Reflections on the Mass: Preparing for Holy Communion

After we have recited the Lamb of God, we kneel down in reverence before our Eucharistic Lord. The priest elevates the Host and chalice, and we gaze upon Jesus, present Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity under the signs of bread and wine. The priest then says, “Behold the Lamb of God, behold Him Who takes away the sins of the world. Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb.”

Do we realize how blessed we are to be kneeling there at that moment? We have been called to share in the Eucharistic sacrifice and banquet. We have been called to worship God present among us and to welcome Him into our very selves.

We respond with great humility, “Lord I am not worthy that You should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.” Here we echo the words of the Roman centurion who asked Jesus for a miraculous healing and had the faith to believe that Jesus could do it without even entering into his home. In that case, Jesus performed the miracle from a distance, but now He does indeed enter under our roofs to heal our souls.

And we should be ready to receive Him. In these few precious moments before Holy Communion, we must prepare our hearts and souls to welcome Jesus. We might pray an Act of Contrition and simply talk to Jesus, asking Him to come to us, shower us in His merciful love, and strengthen us. This might also be a time to present special intentions and petitions and to simply marvel that our Lord loves us so much as to enter into us in this intimate, perfectly loving way.