In his blog, Bishop Jan Hendriks speaks about the headline topic of the Synod of Bishops that was concluded this weekend. Rather than limiting the question to whether divorced and remarried Catholics should receive Communion, Bishop Hendriks identifies the greater problem of receiving without due preparation or even awareness. Communion, he says, has become a social event:
“In the media and the discussions outside the Synod much emphasis was given to divorced people who had remarried and the conditions under which they could perhaps receive Holy Communion. Beforehand, the Pope had already repeatedly stated that this was not the most important issue and certainly not the panacea for all problems. There is, however, a problem to such an extent that, certainly in our western society, everyone goes to receive Communion, without the necessary preparation: without faith in the Eucharist, without remorse over sins, without Confession, without the desire to follow Christ and live as honest Christians. Communion has become a social event and that is actually quite terrible, as the most substantial what the Church is about – salvation, the faith and the imitation of Jesus Christ – is being forgotten. And then it seems that only those who can’t receive Communion stand out, while there are so many others… But isn’t the real problem that a new awareness has to develop about what it means to be a disciple of Jesus?”
Harsh words they may seem at first glance, but also definitely true. The awareness of Who it is we receive as a matter of habit is severely lacking in many places. The reasons for that are myriad, and can not be limited to insufficient catechesis alone (although that certainly plays its part), I believe. The solution is also not overly straightforward to come by, but at the heart would lie not only an awareness of what Communion is, but also a faith in the truth of the Holy Eucharist. Faith is not in the first place taught by catechesis alone. Visible examples come first. If we don’t show our own faith, we can’t expect others to become interested in it.
If we truly understand Communion, and have faith in Him who comes down to us in the humblest way, it becomes less of a habit or social event, and more an act of worship. The question of who has a right to receive the Lord is besides the point: no one can exercise the right to receive. We do, however, have a duty to make sure that the holiest we have been given can take root in us. And that requires an effort on our part.
In Caelo et in Terra 