Q. What are the fruits of Holy Communion?
A. Many of us may remember the fruits of the Holy Spirit that were taught to us when we were young. But did you know that the Catechism of the Catholic Church also speaks of the fruits of Holy Communion in paragraphs 1391-1401? [For the record, the fruits of the Holy Spirit are: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control.]
The fruits of Holy Communion are the effects that occur in our lives. These effects occur in our lives only to the extent that we receive Holy Communion worthily and with the proper interior disposition of heart. They occur only if we allow them to occur, and we can block them by receiving Holy Communion in a state of grave sin, or without spiritual discernment or desire.
Holy Communion increases our union with Christ. Our basic union with Christ is established in baptism. But every time we receive Holy Communion worthily we join into a closer and more intimate union with Christ. This preserves, increases, and renews the life of grace we received at baptism. Of course, every time we receive Holy Communion unworthily, we distance ourselves from Christ and His Body, the Church [see 1 Cor. 11: 27-29].
Holy Communion separates us from sin. Receiving Holy Communion helps to cleanse us from past venial sins and their effects, and helps to preserve us from committing future sins. The more we share the life of Christ and progress in his friendship through worthy reception of Holy Communion, the more difficult it is to break away from him by mortal sin.
Holy Communion makes the Church and strengthens the unity of the Mystical Body of Christ. Through Holy Communion Christ unties all the faithful in the one body, the Church. The Church is, in fact, the community that assembles around the altar of the Lord. Reception of Holy Communion renews, strengthens, and deepens our incorporation into the Body of Christ, the Church.
The Eucharist commits us to the poor. Properly received and understood, Holy Communion teaches us that we should be in communion with all people, and emphasizes our unity with all people, especially with those who are sick, suffering, and in want.
Finally, the Eucharist commits us to work for the unity of Christians. As the Catechism states: "The more painful the experience of the divisions in the Church which break the common participation in the table of the Lord, the more urgent are our prayers to the Lord that the time of complete unity among all who believe in him may return."
