Making time for thanksgiving

Receiving Holy Communion is a precious moment in our lives.  There was a time when many Catholics received Holy Communion only a few times each year, often most notably during the Easter season. Today, amongst regular Mass-goers, frequent reception is very much the norm.

The whole of the Mass is an act of thanksgiving, which is reflected in the very meaning of the word eucharistia in Greek or 'Eucharist'.  We thank the Lord for coming to us, dying for us and rising again. We thank him for coming to us in Holy Communion.  It is right and fitting to make time to give thanks in personal prayer in the moments following reception. This, also, may take the form of a mindful awareness of the Lord’s presence in us and in those around us.  In practice and notwithstanding the time of silence that may be practiced for a few moments towards the end of the Communion rite before the Communion prayer, the time to the final dismissal is typically short.  The General Instruction of the Roman Missal specifically provides for sacred silence after Communion:

When the distribution of Communion is over, if appropriate, the Priest and faithful pray quietly for some time.

The moments after Communion need not be filled with many words. Sometimes the most fruitful thanksgiving consists in quietly resting in the presence of the Lord.

There may be some who wish to leave before the final dismissal.  Unless there is a very urgent and strong reason to leave, it is important to stay with the community until the very end.  The final blessing and dismissal are an important part of the Mass, from whose concluding words, Ite, missa est ('Go forth, the Mass is ended'), the English word 'Mass' is traditionally understood to derive.

Once the priest has left the sanctuary there is no strict requirement that we rush along either! It might be an idea if opportunity and circumstances permit to prolong our participation in the mysteries by taking a little time for personal reflection and prolonged listening after the  dismissal.

Saint John Paul II once wrote:

It is pleasant to spend time with him, to lie close to his breast like the Beloved Disciple (cf. Jn 13:25) and to feel the infinite love present in his heart. (Ecclesia de Eucharistia #25)