The Eucharist – Part One of Three
The Church has always taught that the celebration of the Eucharist (the Mass) is the central and most important prayer for Catholics. That is because it is the main way we worship God each week. God gives us every momentof our lives – 168 hours each week – so he deserves one or two of those hours for us to worship him each week. Therefore, the main reason we come to Mass is for God – to give him thanks and praise. The second reason we come to Mass is for others – to build up our community by participating with our full hearts, by being hospitable and by serving in a ministry if we can. Finally, we come to Mass for ourselves to find strength and support from the Lord and from the community. We have to remember to keep those three reasons for coming to Mass in the proper order – God first, others second, ourselves third – because if we don’t we will never receive the fullness of the blessings Mass offers us.
One way we can prepare for Mass and make it more meaningful is to look at the Scripture readings ahead of time by ourselves, as a family, in a faith-sharing group or Bible study. In addition, do we make every effort to arrive at Mass early or at least on time to prepare ourselves properly? Do we stay for the entire celebration, or do we leave early to “beat the crowd” or to go somewhere that’s more important to us?
Do we come to Mass dressed appropriately? I am not asking us to dress formally; casual dress is fine. However, I think God deserves that we wear clothes that are not too dirty or unkempt. And our clothing should not be too tight or revealing – we are not here to glorify our bodies but to glorify God. I have also seen at Mass some t-shirts that have logos, artwork or messages that arenot appropriate for God’s house. I simply ask you to use good judgment.
It is my opinion that using cell phones is not appropriate in church. Therefore, I ask that we not use our phones or any other electronic gadget for calls, texts, emails or games in church before, during or after weddings, funerals, baptisms or any Mass or gathering. Our church is not an auditorium; it is a house of worship. Parents, please teach your children this. So, if you need to use your phone, I invite you please to step outside. I would also ask you to remove your “blue tooth” devices from your ear when you come to church, even if you don’t plan to use it; just put it in your purse or pocket, okay?
I think most of you are aware of my aversion to chewing gum in church, but I still see people chewing away during Mass every weekend. Please, please, do not chew gum or bring any food or drink into church, except for water unless it’s something for your baby to drink. I would also ask parents not to feed your children Cheerios, crackers, cookies, etc. The cry room and church often have a mess after Mass because of these food items.
While we all come to Mass with our own needs and intentions, I believe too many of us Catholics attendMass with an attitude of “what’s in it for me?” or “what will I get out of it?” It is important to keep in mind that our primary purpose for celebrating Mass together is not to meet our needs but to give God the worship he deserves. The second reason we celebrate Mass is to build up and serve our community. Thus, our Mass, especially on Sundays, is principally a communal – not a private – act of worship. So, while there is time for private prayer at Mass, our main focus is to worship God as a
community. To me, this compels us to participate at Mass by praying and singing with the community. Unfortunately, at just about every Mass I celebrate at Holy Rosary, I see a number of people who never move their lips to pray or to sing. Why is that?
The Eucharist – Part Two of Three
Receiving the Eucharist (Holy Communion) is the greatest privilege we have as Catholics because we are receiving Jesus Christ himself – his body and his blood; it is not just a spiritual symbol or a remembrance! It is the actual divine and human presence of Jesus that we receive. This belief was consistently held by all Christians for the first 1600 years of Christianity until some of the Protestant churches called it into question during the Reformation. Sadly, there are still someCatholics who don’t believe in Jesus’ real presence in the Eucharist. Nonetheless, those of us who do believe must take advantage of this incredible gift and try to receive the Lord as worthily and as often as we can.
As our bishops have stated: “Catholics believe that the celebration of the Eucharist is a sign of the reality of the oneness of faith, life, and worship” (U.S. Catholic Conference of Bishops, 1996). For this reason, we can offer communion only to those who are practicing Catholics. Non-Catholics and Catholics who are not properly disposed to receive communion are invited to come forward for a blessing instead of communion. To let the minister of communion know you want the blessing and not communion, simply cross your arms in front of you over your breast as you come forward. Similarly, Catholics are normally not allowed to receive communion in non-Catholic churches. For more information, read the U.S. Bishops’ guidelines for the reception of communion on the inside front cover of the missalettes or in the Code of Canon Law #844.
To receive communion we should normally have fasted for one hour from food and drink (except for water and medication), be free of any serious sin, and cannot be involved in a sexual relationship outside of Catholic marriage.However, please remember that those who are divorced but have not remarried and are not involved in a sexual relationship can continue to go to communion. The important thing is that we should do whatever we have to do to go to communion. If we need to go to confession or to get married in the Church, we should do it so that nothing will keep us fromreceiving the strength and blessing of taking our loving Savior Jesus Christ into our bodies and into our hearts and souls and from being in full communion with him and with his Church.If you have any questions on any of these issues, please talk to any of us on the parish staff.
When we do receive communion, do our actions and attitude reflect our belief that this is truly Jesus’ body and blood we are receiving? Do we receive with great reverence and care? I am always inspired when I see our parishioners coming forward with devotion, focus and desire to receive the Lord. What matters most is the prayerful attitude of our heart, not our physical posture;thus, you do not need to genuflect or kneel beforehand. The most recent directive from the Vatican asks that we express our reverence by a slight bow before receiving the Host and the Precious Blood.
The proper response when the minister says “The Body of Christ” or “The Blood of Christ” is “Amen” which means “so be it” or “yes, I believe.”Saying “Thank you” or “Have a nice day” is not appropriate nor is it an act of faith. If you are receiving communion in your hands, they should be free of any object such as a tissue, missalette, rosary, gloves, or keys, and they should be placed one over the other as you come forward. You should not grasp the Host with your hand but rather receive it from the minister. Please do not make the sign of the cross with the Host over your body; instead, after receiving the Host you should consume it immediately before leaving the sanctuary area. Do not walk back to your pew without consuming the Host. And please do not give the Host to a child who has not made his/her first communion – our ushers have seen this happen more than once! If the Host happens to fall to the ground either the communicant or the minister may pick it up and, if he/she feels comfortable, may consume it; otherwise, just let the minister take it to be disposed of properly later in the sacristy. If some of the Precious Blood is spilled, the minister should try to clean it up immediately with the purificator (the cloth used to wipe the cup) and then stand over the spot so that no one steps on it. Accidents happen, so please don’t feel it is a sin for you or especially for a child to drop the Host or spill the Precious Blood.
The Eucharist – Part Three of Three
If you have a loved one at home or in the hospital who would like to receive communion, please call the parish office so we can send a communion minister to visit them. Please do not take a host to them yourself unless you have permission from one of the priests. And the consecrated host should only be transported in a pyx – a special container – not in a tissue or piece of paper. If you need a pyx, please see a priest so we can let you borrow one for a day or you may purchase one from a Catholic goods store; you can find one for about $10 or $15.
I have noticed that some parishioners receive communion only from a priest and not from a lay minister. I ask you to consider what that implies. First of all, it belittles the authentic ministry of the lay eucharistic minister, as if to say that they are not good enough, or at least not as good as a priest. This is entirely incorrect because the vocation to serve God and the community as a lay person is just as authentic and God-given as the priest’s vocation. Receiving only from a priestcan also seem to imply that communion is somehow more effective or meaningful when given by a priest. It would be a terrible misconception to think that Jesus’ presence and the power of the Eucharist depends on who gives it. Jesus is fully present in every host whether it is given by the pope or by a layperson, by a sinner or by a saint. Our focus should be on the One we receive in communion, not on the one who distributes it. I know old habits are hard to change, but please give it some thought.
If you are not able to receive communion for whatever reason, please come forward for the blessing we offer, again, whether the blessing be given by a priest or by a layperson. I have heard from many people through the years – some with tears in their eyes – how accepted they feel and how meaningful it is for them to be able to come forward at communion time to receive a blessing. And if you wish the blessing, please make it clear by crossing your hands in front of your chest as you come forward. It’s also helpful if you teach your children to cross their hands if they want the blessing because at times it’s difficult to tell if a young child is able to receive communion or just wants a blessing. And by the way, if you receive communionplease do not ask for a blessing as well. You have just received Jesus; his presence in you is better than any blessing you might receive from a communion minister.
After receiving communion is an especially good time to commune with God for at least a few moments and then to participate in the prayer or song of the entire community.Please stay in church until the Mass is ended; it is not appropriate to receive communion and then leaveimmediately.
I realize that some of things I have mentioned are deeply ingrained personal and/or cultural habits: things we have learned from parents and grandparents. I simply ask for your openness to consider them and I hope you receive these remarks in the spirit in which they were given: a desire for us to appreciate more the great gift we have in receiving Body of Christ and the great call we have in being the Body of Christ for each other.
--Sincerely, Fr. Roberto