(continued from Bulletin)

You are invited! You are invited every Sunday for sure. But not only every Sunday, you are invited everyday!
Do we treat this invitation with the reverence and respect it deserves? Maybe we need to get a bit of a refresher to “re-think” what we are doing when we decide to respond to the “invitation”.
The following was submitted by a fellow parishioner as she reflected on receiving Christ in the Eucharist. Not only is He the most Powerful Man on Earth, He is the most Powerful Man in the Universe!!! And He wants to be best friends with YOU.
Please consider reading this slowly and carefully as if you were reading it for the first time.
We hope you are as blessed as we were in “taking it all in”.

“Every Sunday, Catholics gather around the altar to celebrate the Holy Mass. While the prayers, hymns, and readings are familiar, something extraordinary takes place at every Mass, something that is unlike anything else on earth. At the heart of our worship is the Holy Eucharist, the greatest gift Jesus Christ left to His Church. On the night before He suffered and died, Jesus gathered with His apostles for the Last Supper. There, He took bread and wine, gave thanks to the Father, and gave them to His disciples, saying, "Take and eat; this is my body... Drink from it... this is my blood" (Matthew 26:26–28; Luke 22:19–20). In those sacred moments, Christ instituted the Eucharist, giving us not merely a symbol of Himself, but His true Body and Blood as spiritual food for our journey to heaven.

At every Mass, when the priest speaks the words of Jesus during the Consecration, a profound miracle takes place. Although the bread and wine still look, taste, and feel the same, they become the true Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ. The Church calls this mystery Transubstantiation (CCC 1374). Jesus Himself affirmed this truth when He said, "Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life" (John 6:53–56). Throughout history, the Lord has also strengthened the faith of His people through Eucharistic miracles. The Catholic Church has recognized more than one hundred such miracles, and Saint Carlo Acutis devoted himself to documenting over 150 Eucharistic miracles from around the world. His online exhibition continues to inspire countless people to rediscover the beauty and reality of Christ's presence in the Blessed Sacrament. You can explore these remarkable stories through The Eucharistic Miracles of the World (miracolieucaristici.org).

Because the Eucharist is truly Jesus Himself, the Church lovingly asks us to prepare our hearts before receiving Holy Communion. Catholics who have been baptized, have received First Holy Communion, believe in Christ's Real Presence, are living in the state of grace, and have observed the Eucharistic fast are invited to receive Holy Communion. Living in the state of grace means striving to remain in friendship with God. Through Baptism, original sin is washed away, and we begin a new life in Christ. Along the way, we all struggle with weakness. Venial sins such as impatience, gossip, or envy—wound our relationship with God but do not separate us from Him. Mortal sin, however, is far more serious. It involves grave matter, full knowledge, and deliberate consent (CCC 1857), and it breaks our communion with God. The beautiful gift of God's mercy is always available. After His Resurrection, Jesus entrusted His apostles with the authority to forgive sins, saying, "Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them" (John 20:22–23). Through the Sacrament of Reconciliation, He welcomes us back with forgiveness, restores His grace within us, and gives us strength to begin again. For this reason, Canon 916 reminds us that anyone conscious of mortal sin should first receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation before receiving Holy Communion. St. Paul also reminds us of the sacredness of this gift: "Whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily... eats and drinks judgment upon himself" (1 Corinthians 11:27–29). These words are not meant to discourage us, but to invite us to approach Our Lord with humility, faith, and reverence.

Our preparation begins even before Mass. The Church asks us to observe a one-hour Eucharistic fast before receiving Holy Communion, with water and necessary medicine not Concluding Rites. Each part leads us toward our encounter with Christ in Holy Communion. To learn more about the structure of the Mass, visit Order of Mass (USCCB).

When the time comes to receive Our Lord, we approach with reverence, making a respectful bow before receiving while standing. As the minister proclaims, "The Body of Christ," we respond with a heartfelt "Amen," expressing our faith that Jesus is truly present. Holy Communion may be received either on the tongue or in the hand. If received in the hand, the Sacred Host should be consumed immediately in the presence of the minister. After receiving Holy Communion, our conversation with Jesus has only just begun. Returning quietly to our pew, we spend a few moments in thanksgiving, offering our prayers, our gratitude, our joys, and our burdens to the One who has come to dwell within us. These precious moments of silence are an opportunity to deepen our friendship with Christ and allow His grace to transform our hearts.

The Eucharist is more than a ritual or a weekly obligation; it is a living encounter with Jesus Christ, who continues to feed His people with His very life. As the Catechism reminds us, "The Eucharist is the source and summit of the Christian life" (CCC 1324). May we always approach this incredible gift with faith, reverence, and grateful hearts, allowing the Lord to nourish us so that we may go forth to love and serve Him in our families, our parish, and our world.” 
~Anonymous parishioner

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