The video is presented by Bishop Donal McKeown, Bishop of Derry. This presentation is intended to help children to understand what an Act of Spiritual Communion is.
Bishop Donal explains how for various reasons, like during the coronavirus, we may be prevented from receiving Holy Communion at Mass. In this case our Church encourages us to make an act of ‘spiritual communion’. Bishop Donal explains, for children, what an Act of Spiritual Communion is and when to say it, should they be unable to attend Mass and receive Holy communion.
Spiritual Communion
There is an amazing promise by Jesus in St John’s Gospel,
“Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.”
(Jn 14:23)
Jesus promises us that God will make his home in everyone who loves Jesus.
What a very special gift this is that Jesus wants to give us.
Jesus wants us to know that God loves us so much, trusts us so much, he will come and live in us, so we can be Jesus in the world today. We can be kind, loving, helpful and forgiving.
The most important way which Jesus comes to live in us, is when he gives us the gift of himself in Holy Communion at Mass.
At this moment in time, because you have to stay at home and be safe, you cannot come to Mass and receive Jesus in Holy Communion. But your Church, who knows how hard this is, has a special gift that we can pray for. That gift is called the ‘Act of Spiritual Communion’.
This means when you can’t come to Mass and receive Jesus in Holy Communion, you can say a prayer asking Jesus to come into your heart and soul in a very special way.
If you are watching Mass with your family on the TV, on the Tablet, on the phone or listening to it on the Radio, after the priest receives Holy Communion himself, he will say a prayer which you can repeat after him.
In this prayer you are telling Jesus that you really want him to come to you at that moment, to make his home in you, so you can be Jesus’ love to everyone you share your life with each day.
After this prayer, just like you would do at Mass, you can spend time in quiet prayer thanking God for making his home in you.
Prayer suggestion:
“My Jesus, I believe that you desire to make your home within me and that you are present in the Most Holy Sacrament of the altar. I love you above all things, and I desire to receive you in my soul. Since I cannot at this moment receive you sacramentally, come spiritually into my heart. I embrace your love as if you were already there, I and unite myself wholly to you. Never permit me to be separated from you. Amen.”
