Staying With Jesus After Communion

Divine Appeal Reflection - 241

Today, consider in Divine Appeal 241: "Receive Me in the Holy Communion and keep Me company in Adoration."

When a soul receives Holy Communion, the same Jesus who walked the dusty roads of Galilee, who wept at Lazarus’ tomb, who conquered death by His Cross—He comes, not merely to visit, but to inhabit the soul. In that sacred instant, the communicant becomes a living tabernacle, a bearer of Divinity. God does not merely surround the soul; He fuses Himself to it in a union deeper than human love can reach. The One who spoke the cosmos into being now whispers within the heart, offering not just His gifts, but His very self. To receive Communion worthily, then, is to welcome Heaven into the soul. It is the embrace of the Bridegroom and the Bride, the kiss of mercy upon our mortality, and the pledge of future glory hidden within the humble taste of wheat and wine. But how easily we forget! How quickly we allow distractions to crowd out His quiet presence. The moment after receiving the Eucharist is not a time to rush away but a sacred invitation to stay, to adore, to speak heart to Heart with Christ. In these few minutes, heaven touches earth inside the soul. To keep Jesus company after Communion is one of the greatest acts of love we can offer, and it fills His Heart with consolation.

Saint Teresa of Avila once said that the soul becomes like a palace after receiving Communion, and that Jesus wishes to rest there as a King. What a tragedy it would be if the palace were deserted, if no one waited for Him, spoke to Him, or expressed gratitude! With hearts that wonder and worship, we are asked to accept Christ in the Eucharist, just as Mary carried the Word became flesh in her womb with mute admiration and love (cf. Luke 2:19). The Person of Jesus, fully present, humbly given, and yearning to be within us, is the Eucharist—it is not just a gift. It is the living Jesus in the Eucharist—not seeking formality, but communion of hearts; not rushed words, but the stillness of love. He desires not performance, but presence—true, attentive, Eucharistic friendship.

Theologically, every Communion is a new mystery of union between God and the soul. Saint Thomas Aquinas teaches that the Eucharist is the continuation of the Incarnation—it is Christ giving Himself again, not just at Bethlehem, not just at Calvary, but here and now, into our very bodies and souls. Philosophically, the Infinite enters the finite, not to overpower it, but to lift it up into divine life. Jesus humbles Himself, hiding under the appearance of bread, so that love—not fear—might draw us to Him. Staying with Him after receiving Him is a simple yet profound way of responding to that love with our own.

The silent presence of Jesus in the soul following Holy Communion is frequently overlooked in a world that is always moving. In the Eucharist, Jesus conceals not to get farther away but to be closer—to be loved as the Lover of souls, not out of obligation. He waits for hearts that stay behind when the pews empty, that whisper not polished prayers but honest affection. A glance, a sigh, a word of love after Mass—these are treasures to His Eucharistic Heart, wounds soothed by even the littlest flame of our attention. They repair for so much indifference in the world. They prepare our souls for deeper union with Him, both now and forever in heaven. Every Communion, every moment of lingering love, becomes a step closer to eternal life.

Prayer:

O Adorable Jesus, hidden in the most Holy Eucharist, draw every heart to Your gentle presence. Teach us all to treasure the moments after Communion, to adore You with gratitude and love. May our hearts be Your resting place, our silence Your consolation, and our love the answer to Your thirst. Amen.

Sr. Anna Ali of the Most Holy Eucharist, intercede for us.