frequent communion
, a special triduum for the purpose of exhorting the people to practise frequent communion. in
, advocated, and in many instances brought about, a return to frequent reception. the
9. finally, after the publication of this decree, all ecclesiastical writers are to cease from contentious controversy concerning the dispositions requisite for frequent and daily communion .
aye, but there’s the rub. all the historically significant spiritual writers who advocate frequent communion – one only has to think of the great st francis de sales in the late 16th and early 17th century – also stress the necessity for frequent confession and serious preparation .
5. that the practice of frequent and daily communion may be carried out with greater prudence and more fruitful merit, the confessor' s advice should be asked. confessors, however, must take care not to dissuade anyone from frequent or daily communion, provided he is found to be in a state of grace and approaches with a right intention .
of the congregation of the council
sacra tridentina synodus
( 20 dec. , 1905). (1 )
frequent and daily communion... should be open to all the
to adopt the practice of daily or frequent communion. by a singular favour, all confessors inscribed in this league are urged to exhort their penitents to receive daily, or almost daily, to obtain a plenary
, the ordinary daily food and drink of his hearers, would point, to the frequent and even daily reception of the sacrament. the
to go to confession every week, every fortnight, or every month; even less frequent recurrence will do. no definite interval is given .
113. translator’s note: see st. symeon of thessaloniki, de ordine sepulturae, ch. 360, concerning the good of frequent communion, especially its benefits at the hour of death (pg 155, 672b—673a) .
and sprinkler, and communion - card. it only remains to say that the form used in giving communion in private houses should be the usual one, the
which brings us back to the source and summit of any effort to catechise and re - evangelise: the eucharist. it is perhaps worth re - reading the words of the council of trent regarding the frequent reception of holy communion :
do you see, my beloved brother, how many wonderful charismata you receive if you frequently commune? do you see that with frequent communion the intellect is illumined, the mind is made to shine, and all of the powers of the soul are purified? if you also desire to kill the passions of the flesh, go to communion frequently and you will succeed. cyril of alexandria confirms this for us: “receive holy communion believing that it liberates us not only from death, but also from every illness. and this is because, when christ dwells within us through frequent communion, he pacifies and calms the fierce war of the flesh, ignites piety toward god, and deadens the passions. ” [ 100 ]
the eucharist is the very medicine that god designed for this transformation. our response should be one of humble submission to this invitation to commune with the very god who created us. holy communion is meant to be the very agent that changes us, making us whole. the holy mysteries give us life. frequent confession and communion are the means we have for change .
the congregation of the council (1587) forbade any general restriction, and ordered that no one should be repelled from the sacred banquet, even if he approached daily. in 1643, arnauld' s
frequent communion
appeared, in which he required, for worthy reception, severe
the frequent reception of our lord in the eucharist is a pious practice which should be widely recommended. for anybody aspiring to be a saint in the modern world it is nigh - on a necessity .
,
the holy communion
( dublin) part iii, chap. i ]. various reformers ,
many obtain a variety of virtues on their own, thinking that they can be saved by these without frequent communion, which is however fundamentally impossible. for they do not want to be obedient to the will of god and commune frequently, according to the norm of the church, when they come together at every festive liturgy .
expressed a wish
that at each mass the faithful who are present, should communicate
( sess. xxii, chap. vi). and the catechism of the council says :
let not the faithful deem it enough to receive the body of the lord once a year only; but let them judge that communion ought to be more frequent; but whether it be more expedient that it should be monthly, weekly, or daily, can be decided by no fixed universal rule
( pt. ii, c. iv, n. 58). as might be expected, the disciples of st. ignatius and st. philip carried on the work of advocating frequent communion. with the revival of this practice came the renewal of the discussion as to the advisability of daily communion. while all in theory admitted that daily reception was
thus the problems that are sometimes associated with frequent communion – laxity and irreverence – must be resolved not at the altar rails but in the confessional box. it is there that we should suitably prepare ourselves to receive jesus christ in the eucharist. as st paul warns the church of corinth: “for he that eats and drinks unworthily, eats and drinks damnation to himself. ”
1. frequent and daily communion, as a practice most earnestly desired by christ our lord and by the catholic church, should be open to all the faithful, of whatever rank and condition of life; so that no one who is in the state of grace, and who approaches the holy table with a right and devout intention (recta piaque mente) can be prohibited therefrom .
however, without the other virtues, one cannot acquire peace. and virtue cannot be achieved without keeping the commandments. and no commandment is perfected without love, and love is not renewed without divine communion. wherefore, without divine communion, we labor in vain .
1. the age of discretion, both for confession and for holy communion, is the time when a child begins to reason, that is about the seventh year, more or less. from that time on begins the obligation of fulfilling the precept of both confession and communion .
the
prayer for the diffusion of the pious custom of daily communion
, which was published and distributed on the last day of the congress .
this natural power to love god is strengthened, augmented, and perfected by the frequent communion of the body and blood of our lord. for this reason st. cyprian writes that, when the martyrs were preparing to go off to their martyrdoms, they first partook of the immaculate mysteries, and being thus strengthened by holy communion were set aflame with the love for god and went off to the stadium like lambs to the slaughter. and in return for the body and blood of christ which they received, they shed their own blood and gave their body over to various tortures .
, by our righteous god - bearing father nikodemos the hagiorite, trans. by fr. george dokos (thessaloniki, greece: 2006, uncut mountain press), pp. 104 - 122. the full subtitle of the book reads :
including a thorough explanation of the lord' s prayer, an apology for frequent communion, answers to objections and clarifications of misconceptions, and two appendices on the divine eucharist .
see also
on the other hand, there were not wanting men endowed with learning and piety who offered an easier approach to this practice, so salutary and so pleasing to god. they taught, with the authority of the fathers, that there is no precept of the church which prescribes more perfect dispositions in the case of daily than of weekly or monthly communion; while the fruits of daily communion will be far more abundant than those of communion received weekly or monthly .
7. frequent and daily communion is to be promoted especially in religious institutes of all kinds; with regard to which, however, the decree quemadmodum issued on december 17, 1890, by the sacred congregation of bishops and regulars, is to remain in force. it is to be promoted especially in ecclesiastical seminaries, where students are preparing for the service of the altar; as also in all christian establishments which in any way provide for the care of the young (ephebeis) .
the sick who desire to receive communion out of mere devotion were hitherto bound to receive it before tasting any food or drink. even those who had to fulfil their paschal
( tit. iv, c. iv) prescribes, in detail, all the ceremonies to be observed when communion is given to the sick. the manner of carrying the
4. the obligation of the precept of confession and communion which binds the child particularly affects those who have him in charge, namely, parents, confessor, teachers and the pastor. it belongs to the father, or the person taking his place, and to the confessor, according to the roman catechism, to admit a child to his first communion .
thus, without frequent communion we cannot be freed from the passions and ascend to the heights of dispassion; just as the israelites, if they had not eaten the passover in egypt, would not have been able to be freed. for “egypt” means an impassioned life, and if we do not frequently receive the precious body and blood of our lord (every day if it be possible), we will not be able to be freed from the noetic pharaonians (that is, the passions and the demons). according to cyril of alexandria ,
is there any other good thing, o christian, that you desire to have, which frequent communion cannot give you? do you desire to rejoice every day? do you wish to celebrate brilliant pascha whenever you like and to exult with unspeakable joy during this sorrowful life? run frequently to the mysteries and partake of them with the proper preparation and you will enjoy such things. for the true pascha and the true festival of the soul is christ, who is sacrificed in the mysteries as the apostle says, [ 106 ] and as the divine chrysostom likewise says :
3. the knowledge of religion which is required in a child in order to be properly prepared to receive first communion is such that he will understand according to his capacity those mysteries of faith which are necessary as a means of salvation (necessitate medii) and that he can distinguish between the bread of the eucharist and ordinary, material bread, and thus he may receive holy communion with a devotion becoming his years .
, and, with the spread of devotion to the sacred heart, it gradually became once more the rule. difficulty, however, was raised regarding daily communion. this practice, too, was warmly recommended by
2. a full and perfect knowledge of christian doctrine is not necessary either for first confession or for first communion. afterwards, however, the child will be obliged to learn gradually the entire catechism according to his ability .
the saintly pius anticipated the cultural tumult of the modern age and the necessity for survival of being close to jesus christ in the eucharist. hence he also lowered the age at which young people would make their first holy communion .
while confession and fulfilling one’s ascetical rule is able to forgive sins, divine communion is also necessary. one first removes the worms from a fetid wound, then cuts away the rotten skin, and finally applies ointment to it so that it may heal—for if it is left untreated, it reverts to its former condition—and the same is true in the case of sin. confession removes the worms, fulfilling one’s rule cuts away the dead skin, and divine communion heals it as an ointment. for if divine communion is not also applied, the poor sinner reverts to his former condition, “and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first” (mt. 12: 45) .
6. but since it is plain that by the frequent or daily reception of the holy eucharist union with christ is strengthened, the spiritual life more abundantly sustained, the soul more richly endowed with virtues, and the pledge of everlasting happiness more securely bestowed on the recipient, therefore, parish priests, confessors and preachers, according to the approved teaching of the roman catechism should exhort the faithful frequently and with great zeal to this devout and salutary practice .
the poison of jansenism, however, which, under the pretext of showing due honor and reverence to the eucharist, had infected the minds even of good men, was by no means a thing of the past. the question as to the dispositions for the proper and licit reception of holy communion survived the declarations of the holy see, and it was a fact that certain theologians of good repute were of the opinion that daily communion could be permitted to the faithful only rarely and subject to many conditions .
, nevertheless, produce a great effect in proportion as the dispositions of the recipient are better, therefore, one should take care that holy communion be preceded by careful preparation, and followed by an appropriate thanksgiving, according to each one' s strength, circumstances and duties .
for great lent occurs but once a year. but we celebrate pascha (that is, we receive communion) three times a week or even four. or, to say it better, as often as we like. for pascha does not consist of fasting, but of the offering and sacrifice which takes place during the daily gathering. and as testimony that this is true, listen to paul, who says: “christ our passover [ pascha ] is sacrificed for us” (1 cor. 5: 7)... . therefore, as often as you partake of communion with a pure conscience, you celebrate pascha; not when you fast, but when you partake of that sacrifice... . the catechumen never celebrates pascha, even though he may fast every year during lent, because he does not commune in the offering. so then, even the person who did not fast, if he approaches with a pure conscience, celebrates pascha, be it today, tomorrow, or any time he partakes of communion. for good and proper preparation for communion is not judged by lengths of time, but by a pure conscience. [ 107 ]
the abuses which we are condemning are due to the fact that they who distinguished one age of discretion for penance and another for the eucharist did so in error. the lateran council required one and the same age for reception of either sacrament when it imposed the one obligation of confession and communion .
the same is the teachings of st. antoninus, who wrote: “but when a child is capable of doing wrong, that is of committing a mortal sin, then he is bound by the precept of confession and consequently of communion. ” the council of trent also forces us to the same conclusion when it declares: “children who have not attained the use of reason are not by any necessity bound to sacramental communion of the eucharist. ” it assigns as the only reason the fact that they cannot commit sin: “they cannot at that age lose the grace of the sons of god already acquired. ”
after one receives communion, he thinks about the dread and heavenly mysteries of which he partook, and so he takes heed to himself so as not to dishonor that grace. he fears his thoughts [ logismoi ], shrinks away from them, and protects himself from them. he begins a more correct and virtuous life, and, as much as is possible, abstains from every evil. when he begins to think about the fact that he will be receiving communion again in just a few days, he doubles his efforts to watch over himself. he adds zeal to zeal, self - control to self - control, vigilance to vigilance, labors upon labors, and he struggles as much as possible. this is because he is pressed on two sides: on one side, because just a short while ago he received communion, and on the other, because he will receive again in just a short while .
no less worthy of condemnation is that practice which prevails in many places prohibiting from sacramental confession children who have not yet made their first holy communion, or of not giving them absolution. thus it happens that they, perhaps having fallen into serious sin, remain in that very dangerous state for a long time .
when a christian partakes of communion, who can comprehend the gifts and the charismata he receives? or how can our inept tongue enumerate them? for this reason, let us again bring forward one by one the sacred teachers of the church to tell us about these gifts, with their eloquent and god - inspired mouths .
infants, however, not only at the time of baptism, but also frequently thereafter were admitted to the sacred repast. in some churches it was the custom to give the eucharist to the children immediately after the clergy; in others, the small fragments which remained after the communion of the adults were given to the children .
but worse still is the practice in certain places which prohibits children who have not yet made their first communion from being fortified by the holy viaticum, even when they are in imminent danger of death; and thus, when they die they are buried with the rites due to infants and are deprived of the prayers of the church .
some, however, went over to the opposite view. they held that daily communion was prescribed by divine law and that no day should pass without communicating, and besides other practices not in accord with the approved usage of the church, they determined that the eucharist must be received even on good friday and in fact so administered it .
desires, not only of all who are stricken with a dangerous sickness and require strength to prepare them for the final struggle, but also of those who may wish to comply with the paschal precept and cannot do so in church, and, in fine, of everyone who hungers after this life - giving bread even from mere devotion. when communion is administered to
5. the pastor should announce and hold a general communion of the children once a year or more often, and he should on these occasions admit not only the first communicants but also others who have already approached the holy table with the above - mentioned consent of their parents or confessor. some days of instruction and preparation should be previously given to both classes of children .
therefore, the age of discretion for confession is the time when one can distinguish between right and wrong, that is, when one arrives at a certain use of reason, and so similarly, for holy communion is required the age when one can distinguish between the bread of the holy eucharist and ordinary bread - again the age at which a child attains the use of reason .
such is the injury caused by those who insist on extraordinary preparations for first communion, beyond what is reasonable; and they doubtless do not realize that such precautions proceed from the errors of the jansenists who contended that the most holy eucharist is a reward rather than a remedy for human frailty. the council of trent, indeed, teaches otherwise when it calls the eucharist, “an antidote whereby we may be freed from daily faults and be preserved from mortal sins. ” this doctrine was not long ago strongly emphasized by a decree of the sacred congregation of the council given on december 20, 1905. it declared that daily approach to communion is open to all, old and young, and two conditions only are required: the state of grace and a right intention .
the will of god in this respect was well understood by the first christians; and they daily hastened to this table of life and strength. they continued steadfastly in the teaching of the apostles and in the communion of the breaking of the bread. the holy fathers and writers of the church testify that this practice was continued into later ages and not without great increase of holiness and perfection .
wherefore, my beloved, if you desire to ignite in your heart divine eros and to acquire love for christ, and with this love to acquire all the rest of the virtues, go regularly to holy communion. for it is impossible that someone will not love christ, and be loved by christ, when he frequently partakes of his holy body and blood. this is something natural, as we shall see .
, provided (1) that they have been sick for a month; (2) that they have medical testimony as to their inability to fast; (3) that there is no certain hope of a speedy recovery; and (4) that only liquid food is taken. when these specified conditions are present communion may be given once or twice a week to those who live in houses where mass is celebrated daily, as in
the same divine cyril says in another place that, through communion, we are cleansed from every impurity of soul and receive eagerness and fervor to do good: “the precious blood of christ not only frees us from every corruption, but it also cleanses us from every impurity lying hidden within us, and it does not allow us to grow cold on account of sloth, but rather makes us fervent in the spirit. ” [ 97 ]
3. although it is especially fitting that those who receive communion frequently or daily should be free from venial sins, at least from such as are fully deliberate, and from any affection thereto, nevertheless, it is sufficient that they be free from mortal sin, with the purpose of never sinning in the future; and if they have this sincere purpose, it is impossible by that daily communicants should gradually free themselves even from venial sins, and from all affection thereto .
therefore, as many as fast for pascha, but do not commune, do not celebrate pascha, as the divine father just told us. and as many as are not prepared to receive the body and blood of our lord cannot truly celebrate sundays or the other feasts of the year, because they do not possess the cause and occasion for the feast, which is the most - sweet jesus christ, and they do not possess the spiritual joy that divine communion brings .
the council of trent, in no way condemning the ancient practice of administering the eucharist to children before they had attained the use of reason, confirmed the decree of the lateran council and declared anathema those who held otherwise: “if anyone denies that each and all christians of both sexes are bound, when they have attained the years of discretion, to receive communion every year at least at easter, in accordance with the precept of holy mother church, let him be anathema. ”
after careful deliberation on all these points, this sacred congregation of the discipline of the sacraments, in a general meeting held on july 15, 1910, in order to remove the above - mentioned abuses and to bring about that children even from their tender years may be united to jesus christ, may live his life, and obtain protection from all danger of corruption, has deemed it needful to prescribe the following rules which are to be observed everywhere for the first communion of children .
6. those who have charge of the children should zealously see to it that after their first communion these children frequently approach the holy table, even daily if possible, as jesus christ and mother church desire, and let this be done with a devotion becoming their age. they must also bear in mind that very grave duty which obliged them to have the children attend the public catechism classes; if this is not done, then they must supply religious instruction in some other way .
those who do not receive communion frequently suffer totally opposite things, because they are not sealed with the precious blood of our lord, as the same gregory the theologian says: “then the lamb is slain, and with the precious blood are sealed action and reason, that is, habit and mental activity, the sideposts of our doors. i mean, of course, by ‘doors, ’ the movements and notions of the intellect, which are opened and closed correctly through spiritual vision. ” [ 95 ]
father bless, i have heard that there are sins that are repented of in confession, but due to the nature of the sin, the church through the priest does not allow communion for a period of time. am i speaking correctly? if i am, then i have never understood this practice. i would think that after a serious sin that was repented of and then forgiven, that would be the time that one would need the healing and transforming power of the body and blood of christ the most .
8. in the case of religious institutes, whether of solemn or simple vows, in whose rules, or constitutions, or calendars, communion is assigned to certain fixed days, such regulations are to be considered as directive and not preceptive. the prescribed number of communions should be regarded as a minimum but not a limit to the devotion of the religious. therefore, access to the eucharistic table, whether it be rather frequently or daily, must always be freely open to them according to the norms above laid down in this decree .
so, my brother, because you do not know when death will come, whether today, or tomorrow, or this very hour, you must always be communed of the immaculate mysteries in order to be found ready. and if it is the will of god that you continue to live this present life, you will live a life, by the grace of holy communion, full of joy, full of peace, and full of love, accompanied by all of the other virtues. but, if it is the will of god that you die, on account of holy communion you will pass freely through the tollhouses of the demons that are found in the air, and you will dwell with inexpressible joy in the eternal mansions. [ 112 ] for since you are always united to our sweet jesus christ, the almighty king, you will live a blessed life here; and, when you die, the demons will flee from you like lightning and the angels will open the heavenly entrance for you and usher you in procession to the throne of the blessed trinity. [ 113 ]
from all this it is clear that the age of discretion for receiving holy communion is that at which the child knows the difference between the eucharistic bread and ordinary, material bread, and can therefore approach the altar with proper devotion. perfect knowledge of the things of faith, therefore, is not required, for an elementary knowledge suffices - some knowledge (aliqua cognitio); similarly full use of reason is not required, for a certain beginning of the use of reason, that is, some use of reason (aliqualis usus rationis) suffices .
the catholic church, bearing this in mind, took care even from the beginning to bring the little ones to christ through eucharistic communion, which was administered even to nursing infants. this, as was prescribed in almost all ancient ritual books, was done at baptism until the thirteenth century, and this custom prevailed in some places even later. it is still found in the greek and oriental churches. but to remove the danger that infants might eject the consecrated host, the custom obtained from the beginning of administering the eucharist to them under the species of wine only .
from this it is the mind of the council that children are held to communion by necessity and by precept when they are capable of losing grace by sin. the words of the roman synod, held under benedict xiii, are in agreement with this in teaching that the obligation to receive the eucharist begins, “after boys and girls attain the age of discretion, that is, at the age in which they can distinguish this sacramental food, which is none other than the true body of jesus christ, from common and ordinary bread; and that they know how to receive it with proper religious spirit. ”
when the most sacred body of christ is received and eaten in a proper manner, it becomes a weapon against those who war against us, it returns to god those who had left him, it strengthens the weak, it causes the healthy to be glad, it heals sicknesses, and it preserves health. through it we become meek and more willing to accept correction, more longsuffering in our pains, more fervent in our love, more detailed in our knowledge, more willing to do obedience, and keener in the workings of the charismata of the spirit. but all the opposite happens to those who do not receive communion in a proper manner. [ 94 ]
both the soul and the body of the christian receive great benefit from the divine mysteries—before he communes, when he communes, and after he communes. before one communes, he must perform the necessary preparation, namely, confess to his spiritual father, have contrition, amend his ways, have compunction, learn to watch over himself carefully, and keep himself from passionate thoughts (as much as possible) and from every evil. the more the christian practices self - control, prays, and keeps vigil, the more pious he becomes and the more he performs every other good work, contemplating what a fearful king he will receive inside of himself. this is even more true when he considers that he will receive grace from holy communion in proportion to his preparation. the more often someone prepares himself, the more benefit he receives. [ 93 ]
you must consider your senses as the door to a house. through the senses all images of things enter into the heart, and, through the senses, the innumerable multitude of lusts pour into it. the prophet joel calls the senses windows, saying: “they shall enter in at our windows like a thief” (jl. 2: 9), because these windows have not been marked with the precious blood of christ. moreover, the law commanded that, after the slaughter (of the lamb), the israelites were to smear the doorposts and the lintels of their houses with its blood, showing by this that the precious blood of christ protects our own earthly dwelling - place, which is to say, our body, and that the death brought about by the transgression is repelled through our enjoyment of the partaking of life (that is, of life - giving communion). further, through our sealing (with the blood of christ) we distance from ourselves the destroyer. [ 96 ]
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to whom it is administered, as to the dispositions with which it may be received, and as to the place and ceremonies of administration. in her anxious solicitude for the spiritual welfare of her children the
in their own houses who, though not dangerously ill, yet are so physically indisposed that they cannot without very grave inconvenience go to church to receive in the ordinary way. in the first place, then, the
in the matter is not, of course, purely personal, and hence it can be discharged vicariously. again he is bound, though not so strictly, to satisfy the reasonable desires of all sick
who are confined to their homes by infirmity of any kind and who wish to receive the blessed eucharist. the
wishes should be especially gratified on the occasion of a solemn festival or other celebration of the kind (tit. iv, cap. iv) .
of observing the natural fast from the previous midnight, as far at least as the sick are concerned. in accordance with the provisions of this new
, and once or twice a month to others not so placed. it is unnecessary to observe that the same dispositions of
and of administering it is accurately described. the consecrated species should be borne with all due
, reverence, and dignity, in solemn procession, with lights, and all the other customary formalities. this, however, is according to the general law of the
in virtue of which the sacred species may be carried privately and without any pomp or external ceremonial (second plen. counc. of balt. , n. 264), but it must always be enclosed in a silver box or
. other cases of exception are also recognized (ben. xiv ,
inter unigenas
). whilst carrying the
( cong. of rites, n. 2650). the sick chamber should be neatly and chastely arranged. near the bed there ought to be a table covered with a white cloth, with a crucifix, two candles, small vessel of clean water ,
rit. rom. , de com. inf. , tit. iv, cap. iv; catalani, commentarium in rit. rom. (rome, 1850), i; baruffaldi, rit. rom. com. inf. (florence, 1847); o' kane, notes on rubrics of rom. rit. (dublin, 1867); van der stappen, de adm. sacr. (mechlin, 1902); gasparri, tract. can. de euch. (freiburg, 1896), ii; gihr, l' eucharistic .
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council of basel - ferrara - florence, 1431 - 45 a. d .
the first general council of the vatican, 1869 - 70 a. d .
the pages of the gospel show clearly how special was that love for children which christ showed while he was on earth. it was his delight to be in their midst; he was wont to lay his hands on them; he embraced them; and he blessed them. at the same time he was not pleased when they would be driven away by the disciples, whom he rebuked gravely with these words: “let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for of such is the kingdom of god. ” it is clearly seen how highly he held their innocence and the open simplicity of their souls on that occasion when he called a little child to him and said to the disciples: “amen, i say to you, unless you turn and become like little children, you will not enter into the kingdom of heaven…. and whoever receives one such little child for my sake, receives me. ”
in accord with this decree of the lateran council, still in effect, the faithful are obliged, as soon as they arrive at the years of discretion, to receive the sacraments of penance and holy eucharist at least once a year .
moreover, the fact that in ancient times the remaining particles of the sacred species were even given to nursing infants seems to indicate that no extraordinary preparation should now be demanded of children who are in the happy state of innocence and purity of soul, and who, amidst so many dangers and seductions of the present time have a special need of this heavenly food .
the roman catechism adds this: “at what age children are to receive the holy mysteries no one can better judge than their father and the priest who is their confessor. for it is their duty to ascertain by questioning the children whether they have any understanding of this admirable sacrament and if they have any desire for it. ”
7. the custom of not admitting children to confession or of not giving them absolution when they have already attained the use of reason must be entirely abandoned. the ordinary shall see to it that this condition ceases absolutely, and he may, if necessary, use legal measures accordingly .
8. the practice of not administering the viaticum and extreme unction to children who have attained the use of reason, and of burying them with the rite used for infants is a most intolerable abuse. the ordinary should take very severe measures against those who do not give up the practice .
his holiness, pope pius x, in an audience granted on the seventh day of this month, approved all the above decisions of this sacred congregation, and ordered this decree to be published and promulgated .
he furthermore commanded that all the ordinaries make this decree known not only to the pastors and the clergy, but also to the people, and he wishes that it be read in the vernacular every year at the easter time. the ordinaries shall give an account of the observance of this decree together with other diocesan matters every five years .
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, as well as their bodies, stood in need of daily nourishment. in this article we shall deal with (i) the history of the frequency of
assembled
on a fixed day
( ep. x); and st. justin ,
on the day called sunday
(
( de orat. domin. , c. xviii in p. l. , iv, 531) ;
( in ps. cxviii, viii, 26, 28 in p. l. , xv, 1461, 1462); and the author of the
de sacramentis
( v, iv, 25; p. l. , xvi, 452) .
, and by those who lived at a distance from any church. on the other hand, we find that practice fell far short of precept, and that the
sums up the matter thus :
some receive the body and blood of the lord every day; others on certain days; in some places there is no day on which the sacrifice is not offered; in others on saturday and sunday only; in others on sunday alone
( ep. liv in p. l. , xxxiii, 200 sqq .). whether it was advisable for the
, especially those living in matrimony, to receive daily, was a question on which the fathers were not agreed .
, but he says :
of this i neither approve nor disapprove; let each abound in his own sense
( ep. xlviii in p. l. , xxii, 505  6; ep. lxxi in p. l. , xxii, 672) .
discusses the question at length, and comes to the conclusion, that there is much to be said on both sides (ep. liv in p. l. , xxxiii, 200 sqq .). good
, but after the break - up of his empire this custom came to an end .
, to receive at least once a year (c. omnis utriusque sexus). the
received rarely: st. louis six times a year, st. elizabeth only three times. the teaching of the great
, in iv sent. , dist. xii, punct. ii, a. 2, q. 2; see
,
enchiridion
, 10th ed. , n. 1148). in 1690, arnauld' s conditions were condemned. in spite of these decisions, the reception of
opinions, and this rigour lasted almost into our own day. the older and better tradition was, however, preserved by some writers and preachers, notably
, of whatever rank and condition of life; so that no one who is in the state of grace, and who approaches the holy table with a right and devout intention, can be lawfully hindered therefrom .
( 2 )
a right intention consists in this: that he who approaches the holy table should do so, not out of routine, or vainglory, or human respect, but for the purpose of pleasing
, or being more closely united with him by charity, and of seeking this divine remedy for his weaknesses and defects
. rule 3 declares that
it is sufficient that they (the daily communicants) be free from mortal sin, with the purpose of never sinning in future
, and rule 4 enjoins that
care is to be taken that
institutions of all kinds; and the last rule (9) forbids any further controversy on the subject .
to approach that divine sacrament. and i speak especially to you, my dear sons in the
, the greatest and most precious of all the possessions of our poor desolate humanity, may not be abandoned in a manner so insulting and so ungrateful .
the holy council of trent, having in view the ineffable riches of grace which are offered to the faithful who receive the most holy eucharist, makes the following declaration :
the holy council wishes indeed that at each mass the faithful who are present should communicate, not only in spiritual desire, but sacramentally, by the actual reception of the eucharist .
these words declare plainly enough the wish of the church that all christians should be daily nourished by this heavenly banquet and should derive therefrom more abundant fruit for their sanctification .
2. a right intention consists in this: that he who approaches the holy table should do so, not out of routine, or vain glory, or human respect, but that he wish to please god, to be more closely united with him by charity, and to have recourse to this divine remedy for his weakness and defects .
furthermore, in order that all religious of both sexes may clearly understand the prescriptions of this decree, the superior of each house will provide that it be read in community, in the vernacular, every year within the octave of the feast of corpus christi .
all this having been reported to his holiness, pope pius x, by the undersigned secretary of the sacred congregation in an audience held on december 17, 1905, his holiness ratified this decree, confirmed it and ordered its publication, anything to the contrary notwithstanding. he further ordered that it should be sent to all local ordinaries and regular prelates, to be communicated by them to their respective seminaries, parishes, religious institutes, and priests; and that in their report on the state of their dioceses or institutes they should inform the holy see concerning the execution of the prescriptions therein enacted .
follow the money. the movie fifty shades of grey grossed $ 76m in its opening weekend. that was in the united states alone. in 56 other countries, including the united kingdom, it also topped the box office charts. the film is produced by universal pictures. universal is owned by comcast, the largest broadcasting and cable company in the world by revenue. last year the firm’s chief executive, brian roberts, received a pay packet worth nearly $ 41m .
what’s the lesson? that for many big corporations the bottom line is the bottom line. nothing more. nothing else. as pope francis says in his robust critique of modern - day political economy, “unbridled capitalism” often promotes a “logic of profit at any cost” and “exploitation without looking at the person”. this is most obvious in the recent rise and rise of pornography, an “industry” that now grosses an estimated $ 97bn a year worldwide .
there was a time when a family could metaphorically and literally bolt the front door to shelter from such corrosive cultural crosswinds. no longer. thanks to smartphones, laptops and tablets, amoral big businesses can reach you and your family whenever and wherever they want. pursuing sanctity in modern society can, for many, be akin to keeping clean in a dustbin .
so where is our hope? as ever, our hope is in the lord. and where is the lord to be found? he is to be found in the eucharist. and when is he to be found there? every day if we are suitably disposed to receive him .
as cardinal timothy dolan of new york told the 2012 synod of bishops on new evangelisation: “the primary sacrament of the new evangelisation is the sacrament of penance. ” the straight - talking american prelate lamented the fact that while the second vatican council had “called for a renewal of the sacrament of penance”, what emerged “sadly, in many places, was the disappearance of the sacrament”. indeed, he recalled, the conclusion of the council in 1965 was followed by a series of demands for the “reform of structures, systems, institutions and people other than ourselves” – when, all along, the answer to the question “what’s wrong with the world today? ” is, as chesterton put it, “i am. ”
underlying all of this, of course, is the need for better catechesis. we can’t love what we don’t know. after several generations of seemingly fruitless lamentations, the firm evidence from across the western world is that the religious instruction of the young, and the not so young, is improving. the situation is not entirely without concern – witness the article by stan wocial on p4 – but now numerous examples can be found in scotland, ireland, the united states, canada, england, australia and elsewhere where dioceses are meeting this challenge with orthodoxy and imagination.
frequent communion is the roman catholic practice of receiving the eucharist frequently , as opposed to the usual medieval practice of receiving it once or a few times a year , by going to mass on sundays . pope pius x pushed for the practice of frequent communion , relaxing restrictions on reception for the sick and children . 
frequent communion is the roman catholic practice of receiving the eucharist frequently, as opposed to the usual medieval practice of receiving it once or a few times a year, by going to mass on sundays. pope pius x pushed for the practice of frequent communion, relaxing restrictions on reception for the sick and children.
frequent communion is the roman catholic practice of receiving the eucharist frequently, as opposed to the usual medieval practice of receiving it once or a few times a year, by going to mass on sundays. pope pius x pushed for the practice of frequent communion, relaxing restrictions on reception for the sick and children.