I recently read the biography of St. Teresa Margaret Redi of the Sacred Heart, an eighteenth-century Italian Carmelite nun who died at the young age of twenty-two. Her feast, by the way, is this Thursday, September 1. I was drawn to the young saint for a few reasons: 1) I’m a Secular Carmelite and am always interested in learning more about the Carmelite saints; 2) The heart of her spirituality was the Sacred Heart of Jesus, to our parish has a great devotion; 3) Her birthday into heaven (i.e., the day she died) was on March 7, which is my birthday.
One thing that inspired me about St. Teresa Margaret Redi of the Sacred Heart was the care with which she prepared for Holy Communion. She entered the convent at the age of seventeen on September 1, 1764 (hence her September 1st feast day). She was told that she would have the opportunity to receive Holy Communion the following day, and it was possible for her to go to Confession right away.
With great care, Teresa Margaret knelt near the Confessional to prepare. The visiting priest was asked to stay until she had gone to Confession. The other Carmelite nuns gathered together elsewhere in the convent, eager to greet their new religious sister when she was done. After what seemed like an eternity, one of the nuns was sent to check on Teresa Margaret and found her still kneeling in preparation for the sacrament. The priest was still waiting to hear her Confession.
After going to Confession and greeting her religious sisters, Teresa Margaret asked for permission to further prepare herself for the following day’s Holy Communion. Permission was granted, and Teresa Margaret began her preparations in prayer. Once again, much time passed. Eventually, her superior had to come and tell her that it was time for bed.
Some context may be helpful: Although many of us are accustomed to receiving Holy Communion every time we go to Mass, it was common in those days to receive the sacrament much less frequently. Even nuns who went to Mass every day would often only receive the Eucharist on significant feasts or special occasions, because the Most Blessed Sacrament was regarded with such great reverence. When St. Teresa Margaret made preparations for Communion on this occasion, she no doubt took longer both because it was her first day in the convent and because receiving Communion could be a relatively rare spiritual opportunity. Not until the twentieth century would Pope St. Pius X and later popes begin encouraging the faithful to receive Holy Communion more frequently, even daily.
Although I am very thankful that we now have the privilege to receive Our Lord in the Eucharist daily, we can learn something from the care with which saints like Teresa Margaret Redi prepared for Holy Communion. Knowing that the Eucharist is Jesus himself, present under the humble appearance of bread and wine, Teresa Margaret knew it was important to thoroughly examine her conscience and go to Confession. St. Paul therefore warns in the New Testament:
Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will have to answer for the body and blood of the Lord. A person should examine himself, and so eat the bread and drink the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body, eats and drinks judgment on himself (1 Corinthians 11:27-29).
Even after going to Confession, Teresa Margaret spent further time in prayer, no doubt asking the Lord to help her receive the sacrament worthily.
Very few of us will be able to spend hours in prayer each time we receive Holy Communion, nor, I suppose, is such a great amount of time really necessary. Each of us should, however, make a genuine effort to remember the sacredness of Holy Communion and prepare ourselves intentionally. Going to Confession regularly is an important first step. Praying the words of the Mass with sincerity is also important (e.g., “Lord, have mercy,” “Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.”) Above all, let us approach the Lord in Holy Communion with hearts that are filled with faith, hope, and charity.