We read in scripture, “…because you are lukewarm, I will begin to vomit you out of my mouth.”  “…quia tepidus es, et nec frigidus, nec calidus, incipiam te evomere ex ore meo.”  (Ap. 3:16)

Some translations read, ‘spit’ rather than ‘vomit.’  This is neither accurate (evomere, vomit) nor helpful.  Spit is an act of the will; it can or it can not be done.  Vomit is really done against one’s will; the stomach must reject the food.  If the Blessed Lord vomits the lukewarm from His mystical body, it is because they are poisonous.  But there is time to change.  He says, “I will begin (incipiam) to vomit.”  The lukewarm can change and become hot for God and cold to sin; they can, if they want to, remain firmly in the body of Christ and not be cast out.

  To combat lukewarmness, St. Alphonsus Liguiri prescribes the remedy: first, desire perfection; then resolve to attain perfection; then meditate; and fourth, receive Holy Communion often… which is our topic today.

St. Alphonseu says, “no thing more pleases Jesus Christ than to receive Him often in the Blessed Sacrament.”  St. Teresa of Avila says, “There is no better help to perfection than frequent Communion.”

The Blessed Eucharist is Jesus Christ Himself– body, blood, soul, and divinity.  Receiving Holy Communion we receive the divine life; as He has said, “Unless you eat of My body you will have no life in you.” (Jn 6)  The more we eat this Food, the more Life we receive. 

St. Alphonsus records that Pope Innocent (1679), a proponent of frequent Communion, stated the holy fathers extolled and promoted the practice of daily Communion.  Why?  Because he recognized its numerous benefits.  The Council of Trent taught that Holy Communion frees us from everyday faults and preserves us against mortal ones; St. Bernard said It protects us against the two most violent passions of man, anger and lust; St. Thomas said It strengthens us against the suggestions of the devil; St. John Chrysostom said It inclines us towards virtue, strengthens us to practice virtue, and instills peace in those waging the warfare of perfection.    What grand benefits of Holy Communion!... not available at WalMart.  So greatly does Holy Communion advance our salvation that Ven. John of Avila says whoever deters a man from frequent Holy Communion does the work of the devils.

As a remote preparation to receiving Holy Communion well, St. Alphonsus says we must abstain from all deliberate faults; practice frequent mental prayer; mortify the senses and passions.

St. Francis de Sales says whoever has overcome most of his evil inclinations may receive Holy Communion every day; St. Thomas says one may receive daily if he knows this increases him in holy love. 

St. Alphonsus says the morning of receiving Holy Communion requires at least a half hour of mental prayer.   Also, he says that we should make a long thanksgiving.  St. Mary Magdalen says there is no better time to reap the harvest of sacramental graces given us in Holy Communion than the time after receiving.   St. Teresa tells us “waste no time in making a good thanksgiving after receiving Holy Communion for the Divine majesty will not pay badly for His lodging – if He is given a good reception.”

St. Alphonsus, however, tells of some fainthearted Catholics who excuse themselves from frequent Communion, saying, “I am not worthy.”  These must be told that the longer they go without Holy Communion, the more they make themselves more unworthy of It.   These will have less strength to combat sin.

Or they say, “In the past I led a bad life.”  St. Alphonsus reminds these, “do you not know that the sickest need the physician and the medicine the most?”

Holy Communion is both Divine doctor and Divine medicine.  St. Ambrose says, “I who am always sinning, must always have my medicine.”  Besides this, if we receive today and then plan on receiving again tomorrow, we will take better care not to offend God.

Another excuse is, “But… I have no fervor.”   St. Alphonsus tells these that sensible fervor is not needed to receive Communion which God sometimes denies his closest friends.  The needed fervor is the simple desire to belong to God and love Him more.  Jean de Gerson writes that those who deny themselves Holy Communion because they don’t feel devout enough are like those who stay away from fire because they don’t feel warm enough.

St. Alphonsus complained that many Catholics of his time did not receive Communion more often because they knew that if they did so they would have to abstain from worldly delights.  He writes, “these Catholics know that frequent Communion is opposed to the wish to show off, to vanity in dressing, to attachments to gluttony, to comforts, to amusing conversations; they know It calls for more prayer, more mortifications, more seclusion from worldly affairs… that is why they don’t receive more often.”

St. Alphonsus laments that these are better off abstaining from frequent Communion, “since they find themselves in a wretched state of tepidity and indifference. “  If we are called to a more perfect life, the same saint says, we must change for the sake of our eternal salvation.

But what of those who would receive daily Communion but can not for some good reason?  St. Alphonsus says these will benefit greatly by making frequent spiritual Communions.  The Council of Trent exhorts all the faithful to practice this devotion.  St. Thomas says spiritual Communion consists in the burning desire to receive Jesus Christ in the sacrament; the saints frequently practice this manner of devotion. 

To make a spiritual communion, St. Alphonsus gives us the prayer: “My Jesus, I believe that You are really present in the Most Holy Sacrament.  I love You I desire You; come into my soul.  I embrace You and I beg You that I never be separated from You again.”  Or more briefly, “My Jesus, come to me; I desire You, I embrace You; let us remain united forever.”

This spiritual Communion may be made several times a day… when we say our prayers, when we make a visit to the Blessed Sacrament, when the priest receives Communion at holy Mass; when we are driving to work…

The Dominican nun, Blessed Agatha of the cross said, “If my confessor had not told me of this method of communicating several times a day, I do not know how I would have survived.”

The fifth remedy to combat lukewarmness is prayer.  This will be the topic next time.