A. About the Four Ways of Receiving this Sacrament

160. I reply that one can receive this sacrament and not receive it sacramentally; one can receive the sacrament and receive it sacramentally but not spiritually; one can receive the sacrament sacramentally and spiritually.

161. He receives in the first way who receives the consecrated host, which is truly the sacrament there but, however, does not receive it as consecrated but altogether does not discriminate it from common food. And such a one, according to the Apostle in I Corinthians 11.29, “eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the body of the Lord,” that is, not discriminating it from common food. And this can be done either from lack of faith (as a pagan, if communion were given to him) or, when there is faith as well, from contempt (as in the case of a bad Christian).

162. He receives it in the second way who not only receives the sacrament but receives it as a sacrament, believing that the body of Christ is there and that he is receiving the communion of the body of Christ in the way such communion is accustomed to be done in the Church. But if he is in mortal sin, lacking contrition, he does not receive it spiritually, because he does not receive the spiritual effect (to which this sort of spiritual reception is ordered), and this effect is spiritual nourishment of the soul through the grace given by Christ received in the sacrament, or it is incorporation in the received Christ himself, as Christ said, according to Augustine Confessions 7.10.16, “I am the food of the mature.”

163. In the third way the good among the faithful receive it, being, as far as they can, without mortal sin. For they have examined their conscience carefully, and such are spiritually nourished and united and incorporated in Christ their spiritual food, according to Augustine [ibid.], “Grow and you will eat me, not converting me into you, but you will be converted into me.” For there is this difference between bodily and spiritual nutrition, that bodily nutrition is converted into him who needs nourishing, while he who is fed on spiritual nourishment is converted into the food.

164. It is plain, then, that he receives in all these three ways who receives it as a sacrament, and as containing the body of Christ, and does so with due reverence and devotion, so that he is nourished spiritually, the way sacramental reception signifies.

165. In a fourth way the sacrament is received spiritually but not sacramentally, namely when a good man is prepared well and devoutly according to his ability, yet abstains out of reverence or some infirmity or perhaps because he cannot get a minister. With this agrees the remark of Augustine On John’s Gospel tr.25 n.12 [Gratian Decretum p.3 d.2 ch.47], “Why do you prepare your teeth and stomach? Believe, and you have eaten.” And such a one is nourished spiritually.