Spiritual Communion Prayer
A Spiritual Communion is an act of desire for union with Jesus in the Eucharist, made when sacramental Communion is not possible — whether due to illness, distance from a church, or any other circumstance. St. Alphonsus Liguori composed the most widely used form of this prayer in the 18th century.
About Spiritual Communion
Spiritual Communion has been recommended by the Church for centuries as a way of uniting oneself to Christ in the Eucharist even when physical reception is impossible. The Council of Trent (1551) explicitly encouraged it, and saints including St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Francis de Sales, and St. Alphonsus Liguori wrote about it and practiced it.
The prayer involves three elements: an act of faith in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, an expression of desire to receive him, and an invitation to come spiritually into the soul. The prayer of St. Alphonsus Liguori — composed around 1745 — has become the standard form in English-speaking Catholic devotion.
When to Pray a Spiritual Communion
A Spiritual Communion may be prayed by anyone who cannot receive the Eucharist sacramentally: those who are ill, those who are homebound, those attending Mass but unable to receive Communion for any reason, those watching Mass remotely, and those in any circumstance where sacramental Communion is not available. It may also be prayed as a daily devotion by those who do receive sacramentally, as an act of deepening their Eucharistic devotion.
My Jesus, I believe that You are present
in the Most Holy Sacrament.
I love You above all things,
and I desire to receive You into my soul.
Since I cannot at this moment
receive You sacramentally,
come at least spiritually into my heart.
I embrace You as if You were already there
and unite myself wholly to You.
Never permit me to be separated from You.
Amen.
St. Alphonsus Liguori, c.1745. Public domain.
Frequently asked questions
- What is a Spiritual Communion?
- A Spiritual Communion is an act of desire for union with Jesus in the Eucharist, made when sacramental Communion is not possible. It involves faith in the Real Presence, desire to receive Christ, and an invitation for him to come spiritually into the soul.
- Who wrote the Spiritual Communion Prayer?
- The most widely used form of the Spiritual Communion Prayer was composed by St. Alphonsus Liguori (1696–1787), an Italian bishop, moral theologian, and founder of the Redemptorists. He was declared a Doctor of the Church in 1871.
- When should I pray a Spiritual Communion?
- A Spiritual Communion may be prayed when you cannot receive the Eucharist sacramentally — due to illness, being homebound, watching Mass remotely, or any other circumstance. It may also be prayed as a daily devotion by those who do receive sacramentally, as a way of deepening Eucharistic devotion.
- Is a Spiritual Communion mentioned in Church teaching?
- Yes. The Council of Trent (1551) explicitly encouraged Spiritual Communion for those who could not receive sacramentally. Saints including St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Francis de Sales, and St. Alphonsus Liguori practiced and recommended it. During the COVID-19 pandemic many bishops specifically encouraged it when public Mass was suspended.
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