What Does it Mean to "Commune" with Another?
by Fr. Erasto Fernandez
We are all aware that the most important part of the Eucharist, at least in the minds of most Catholics is the reception of Communion. It is when we receive the sacred Bread that we believe that the Lord comes to us in a special way, filling us with every spiritual blessing. However, while all acknowledge this communion as the most sacred part of the Eucharist, very few would know and be able to explain how exactly we 'commune' with God, and how we need to prepare ourselves to derive the maximum benefits of such communing. We seek to investigate into this, more with the hope of getting people to think a little more seriously about this, and thus work to benefit more from this part of the Eucharist. There is no doubt that in the minds of most Christians, including priests and religious, this communion happens almost 'magically'. With the least expenditure of personal effort, they expect the maximum spiritual benefits. But experience shows us that this does not happen - at least not automatically.
Several Modes of Real Presence
Before we look into the how, it is worth recalling some important Vatican II teaching on the different ways in which the Risen Lord is really present to us. Besides the Eucharist, there are the remaining Sacraments and the Word of God through which we can commune with the Risen Lord. Further he is present to us in the Christian community for 'where two or three are gathered together in My name, there I am in your midst.' The Risen Lord is also present in the 'poor' - for 'what you do to the least of My brethren, you do to Me.' He is again equally present in the hierarchy - 'he who listens to you, listens to Me.' And finally, the Lord is present to each baptized - 'he who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me and I abide in him.'
It is important to stress that we can meet the Risen Lord effectively in any one of these modes of his real presence. While the Eucharist is the most marvellous and complete mode of presence, his personal presence to each baptized is the most foundational. This means that Christ's presence in all the other modes is at the service of his personal presence to the baptized; the rest are meant to deepen and strengthen this personal presence. Thus, the celebration of the Eucharist should result in a deeper awareness of Christ's presence within us, dwelling in our lives as really and dynamically as in the Tabernacle. Every Christian is a living tabernacle of the Risen Lord. The deeper and more personal attachment we have to the Lord within ourselves, the easier would it be for us to 'recognize' him in the other forms of his presence.
Inter-personal communion
The kind of communion that we speak of here is an inter-personal communion and follows the same dynamics as when two human beings seek to enter into a deep relationship. For example, let us suppose that I enter a train, and even though I do not see him at the start, a very good friend of mine is also seated further down in the same compartment. Since we have not seen nor recognized each other, at this stage, we are present to each other yet only with a material presence - we happen to be in the same compartment together. But some time later, I look up and spot him, recognizing him immediately as my good friend. We are now present to each other in a slightly better or higher way. In the next stage, our eyes meet and we hail each other, though seated at a distance. Now the presence is personal.
Some time later, I go up to him and sit next to him engaging in a conversation about politics, sport and various other topics. Now our presence is even deeper as we are actually communicating with each other. But as the conversation continues, I notice that my friend is not his usual self and so I ask him about it. In response he pours out all that is troubling him, while I listen deeply and empathically. At this level, our communication is at its deepest and as he leaves he reports that he already feels a lot lighter since I truly listened to him. Of all these levels, it is only the last that is truly 'communion' of two minds and spirits. If this is true among human beings, then it must also be true in our communion with the Lord. Yet, for most of us this deep personal level of inter-personal communication is rather rare.
The Lord asks just the bare minimum of us in this process: that we be fully there, attentive and receptive; through his Spirit he will do the rest. "Be still and know that I am God…" On the practical level, this means that when receiving the Body of Christ, we consciously make ourselves aware that Jesus has something to say to us personally. Besides, if we have been able to catch his message for us in the readings, this understanding will be a lot easier at Communion time. All we need to do is to allow him to deepen and personalize the message much more. One such 'encounter' with the Lord is worth much more than a thousand Holy Communions received mechanically. It was this kind of a personal message given on the road to Damascus that brought about the radical conversion in Paul. From then on till his dying day, he was a changed person. From a rabid persecutor he was transformed into an ardent and passionate follower of the Risen Lord. And the same can happen to us too, if we are ready to pay the price.
During the distribution of Communion, it is customary to sing a Communion song. While this is a good practice, care should be taken not to so distract people that they fail to remain in deep silence so necessary for personal communion. Rather, every effort should be made and sufficient silence provided so that each person in the assembly can truly commune with the Lord in the deepest recesses of his being. If any suggestions are to be made for reflection, they should be along the lines of Jesus' desire to commune personally and deeply with each of the participants.
Development of Intimacy
The process of growth in intimacy (communion) with the Lord is very similar to the process of the growth of friendship and love between two human beings. The first requisite is proximity and some interaction. One cannot develop a deep friendship with someone who is absent or distant, or with whom one seldom interacts. As the interaction increases both in frequency and intensity, each partner begins to see several good qualities in the other. It is these insights that bind the two together - the more we experience the 'goodness' of the other, the stronger the bond. Often, the 'beloved' is the only one who detects these qualities in the person concerned. Others, even those reasonably close, would hardly see these qualities and in fact, find it difficult to understand how the beloved can see them at all.
As the bond of friendship deepens, the two lives mesh: they think of each other and spiritually commune with each other almost constantly. Everything experienced is viewed in terms of the other - they literally enter into the fabric of each other's lives. It is at this stage that the 'presence' is internalized and cannot be erased except through neglect or conscious choice. This last point is very important (that the growth is not neglected) because the relationship is a living one and as such needs to be nourished constantly through periodical contacts, deep sharing and interchange, through reminders and souvenirs and so on. The more genuine and frequent the efforts to 'meet', the deeper and more lasting will the friendship be. The final stage could be called the 'mystical stage' wherein both 'dwell' in each other; each is set 'as a seal upon my heart!'
Since the same dynamic applies to our relationship or communion with the Lord, frequent and personal contact is essential as the first step. Where this happens, we have the opportunity to discover the qualities of God in a much more personal manner. These enable us to 'dialogue' with him not only in times of prayer but almost right through the day. Soon we experience the truth that 'God is dwelling in my heart, he and I are one!' From then on, even the words of Scripture will take on a new and different meaning - we no longer see the Gospel stories as accounts of what Jesus did long ago, but of what he does in our lives today. We begin to see Jesus as real and living, reflected in the lives of people around us. We find that we are a lot less sensitive to criticism and rejection, that we can take failure and disappointment in our stride, that we can appreciate the good in others more easily and praise them selflessly and spontaneously. All these changes are signs of our assimilation into Christ - the two are becoming one!
Conclusion
Communion then is not just something that happens when we receive the sacred Host. It begins at the very start of the Eucharist as we joyfully welcome our brothers and sisters to Eucharist. It continues through the Penitential Rite into the readings and the rest of the celebration reaching its climax in the interpersonal communion through the sacred signs of broken bread and shared Cup. This communion continues throughout the day as we make the effort to see each event in the light of the Gospel: 'What would Jesus do if he were in my place?' This kind of living out of our Eucharist brings us to the next celebration with renewed vigour and enthusiasm to encounter the Lord even more deeply
Remain in My love
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Copyright © Fr. Erasto Fernandez. All rights reserved.
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