ly Communion.

That is, to offer it up for whatever intention the priest is offering
it--for the dead, for the conversion of sinners, for the good of others,
etc.; but especially for the four ends of which I have already
spoken--to worship God, thank Him, etc. "Christ's death," of which it
reminds us. "Holy Communion," if we are in a state of grace, and have
prepared to receive Communion.

You should go to Holy Communion as often as possible, and you should try
every day to make yourself more worthy of that great Sacrament. Think of
it! To receive your God and Saviour into your soul, and to be united
with Him, as the word communion means! The early Christians used to go
to Communion very frequently. The Church requires us to go to Holy
Communion at least once a year, but we should not be satisfied with
doing merely what is necessary to avoid mortal sin. Do we try to keep
away from persons we love? Then if we really love Our Lord should we not
desire to receive Him? All good Catholics should go to Holy Communion at
least once a week, on Sunday. Persons wishing to lead truly holy lives
should go to Communion more often, or even every day.

When we cannot go really to Communion we can merit God's grace by making
a spiritual Communion. What is a spiritual Communion? It is an earnest
desire to receive Communion. You prepare yourself as if you were really
going to Communion; you try to imagine yourself going up, receiving the
Blessed Sacrament, and returning to your place. Then you thank God for
all His blessings to you as you would have done had you received. This
is an act of devotion, and one very pleasing to God, as many holy
writers tell us.

I cannot leave this lesson on the Holy Eucharist without telling you
something of the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, now so
universally practiced and so closely connected with the devotion to the
Blessed Sacrament. The Church grants many indulgences, and Our Lord
Himself promises many rewards to those who honor the Sacred Heart. But
what do we mean by the Sacred Heart? We mean the real natural heart of
Our Lord, to which His divinity is united as it is to His whole body.
But why do we adore this real, natural heart of Our Lord? We adore it
because love is said to be in the heart, and we wish to return Our Lord
love, and gratitude for the great love He has shown to us in dying for
us, and in instituting the Sacraments, especially the Holy Eucharist, by
which He can remain