In the 17th and 18th centuries, a belief known as Jansenism was doing the rounds in the Church, especially in France. Basically this took a very serious view of original sin, and denied the role of human free will; the implications were that few people were thought worthy of receiving Holy Communion because few people were going to be saved and go to heaven. Many Catholic priests preached and wrote against this belief. St. Alphonsus Liguori was one such character in the 18th century who preached and taught against Jansenism. Although you may not be familiar with any of his theoligical writings, perhaps you will know a popular hymn written by him, called “O Bread of Heavenâ€. In the last two lines of the fourth verse he asks a question: “For how can He deny me heaven, who here on earth himself has given?†There is nothing here to do with worthiness, just the fact that Jesus humbled himself so much that He gave is His very self; and if Jesus went this far on earth, how can we think that He might possibly deny us in heaven in the future? Today this hymn will be sung in many churches arounf the world.
Knowing how precious and special the Eucharist is to Christian community, St. Paul simply relates to them what was said and done at the Last Supper, to help them come to a deeper understanding and a fuller appreciation of what the Lord is doing. In his letter to the Corinthians he put some information about the community getting into trouble. It would seem that the Christians in Corinth were not celebrating “the Lord’s Supper†as it was meant to be celebrated. Quite opposite, with many people eating with their friends, and not the whole community, and others drinking too much, to the point of drunkness. St. Paul relates what was said on the night Jesus was betrayed. He tells us that Jesus took the bread and said, “This is my body, which is for you;†and that when lifted the wine He said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood.†Every time we gatehr to celebrate the Mass, the Eucharist, we are doing exactly as Jesus commanded us, and we are doing it In memory of Him.
Many of us can feel at times completely unworthy of receiving our Lord in Holy Communion. No one here today receives the body and blood of Christ because he or she has been totally good, sinless person. All of us are sinners, and that is something we all confess at the beginning of Mass. However, we are all invited by the Lord to come and eat and drink. That is not because we are good, but to help us to be good. When you come to receive the Lord in Holy Communion, take a moment to prepare yourself properly; remember that this is Jesus giving himself to you, wholly out of love.