Spiritual Communion: What is it and what is it for?

The Spiritual Communion becomes a way of being able to accept the Lord Jesus as the only and sufficient Savior, in a physical way. In the following article we will know everything about what this consists of and much more.

spiritual communion

When it is not possible for one reason or another to receive Christ in a sacramental way, or at any moment in which the person ardently desires to receive Jesus, he can be received in a spiritual way, pronouncing the following prayer with great fervor, always showing Jesus the great desire in a sincere way to be with Him.

With spiritual communion, the Lord Jesus is going to give us the graces that we need at that very moment to become faithful to our mission of being witnesses of what God’s love is before all men.

«I believe, oh my beloved Lord, that you are truly present in the Blessed Sacrament of the altar. For what I love you above all things and truly with all my heart I ardently desire to receive you within my soul; however, not being able to do it now in a sacramental way, please come at least spiritually into my heart oh lord».

Spiritual Communion Prayer

Oh my beloved Lord Jesus, that you are truly real and that you are in Heaven and in the Blessed Sacrament of the altar. So on this day I tell you that I love you above all things and that I strongly desire to receive you within my soul, but not being able to do so now in a sacramental way, come at least spiritually within my heart.

And as if I had already received you, at this moment, oh beloved Lord, I embrace you and I also fully join you. Lord, please don’t ever let me get away from You. Amen.

What is Spiritual Communion?

Spiritual Communion comes to try, as its name indicates, in a person communion spiritually, in getting to receive Holy Communion not physically, that is, not in the mouth, but only in the soul. It should be clarified that it does not replace what is the Sacramental Communion, this means, the physical communion of the Consecrated Host. Spiritual Communion becomes simply a beautiful devotion.

Who can make the Spiritual Communion?

Unlike the Sacramental Communion, which can only be received by Catholics who are baptized properly prepared, any kind of person, even if they are not Catholic, can make a kind of Spiritual Communion.

How to make the Spiritual Communion?

The first thing is to have a great love for the Lord and also a great desire to be able to receive him, and, always knowing that it is not possible at the moment of receiving him physically, to prepare to have to receive him spiritually.

The second becomes that the person asks the Lord Jesus to come into his heart. He may even ask for it in his own words, or he may even use a beautiful and well-known prayer, which came to be written by Saint Alphonsus Maria Liguori, which has been used over the course of many centuries with the same intention.

When to make the Spiritual Communion?

It can always be done. Unlike what is the physical Communion, which can only be received once a day, maximum 2 and in the second, for certain reasons that were justified and only in the Mass, the spiritual Communion can be made in various occasions in the day.

There are people who usually get to do it in the morning when they wake up and at night before going to bed; There are people who are used to going to Mass during the course of the week and if one day they cannot go, they make the spiritual Communion.

There are some people who do it when they watch Mass on television, which does not replace the obligation to go and attend Mass, however, it is a type of resource that allows the elderly and also the sick who cannot get out, feel in a certain way spiritually united to those who come to participate in the Mass, listen to the Readings of the word, join in spiritual prayers , and also get to make spiritual Communion .

And, of course, there are people who attend Mass on Sundays and for some reason cannot get to receive communion physically, so they resort to what is spiritual Communion, also praying to receive communion spiritually.

Where to make the Spiritual Communion?

The Spiritual Communion is not only what can be done in the church, but also at home or in any place where you can find someone who wants to do it.

Why do the Spiritual Communion?

Because you cannot physically receive Communion. And why can’t you? There are different types of reasons, for example, not having kept the Eucharistic fast for one hour without eating or drinking anything before being able to receive communion; or of being aware of sin in a serious way and not having confessed; or of being in an irregular situation; or not yet having made the First Communion, or not being a Catholic person, etc.

Why do the Spiritual Communion?

It becomes a way of being able to show the Lord Jesus that if they do not receive him physically it is because they cannot, not because they do not want to. With the Spiritual Communion, we express to the Lord the great love that we have for him, that they so much want to receive him in his heart, and that we come to adore him, and that we come to recognize him as our only and sufficient God, Lord and Savior. So he must perform the Spiritual Prayers.