For us as Catholics, receiving the Eucharist is the “source and the summit of the Christian life” (CCC 1324). When we receive the Eucharist, we are as fully united to Christ as we can be. To really embrace this union, we should prepare our body, mind, and soul before receiving Jesus in the sacrament of the Eucharist.
The way we prepare and experience a feast at a friend or family member’s house is the way we should prepare for the Eucharist at Mass. First imagine that this person invites you over for a large feast. Would you come hungry or eat before? I would come hungry so that I can savor the delicious food being offered. This is how we should prepare our body when we go to Mass, to come hungry for Christ. Therefore, we should not eat or drink (except with water or medication) an hour before receiving the Eucharist according to the Catechism. Fasting is essential before receiving the Eucharist because it helps us to desire Jesus more.
Along with fasting is prayer and meditation. Prayer is union with God that helps us to prepare for an even greater union in the Eucharist. You can pray and meditate with the Holy Rosary or with the Scriptures before Mass. To better prepare yourself before Mass, you can even pray with the daily readings of the Mass. You can do it for free by downloading the Laudate app which takes you to the USCCB’s (United States Catholic Conference of Bishops) website. Click here for the direct link.
In addition to preparing our body by fasting and our mind by prayer and meditation, we can prepare our soul by the Sacrament of Confession. Sin separates us from God. Before we receive Jesus in the Eucharist, we need to get our soul right with God. In cases of mortal sin, we need to go to the Sacrament of Confession so that we can receive absolution before receiving the Eucharist (CCC 1457). In cases of venial sin, we do not have the obligation to go to the Sacrament of Confession, but we can pray and ask God to forgive our sins. We can still go to the Sacrament of Confession to confess our venial sins, because we will still get grace from the Sacrament of Confession. When we cleanse our soul, we can be more open to God’s grace when we receive Jesus in the Eucharist.
The Eucharist is the greatest gift God could of ever given to us. As Saint Pope John Paul II said, “The Eucharist is the secret of my day. It gives strength and meaning to all my activities of service to the Church and to the whole world.” (Address to Young People of Bologa September 27, 1997) When we are fully prepared, body, mind, and soul to receive the Eucharist, God can give us more strength to do His Will to build up His Kingdom throughout our days. By doing so, we will bear much fruit.
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