Dear Friends in Christ,
As you may know, we have been encouraging the viewers of our online masses to make an Act of Spiritual Communion by saying the following prayer as the celebrant receives communion:
My Jesus, I believe that you are present in the Most Holy Sacrament. I love you above all things, and I desire to receive you into my soul. Since I cannot at this moment receive you sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace you as if you were already there and unite myself wholly to you. Never permit me to be separated from you. Amen.
Recently, the blog of the Living Church Foundation published an interesting theological reflection on the practice of spiritual communion: “Spiritual Communion and Eucharistic Ecclesiology.”
The article notes that “just as every Eucharist anticipates and elicits longing for the wedding supper of the Lamb, so spiritual Communion anticipates and elicits desire for fuller sacramental Communion within the ecclesial gathering.”
I commend this article to all who are interested in the history and theological foundations of spiritual communion. I look forward to the day when we are able once again to share in the Holy Eucharist together at Saint Thomas Church Fifth Avenue.
Blessings,
Fr. Cheng
Theologian in Residence
Theology Class: Bible Study on 1 Corinthians
Our online Bible study series on St. Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians continues this Sunday, June 21st, at 10:00 am.
On Sunday, we will cover the English and Greek text of chapter fifteen of this important New Testament epistle. In this penultimate chapter, we will examine Paul’s theological reflections on eschatology and, in particular, the resurrection of the body.
If you are interested in attending the class, and you haven’t previously submitted an RSVP, please click here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/STC_1Cor_RSVP
If you would like to see videos of the previous classes, you can click here:
https://stcnyclive.wpengine.com/theology/theology-classes/#corinthians
If you haven’t used the Zoom platform before, I recommend that you click here to learn how to configure Zoom for your computer, tablet, or phone.
Please contact Fr. Cheng at [email protected] if you have any questions about this series.
Online Introduction to Anglican-Roman Catholic Dialogue
The Anglican Centre in Rome will be offering an online introduction to the history and foundations of Anglican-Roman Catholic dialogue on June 29, July 13, and July 27.
Entitled “An Introduction to ARCIC and IARCCUM,” the course is the first online offering by the The Anglican Centre in Rome. As you may know, Saint Thomas Church Fifth Avenue supports the important ecumenical work of this institution.
For more information about this course and instructions on how to register, please click here.
Friday Online Bible Study
All are welcome to join the parish’s ongoing Friday Online Bible Study via Zoom. The class begins at 1:30 pm and runs for an hour.
Under the guidance of Fr. Bennett, the class is currently studying the Gospel According to St. John. For more information about this group, including the login information, please contact Fr. Bennett at [email protected].
