128 THE MEANS OF GRACE 



is a violation of the respect due to the Sacrament 

 and to Jesus Christ, who is present therein. 

 Holy Communion must not, however, be denied 

 to those who suffer from diseases which ordi- 

 narily involve physical uncleanness, e. g. } leprosy, 

 smallpox, eczema, etc. The married are advised 

 (though not commanded) to abstain from carnal 

 intercourse immediately before and after Com- 

 munion. 17 "Neither legitimate cohabitation nor 

 a flow of blood nor seminal pollutions during sleep 

 but only impious and illicit conduct can violate 

 nature or expel the Holy Ghost." 18 



b) A second bodily requisite for the worthy 

 reception of Communion is that the recipient 

 be fasting. The Eucharistic fast, known as 

 ieiunium naturale, consists in complete absten- 

 tion from food and drink and everything that 

 is ordinarily taken after the manner of food and 

 drink (per modum cibi et potus) after midnight 

 (post mediam noctem). 1Q This law binds under 

 pain of mortal sin and admits of no parvitas 



17 Cfr. i Cor. VII, S sq.; Cat. Thomas, Summa Theol., 3a, Suppl., 

 Rom., P. II, c. 4, qu. 56; Innocent qu. 64, art. 3. 



XI's Decree "Quum ad Aures," Feb. 18 St. Augustine, Epist., 54 (a/. 



12, 1679 (Denzinger-Bannwart, n. 118), n. 8: "Placuit Spiritui Sane- 



1 147); Missale Rom., De Defect, in to, ut in honorem tanti Sacramenti 



Celebr. Missae, tit. 9, n. 5; Pseudo- in os christiani prius Dominicum cor- 



Augustine, Append. Serm., 292 (al. pus intraret, quam ceteri cibi; nam 



244 De Temp.), n. 3 (Migne, P. L., ideo per univcrsum orbem mot iste 



XXXIX, 2298). serzatur." (Migne, P. L., XXXIII, 



18 Constit. Apost., VI, c. 27 (ed. 203). Missale Rom., De Defect, in 

 Funk, Vol. I, p. 371); cfr. Struck- Celebr. Missae, tit. 9, n. 1-4; Rit. 

 mann, Die Cegenwart Christi in der Rom., tit. 4, c. I, n. 3. — St. Thomas 

 hi. Eucharistie, pp. 207 sqq.; St. «ays (Summa Theol., 3a, qu. 80, art. 



