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The spiritual advice is modern, but I thought the style incomparable. From a card found several weeks ago at St. Alphonsus in Baltimore:
It is well for you to consider what you lose every morning that you pass up Holy Communion:
1. You miss a personal visit with Jesus, Author of all spiritual energy and of all holiness;
2. You lose a special increase of sanctifying grace, which makes your soul more pleasing to God;
3. You lose a quota of sacramental grace which entitles you to special help in times of temptation and in the discharge of your special duties;
4. You lose a precious opportunity of having all your venial sins wiped away;
5. You miss the special preserving influence which each Holy Communion confers against the fires of passion;
6. You miss the opportunity of having remitted a part, or all, of the temporal punishments due to your sins;
7. You lose the spiritual joy, the sweetness and particular comfort that come from a fervent Holy Communion;
8. You lose a part of the glory that your body might enjoy at its resurrection on the Last Day;
9. You lose the greater degree of glory you would possess in Heaven for all eternity;
10. You may lose:
a. complete victory over some fault or passion;
b. some particular grace long prayed for;
c. the conversion or salvation of some soul;
d. deliverance of a relative or friend from Purgatory;
e. many graces for others, both the living and the dead;
Will a few extra minutes of sleep repay you for all these losses?
What riches hundreds of thousands of Catholics deprive themselves daily by neglecting Mass. It in itself is the best preparation for Holy Communion. At the hour of death our greatest consolation will be the Masses we have heard and the Holy Communions received.
With Ecclesiastical Approval
Chicago, December 6th, 1940
Compliments of the CRUSADERS For The VIRGIN MARY
St. Louis-Marie de Montfort,
Pope St. Pius X,
St. Joseph,
St. Ambrose of Milan,
St. Thomas Aquinas,
St. Francis (and St. Clare),
St. Catherine of Siena,
St. Alphonsus Ligouri,
St. John Chrysostom,
Pretty good, Iacobe, though they unfortunately don’t distinguish between missing Holy Communion and missing Mass. You can still get some of the above benefits by assisting at Mass even if you don’t receive.
I find that I miss Holy Communion more often these days, not on account of extra sleep, but on account of singing in the choir. With choir practice right before Mass, it’s sometimes hard to get to confession until after. But hopefully our singing also helps gather graces, if not for ourselves then at least for others!
Just what I thought. Although I’d have to imagine the intended audience is someone who both understood the distinction and knew the disposition proper for reception, but could nonetheless benefit from an exhortation to make the effort to go to daily Mass.