Category Archives: Eucharist

Union with God

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Intimate Union with God in the Eucharist
In “The Q&A Guide to Mental Prayer,” Connie Rossini writes, “Blessed Marie-Eugène, OCD, says that there are three ways to intimate union with God. The first (in hierarchical order) is the Eucharist, the second is contemplation, and the third is supernatural obedience (obeying authority with the motive of obeying Christ himself).
Fr. Garrigou-Lagrange describes this union with God when we receive the Blessed Sacrament:
“Communion is, therefore, the most perfect act of the interior life, and if we prepare ourselves for it with humility, zeal, and meekness, we shall find there the most efficacious means for union with God. While our body receives the body of Christ, our soul is united to His soul, our intelligence to His light, our heart to the everburning sun of His love. Our Lord unites Himself to us to assimilate us to Himself, to make of us other Christs. Every Communion that is not sacrilegious and sterile increases the degree of charity in us. Who then can measure the effects of daily Communion, above all of fervent daily Communion?”(From “Knowing the Love of God,” Chapter 18)
Fr Kieran Kavanaugh explains in his commentary on The Way of Perfection that, “On account of the presence, St. Teresa prizes the time after Communion as a privileged time for the prayer of recollection.”
If you are not yet receiving infused contemplation, take heart that with each Communion, you are experiencing the highest union with God available in this life. Don’t miss the great gift of prayer after receiving the Eucharist. Be recollected and converse lovingly with Him after Communion.
Daily mental prayer disposes you to have more fervent Communions, and each fervent Communion, in turn, helps to deepen your mental prayer.
Connie continues, “Jesus reserves nothing from you in the Blessed Sacrament. He gives himself fully. If you fully gave yourself to him in preparation for the reception of the Eucharist, you could theoretically become a saint through one Communion. However, very few people would be able to prepare themselves so perfectly without having a deep prayer life, usually one that includes contemplation. More frequently, your reception of the Eucharist becomes more efficacious as your prayer deepens.”

Shared from Facebook group: Authentic Contemplative Prayer