Article IV: On Frequent Communion

1575. The pious mother Church, by strict precept, obliges only to Paschal Communion. "And yet let not the faithful have it as enough that they, obeying the authority of this decree, receive the Body of the Lord only once each year; but let them judge that Communion of the Eucharist is to be repeated more often. But whether it is more expedient to do this each month, or each week, or each day, a certain rule cannot be prescribed for all";¹⁰ but a varied NORM must be established according to the variety of persons. - But how one must proceed in this will be taught by the following:

1576. Principles. I. The frequency of Communion is so to be defined that provision is made both for the REVERENCE due to so great a Sacrament and for the UTILITY of the one receiving. The reason of the FIRST is that, on account of the excellence of the Sacrament, "it is required that the one receiving approach with great devotion and reverence...; but because many impediments of this devotion often occur in many human beings, because of indisposition of body or of soul, it is not useful for all men to approach this Sacrament daily, but as often as a man has found himself prepared for it."¹¹ Whence proposition 5, which said: "Frequent confession and Communion, even in those who live like Gentiles, is a mark of predestination," was deservedly condemned by Innocent XI. They ought rather to have said, St. Alphonsus observes,¹² "it is a mark of reprobation." The reason of the SECOND is that the Sacrament of the Eucharist was instituted primarily by Our Lord for the spiritual refreshment of souls; nor is there doubt that the most loving Redeemer wishes this food to be offered to all His sheep: to the well, that they may have life more abundantly; and to the languid, that they may recover.

Wherefore the TRIDENTINE SYNOD desires that Christ's faithful so live¹³ "that they can frequently receive that supersubstantial bread, and that it may truly be for them the life of the soul and the perpetual health of the mind." And this 23rd proposition of Baius was condemned by Alexander VIII: "Similarly, those are to be kept from Communion in whom the most pure love of God, free from every mixture, is not yet present."

1577. II. The richer the fruit that comes from Communion for the one receiving, the MORE FREQUENTLY it is to be conceded; and, to whatever degree the fruit decreases, to that degree the frequency is to be LESSENED, not so that Communion is altogether omitted, but so that preparation and devotion may increase. Concerning this matter Innocent XI speaks thus:¹⁴ "Frequent access to receiving the sacred nourishment is to be left to the judgment of confessors..., who, from purity of consciences, and from the fruit of frequency, and from progress toward piety, ought to prescribe to them, namely penitents, what they foresee will be profitable for their salvation." St. Thomas teaches the same,¹⁵ writing: "If someone knew by experience that from daily consumption the fervor of love was increased, and reverence was not diminished, such a one ought to communicate daily."

But one must beware lest, under the pretext of reverence, the Sacrament be deserted; for "although to abstain from Communion on some day is also a virtue, nevertheless, says Fr. Granada in his Treatise on Communion, it is the common opinion of the Doctors that it is better to approach Communion daily on account of love, than to abstain on account of reverence."¹⁶

1578. But it must be noticed that that richer FRUIT which is attended to in Communion is of a twofold kind, so namely that it is found either in hope, or in act. 1. It is found in hope with respect to that communicating person who is held by a true and right desire of Communion, and who therefore receives it not that he may be seen by men, but that he may profit in the love of God and in union with Christ. 2. But it is found in act with respect to that one who shines with great purity of conscience, who advances continually in piety and in charity, who strongly resists temptations, and who always has a will prompt to execute the divine commands.

Whence St. Alphonsus:¹⁷ "It must be noted," he says, "that which St. Francis de Sales says in his Philothea: If they ask you why you communicate so frequently, answer them that two kinds of persons ought to communicate more often, namely the perfect and the imperfect: the perfect, that they may preserve themselves in perfection; the imperfect, that they may be able to arrive at perfection; the strong, lest they become weak; the weak, that they may become strong; the sick, that they may be cured; the well, lest they become sick. And as for you, as being imperfect, sick, weak, you need frequent Communion. - Tell them that those who are not entangled in worldly affairs ought to communicate more often, because they have opportunity; but those who are detained by such affairs, because they need Communion."

For the rest, as the Holy Doctor notices with St. Lawrence Justinian, it is not necessary that the soul feel, or openly discern in itself, an increase of fervor; since not rarely this Sacrament works without our noticing its operation. - Therefore it suffices for the confessor to detect in the depth of the will of his penitent a certain ALACRITY for executing whatever things have pleased God.¹⁸

1579. According to the preceding principles, St. Alphonsus establishes certain SPECIAL RULES, which it is now useful to explain.

Preliminary note. A threefold degree of frequency is distinguished: 1. weekly Communion, which ordinarily is received once in the week; 2. frequent Communion, which is received several times in the week; 3. daily Communion, which is customarily received daily, perhaps with one day removed. - Wherefore the three following rules are given:

RULE I. WEEKLY Communion is regularly to be conceded and counseled to all who are accustomed to avoid mortal sins. It is said 1. to all who are accustomed to avoid mortal sins, that is, who are solicitous about avoiding them, even if they place no care in acquiring greater perfection.

But if they sometimes fall into mortal sin, Communion is not on that account to be denied to them, provided they detest their sins and propose amendment of life for themselves. It is said 2. to be conceded and counseled; for on the one hand, more cannot be conceded to souls of this kind, St. Alphonsus bearing witness, who writes thus:¹⁹ "There is no doubt that it is an error, as Benedict XIV notices, to concede frequent Communion, that is, more than once in the week, to those who approach with an affection toward deliberate venial sins, without any desire of freeing themselves from them"; but neither, on the other hand, is less to be counseled to them, lest namely they fall into mortal sin. "There are many," says St. Alphonsus,²⁰ "who by communicating every eight days will remain free from mortal sin, but not by communicating every month." And elsewhere:²¹ "For those who lead a tepid life, so that at least they can preserve themselves in the grace of God, it is good that they consume the Body of Christ every Sunday, or at least twice in the month." It is said 3. regularly; for sometimes these also will be able to communicate during the week: for example when some special feast occurs, or if they were in danger of falling into mortal sin, so that thus they may receive strength to resist; but sometimes it will be expedient for those who are not placed in such danger to be interdicted from Communion for an entire week, that they may conceive a greater horror for their defects and greater reverence toward the Sacrament.²²

1580. RULE II. FREQUENT Communion can be permitted and advised to the faithful who are accustomed to avoid fully deliberate venial sins, and assume the means of attaining perfection. Behold, concerning this matter, the words of St. Alphonsus: "When a soul is now held by no affection toward a thing prohibited under venial sin, abstains from fully voluntary venial sins, and moreover applies itself to prayer and to mortification of the passions and senses, then the confessor can concede to it that it communicate three, four, indeed even five times in the week."²³ But the Holy Doctor notices:²⁴ "But if afterwards it is recognized that, notwithstanding frequency of Communion, the soul profits nothing in the way of perfection, nor amends itself from deliberate faults, although venial, as if it adhered even to pleasures of the senses in seeing, hearing, eating, dressing with some vanity: then certainly the use of Communion will by counsel have to be restricted, also so that it may begin seriously to think of its amendment, and to provide for its spiritual perfection."

And speaking of persons consecrated to God: "Indeed, I would permit frequent Communion only with difficulty," he says, "to that Nun who was not willing to amend herself concerning some defect, although not evidently sinful, yet certainly contrary to perfection, especially if it concerns a defect against humility or against obedience."¹

1581. RULE III. DAILY Communion is to be conceded to souls which, immune from affection toward any venial sin whatever, apply themselves much to the exercise of prayer and mortification, and are held by a great desire of Communion. - For these fulfill the condition which St. Thomas requires, writing: "If someone knew by experience that from daily consumption the fervor of love was increased, and reverence was not diminished, such a one ought to communicate daily." "Except, ordinarily speaking, one day in any week, as some prudent directors are accustomed to do; and except that time in which they may wish to deprive penitents of Communion, for testing their obedience or humility, or on account of some other just cause."² - Nevertheless, in Novenas of the Holy Spirit, of the Nativity of the Lord, and of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and of one's holy Patrons, such a person can communicate daily.³

And these things are confirmed by the Decree of Innocent XI, where it is had thus: "Nuns asking daily for Holy Communion are to be admonished that they communicate on the days determined by the Institute of their Order: but if any shine with purity of mind and have grown warm with fervor of spirit, so that they can seem worthy of more frequent or daily reception of the most holy Sacrament, let this be permitted to them by the Superiors."

It was requested: "Whether, and with whose license, Nuns ought to receive the Holy Eucharist, who wish to receive it beyond the days established by the Constitutions or by the custom of the monastery, so that on those days all the Nuns communicate?

And the S. C. CONC., April 14, 1725, responded: "With the license of the ordinary confessor, and not of Directors, with previous communication to the ordinary Prelate."⁴

1582. Admonitions. 1. Let the confessor not immediately concede frequent Communion in perpetuity, but, each time, only a certain number of Communions, until he has taken experience concerning the progress and fervor of the penitent. For many begin with fervor, who little by little fall away, and nevertheless withdraw with difficulty from the rule fixed for themselves.

2. Frequent Communion would be imprudently advised or conceded to persons otherwise disposed, who cannot approach it without some detriment to family affairs, the education of children, the care of the sick, etc. Yet prudent persons generally know how to join each, namely devotion and the duties of their state, so that these by no means harm each other.⁵

3. The fruit of Communion depends not on the disposition of those communicating alone, but also, and indeed very much, on THANKSGIVING. Hence St. Alphonsus admonishes the confessor thus:⁶ "Let him also take care to insinuate that each one remain after Communion in thanksgiving for that time for which he can. Very few are the directors who diligently do this...; and the reason is that very few are the priests who, after the Sacrifice of the Mass, remain with Jesus Christ in thanksgiving; and therefore they are ashamed to insinuate to others what they themselves do not do. - Thanksgiving ordinarily ought to last for a whole hour; let it be made at least for a half hour, in which the soul exercises itself in loving and asking" (cf. n. 1554, end, and n. 1555, q. 3).

4. Let the confessor also insinuate to penitents that they communicate SPIRITUALLY more often. For this is very useful to pious faithful and is commended by the holy Council of Trent, when it says that those communicate spiritually "who, eating in desire that heavenly bread set before them, by living faith which works through love, perceive its fruit and utility."⁷ (cf. n. 1563, question.)

St. Alphonsus proposes the METHOD of communicating spiritually thus: "Therefore elicit an act of FAITH, by which you firmly believe that Jesus Christ is present in the Sacrament; an act of LOVE, to which is joined contrition for your sins; then an act of DESIRE, by which you invite Jesus Christ to come into your soul, and to render it His own; finally give thanks to Him, as if you had already truly received Him."⁸