THE VALUE OF HOLY COMMUNION

a) In the biography of Cardinal Newman, one reads an edifying episode. Before becoming Catholic, he was a Protestant and a high dignitary of the Anglican Church, with a substantial annual stipend paid by the English government.

Even in that condition, he wished to study the reasons and foundations of the Catholic Church; and, once he came to know the truth, he embraced it promptly. As is well known, he became a most fervent Catholic; he prepared himself, became a priest, and was an apostle of the Eucharist.

Before his conversion, a friend approached him and said:

— Think carefully about the step you are about to take; know that, by becoming Catholic, the government will give you nothing more and will take away your benefice.

Newman stood up and exclaimed with disdain:

— What is a handful of gold compared to one Communion?

And soon afterward he became Catholic.

Those words deserve to be meditated upon.

b) Luisa understands the value of Communion. She is only nine years old and can receive Communion only on Sundays at the ten o’clock Mass. Her mother, fearing that she might fall ill from remaining so long fasting, forbids her to receive Communion.

Luisa, using a bit of cleverness, pretends to break her fast, but throughout the entire week she neither eats nor drinks before lunch.

— Mother, will you allow me to receive Communion tomorrow?

— No, my child; Communion is too late... you would become ill.

— But, Mother, I have spent the whole week fasting until lunch, and I do not feel unwell...