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Views from the Choir Loft

St. Thomas More on the Reception of Holy Communion

Fr. David Friel · February 18, 2018

ECEPTION of Holy Communion is a profound experience and a central feature of the liturgical act. This moment, which defies earthly comparison, has inspired many exquisite chants and hymns, poems and prayers. Over the years, I have shared a number of prayers associated with the Mass that I have found profitable.

Back in summer 2015, I posted a series of reflections on the vesting prayers for priests. In 2017, I shared John Henry Cardinal Newman’s prayer before Mass to the BVM and a prayer of farewell to the altar from the Maronite tradition (both here). Most recently, last week I offered to our readers this prayer for priests from the 1940s.

Today, I would like to share a brief excerpt from St. Thomas More on the reception of Holy Communion. I find his reflection noteworthy for its practicality and spirit of devotion.

OW, WHEN WE HAVE RECEIVED our Lord and have Him inside our body, let us not then leave Him alone as we get involved in other things, forgetting to look to Him anymore. For anyone who would serve a guest in such a way would have little sense!

Instead, let all our concern be focused on Him. Let us by devout prayer talk to Him, by devout meditation talk with Him. Let us say with the prophet: “I will hear what our Lord will speak within me” (Ps 85:9). If we set aside all other things and attend to Him, He will not fail to inspire us, to speak to us such things within us that will lead to the great spiritual comfort and profit of our soul. Having received the Blessed Sacrament, we have a special time of prayer. For He who made us, who redeemed us, whom we have offended, who will judge us, who will either damn us or save us, has because of His great goodness become our guest. He is personally present within us—and He has done that for no other purpose but to be sought for pardon so that He can save us.

Let us not lose this time, therefore, nor allow this occasion to slip by. For we can hardly tell whether we will ever get in to church again or not. (St. Thomas More, Treatise: To Receive the Blessed Body of Our Lord)

The entire treatise can be downloaded:

    * *  PDF Download • St. Thomas More on the Reception of Holy Communion

This is courtesy of The Center for Thomas More Studies (URL).

ORGANISTS, singers, priests, servers, and others directly involved in the execution of liturgical ceremonies are often called into external action shortly after having received Holy Communion. When perfect stillness and silence is not an option, it can be a struggle to experience the profound communion that our Eucharistic Lord desires to share with us.

Let us, therefore, take to heart these words of St. Thomas More!

Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: On the Manner of Distributing Holy Communion Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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About Fr. David Friel

Ordained in 2011, Father Friel served as Parochial Vicar at Saint Anselm Church in Northeast Philly before earning a doctorate in liturgical theology at The Catholic University of America. He presently serves as Vocation Director for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.—(Read full biography).

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Alabama Assessment!

We received this evaluation of Symposium 2022 from an Alabama participant:

“Oh, how the Symposium echoed the words of Cardinal Merry Del Val: …choosing only what is most conformed to Thy glory, which is my final aim. In one short and fast paced week, the faculty and attendees showed me the hand of God and our Lady working in our lives. The wide range of education—from Gregorian Chant, jazz modes in organ improvisation, to ‘staying sane’ while leading a choir—were certainly first-class knowledge from the best teachers of the art. However, the most powerful lesson was learning how to pray as a choir. The sacrifice of putting songs together, taking time to learn the sacred text, meditating on the church teaching through the chants, and gaining the virtues required to persevere in these duties were not only qualities of a choir but of a saint. The sanctification of the lives of the attendees was a beautiful outcome of this event … and that in itself is worth more than a beautifully-sung Solesmes style chant!”

—Jeff Ostrowski
PDF Download • Trinity Sunday (22 pages)

Feel free to download this Organ Accompaniment Booklet for Trinity Sunday (Second Vespers). Notice how the modes progress by number. Psalm 1 is mode 1; Psalm 2 is mode 2; Psalm 3 is mode 3; Psalm 4 is mode 4; Psalm 5 is mode 5. I am told by an expert that other feasts (such as Corpus Christi) are likewise organized by mode, and it’s called a “numerical office.”

—Jeff Ostrowski
10 June 2022 • “Official” rhythm of plainsong

I continue to search for the most beautiful way to present the “pure” Editio Vaticana scores. (Technically, the “pure” rhythm of the official edition is what everyone is supposed to use.) You can download my latest attempt, which is the Introit for this coming Sunday: Feast of the Most Holy Trinity. Because this is not an ancient feast, the Introit had to be adapted (perhaps around 750AD). Prior Johner says the adaptation is “not an entirely happy one.”

—Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“In the 17th century came the crushing blow which destroyed the beauty of all Breviary hymns. Pope Urban VIII (d. 1644) was a Humanist. In a fatal moment he saw that the hymns do not all conform to the rules of classical prosody.”

— Fr. Adrian Fortescue (d. 1923)

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