The Catholic Mass
Our Catholic Mass is a continuation throughout time of the first Mass--the Last Supper--2000 years ago.
Lord Jesus Christ, You gave us the Eucharist as the memorial of your suffering and death. May our worship of this Sacrament of your Body and Blood help us to experience the salvation won for us, and the peace of the kingdom where you live with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
The Catholic Mass is the central act of worship in the life of a Catholic. Going to Mass is about spending time with God, but also receiving His graces—the inner strength to live the Christian life.
Before the Mass, you might want to say a prayer:
O LORD Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, Who by the will of the Father and with the cooperation of the Holy Spirit have by Thy death given life unto the world: deliver me by this, Thy most sacred Body and Blood, from all my sins and from every evil. Make me always cling to Thy commandments and never permit me to be separated from Thee. Amen.
The priest takes unleavened bread and blesses it saying:
I am the Bread of life. He that comes to me shall not hunger and He who believes in me shall not thirst.
Take this, all of you, and eat it: this is my body which will be given up for you.
Then he takes a chalice of wine and blesses it. Again the priest says:
Take and drink you all of this. For this is the Chalice of My Blood, of the new and eternal testament--The Mystery of Faith--which shall be shed for you and for many until the remission of sins.
As often as you shall do these things, you shall do them in memory of me.
After the prayers of Consecration
People attending Mass can now go up to the altar and receive communion. It is good to see people of all ages having this close and loving meeting with Jesus.
But sometimes Jesus in the Eucharist is being received in a great hurry and with indifference.
The sadness of Jesus
The Lord said to Sister Faustina:
“But I want to tell you that eternal life must begin already here on earth through Holy Communion. Each Holy Communion makes you more capable of communing with God throughout eternity.
“Oh how painful it is to Me that souls seldom unite themselves to Me in Holy Communion. I wait for souls and they are indifferent toward Me. I love them tenderly and sincerely and they distrust Me. I want to lavish My blessings on them and they do not want to accept them. They treat Me as a dead object, whereas My Heart is full of love and mercy.”
When we receive Holy Communion
The bread and wine become Christ's body and blood. Christ is truly and substantially present in the Holy Eucharist.
Christ promises that “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.” (John 6:54-56)
At this time, we remember Christ and His life, death and resurrection.
After the Mass
Stay for a few minutes after your Catholic Mass. Bring all your needs, your troubles and your disappointments to Jesus. And He will help you.
If you want to have a close loving relation with Jesus--a relationship that will guide your life--receive the Eucharist at a Catholic Mass as often as possible.
Spiritual Communion Prayer
When we cannot make it to daily Mass, we can still make a spiritual communion:
My Jesus, I believe that You are present in the Most Holy Sacrament.
I love You above all things, and desire to receive You into my soul.
Since I cannot at this moment receive You sacramentally,
come at least spiritually into my heart.
I embrace You as if You were already there and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You.
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