ing your fast.

"A right intention"--holy and spiritual motive, such as, to obey Our
Lord's command, to receive strength to resist temptation, or to be
united with Our Lord.

255 Q. Does he who receives Communion in mortal sin receive the body and
blood of Christ?
A. He who receives Communion in mortal sin receives the body and blood
of Christ, but does not receive His grace, and he commits a great
sacrilege.

"The body and blood," because the appearance of bread and wine is there
after consecration, and he receives it. He who receives the Holy
Eucharist in mortal sin receives Our Lord into a filthy soul. If a great
and highly-esteemed friend was coming to visit your house, would you not
take care to have everything clean and neat, and pleasing to him? And
the greater the dignity of the person coming, the more careful you would
be. But what are all the persons of dignity in the world--kings or
popes--compared with Our Lord, who leaves the beauties of Heaven to come
to visit our soul? and the purest we can make it is not pure enough for
Him. But He is kind to us, and is satisfied with our poor preparation if
He sees we are doing our very best. But oh, what a shame to receive Him
into our soul without any preparation! and more horrible still, to fill
it with vile sins, that we know are most disgusting to Him! No wonder,
therefore, that receiving Holy Communion unworthily is so great a crime,
and so deserving of God's punishment. Why should not the heavenly Father
punish us for treating His beloved Son with such shameful disrespect and
contempt?

*256 Q. Is it enough to be free from mortal sin, to receive plentifully
the graces of Holy Communion?
A. To receive plentifully the graces of Holy Communion it is not enough
to be free from mortal sin, but we should be free from all affection to
venial sin, and should make acts of lively faith, of firm hope and
ardent love.

*257 Q. What is the fast necessary for Holy Communion?
A. The fast necessary for Holy Communion is the abstaining for one hour
from everything which is taken as food or drink.

{T.N.: The reprint book, upon which this e-text is based, contains the
statement, "published . . . with minor revisions to conform with the new
regulations on fasting and indulgences, etc."}

"Food or drink." If you swallowed a button, for example, it would not
break your fast, because it is not food or drink.

*258 Q. Is anyone ever allowed to receive Holy Communion when not