There are many sources of information available regarding the reception of Holy Communion, the Eucharist, between the many Churches.

Many people are often confronted with a dilemma when they are in “another” church. These occasions may be based on proximity (it’s the closest church to me), moral imperative (I can no longer attend that church due to scandal), or for family reasons (we all want to attend together; we’re going to a wedding, funeral, other service).

Many Churches open the communion table to all attendees. Part of the reason for this may be their theological view of the Eucharist. ‘We’re sharing special bread/wine that is a symbol of Jesus.’ Such a sharing places the onus on the act of community and the reason for coming together. We are here as one to praise God together. The Eucharist is symbolic of our Christian action and mandate. It’s still just bread and wine albeit invoking a special representation.

For Catholic worshipers the story is different. We fully believe that the act of consecration changes the bread and wine. It is no longer bread and wine in any way except for its appearance and taste. The elements of bread and wine have been fully changed into Jesus Christ Himself. Jesus is truly present in every possible way, body, blood, soul, and divinity. He is there ready for us to receive Him. By receiving Him we are joined together not just in theory, but in reality by the action of Christ and the grace of God. When I receive I receive and am joined to my brothers and sisters throughout the world. By the Body and Blood of Christ we become the Body of Christ.

This is wonderful and mystical and the act of receiving has consequences. We are changed by God’s grace, we are joined together, we are confirmed in our Christian mission, we are nourished, and our desire to be so very close and intimately joined with Jesus Christ is increased.

In short, as the Rev. Ernest Falardeau, SSS. has said, “…it will be necessary to eliminate the idea that the Eucharist is some kind of reward for good behavior. It is the bread of life. It is a necessity.”

The Rev. Falardeau captures the key element of the Eucharist. It is the nourishment that fulfills our essential human desire – to be one with Christ and to be with Him forever. Jesus Himself advised us that the Eucharist is essential for our salvation: —Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you cannot have life in you.— (Jn 6).

God has put the desire for heaven in each of us. It is our soul’s longing to return to its origin. No matter the amount of masking today’s society attempt to do. No matter the level of covering up we engage in, the desire is there. The Eucharist allows us daily or weekly closeness to Christ.

As Catholic Christians we have two essential obligations.

The first is the Catechesis of the Eucharist. We musty teach our brothers and sisters what the Eucharist is, the mystery beyond symbolism which is the reality of Jesus Christ.

The second is the opening of the Eucharistic door to all who share in Eucharistic faith. This is commonly referred to as Eucharistic Sharing.

In our Church, the communion rail is open. What is required is proper disposition and the faith and belief that what you receive is the actual Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ under the appearance and taste of bread and wine.

Our Roman Catholic friends as well as those attending a Roman church might ask —“ what does this all mean? As a member of the Roman church you would have to look to the conditions found in the Code of Canon Law – Canon 844:2. For non Roman Catholics you would have to follow the “rules” published in the pew missal. It is all very legalistic and formal and in the end you would have to make a decision as to whether you would approach the Altar or not (all while getting quite conflicted regarding your need versus the rules).

The Canon states: “Whenever necessity requires or genuine spiritual advantage suggests, and provided that the danger of error or indifferentism is avoided, it is lawful for the faithful for whom it is physically or morally impossible to approach a Catholic minister” (Catholic meaning churches with valid Holy Orders such as the Orthodox, PNCC)

I highly recommend the article: Eucharistic Sharing: Recent Developments by Ernest Falardeau, SSS. as originally published in Ecumenical Trends, for a further exposition on this matter. See especially:

—One of the problems with the present legislation in Canon 844, and the other official documents of the Church are that initially these existing rules were interpreted very strictly. Any attempt to interpret them generously was resisted. At the present time, this is changing. The Guidelines of South Africa, India, Germany and Austria tend to interpret existing rules more broadly. The new Policy for Canada expressly recalls the general principle of Canon Law that privileges are to be interpreted broadly. And it understands Eucharistic sharing as a privilege.— (Eucharistic Sharing: Recent Developments, Ernest Falardeau, SSS., Originally published in Ecumenical Trends)

At face value, there is no clear, understandable, or easily discernable guide for anyone in approaching an understanding of Canon 844:2. Many Bishop’s conferences (setting Roman Church policies at the national level) give very broad latitude to the believer and interpret these concepts with great charity (South Africa, Canada as noted above). In the United States a very formal and legalistic view is taken.

To me, rules exist to guide people in making informed descisions. They are not meant as a roadblock to Jesus. As soon as we get away from minimalism and legalism, as soon as we stop loosing sight of our need for Jesus because we are busy interpreting a law, as soon as we stop treating the Eucharist as a personal possession that I may choose to give or withhold, and as soon as we focus on teaching Christ real and present, our road to God will open and we will be better fulfilling Christ’s direction.