The Catholic Defender: "Holy Communion is the shortest and safest way to heaven,"

This famous quote was spoken by Pope Saint Pius X (1835–1914), a pontiff renowned for his deep devotion to the Holy Eucharist. 

"Holy Communion is the shortest and safest way to Heaven. There are others: innocence, but that is for little children; penance, but we are afraid of it; generous endurance of trials of life, but when they come we weep and ask to be spared. The surest, easiest, shortest way is the Eucharist."

Often called the "Pope of the Eucharist", Saint Pius X implemented major liturgical reforms to make Holy Communion more accessible to the Catholic faithful: 

Lowered the Age of First Communion: In 1910, he issued the decree Quam singulari, reducing the age for receiving the sacrament from 12–14 down to 7 (the age of reason) so children could receive grace early in life. 

Encouraged Frequent Reception: He broke with the historical Jansenist tendencies of his era—which required rigorous, infrequent preparation—and urged Catholics to partake in daily Holy Communion.

The Eucharist is the surest and easiest spiritual strength for the faithful. 

Quam Singulari in 1910, which allowed young children to receive their First Holy Communion at the age of reason (around 7 years old) rather than waiting until age 12 or 14.  ( I benefitted from this as a child!) Many of our readers and listeners have as well.

The Synoptic Gospels establish Communion during the Passover meal, forming the structural framework for the liturgy: 

Matthew 26:26–28 & Mark 14:22–24 – Jesus blesses and breaks the bread as His body and shares the cup as the blood of the covenant.

Luke 22:19–20 – Introduces the command for perpetual remembrance.

Then he took the bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which will be given for you; do this in memory of me.”

And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which will be shed for you.

John 6:35 – Jesus identifies Himself as the "bread of life".

John 6:53–56 – Underpins the Catholic doctrine of the Real Presence and Transubstantiation, stating that eating His flesh and drinking His blood is true food and drink.

So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you;  he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.  For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.  He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.  As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats me will live because of me.  This is the bread which came down from heaven, not such as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live for ever.”