"I don't get that much out of communion"

[odhiambo]

"I don't get that much out of communion"
These are not my sentiments. It is that of a member of CAF.
She/He started a thread on the same.
From the responses, it seems she/he is not the only Catholic who feels this way, thus the reason for posting the same here.
The Holy Eucharist is so very important and sacred to us Catholics because we are receiving Jesus Christ Himself into our souls; Such an awe inspiring Sacrament that Saint Maximilian Kolbe said this concerning it:
"If Angels could be jealous of men, they would be so for one reason: Holy Communion"
What do we expect from Holy Communion?
Are we supposed to feel something when we receive it?
How can we help those who feel they get nothing from it?

[martin]

The poster on CAF might well find part of the answer to the question contained in the heading he/she chose. The word "communion" when lacking the prefix "holy" could portray a lack of understanding of what we as Catholics should actually know concerning this most holy sacrament.
Notice St. Maximilian Kolbe doesn't hesitate to use the word "holy" when speaking of the Blessed Sacrament.

As with all the sacraments, it is known that we receive graces according to the disposition we bring and the faith with which we approach. I don't think though that we can judge according to feelings we experience when having received. I would think that a much safer way of gauging the effects that receiving Holy Communion has in our lives would be to look at the growth -or lack there off- which we see over a period of time. Things like; resolve in our battle with sin, our detachment from those things that are not compatible with our faith, charity towards others and other such virtues.

I have my own theory as to why many are not experiencing any change in their lives even though they receive Our Blessed Lord often. It's to do with Lex orandi, lex credendi.

Shin posted an article a while back about the lack of reverence and respect for what the Holy Eucharist really is  (the actual Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Christ, truly present with us) and how little this Holy Sacrament is respected. The pictures contained in that post (which Shin might be able to link to) gave me great cause for concern when I realized I could be actually trampling under foot Our Lord's precious body while approaching to receive Him.

As St. Francis de Sales would say (in so many words), "There should be no duplicity in what we believe internally and that which we express externally." For that reason I'll discharge my own thoughts (and I know they are not infallible and some will disagree with me). I believe that the physical manner in which we receive Holy Communion has a definite bearing on the graces -or lack there of- obtained.

[susanna]

Hello.  Isn't it sad.  I don't know where to start.  The lack of the sacred, the lack of understanding of the disposition you should have, lack of belief. 

When I watch some people on EWTN kneel or genuflect at communion (it can be a struggle for old folks) it makes me sad - they want to kneel, but have been deprived of communion rails by the church itself.   

I wonder if some posters on CAF are even Catholic sometimes.  Some questions are strange.       

[odhiambo]

The poster on CAF might well find part of the answer to the question contained in the heading he/she chose. The word "communion" when lacking the prefix "holy" could portray a lack of understanding of what we as Catholics should actually know concerning this most holy sacrament.
Notice St. Maximilian Kolbe doesn't hesitate to use the word "holy" when speaking of the Blessed Sacrament.
As with all the sacraments, it is known that we receive graces according to the disposition we bring and the faith with which we approach.

You have expressed it very well martin.
You have noticed something I had not in the casual manner of referring to "Holy Communion"
It is true what you say about our disposition when we receive the Sacraments. In fact this holds true for all things spiritual. Take prayer for instance. When we approach God in prayer and have faith in that prayer, God is more likely to accept our prayers, same way He accepted Abel's sacrifice but rejected that of his brother Cain.
I read somewhere that receiving Holy Communion frequently and piously is beneficial in fighting temptations against the sixth Commandment.

[pebbles]

Before I had a personal relationship with Jesus, I can understand this statement.  I may believe in God, in my Catholicism, that the Eucharist is the body, blood, soul and divinity of Christ...but I'm not moved.  It's something that comes out because of people being moved when receiving the Eucharist.  It could be envy that other people can see and feel the Eucharist as something more.

It's not an uncommon sentiment for most Catholics who just goes through the motion of Catholicism. 

For those who believe, every communion is a privilege ...