Communion is a sacred moment, and the following meditation invites us to reflect on the significance of Jesus’ sacrifice and our relationship with Christ. It was written by Blessed Honoratus Kozminski, a Polish Capuchin Franciscan priest. He founded numerous religious congregations, including the Sisters Servants of Mary Immaculate, who have served for many years at the Basilica of the national Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, DC.
How We Will Be Saved on the Last Day
This is the bread that came down from heaven, says the Lord Jesus, and he assures us that whoever eats him will not die forever. This means that whoever receives Jesus in this Sacrament of Love with dignity will not only maintain spiritual life on earth, but also their souls will never die but live forever.
Communion gives immortal life for the soul and body. It is therefore the pledge of the future resurrection and eternal life. There is no measure for the effectiveness of Holy Communion for our souls. Communion is for the spiritual world what is food for the natural world. As fleshy food renews our nature, so does the Divine Food, which renews and purifies our nature to make it consistent and joined with him.
The Lord Jesus will fortify your souls, he will cleanse them, he will slowly change them in him so that you may be perfectly one with him, that love may change you here in him.
The Lord Jesus, by connecting with the soul, gives it a spiritual life. That is why he said that he came to make souls live and that life would be more abundant. And he says the same words when he comes to souls in Holy Communion. Therefore, he instituted the Eucharist to keep this spiritual life in us, so that he could multiply it in us more and more.
He helps us grow more and more in God’s love, and in all Christian virtues. He helps us overcome ourselves for more and more frequent and perfect deeds.
Receive Holy Communion, put fire in your heart, which alone will do the work of conversion and your sanctification; warm up your cold hearts, and light them with love, and change the worldly man into a saint.
—Blessed Honoratus
A prayer for after Holy Communion – Anima Christi
