+Christmas (and Easter) Presence

I forgot to mention an almost amusing "problem" about all my thinking about and doing spiritual Communion:  I’ve gotten almost confused about the different kinds of presence going around. 🙂

It was so simple before… the Eucharist was (and still is) the Real Presence, the sacramental presence of Jesus’ Body and Blood, with His Soul and Divinity there "concomitantly".  Any other kind of presence was different in some way – if I thought it through at all (I didn’t, really), I figured it was a presence of Jesus through His Divine nature.

Spiritual Communion, now that I sit down and think about it, adds a darned confusing element to things, without in the least affecting my belief in it.  Before, I would’ve just lumped it under the category of "Other", as above.  But in looking up what St. Thomas has to say in the Summa, I found this stunning little gem:  "To desire this sacrament is not merely to feed spiritually on Christ, but to feed on this sacrament."

What exactly that *means*, I’m having trouble wrapping my mind around.  It’s a feeding on Christ’s Eucharistic Body and Blood… but spiritually.  I pretty much *know by experience* that this is true, but it’s definitely opaque thus far to my reason.  (I’ll also note that it sounds very similar to how some Protestant groups explain Communion, which gives me hope.)

Now, sitting in the Adoration chapel before the Lord and making a spiritual Communion can almost make me dizzy.  "OK, He’s over *there* as the Real Presence.  But He’s in me now as Communion.  Which is also the Real Presence, except it’s… a somewhat ‘less-real-Real Presence’?"  (St. Thomas says that, just as with Baptism, it’s always better and more graced to receive Communion in its sacramental fullness rather than by desire.  Of course, one can only receive sacramental Communion at most twice per day!)  I never had this ‘problem’ before, which amuses me rather than really bothering me – though it’ll be interesting to see what Fr. Gerald says about it.  Sometimes I tease Him, "Settle down!" 🙂

But this duality of presence gives me only awe when at Mass.  I realize now that I can be in Communion (however ‘lesser’ it may be) *when receiving Communion in its fullness*!  Wow.  I think I have a little more understanding now of why the Byzantine Liturgy says, "Holy things for the holy!"  I’ve prayed, "Receive your own into your own."

I really don’t know why spiritual Communion doesn’t get more press!  I’m to the point of wanting to hand out pamphlets on the street! 🙂