present moment in history, God so ardently yearns to pour forth His abundant love into our hearts, but how, just how is this possible right now??? The answer is very clear: SPIRITUAL COMMUNIONS!!!
WHAT? WHERE? WHEN? HOW? THE THANKSGIVING FOLLOWING? Therefore, let us make an attempt to be as clear and concise as possible to respond to the above questions: What is a Spiritual Communion? Where can we make one? When can the Spiritual Communion be made? Following, how can it be made? Finally, and this is all important, what are some of the spiritual effects that a Spiritual Communion produces in the person?
3. WHAT IS A SPIRITUAL COMMUNION? With the utmost simplicity, sincerity and concision: A Spiritual Communion is when a person has an ardent desire to unite his person with Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. An appropriate Biblical Passage will prove propitious: “As the deer yearns for running waters, so my soul longs for you, O Lord, my God.” (Ps. 42:1) We are that deer in the Biblical passage. It is a deer that has been deprived of water and once the thirsty animal encounters the running, cold, clear and limpid stream, it will drink to it’s heart’s delight, thereby satisfying it’s thirst.
Being temporarily deprived of the Sacramental reception of the Eucharist, the reception of Holy Communion, which is the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, we are warmly encouraged to make the Spiritual Communion. Let us imitate the deer that yearns for the running streams in our ardent longing, yearning, passionate desire to receive Jesus at least spiritually into the very depths of our heart and soul! He will come and not delay if we open the door of our heart to receive Him. The words from the Book of Apocalypse resonate in our minds and hearts: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. Whoever opens the door to me, I will sit down and dine with him and he with Me.” (Rev 3:20) Let us invite the Lord Jesus through the Spiritual Communion into very depths of our being right now!
4. WHERE CAN WE MAKE A SPIRITUAL COMMUNION? You do not have to be in Church, nor in the presence of the Most Blessed Sacrament to make a Spiritual Communion. Nor do you have to be in a room with an image of Jesus, Mary, the angels and the saints. Where then? Actually, anywhere in the universe. God is in all times, places and circumstances. So the Spiritual Communion can be made in any place that you find yourself.
5. WHEN CAN WE MAKE A SPIRITUAL COMMUNION? Following on the heels of Where can we make a Spiritual Communion is When can we make it? Both the when and the where have the same response, in any place and any time you can make your Spiritual Communion. Once the Church returns to the normal policy of Sunday as well as Weekday Masses, Canon Law allows for the reception of Holy Communion as often as twice a day. However, with respect to the making of the Spiritual Communion there are no limits. Actually, you can make as many Spiritual Communions in a day as you want, according to your heart’s desire. In a real sense, the more the better, but also the more fervent—the more efficacious in the communication of grace!
6. HOW IS THE SPIRITUAL COMMUNION MADE? Principally, the Spiritual Communion is made by the movement of the human heart and its ardent desire to love Jesus. That is to say, there are prayer formulae that can be used and are praised in their use. However, it must be emphasized: the most important aspect or element of making a Spiritual Communion is the ardent longing, yearning, and love that is burning in the heart of the individual to receive Jesus their Lord, God, Savior, Friend and Best of Lovers!
7. A SIMPLE MODEL PRAYER FOR SPIRITUAL COMMUNION. The following might serve as a very simple, short, and easy model for making a Spiritual Communion. However, others might be longer, more complete and much better. However, to reiterate the essence of the efficacy of the Spiritual Communion, the most important part is an ardent longing, desire and love to unite your heart, mind, and soul with Jesus, who loves you so much that He shed every drop of His Precious Blood on Calvary for the salvation of your immortal soul.
A MODEL FOR SPIRITUAL COMMUNION… “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, Son of Mary, my Best of Friends, I believe that you are truly and substantially present in the Blessed Sacrament in your Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. I cannot receive you now in the Eucharistic Sacrament. However, I humbly beg you to come into the very depths of my soul at least spiritually.” Then you should pause to invite Jesus into the essence of your person.
8. YOUR THANKSGIVING AFTER A SPIRITUAL COMMUNION. After you have prayed fervently this Spiritual Communion, then take time (this can be as long as you so desire) to render thanks to Jesus for having gently but efficaciously come to visit your soul.
9. SOME PRAYERS OF THANKSGIVING FOR A SPIRITUAL COMMUNION. Now the prayers of thanksgiving that you can offer to the Lord Jesus after making your Spiritual Communion are numerous, almost without limit. However, a model thanksgiving for a Spiritual Communion might be to simply follow the patterns and model the manners that are classically made for a Sacramental Communion. The following could prove to be useful:
1) The Anima Christi (Attributed to St. Ignatius of Loyola)
Soul of Christ, sanctify me;
Body of Christ, save me;
Blood of Christ, inebriate me;
Water from the side of Christ, wash me;
Passion of Christ, strengthen me;
O good Jesus, hear me;
Within Your wounds, hide me;
Suffer me not to be separated from You;
From the malignant enemy, defend me;
At the hour of my death, call me
And bid me come to You;
That with Your Saints I may praise You
Forever and ever. Amen.
2) The Prayer before the Crucifix (Found in classical First Communion Books)
Look down upon me, good and gentle Jesus
while before Your face I humbly kneel and,
with burning soul,
pray and beseech You
to fix deep in my heart lively sentiments
of faith, hope, and charity;
true contrition for my sins,
and a firm purpose of amendment.
While I contemplate,
with great love and tender pity,
Your five most precious wounds,
pondering over them within me
and calling to mind the words which David,
Your prophet, said to You, my Jesus:
“They have pierced My hands and My feet,
they have numbered all My bones.”
Amen.
3) The Divine Praises (Prayed after the Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament)
Blessed be God.
Blessed be His Holy Name.
Blessed be Jesus Christ, true God and true Man.
Blessed be the Name of Jesus.
Blessed be His Most Sacred Heart.
Blessed be His Most Precious Blood.
Blessed be Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar.
Blessed be the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete.
Blessed be the great Mother of God, Mary most Holy.
Blessed be her Holy and Immaculate Conception.
Blessed be her Glorious Assumption.
Blessed be the name of Mary, Virgin and Mother.
Blessed be St. Joseph, her most chaste spouse.
Blessed be God in His Angels and in His Saints. Amen.
May the Heart of Jesus, in the Most Blessed Sacrament, be praised, adored, and loved with grateful affection, at every moment, in all the tabernacles of the world, even to the end of time. Amen.
4) Hail Mary—to praise and thank the Lord Jesus through the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
5) Utilize the Acronym A.C.T.S.—the four principal ends or purpose of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. These will be explained one at a time.
- A= ADORATION: Adore Jesus in your heart; praise Him and worship Him.
- C= CONTRITION: Beg the Lord Jesus pardon and mercy for your sins and the sins of the whole world! “For the sake of His sorrowful passion have mercy on us and on the whole world.”
- T= THANKSGIVING. “Give thanks to the Lord for He is good; His mercy endures forever.” Pour out your heart in a total Attitude of Gratitude”. You have received so much from our bounteous, gracious and Loving God. Therefore, render Him abundant thanksgiving. God loves a joyful, generous and grateful heart. (By the way: Eucharist actually means Thanksgiving!)
- S= SUPPLICATION. By Supplication is meant asking, begging, imploring all the graces, the helps, that we need to live a peaceful and secure life and make it safe and sound to our Heavenly Home.
10. CAST ALL YOUR CARES…. Last and not least Saint Peter offers us excellent advice in our relationship with Jesus: “Cast all your cares (anxieties) upon Him because He cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7) This final prayer is of paramount importance: we should cast all of our fears, worries, anxieties upon the Lord when we make our Spiritual Communion for the simple reason that Jesus knows us; He cares for us as the apple of His eye; as His Beloved Child. He loves us to the extreme of shedding every drop of His Precious Blood on the cross for the eternal salvation of our immortal souls.
In conclusion, in a future article we will highlight the numerous spiritual effects that the Spiritual Communion produces in our person. However, we hope and pray that all will make it a frequent, fervent, fiery, fulfilling practice to make Spiritual Communions. Indeed, Jesus loves us, but He desires so ardently with a Fire that is burning Him to be loved passionately by you! How? The practice of the Spiritual Communion. Invite the Immaculate Heart of Mary into your heart to receive spiritually the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus!
