As we conclude our Church liturgical year with this Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, we are reminded that God is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end of life, our world, and our Worship. We believe in One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church and follow her direction as she is His Body present in the world.
According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC), 1322-1323, 1409, The Eucharist is the very sacrifice of the Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus which he instituted to perpetuate the sacrifice of the cross throughout the ages until his return in glory. Thus, he entrusted to his Church this memorial of his death and Resurrection. It is a sign of unity, a bond of charity, a paschal banquet, in which Christ is consumed, the mind is filled with grace, and a pledge of future glory is given to us.
What does the Eucharist represent in the life of the Church? It is the source and summit of all Christian life. In the Eucharist, the sanctifying action of God in our regard and our worship of him reach their high point. It contains the whole spiritual good of the Church, Christ himself, our Pasch. Communion with divine life and the unity of the People of God are both expressed and effected by the Eucharist. Through the eucharistic celebration we are united already with the liturgy of heaven and we have a foretaste of eternal life. CCC, 1324-1327, 1407
As the Universal Church reminds us, two of the most important meanings and outcomes of the Eucharist are communion and unity. Sunday Mass follows what the liturgical documents have designed, both universal and regional. In the U.S., the primary document is the General Instruction of the Roman Missal. (GIRM)
Liturgical theology especially demands the expressive use of signs. The GIRM recognizes this, e.g., “Singing is the sign of the heart’s joy” (39), A common bodily posture “is a sign of the unity of the members of the Christian community gathered together for the Sacred Liturgy, for it expresses the intentions and spiritual attitude of the participants and also fosters them.” (42)
There are several judgments made by Church authority based on the importance of signs and meant to unify the celebration. Communion under both kinds is encouraged “because this clearer form of the sacramental sign offers a particular opportunity for understanding more deeply the mystery in which the faithful participate.” (14) “Holy Communion has a fuller sign when it takes place under both kinds. For in this form the sign of the Eucharistic banquet is more clearly evident and clear expression is given to the divine will by which the new and eternal Covenant is ratified in the Blood of the Lord, as also the connection between the Eucharistic banquet and the eschatological banquet in the Kingdom of the Father.” (281)
Keeping in mind the principles of unity and communion (in union with), the Bishops of the U.S. have stated “The norm for reception of Holy Communion in the dioceses of the United States is standing. Communicants should not be denied Holy Communion because they kneel. Rather, such instances should be addressed pastorally, by providing the faithful with proper catechesis on the reasons for this norm.
When receiving Holy Communion, the communicant bows his or her head before the Sacrament as a gesture of reverence and receives the Body of the Lord from the minister. The consecrated host may be received either on the tongue or in the hand, at the discretion of each communicant. When Holy Communion is received under both kinds, the sign of reverence is also made before receiving the Precious Blood.” (160)
The bishops added the request for all to stand when receiving Holy Communion as a way to encourage unity. That is also why they are consistent in their teaching about how to receive from the chalice. “If Communion of the Blood of Christ is carried out by communicants’ drinking from the chalice, each communicant, after receiving the Body of Christ, moves and stands facing the minister of the chalice. The minister says, Sanguis Christi (The Blood of Christ), the communicant responds, Amen, and the minister hands over the chalice, which the communicant raises to his or her mouth. Each communicant drinks a little from the chalice, hands it back to the minister, and then withdraws; the minister wipes the rim of the chalice with the purificator. (286) As an aside, it can be disruptive to the flow of communion when a communicant steps aside and makes the sign of the cross rather than moving away from the minister of Communion after receiving.
Rather than receiving the Eucharist for ourselves and according to our own personal piety, one could be reminded that it is in our unity with one another and with Holy Mother Church that we celebrate communion. The bonds of unity are above all charity, which "binds everything together in perfect harmony." Colossians 3:14
St. Paul encourages and reminds us: “The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? the bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? Because the loaf of bread is one, we, though many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf.” I Cor 10: 16-17
God Bless,
