Holy Communion is the reception of Christ himself, Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity, under the appearances of bread and wine. Because of who is received, the Church asks the communicant to come prepared: free of grave sin, fasting, attentive and reverent. None of this is meant to keep anyone away; St. Paul's warning about receiving unworthily (1 Corinthians 11) and the Church's law together exist so that we receive the Lord as the gift he is. This guide gives what the Church actually asks, and the ordinary way of receiving in the United States.

What you need

• A conscience free of unconfessed mortal sin (go to Confession first if it is not)
• The one-hour fast from food and drink other than water and medicine
• A few minutes before Mass to recollect yourself
• A prayer of thanksgiving for afterward: the Anima Christi, Adoro te devote, or your own words

When to pray it

At every Mass you attend when you are properly disposed; the Church asks Catholics to receive at least once a year, in Easter time, and encourages frequent, even daily, Communion. A person may receive a second time on the same day only within a Mass he or she is taking part in (canon 917).

Steps

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   Step 1: Be in a state of grace

   Canon 916 says that one who is conscious of grave sin is not to receive the Body of the Lord without previous sacramental Confession, unless there is a grave reason and no opportunity to confess, in which case the person must make an act of perfect contrition with the intention of confessing as soon as possible. The Catechism (1385) says the same. So examine your conscience honestly before Mass. If you find a mortal sin, a serious matter done with full knowledge and deliberate consent, go to Confession before receiving; most parishes hear confessions on Saturday and often before Sunday Masses. If you find only venial sins, ask forgiveness in the Confiteor▾ and receive.

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   Step 2: Keep the Eucharistic fast

   Canon 919 asks that you abstain from all food and drink, except water and medicine, for at least one hour before receiving Holy Communion, not before Mass begins. The fast is small, and that is the point: a bodily sign that you are hungry for the Bread of Life. The elderly, the sick and those who care for them may receive even if they have eaten within the hour. If you have simply forgotten and eaten, the ordinary counsel is to refrain from receiving that day and make a spiritual Communion instead, and to remember next time.

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   Step 3: Come with attention

   Arrive a few minutes early, kneel, and tell the Lord why you have come. Take part in the whole Mass, since Communion is the fruit of the sacrifice, not a separate event: confess with the Confiteor▾, listen to the readings, pray the Creed, unite yourself with the offering in the Eucharistic Prayer. As the Our Father and the Lamb of God are prayed, gather your desire. Before Communion the priest holds up the Host and says, 'Behold the Lamb of God, behold him who takes away the sins of the world. Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb,' and all answer, 'Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.' Mean it.

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   Step 4: Approach reverently

   Come forward in the procession with your hands folded or held before you, walking unhurriedly and without talking. In the dioceses of the United States the norm is to receive standing, and to make a bow of the head before receiving the Sacrament as a sign of reverence; do this as the person ahead of you is receiving, so you do not hold up the line. Kneeling to receive is not forbidden and a communicant who kneels is not to be refused. Keep your eyes on the Host, not on the people around you.

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   Step 5: Receive on the tongue or in the hand

   Either way is the sacrament in full, and the choice is yours. To receive on the tongue: tilt your head back slightly, open your mouth and extend your tongue enough for the minister to place the Host on it, then close your mouth and step aside. To receive in the hand: hold your hands at chest height, one open palm resting on the other, and let the minister place the Host in your palm; do not reach for it or take it with your fingers. Step to one side, and with your free hand place the Host in your mouth at once, in the presence of the minister, before turning to return. Never walk away with the Host in your hand. If the chalice is offered, bow, answer 'Amen' to 'The Blood of Christ,' take a small sip, and return the chalice with both hands.

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   Step 6: Say Amen

   The minister shows you the Host and says, 'The Body of Christ.' You answer, aloud and clearly, 'Amen.' That single word is your profession of faith: it means 'It is so'; it is Christ; I believe. St. Augustine told his people that in answering Amen they were saying yes to what they are, the Body of Christ. Say it, then, as a believer and not as a reflex. If you are receiving from the chalice, the same exchange follows: 'The Blood of Christ.' 'Amen.'

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   Step 7: Return and give thanks

   Go back to your place, kneel or sit as the assembly does, and spend the minutes after Communion with the One you have received. This is the closest union with Christ that you will have on earth. Pray in your own words, or use a prayer the Church has loved: the Anima Christi▾ ('Soul of Christ▾, sanctify me...') or Adoro te devote▾. Thank him, ask him for what you need, pray for those you love and for the dead. Stay through the closing prayer, the blessing and the dismissal. If you can, remain for a few minutes after Mass; the Church's tradition prizes a thanksgiving of about a quarter of an hour, and the Real Presence remains within you as long as the appearances of bread remain.

Tips

• If you are conscious of a mortal sin, do not receive until you have been to Confession, except in the case canon 916 provides: a grave reason, no opportunity to confess, and an act of perfect contrition with the intention of confessing as soon as possible.
• Venial sins do not bar you from Communion; the Confiteor and the Lamb of God at Mass, prayed sincerely, are already a remedy for them.
• The choice between receiving on the tongue and in the hand belongs to you, not to the minister.
• If you cannot receive for any reason, come forward for a blessing where that is the custom, or remain in the pew and make an Act of Spiritual Communion.