Seeing that This Divine Sacrament Works Such Wonderful Effects, What Is the Reason Why Some Who Frequent It Do Not Experience Them in Themselves

SOMEONE will ask: Since this Most Holy Sacrament gives so much grace and works so many wonderful effects, what is the reason why many men who frequently say Mass and receive Holy Communion feel in their souls, I do not say merely nothing of that spiritual delight and sweetness of which we were speaking, but, to all appearance, they do not advance in virtue at all, but ever, as the phrase is, ‘stick in the same rut”? The usual answer with some is to quote the common proverb, that “familiarity breeds contempt.” They think that frequentation of Communion is the reason of its not being received with so much preparation and devotion as it might be, and not producing so much fruit. But they are wrong, for that proverb does not hold in spiritual things and dealing with God. Even in dealing with wise and prudent men they say it does not hold; on the contrary, much conversation and familiarity with them is productive of greater esteem and reverence; the more one associates with them, the more he knows their prudence and virtue and so esteems them the more. But granting that the saying holds as regards the wise men of the world—for, after all, in this wretched life none can be so perfect as not to have some faults, and they come out in the course of much dealing and familiarity with them, so that great familiarity there may be a cause of a falling off of good opinion and esteem—yet in familiar dealing with God that cannot have place. He is a Lord of such infinite perfection and wisdom, that the more one deals with Him and knows Him, the more one reverences Him, as we see in the holy angels and blessed spirits, who know God most perfectly in heaven and converse familiarly with Him; and the same also holds of our experience here on earth, since the more a man converses with God in prayer, the greater his reverence for Him and the idea that he has of Him.

Holy Writ shows us this clearly in the account of the Samaritan woman, who first treated Christ as one of the people: How canst thou, being a Jew, ask drink of me, who am a Samaritan woman? (John iv. 9). She calls Him by the common name of His nation; but a little further on in the conversation she calls Him “lord”: Lord, give me this water. And still a little further, she calls Him a prophet: I see that thou art a prophet. And still further, she recognizes Him for Christ and Messiah. It is the same way in the frequentation of the sacraments; one Communion disposes us for another. It is a great mistake to suppose that by staying away time after time from the reception of this Most Holy Sacrament one will approach it with greater preparation and reverence. So St. Augustine and St. Ambrose said very well that he who does not deserve to receive every day, does not deserve to receive once a year— Qui non meretur quotidie accipere, non meretur post annum accipere.

To meet the question, then, I say in the first place that our not experiencing so much profit from the frequentation of this Most Holy Sacrament comes sometimes from our own fault, in that we do not prepare and dispose ourselves for its reception as we ought, but we approach it by way of custom and ceremonial observance, as though we were to say: “I go to Communion because others go, and such is my custom.” We approach, as I say, by way of ceremony, without previous consideration or realization of what we are going to do; that is why we find little profit in it. Therefore when one feels in himself no growth or improvement from the frequentation of this Holy Sacrament, he should look and examine carefully if it be not for want of preparation; and if he finds it so, he should contrive a remedy.

At other times this is apt to happen in consequence of our falling with advertence into venial sins. There are two sorts of venial sins: the one committed by inadvertence, although with some carelessness and negligence; the other committed with advertence and of set purpose. Venial sins, inasmuch as for want of advertence they befall Godfearing persons who are diligent in His service, do not do this harm; but those that are committed deliberately, on purpose and advisedly, by people slack and remiss in the service of God, do hinder in great measure the divine effects of this Most Holy Sacrament. And the same we may say of faults committed deliberately and of set purpose by a religious in the observance of his rules and institute. As a father will show his son a severe countenance after he has committed some fault, thereby to rebuke and admonish him to be more careful in future, so God is wont to deal with us at Communion and meditation. If, then, we wish to share in the abundant fruits which they enjoy who approach this Divine Sacrament as they ought, we must contrive not to commit such faults deliberately and of set purpose. Let conscientious persons take great note of this, for it is a precaution of great importance if we wish to receive great favors from God.

In the third place, I say that our not experiencing in this Divine Sacrament the effects that we have mentioned, comes often not of any fault of ours; not on that account do we fail to receive great fruit in our souls, though we think we feel none. We are wont to say the same of meditation, in which many are apt to make the same complaint of not experiencing therein the relish and consolation that they could wish and which perchance they were wont to feel in former times; not on that account does their meditation fail to be very profitable. The food given to an invalid, though he has no appetite for it, does not for that fail to sustain and benefit him. These are things that belong to the high providence of God, He being wont in this way to prove His servants, to exercise and humble them, and draw thence other good things known to Himself. Besides, this Sacrament sometimes works so secretly that man can hardly notice it. The work of grace is commonly like that of nature, little by little, as with a plant, that grows unseen, and then we see that it has grown. So St. Lawrence Justinian says that, as bodily food sustains a man and makes him grow without our noticing it, in like manner this Divine Sacrament comforts and strengthens the soul by an increase of grace, unperceived by us.

In the fourth place, I say that it counts for progress not only to go forward, but also not to fall and go back. The medicine that acts as a preservative against sickness is not less valuable than that which improves health. Let this be well observed, for it is matter of great consolation for those who do not see in themselves any palpable fruit of this Sacrament. We commonly see that those who frequently receive this divine food live in the fear of God, and the whole year goes by with them, and in many cases their whole life, without their committing mortal sin. Now this is one of the chief fruits and effects of this Sacrament, to preserve the communicant from falling into sins, as it is the effect of food to preserve the bodily life. The Council of Trent well observes the same, calling it “a remedy and medicine which rids us of our daily faults and preserves us from mortal sins’ —antidotum, quo liberamur a culpis quotidianis et a peccatis mortalibus praeservamur. And though a man does not feel in himself that fervor and devotion, nor all that abundant satisfaction and consolation, nor experience after Communion that vigor and alacrity for good works which others are wont to feel, but rather dryness and lukewarmness, not on that account does he fail to receive fruit. And if while he goes to Communion he falls into some faults, if he did not go to Communion he would fall into others and greater ones. Let us do honestly whatever is on our part to approach with the disposition and reverence that we have said, and without doubt great will be the profit which our soul will receive from the frequentation of this Divine Sacrament.

Tilman Bredenbach tells of a certain duke of Saxony named Wetterkind that, while he was an unbeliever, he was seized with a curiosity to see what went on in the Catholic realms of Charlemagne; and to do this more at his ease, he put on the habit of a pilgrim and went there. It was the time of Holy Week and Easter, when all the world went to Communion. He went about with attention, looking at everything; and amongst other things that he saw was this. When the priest was giving Communion to the people, he saw a very beautiful and shining Infant in every host; and he said that into the mouths of some who received, the Infant went with such alacrity and pleasure and good will, that it seemed that He Himself were going and bestirring Himself to come in; with others He seemed to come in very unwillingly and as it were perforce, turning away His head and hands and kicking with His feet, as though struggling not to enter into their mouths. This miracle led to the conversion to Christianity of this prince and all his people.

Another similar instance, which further illustrates what has gone before, is told of a secular priest at whose Mass a servant of God, who heard it, saw on the paten at the time of Communion, not the species of bread, but an Infant, turning away His face and like one protesting, resisting with hands and feet against being received. The servant of God saw this, not once, but several times. The priest One day in conversation with him went on to say that he did not know how it was, but every time he took the body of the Lord, he took it with extreme difficulty. Then the servant of God recounted to him what he had seen, and advised him to look to himself and amend. The priest took the advice very well, was contrite, and amended his life.

Then the same servant of God, hearing his Mass, saw the Infant as before, but at the time of Communion, with hands and feet joined, entering into the priest’s mouth very quickly.