To receive Jesus in holy communion with reverence we ought to say a prayer. When we do this before receiving Jesus at Mass it opens our heart to receive him worthily. We must also be in a state of grace, which means we cannot take communion if we have sinned and have not been to confession. This will help us to grow in love and devotion to Jesus in the Eucharist. He is truly present to us in Holy Communion.
"For as often as you shall eat this bread, and drink the chalice, you shall shew the death of the Lord, until he come. Therefore whosoever shall eat this bread, or drink the chalice of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and of the blood of the Lord. But let a man prove himself: and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of the chalice. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh judgment to himself, not discerning the body of the Lord."
About the Real Presence of Jesus in Holy Communion
Jesus is truly present in the bread and wine at Mass.
He is not just a ‘symbol’ that we consume in memory of Him.
The gift of the Eucharist is a real, tangible sacrament that Jesus gives us. He gives us, literally, Himself.
This is how intimately God wants to be with his beloved. This is why Jesus calls Himself the bridegroom.
The opportunity to possess God in a most intimate and sacred way is an amazing awesome gift. For those who understand the gift of this sacred mystery, the act of taking holy communion becomes a most intimate and precious moment of prayer with Our Lord Jesus Christ.
For those that do not understand this gift, they miss out on the most precious gift that Christ has promised to those who love Him – Himself, body, blood, soul, and divinity. He promised to be with us always, even until the end of time. He comes to us under the species of bread and wine.
There have been many miracles over the centuries regarding the Blessed Sacrament of Our Lord. These miracles are given to us so that we may never lose faith in Jesus and his Real Presence in the Eucharist. Jesus feeds us, as often as we come to the altar to receive Him. This is what He meant in John chapter 6 when he explained how His body and blood would become our food for eternal life.
When you approach Him you must do so with reverence and love. If you do not have any love in your heart, then pray a proper prayer anyway and ask Him to put love in your heart for Him in the Holy Eucharist.
If you do not believe in His Real Presence, then just ask God for the faith to believe. He is a loving and merciful God. He will show you the truth of this mystery in a beautiful and intimate way. In John 14:13 Jesus said, “And whatsoever you shall ask the Father in my name, that will I do: that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”
A Prayer before Receiving Jesus in Holy Communion at Mass
by St. Thomas Aquinas
Almighty and ever-living God, I approach the sacrament of Your only-begotten Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ. I come sick to the doctor of life, unclean to the fountain of Mercy, blind to the radiance of eternal light, and poor and needy to the Lord of heaven and earth.
Lord, in Your great generosity, heal my sickness, wash away my defilement, enlighten my blindness, enrich my poverty, and clothe my nakedness. May I receive the bread of angels, the King of kings and Lord of lords, with humble reverence, with purity and faith, the repentance and love, and the determined purpose that will help to bring me to salvation. May I receive the sacrament of the Lord’s Body and Blood, and it’s reality and power.
King God, may I receive the Body of Your only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, born from the womb of the Virgin Mary, and so be received into His mystical body and numbered among His members.
And now as I am about to receive your beloved Son under the veil of this sacrament may I one day see Him face-to-face in glory, Who lives and reigns with You forever.
Amen.
Saints Speak about Receiving Jesus in Holy Communion
“If someone knows from experience that daily Communion increases fervor without lessening reverence, then let him go every day. But if someone finds that reverence is lessened and devotion not much increased, then let him sometimes abstain, so as to draw near afterwards with better dispositions.” St. Thomas Aquinas
“You come to me and unite Yourself intimately to me under the form of nourishment. Your Blood now runs in mine, Your Soul, Incarnate God, compenetrates mine, giving courage and support. What miracles! Who would have ever imagined such!” St. Maximilian Kolbe
“When you have received Him, stir up your heart to do Him homage; speak to Him about your spiritual life, gazing upon Him in your soul where He is present for your happiness; welcome Him as warmly as possible, and behave outwardly in such a way that your actions may give proof to all of His Presence.” St. Francis de Sales