I am confused. Just who can go to Communion and who can’t? 

Sincerely, 

Lotta Gaul

Let me start with a story. 

Long ago, in the days when Stalin ruled Russia with an iron hand, Christianity was practically against the law. A few government regulated churches were allowed so that Stalin could claim that there was religious freedom in the Soviet Union. Participation in non-approved religious groups could result in imprisonment and even death.

Some non-approved Christians gathered in a barn one Sunday morning to pray and worship God. In the middle of their meeting the barn doors swung open and two soldiers with rifles stood there. They said that they had been ordered to kill any Christians who were at the meeting. If any of them were not Christians, they had five minutes to leave. If they stayed, they would be shot. 

The seconds ticked by but not one of the congregation made any move to leave. From the youngest to the oldest, they stood and waited for death. 

After five minutes, the two soldiers threw down their weapons and fell to their knees, weeping. They said they wanted to be Christians, too. They just needed to find some real Christians to accept their profession of faith. 

So, if I receive Communion in a Catholic Church, it means that if someone comes into the Church waiving a gun, and saying that he is going to kill all of the Christians here, I would be one of the ones who stay.

The word sacrament means an oath to the death. Marriage is a sacrament in the Catholic Church.  A bride and groom say "til death do us part."  Not "til a better offer do us part." 

That’s a sacrament.

Communion is at least as solemn an oath if not more so.  Communion, if it’s possible to say this, is more than the reception of the body and blood of Jesus, who we believe is both God and man. To receive Communion is to say that, just as Jesus gave His flesh and blood for me, so I will give Him my flesh and blood. I will live for Him and if necessary die for Him.

Now the text book answer: 

Any baptized Catholic who is not conscious of serious (mortal) sin, who is not under the penalty of excommunication, (Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 1463) who has refrained from food or drink other than water for one hour before receiving Communion, and has prayerfully and thoughtfully prepared himself, (this also means that they have received their First Holy Communion after preparation by those with the competent authority) may receive Holy Communion. 

The big problems are we don't know what serious sin is and we don't even think about preparing for Communion.

As for sin, let me refer you to the Catechism's paragraphs 1854-1864 and 2083 to 2565. I haven’t time to go into it now, and it may seem like a lot of reading. It really isn't that much and there’s nothing on television anyway during the summer rerun season.  But preparation, well that’s another matter....

Preparation for our First Holy Communion is always expected, but most of us haven’t prepared for Communion since. It makes me crazy when people come up for Communion chewing gum, dressed inappropriately, or even seductively, staring around, looking bored. They return to their places looking just as bored, not realizing that they have the undivided attention of the King and Creator of the Universe.

I know the Scriptures say "worship the Lord in holy attire" (Psalm 96:9), but this doesn't mean ripped blue jeans. (For the humor impaired, this is a pun.)

Mass is the unbloody re-presentation of the sacrifice of Calvary. That means that I should dress and act as if I were going to get into a time machine and go back to the exact time and place of Jesus’ crucifixion. I need to spend time preparing, quietly praying and making myself ready to meet the Lord of heaven and earth. St. Paul says that if you take Communion unworthily and without properly discerning Christ’s real presence, that receiving Communion is not a blessing, but a CURSE!!! (1Cor. 11:27-30) 

By our lack of reverence, our lack of preparation and attention paid to the Body of the Lord in the Eucharist, we can actually harm ourselves. 

So, before I renew my covenant with Christ by means of an oath to the death signed in His blood, I sure better know what I'm doing.

Yours truly,

Rev. Know-It-All