THE HOLY EUCHARIST 127 



Holy Eucharist while conscious of mortal sin is a 

 very grievous sin, and the greatest of sacrileges, 

 though, contrary to the opinion of many, by no 

 means the most grievous sin a man can commit. 14 



As an immediate preparation for Holy Com- 

 munion, acts of faith, hope, charity, adoration, 

 desire, devotion, and humility should be elicited. 

 All these acts may profitably be directed to 

 Christ's sacrificial death on the cross. 15 A part 

 of the preparation for Communion in the wider 

 sense is the thanksgiving following its reception. 

 This is a very important and effective means of 

 preserving the graces obtained and of making 

 them fruitful for the spiritual life. The thanks- 

 giving after Communion should consist mainly 

 in acts of adoration, humility, gratitude, love, 

 and self-oblation, 16 and should contain some spe- 

 cial petitions and resolutions. 



2. Preparation of the Body. — On the part 

 of the body the worthy reception of the Euchar- 

 ist requires: 



a) Cleanliness and a decent habiliment. Neg- 

 lect of these requisites betrays a moral defect and 



14 Cfr. St. Thomas, Summa Theolo- des Herm, Freiburg 1903, pp. 162 



gica, 3a, qu. 80, art. 5; Pohle- sqq. 



Preuss, The Sacraments, Vol. II, 15 Cfr. Luke XXII, 19; 1 Cor. 



2nd ed., pp. 268 sq. — On the par- XI, 26; Rit. Rom., De Euch. Sacr., 



ticipation of Judas in the Last Sup- tit. 4, c. 1, n. 4; F. S. Renz, Die 



per see St. Thomas, Summa Theol., Geschichte des Messopferbegriffes, 



3a, qu. 81, art. 2; J. Belser, Die Vol. I, pp. 115 sqq. 



Geschichte des Leidens und Sterbens 16 Cfr. P. Lejeune, Avant et 



apres la Communion, Paris 1901. 



