Making sure Jesus is always praised, adored, loved

At the end of the Divine Praises we pray:

“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 until the end of time.”

There are two ways we can honor this simple prayer: internally and externally.

Because we are human – composed of body and soul – we are to worship God both internally (in our heart, mind, and soul) and externally (in our body). That means that when we receive our Lord in Holy Communion, we are to do all we can to give God the greatest possible glory – to love Him as best we can.

During this Year of Parish Revival, let us strive to:

• Go to Confession. Sadly, many Catholics have forgotten the inseparable connection between the Sacrament of Confession and Holy Communion. So often we see long lines for Communion, but short lines for Confession.

• Be in the state of grace before receiving Holy Communion. This means that if we have committed any mortal sin(s), they must be confessed before receiving Holy Communion. Even if one has not committed any mortal sin, it is good to go to confession regularly. I often recommend going once a month.

• Come to Mass prepared. We must approach the sacrament with a proper disposition – making acts of faith, hope and love in God.

• Unite all our prayers and sacrifices to the perfect sacrifice of the Cross. After receiving Holy Communion, it is important to thank God for this most awesome gift, for there is no greater gift that God could give us then Himself!

• Dress properly for Mass. We have often heard the expression “wear your Sunday best.” It may seem trivial today, but it is actually quite important. At Mass, we are at the Foot of the Cross. We come to meet Jesus. On this side of heaven, there is no greater thing we can do than be at Mass.

Also, the Church allows for reception of Holy Communion in two different ways: on the tongue or in the hand. I know faithful Catholics who have great love and reverence for Our Lord and do so receiving in both ways. The Vatican Document Memorial Domini states two strong reasons for maintaining Communion on the tongue, not only because it is a long-standing tradition but also because it “expresses the faithful’s reverence for the Eucharist” and “removes the danger of profanation of the sacred species.”

As the Council of Trent tells us, every particle of the Sacred Host is truly the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of our Lord. Regardless of how a person chooses to receive our Lord in the Eucharist, on the tongue or in the hand, the most important thing is that we make sure our Lord is received with reverence.

Throughout the centuries, there have been many Eucharistic miracles (where the Host either bleeds or visibly becomes flesh). The science has always confirmed the same facts: heart tissue which has undergone extreme duress, of the same blood type, same male gender and lacking an earthly father’s DNA.

Yet despite these miracles, most Catholics do not believe in the Real Presence. This is remarkable given that the Church has always taught and will always teach that the Blessed Sacrament it is truly the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus – for it is the “source and summit of the Christian faith.”

Given these truths, our thought, both individually and collectively, should always be: How can we make sure that Jesus is always praised, adored, and loved? If we commit ourselves to approaching the Eucharist both internally and externally, we may see a change in people’s belief in the Real Presence.

Father Gregory Zannetti serves as parochial vicar in St. James Parish, Basking Ridge. His column is the second in a monthly series that focuses on increasing devotion to the Eucharist during the Year of Parish Revival.