According to the Council of Trent, “That infants and children not yet come to the use of reason may not only validly but even fruitfully receive the Blessed Eucharist is now the universally received opinion.”
More recently, in Sacramentum Caritatis, Pope Benedict XVI wrote, “we need to ask ourselves whether in our Christian communities the close link between Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist is sufficiently recognized. It must never be forgotten that our reception of Baptism and Confirmation is ordered to the Eucharist. Accordingly, our pastoral practice should reflect a more unitary understanding of the process of Christian initiation.”
He went on to say that the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (well, that all Bishop’s Conferences) should reconsider the current custom in the Latin Church of Christian Initiation and should do so with consideration as to how adults are brought into the Church, and the traditional Eastern method of Christian Initiation — both which involve the reception of all 3 sacraments on the same day.
Pope Benedict is right! Who would seek to deny young children Jesus Christ, who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life? Well, none other than those who seek to deny life to other young children – abortionists.
The silly thing that some say is that someone must understand the Eucharist to recieve it. The Eucharist is God. God is a mystery beyond our understanding. Such a rule would mean no one could recieve the Eucharist. Same with ideas such as a requirement give proper respect — who amoung us dares to claim they do?
Jesus Christ said, “let the little children come to me.” He did not say, “let the little children be taught about me,” or hear stories about me, but “come to ME.” For those of us who believe that Jesus Christ is present in the Eucharist, who are we to deny the commandment of our Lord to let little children come to Him?
Who is it that argues today that little children are not fully human? That they should be denied life? It is the abortionists. Yet, did not early Christians say that it was a fate worse than death to be denied Holy Communion? Is not an abortion killing life just as it is started? Is not it a spiritual abortion to recieve Baptism, which is — in its very nature — a sacrement to prepare one to receive the Eucharist; but then to be denied the natural continuations of Baptism: Confirmation and the Eucharist? Indeed, it is.
It takes the young soul which is seeking God, and says: this far, and no closer to Christ shall you go. Those graces, which you have been prepared to recieve shall be denied you. You’re spiritual jouney must be stopped now. It is nothing less than a spiritual abortion.
