It was my senior year of high school and I had been agonizing for weeks trying to decide on which college I should attend following graduation. I had it narrowed down to my top two, one close to home and the other states away. As I knelt after Holy Communion, the missionary priest visiting our parish talked about how Jesus is closest to us in these moments after receiving the Eucharist, closer than any other time. He continued on saying, during this time after Holy Communion ask Him for anything.
So I did just that. Making a prayer in the quiet of my heart, Lord, where should I go to college. With what seemed to be almost an immediate answer, the priest began telling a story in which he started by naming one of the universities I was deciding between. It was in that moment I knew exactly where God wanted me.
The sacred moments after Holy Communion are to be treasured. They are moments of complete grace, moments where grace is made available to us to become saints. Although, sometimes it’s easy to become distracted by the people walking by or your children who are asking if Mass is almost over.
Whether it is the movement in our pew or the movement of our mind distracted by worldly matters, the time after Holy Communion is a gift and we must try our best to stay present. St. Teresa of Avila gave helpful instruction, “When you have received Holy Communion, close your bodily eyes so that you may open the eyes of your soul. Then look upon Jesus in the center of your heart.”
Throughout history the saints have recognized the irreplaceable value of the time following the reception of the Holy Eucharist. St. Padre Pio would beg our Lord to stay with him, so he would continue to have the strength to do God’s will. St. Alphonsus Liguori said, “There is no prayer more agreeable to God, or more profitable to the soul than that which is made during the thanksgiving after Communion.”
Blessed Carlo Acutis, soon to be canonized by Pope Leo XIV, referred to the Eucharist as his highway to heaven. During his short lifetime he researched and catalogued more than 160 Eucharistic miracles from throughout the world. He said, “To always be close to Jesus, that’s my life plan.” And where else can we draw closer to Jesus than during Holy Communion and the time of prayer that follows.
WEDNESDAY ONLY – During this Answer the Call Pledge Drive on Wednesday only, for a donation of $365 you can receive an inspiring premium that will deepen your love for the Eucharist and draw you closer to our Eucharistic Lord. This special gift includes the book, Meditations after Holy Communion, by Fr. Edward Looney, along with a Monstrance Prayer Card and Eucharistic Relic Badge with the words printed “O, Hidden God, devoutly I adore Thee.” The book is a beautiful resource in teaching you how to ponder and pray in those sacred moments after receiving the Eucharist. A book that invites you into the moment of grace.
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If you have already made a gift to our Answer the Call summer pledge drive, thank you for your generous support!