23 For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus, the same night in which he was betrayed, took bread, 24 And giving thanks, broke and said: Take ye and eat: This is my body, which shall be delivered for you. This do for the commemoration of me. 25 In like manner also the chalice, after he had supped, saying: This chalice is the new testament in my blood. This do ye, as often as you shall drink, for the commemoration of me. 26 For as often as you shall eat this bread and drink the chalice, you shall shew the death of the Lord, until he come. 27 Therefore, whosoever shall eat this bread, or drink the chalice of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and of the blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man prove himself: and so let him eat of that bread and drink of the chalice. 29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh judgment to himself, not discerning the body of the Lord.
The Douay-Rheims Bible
Two things to note:
1) We come together as a Church to share in the Lord's Supper.
2) God is not so capricious as to have us eat and drink a mere ritual offering to our own damnation.
John 6:48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your fathers did eat manna in the desert: and are dead. 50 This is the bread which cometh down from heaven: that if any man eat of it, he may not die. 51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, for the life of the world. 52 The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying: How can this man give us his flesh to eat? 53 Then Jesus said to them: Amen, amen, I say unto you: except you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you shall not have life in you. 54 He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath everlasting life: and I will raise him up in the last day. 55 For my flesh is meat indeed: and my blood is drink indeed. 56 He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood abideth in me: and I in him. 57 As the living Father hath sent me and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, the same also shall live by me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven. Not as your fathers did eat manna and are dead. He that eateth this bread shall live for ever. 59 These things he said, teaching in the synagogue, in Capharnaum.
60 Many therefore of his disciples, hearing it, said: This saying is hard; and who can hear it? 61 But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples murmured at this, said to them: Doth this scandalize you? 62 If then you shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before? 63 It is the spirit that quickeneth: the flesh profiteth nothing. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 64 But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that did not believe and who he was that would betray him. 65 And he said: Therefore did I say to you that no man can come to me, unless it be given him by my Father. 66 After this, many of his disciples went back and walked no more with him.
The Douay-Rheims Bible
This is hard indeed and many yet refuse to listen to Him.
Interesting. So what am I to do? We’ve established I cannot take communion in the Catholic Church. I’ve had communion before when I was a Baptist, and I’m not sure Christ meant that we needed to perform the rite all the time.
"When you come therefore together into one place..."
Notice that St. Paul does not prohibit taking Holy Communion alone.
"But let a man prove himself: and so let him eat of that bread and drink of the chalice."
EarthBound proved himself first, he prayed.
Prayer: "Lord God, I thank Thee for this Thy blood and this Thy flesh which Thou did give to me so that my sins may be washed clean in Thy Grace. Amen."
Eat / drink - Holy Communion, done deal.