Sin is what separates us from God, preventing us from full communion with him.
It can often be difficult to break bad habits and stop committing sins, as our own will power is typically not enough.
The good news is that God's grace can help us overcome a life of sin and embrace the Gospel way of life.
Separation from sin
Receiving Holy Communion should be a central part of our plan to separate from sin. The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains this aspect of the Eucharist:
Holy Communion separates us from sin. The body of Christ we receive in Holy Communion is "given up for us," and the blood we drink "shed for the many for the forgiveness of sins." For this reason the Eucharist cannot unite us to Christ without at the same time cleansing us from past sins and preserving us from future sins.
While this is true, it is important to keep in mind that Holy Communion needs to be received worthily and without any stain of mortal sin.
Mortal sin severs that relationship with God and it requires a repentant heart and the reception of the sacrament of confession before receiving Holy Communion.
Furthermore, if our heart is not open to God and his graces, we may block the help God wants to give to us in Holy Communion.
The key is to approach Holy Communion with an openness that lets God into our lives. When we do that, the union we experience in the Eucharist can distance us from sin.
The more we receive Holy Communion in that manner, the more we can experience the life of true spiritual freedom.
