Spiritual Communion
A Pastoral Admonition: Part II
Spiritual Communion
As you already know, until the threat of this virus has subsided, we will not be able to gather together to celebrate Holy Communion. We are in this position owing to: (1) our duty to submit to the governmental authority of the land; (2) Christ’s mandate that we love our neighbor as ourselves (and thus not knowingly do anything to potentially contribute to the virus’ spread, and to people’s injury); (3) our duty to obey to our ecclesial authority (the bishop), who has directed us to abide by the first 2 items just mentioned.
Our Anglican tradition expects us to receive Holy Communion during Easter (that is during Eastertide, which is the 40-day season between Easter and Pentecost). It may or may not be possible for small groups to able to gather to receive Holy Communion (perhaps outside?) during Eastertide. At this time we are being asked not to travel out of our homes and we all need to do our part to stem the spread of this deadly disease.
When it comes to our worship services, and Holy Communion, Bishop Gillin has asked each Rector to decide for himself how to best serve his parish. Having spoken to a number of other Rectors in our diocese, I can tell you that each of us is trying his best to do what he believes to be for the good of his people – not only spiritually, but in terms of your physical health also. Because we love you, we do not want you to be put in harm’s way.
Along those lines – I want to offer you the comfort and assurance that is afforded us by the long standing tradition of “spiritual communion”, which is sometimes called “the sacrament of desire.”
Just like the early and undivided church taught that a believer who was being prepared for baptism, but who died before actually being baptized (in many instances because of martyrdom), was considered to be baptized “by desire” (or by their blood shed for the faith of Christ), so too the Church has long taught that the faithful who desire to receive Holy Communion, but who are unable to do so, actually join in the Holy Communion through faith and by their desire to receive it.
This is a teaching that emerged in response to such extreme cases as Christians who were imprisoned for long periods of time, or soldiers serving someplace where there were no priests, or even a very sick person who (on their deathbed perhaps) desires to receive Holy Communion but is unable to physically do so. In our own congregation, there are some who are unable to physically receive the elements due to extreme food allergies. Are they cut off from the spiritual benefits of the Holy Sacrament? By no means!
The teaching that we have received is that Christian men and women in every one of those circumstances is to be assured that, in their desire, they receive the same benefit as they would if they were physically receiving the Sacrament. This is a great comfort to us during these difficult days during which most of us will be unable to physically receive Holy Communion. I urge you to take comfort in “the sacrament of desire.”
The prayerbook speaks to this theology and practice (pg 323 of the 1928 edition and pg 515 of the REC version):
But if a man, either by reason of extremity of sickness, or for want of warning in due time to the Minister, or by any other just impediment, do not receive the Sacrament of Christ's Body and Blood, the Minister shall instruct him, that if he do truly repent him of his sins, and stedfastly believe that Jesus Christ hath suffered death upon the Cross for him, and shed his Blood for his redemption, earnestly remembering the benefits he hath thereby, and giving him hearty thanks therefore, he doth eat and drink the Body and Blood of our Saviour Christ profitably to his soul's health, although he do not receive the Sacrament with his mouth.
And the prayer book for the Armed Forces (1951) contains a liturgy for “spiritual communion” which culminates with this prayer:
In union, O Lord with the faithful at every altar of Thy Church, where the Holy Eucharist is now being celebrated, I desire to offer Thee praise and thanksgiving. I present to Thee my soul and body with the earnest wish that may always be united to Thee. And since I can not now receive Thee sacramentally, I beseech Thee to come spiritually into my heart. I unite myself to Thee, and embrace Thee with all the affections of my soul. Let nothing ever separate Thee from me. May I live and die in Thy love. Amen.
You might have noticed this second prayer in our bulletin this past Sunday. It is printed in the bulletin at the time in which we would normally be receiving Holy Communion together. We are going to continue to include this prayer until such time as are able to physically gather together again. I urge you to pray in this way, and to seek to receive Jesus into your heart through faith and desire.
Services will continue to be live streamed on the internet. I urge you to find ways to worship at home. Please “tune in” and join us in praying, singing, and in listening to God’s Word.
Prepare yourself to make your “spiritual communion” and treat this just as seriously as you would being able to physically receive the sacrament.
Fr. Patterson