"at least spiritually": that other extra Catholicum ("Since I cannot now receive Thee sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart")

"My Jesus, I believe that Thou art present in the Blessed Sacrament.  I love Thee above all things and I desire Thee in my soul.  Since I cannot now receive Thee sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart.  As though Thou wert already there, I embrace Thee and unite myself wholly to Thee; permit not that I should ever be separated from Thee."

     St. Alphonsus Liguori, "Atto per la comunione spirituale," in "Della communione spirituale," in Visita al SS. Sacramento ed a Maria SS. per ciascun giorno del mese (1745), according to the Intratext version of the Opera Omnia Italiane, which reproduces the original as follows:

Gesù mio, credo che voi state nel SS. Sacramento. V'amo sopra ogni cosa e vi desidero nell'anima mia. Giacché ora non posso ricevervi sacramentalmente, venite almeno spiritualmente al cuore mio. Come già venuto io v'abbraccio, e tutto mi unisco a voi.  Non permettete ch'io m'abbia mai a separare da voi.

Cf. the slightly different version in this older, printed edition of the Opere ascetische:

Gesù mio, credo che voi state nel SS. Sacramento. V'amo sopra ogni cosa e vi desidero nell'anima mia. Giacchè ora non posso ricevervi sacramentalmente venite almeno spiritualmente nel mio cuore. Come già venuto io v'abbraccio e tutto mi unisco a voi, non permettete ch'io m'abbia mai a separare da voi.

     On the assumption that the above is the original, which, I suppose, it might not be (though it ain't St. Richard of Chichester!), here is the beginnings of

A Selective Timeline of Catholic Development (In Progress)

• 1272 September/1273 December (Weisheipl, Friar Thomas d'Aquino:  his life, thought, and work (1974), 361).  Thomas Aquinas, Summa theologiae 80.11, Whether it is lawful to abstain altogether from communion? (FEDP, all emphasis mine):  "Now it is clear that all are bound to eat it at least spiritually [(omnes tenentur saltem spiritualiter manducare)], because this is to be incorporated in Christ, as was said above [III.73.3.ad 1]. Now spiritual eating [(Spiritualis . . . manducatio)] comprises the desire or yearning for receiving this sacrament [(includit votum seu desiderium percipiendi hoc sacramentum)], as was said above [1.ad 3; 2]. Therefore, a man cannot be saved without desiring to receive this sacrament [(sine voto percipiendi hoc sacramentum)].  Now a desire would be vain except it were fulfilled when opportunity presented itself. Consequently, it is evident that a man is bound to receive this sacrament" (Resp.).  "This sacrament is said not to be as necessary as [(non esse necessitatis sicut)] Baptism, with regard to children, who can be saved without the Eucharist, but not without the sacrament of Baptism: both, however, are of necessity with regard to adults [(Quantum vero ad adultos, utrumque est necessitatis)]" (ad 2).  (The only other occurrence of the phrase "saltem spirit(u)aliter" in Aquinas, at Super Gal. c.3 l.4 no. 138, is non-Eucharistic.)
• 1551 October 11.  Council of Trent, sess. 13 (Decree on the most holy sacrament of the eucharist), c. 8 ("On the use of this wonderful sacrament"):  "With respect to the use, however, our fathers rightly and wisely distinguished three types of reception of this holy sacrament.  For they taught that some, being sinners, receive it only sacramentally [(sacramentaliter duntaxat)]; others receive it only spiritually [(tantum spiritualiter)], namely those who have the desire to eat the heavenly food that is set before them [(voto propositum illum coelestum panem edentes)], and so experience its effect and benefit [(fructum eius et utilitatem)] by a lively faith working through love; the third group, who receive both sacramentally and spiritually [(sacramentaliter simul et spiritaliter)], are those who so test and train themselves beforehand, that they approach this divine table clothed in a wedding garment."  Canon 8 "on the most holy sacrament of the eucharist":  "If anyone says that Christ, when presented in the eucharist, is consumed only spiritually, and not also sacramentally and really [(spiritualiter tantum manducari et non etiam sacramentaliter ac realiter)]:  let him be anathema."  Canon 11:  "If anyone says that faith alone [(solam fidem) and not also sacramental confession (confessionem sacramentalem)] is sufficient preparation for receiving the sacrament of the most holy eucharist:  let him be anathema."

A Selective Timeline of Non-Catholic Appropriation (In Progress)

• 1662, Church of England:  The book of common-prayer (1662), underscoring mine:  "But if a man, either by reason of extremity of sickness, or for want of warning in due time to the Curate, or for lack of company to receive with him, or by any other just impediment, do not receive the Sacrament of Christs body and blood, the Curate shall instruct him, that if he do truly repent him of his sins, and stedfastly believe that Jesus Christ hath suffered death upon the cross for him, and shed his bloud for his redemption, earnestly remembring the benefits he hath thereby, and giving him hearty thanks therefore, he doth eat and drink the body and bloud of our Saviour Christ profitably to his souls health, although he do not receive the Sacrament with his mouth."  Note the lack of an explicitly sacramental intentionality (absent also from the prayer by Liguori, though present in some testimonies to the (post-Tridentine?) tradition out of which it comes, IF the article on "Communion spirituelle" in the Dictionnaire de spiritualité—which, however, includes a number of pre-Tridentine quotations which are consistent with the 1662 BCP here—is any indication).  Here the intentionality is the cross and its benefits, not the sacrament or real presence.
• 1871, Anglican advocacy:  The path of holiness:  a first book of prayers for the young compiled by a priest, ed. T. T. Carter (London, Oxford, & Cambridge:  Rivingtons, 1871), no page number ("come spiritually into my heart").  According to [1874], below, "one of the publications of the most advanced Romanizing party in England" (2).
• [1874], Anglican opposition:  Church Association, Diocese of Toronto, Church of England, Ritualists in our Sunday schools:  What do they teach?, Church Association of the Diocese of Toronto occasional paper no. 3 (Toronto, [1874]), 6 ("come spiritually into my heart").  Same thing here.
• 1876, Anglican (Reformed Episcopal) opposition:  Senex, "Lecture delivered before the pastor and congregation of the Reformed Episcopal Church, Ottawa:  shewing the reasons for the formation of the church and where the Church of England has fallen from the faith, has adopted and teaches Roman Catholic ritual, doctrine and practices" ([Ottawa], 1876), 17 ("come spiritually into my heart").
• 1928, Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America:  The book of common prayer (New York:  Oxford University Press, 1938 [1928]), 323, underscoring mine:  "But if a man, either by reason of extremity of sickness, or for want of warning in due time to the Minister, or by any other just impediment, do not receive the Sacrament of Christ's Body and Blood, the Minister shall instruct him, that if he do truly repent him of his sins, and stedfastly believe that Jesus Christ hath suffered death upon the Cross for him, and shed his Blood for his redemption, earnestly remembering the benefits he hath thereby, and giving him hearty thanks therefor, he doth eat and drink the Body and Blood of our Saviour Christ profitably to his soul's health, although he do not receive the Sacrament with his mouth."
• 1951, Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America:  The armed forces prayer book (New York : Published for the Armed Forces Division of the Protestant Episcopal Church by the Church Pension Fund, 1951), 29, under the heading "Spiritual communion" (pp. 27-29):  "In union, O Lord, with the faithful at every altar of Thy Church, where the Holy Eucharist is now being celebrated, I desire to offer Thee praise and thanksgiving.  I present to Thee my soul and body with the earnest wish that I may always be united to Thee.  And since I can not now receive Thee sacramentally, I beseech Thee to come spiritually into my heart.  I unite myself to Thee, and embrace Thee with all of the affections of my soul.  Let nothing ever separate Thee from me.  May I live and die in Thy love.  Amen."
• 2019, Anglican Church in North America:  Occasional prayer no. 106 "For spiritual communion," Book of common prayer . . . according to the use of the Anglican Church in North America (Huntington Beach, CA:  Anglican Liturgy Press, 2019), 677:  "Dear Jesus, I believe that you are truly present in the Holy Sacrament.  I love you above all things, and I desire to possess you within my soul.  And since I cannot now receive you sacramentally, I beseech you to come spiritually into my heart.  I unite myself to you, together with all your faithful people [gathered around every altar of your Church], and I embrace you with all the affections of my soul.  Never permit me to be separated from you.  Amen."  And from p. 242:  "If [the dying person] desires to receive, but by reason of extreme sickness is unable to consume either element, the minister is to assure the person that all the benefits of Holy Communion are conveyed, even though the elements are not received with the mouth."

A Selective Bibliography (In Progress)

• Bazelaire, Louis de.  "Communion spirituelle."  Dictionnaire de spiritualité 2.2 (1953), cols. 1294-1300.
• Blankenhorn, O.P., Bernhard.  "A short history and theology of spiritual communion."  Church Life Journal.  8 April 2020.  "spiritually eating Christ only makes sense if its finality is sacramental reception. These spiritual gifts do not operate in parallel fashion, for one is ordered to the other, just as the manna in the desert was ordered to the manifestation of the Incarnation and the institution of the Eucharist."  And "Augustine, Thomas and other saints laid the doctrinal foundation for a practice that gained popularity starting in early modernity, that of making a 'spiritual communion.' This form of liturgical and private piety grew quickly in the 12th and 13th centuries, among the laity, but also in monasteries. It continued to blossom through early modernity. Modern writers drew from the impulse given at the Council of Trent. Spiritual masters including St. Teresa of Avila, St. Francis de Sales, and St. Alphonsus Liguori have given this practice particular attention."