Refreshed and Renewed

In John, 6:51, Jesus says, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.”

Communion with Christ is life-giving and life-changing! In fact, our faith teaches us that receiving Jesus in the Eucharist is vital, indispensable and irreplaceable.  Below are some of the reasons that participating in the Mass each Sunday is central to our faith:

The Real Presence
We encounter the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist. Jesus gives himself to us in the Eucharist as spiritual nourishment because He loves us. The Eucharist is CHRIST; the Eucharist is LOVE: the Eucharist is JUSTICE; the Eucharist is GOOD NEWS; the Eucharist is HEALING; The Eucharist is THANKSGIVING; the Eucharist is MISSION; the Eucharist UNITES; the Eucharist is HEAVEN on EARTH; the Eucharist is our “HIGHWAY TO HEAVEN” (Blessed Carlo Acutis); The Eucharist is GOD WITH US. Jesus Christ is also present in his Word since it is He who speaks when the holy scriptures are proclaimed in church.

Unity with Christ
The celebration of the Mass is directed “toward the intimate union of the faithful with Christ through communion. To receive communion is to receive Christ himself who has offered himself for us.” Catechism of the Catholic Church #1382

Our Commitment
Catholics believe certain commitments are needed to live out the faith, such as attending Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation. This obligation is a blessing because it helps us to stay close to Christ. Sunday is a holy day because it recalls the day of our Lord’s resurrection, the day Christ rose from the dead so that we might have eternal life.

Thanksgiving
The word Eucharist means “thanksgiving.” At Mass, we give thanks for the life, death, and resurrection of Christ. We thank God for the new life that comes to us through Jesus Christ and we are grateful that we have been invited into communion with Jesus Christ. Catholics worship together at Mass on Sunday and give thanks to God for the grace we receive through faith.

Sent on Mission
The word “Mass” comes from the Latin word missa, which means to be “sent.” All of us are sent out into the world to be evangelizers – where we work, live and learn. Evangelizing involves serving those in need, building a more just society, and reaching out to the poor and marginalized in response to the Church’s social teaching. In this way what takes place in church during the Eucharist enters into the mainstream of daily life.

Learn more about the Mass
To learn more about the Mass, read Living Eucharist (available in English, Spanish, Korean and Vietnamese) or watch videos about Living Eucharist (available in English and Spanish).

“Welcome one another, then, as Christ welcomed you, for the glory of God.”

-Romans 15:7

Remember, in order to receive the Eucharist at Mass, you must have confessed any mortal sins you’ve committed (read Catechism of the Catholic Church here). Check out How To Go To Confession for more information.