Answer: First of all, thank you for your honesty. What you describe is something many Catholics feel at different points in their spiritual life. So, you’re not alone in this. As we draw closer to Christ, it’s natural to see more clearly our own sins and weaknesses. That awareness is good—but if it leads us to hold back from God, it can become a trap. The Evil One wants to whisper: “You’re not worthy. Stay away,” but the Holy Spirit says the opposite: “Come to the Lord. His grace is a gift.”

Here is the truth: none of us can ever “earn” the Eucharist. It is always a free gift from our loving Father, made possible through the passion, death, and resurrection of Christ. This is exactly why, early in the twentieth century, Saint Pius X encouraged frequent, even daily, Communion. In his time, a movement called Jansenism had left many Catholics thinking they had to be nearly perfect before receiving the Eucharist. For most, that meant receiving only a few times a year. Pius X rejected that view. He reminded the Church that the Eucharist is not a reward for the perfect but a remedy for the weak. The Pope taught that by receiving frequently we are drawn into deeper union with Christ, strengthened against temptation, cleansed of daily faults, and nourished with the Bread of Life.

So, when you feel unworthy, remember that you are exactly the kind of person Christ longs to feed. The Eucharist is meant for those who know they need Christ. Stay close to the Sacrament of Reconciliation so that you can be in a state of grace and be confident in your right intention, but don’t let feelings of unworthiness keep you away. Instead, let the Eucharist be the place where your weakness meets His mercy.

My advice would be to read more about Saint Pius X’s Eucharistic teaching and bring your feelings to a wise confessor or spiritual director so that what you know in your mind can shape the feelings of your heart. The next time you go forward to receive, remember this: you’re not there because you are perfect — you’re there because you are loved and want to be holy.