He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.

— John 6:56

Either before you arrive or as you wait for class to begin, find this short passage from Sacred Scripture in your Bible or through an online search. Reading it will prepare you for this week’s material.

—John 6:48–58

O God, who in this wonderful Sacrament have left us a memorial of your Passion, grant us, we pray, so to revere the sacred mysteries of your Body and Blood that we may always experience in ourselves the fruits of your redemption. Who live and reign with God the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

As you watch the video lesson, refer to these key highlights. Feel free to use the space provided to take notes.

• Man, as an embodied soul, experiences spiritual realities through bodily things.

• The sacraments, and particularly the Mass, lead man through bodily signs to spiritual effects and graces.

• All Catholics should strive for a full, conscious, and actual participation in Mass.

• We participate in the Mass best by attending to what the liturgy presents in (1) its words and gestures, in (2) the sense of those words and gestures and, finally, in (3) the goal of those words and gestures.

• Frequent reception of Holy Communion is the source of many graces; above all, a more perfect union with Christ and the increase in charity.

• The Blessed Sacrament is made available for periods of adoration outside of Mass to prolong our Eucharistic worship and to nourish our life of prayer.

Wisdom of the Saints

If angels could be jealous of men, they would be so for one reason: Holy Communion.

— St. Maximilian Kolbe

Take a moment to go through these questions with the group. For larger classes, divide them up into partners. Answers are provided to assist you in leading discussion.

1. How do the sacraments communicate grace? More specifically, what is the connection between the visible and the invisible elements of the sacraments?

   **The sacraments are both signs and causes.

   As signs, they instruct the faithful as to their meaning. By words and gestures they nourish, strengthen, and express faith (see CCC 1123).

   As causes, they actually bring about what they signify: “Celebrated worthily in faith, the sacraments confer the grace that they signify” (CCC 1127).

   Thus, through visible signs, the sacraments communicate invisible realities, leading the recipient into the mysteries of the Lord’s life and communicating the Lord’s grace.**

2. What does it mean to participate attentively at Mass?

   Participation at Mass is first about worship. The Church encourages the faithful to a full, conscious, and actual participation in the liturgy. This is not necessarily brought about by getting involved in the planning and execution of the liturgy; rather, we should ensure that we give ourselves more fully to the ritual of the Mass itself. By attending first to the words and gestures, then to the sense of the words and gestures, and finally to the goal of those words and gestures, one enters progressively into the very heart of the sacrifice.

3. What are some of the fruits of frequent reception of Holy Communion?

   To begin with, Holy Communion increases our union with Christ (see CCC 1391). Indeed, it is hard to imagine greater intimacy with our Lord than that achieved in receiving his precious Body and Blood. “He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him” (Jn 6:56). In addition, reception of Holy Communion “preserves, increases, and renews the life of grace received at Baptism” (CCC 1392). More concretely, this means that it increases the life of charity within.

   Frequent reception of Holy Communion also cleanses us from light faults (venial sins) and helps to keep us from falling into grave faults (mortal sins) which frustrate the life of grace (see CCC 1394–95).

   Finally, by virtue of uniting us more closely to Christ the Head, it also makes us more perfectly one with his Mystical Body. We can say—in a mysterious way—that the Eucharist makes the Church (see CCC 1396); this is why it is often called the “source and summit” of the Catholic faith.

In his Eucharistic presence [Jesus Christ] remains mysteriously in our midst as the one who loved us and gave himself up for us, and he remains under signs that express and communicate this love: “The Church and the world have a great need for Eucharistic worship. Jesus awaits us in this sacrament of love. Let us not refuse the time to go to meet him in adoration.”

— CCC 1380

Discuss these questions with the group, pair them with a partner, or ask them to meditate on their own.

1. Consider some of the gestures or postures adopted at Mass. What kind of spiritual realities do they communicate? What sort of effect does kneeling, genuflecting, folding your hands in prayer, etcetera have on you and your “inner life”?

   These gestures express reverence, humility, and readiness to receive God. Kneeling and genuflecting acknowledge Christ’s presence and our dependence; standing signals active participation and respect; folding hands can quiet and focus the mind. Physically embodying these postures helps align emotions and thoughts with worship, fostering attentiveness, surrender, and interior calm.

2. What are the greatest sources of distraction for you at Mass? How might you rein in some of those distractions? What aids for worship can you use to that end?

   Common distractions include wandering thoughts, phones, and worries about the day. To rein them in: silence or leave electronic devices outside, prepare by arriving early, use simple breath prayer or short examen to refocus, and employ aids like a missal, hymnal, or devotional image to guide attention. Repeated practice of these habits gradually trains the mind to remain more present.

3. Does your schedule permit for time in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament? Can this become a part of your weekly schedule? Daily schedule?

After concluding your group discussion, return to watch the second video where converts to the Catholic faith discuss their conversion and how they live today as Catholics.

Rome to Home

He who approaches the Holy Table should do so . . . for the purpose of pleasing God, or being more closely united with Him by charity, and of seeking this Divine remedy for his weaknesses and defects.

— Pope Pius X, Sacra Tridentina Synodus

Liturgy: The public worship of the Church. The liturgy is the participation of the Church in the “work of God” through divine worship, the proclamation of the Gospel, and active charity. Through the liturgy, Christ, our High Priest, continues the work of redemption.

Holy Communion: The reception of the Body and Blood of Christ in theEucharist. More generally, our fellowship and union with Jesus and other baptized Christians in the Church, which has its source and summit in the celebration of the Eucharist.

Missal: The book used during the celebration of the Mass which contains the prayers read from the chair and the altar.

Intention: At each sacrifice of the Mass, all participants can formulate an intention—typically, a person or persons to whom the individual wants the fruits of the Mass applied.

Eucharistic Adoration: A form of prayer in which a consecrated Host (the Precious Body) is displayed in a monstrance so that worshippers can pray in the presence of the Eucharistic Lord. Periods of adoration may be preceded by solemn exposition in which the consecrated Host is first displayed with some solemnity. It may also be concluded by solemn benediction and reposition in which the priest or deacon blesses those present with the Blessed Sacrament before placing the consecrated Host back in the tabernacle.

God’s Word

For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

— 1 Corinthians 11:26

Soul of Christ, sanctify me.
Body of Christ, save me.
Blood of Christ, inebriate me.
Water from Christ’s side, wash me.
Passion of Christ, strengthen me.
O good Jesus, hear me.
Within Thy wounds, hide me.
Suffer me not to be separated from Thee.
From the malicious enemy, defend me.
In the hour of my death, call me,
And bid me come unto Thee
That I may praise Thee with Thy saints
and with Thy angels
Forever and ever.
Amen.

This serves as a review of the material that your students can read after each class, but it may be helpful for you to read as well. Consider reading it before each class to better prepare you for group discussion.

Jesus Present Before Me

Man is a union of body and soul, a coming together of spirit and matter. As Aristotle taught, man is a “rational animal.” And if man is both body and soul, then he is meant to live, to learn, and to flourish as such—as anembodied soul—and so he does. We see this dynamic in everything from the way we learn to the way we pray. In all our pursuits, we rise through physical things to the contemplation and communication of spiritual things.

The sacramental life of the Church is perfectly attuned to just such a creature. The sacraments use material elements, gestures, and speech—all rich with saving significance—to communicate the immaterial life of grace. Everything from the bodily posture of the worshippers to the musical rhythm of the prayers lead us from earth to heaven and into a more perfect participation in the liturgy of eternity.

At Mass, the proclamation of the Word of God directs the minds and hearts of the congregation to the very mysteries which are made present on the altar. To excite the virtues of faith, humility, and reverence, the recipient bows the head, bends the knee, asks for mercy, and receives instruction and enlightenment as he prepares to receive Holy Communion. And then, at the culmination of his worship, the priest puts God on his tongue.

Presented with such a treasure, we want to do everything we can to appreciate the riches on offer. The question arises naturally for Catholics: “How do I get more out of Mass?” Now, for those hoping that there is a strategy, shortcut, or system which leads easily to the heights of ecstasy, no such thing exists. Rather, the most important “trick” is to remain faithful. The Mass itself takes the recipient by the hand, leading him further up and further in to the sacred banquet where saints are made.

So how then does the Church facilitate this movement? It does so through the ritual of the liturgy itself. The Second Vatican Council encouraged Catholics to a full, conscious, and actual participation at holy Mass. This does not mean we must be highly involved in the logistical planning or execution of Mass, as if one were better able to worship by being a lector, an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion, or a music minister. While those liturgical ministries are helpful, the Church first encourages us to offer a spiritual sacrifice; that is, to unite our prayer with the prayer of the Mass which means paying attention: First, to the words and gestures. Second, to the sense of those words and gestures. And third, to the goal of the prayers; namely, in God and the things for which we pray.

Now, we can adopt better means for doing this. Just as a beautifulchurch building can help you raise your mind to God, you can also place the beauty of the Scriptures and of the Church’s liturgical prayers before your eyes. A hand missal may help you with this by giving you easy access to the readings and prayers of the Mass. Additionally, a variety of monthly publications arrange readings with meditations, devotions, lives of the saints, and other pious prayers which contribute to our growth. It may help also to prepare for Mass by arriving early, taking time to set aside present anxieties, prayerfully reviewing the readings in advance, and formulating an intention for Mass.

The more regularly we are able to attend Mass (even daily), the more easily the liturgical action will take hold of our lives. Christ does not come under the appearance of a lavish feast suitable only for rare occasions. Rather, he comes as daily bread—the very simplicity of the elements serves as an invitation to frequent reception. Just as the Israelites were fed by a daily portion of manna during their forty years in the desert, so Christ is made present on the altar of churches throughout the world for us—for our reception and sanctification.

Frequent reception of Holy Communion is a source of many graces. It imparts strength to resist temptation, cleanses us from venial sins, deepens the hold of the virtues and gifts, and intensifies the union of the soul to God by the bond of charity. Daily reception is, of course, not to be taken lightly. One should prepare carefully and set aside time after Mass for a thanksgiving according to the circumstances of one’s life. For instance, a nun might say a fifteen-minute thanksgiving whereas an accountant on a lunch break might say a thanksgiving of a few moments.

The Church also commends to us the practice of Eucharistic adoration to prolong the worship of the Eucharist and to cultivate a life of interior prayer. Adoration is a form of prayer in which a consecrated Host (the Precious Body) is displayed in a monstrance so that worshippers can pray in the presence of the Eucharistic Lord. Originally, the Blessed Sacrament was reserved in churches for the purpose of bringing it to the sick and those absent from Mass. The introduction of Eucharistic adoration afforded worshippers the greater intimacy of seeing their Lord face-to-face and receiving his blessing through benediction. The practice of Eucharistic…adoration is an excellent way of extending the worship of the Mass and of obtaining healing, rejuvenation, and enlightenment.

At the altar, heaven touches earth and our souls are drawn up into the loving vision of God. By his bodily presence, the Lord makes of our souls his dwelling place, and, what is more, he draws us to himself. And so by worthy participation at Mass, frequent communion, and Eucharistic adoration, we feed on the Lord’s saving mysteries made present among us in the hope that we might become more like him.

• Magnificat. Yonkers, NY: Magnificat Publishing.
• Cameron, Peter John. Jesus, Present Before Me: Meditations for Eucharistic Adoration. Cincinnati, OH: Servant Books, 2008.
• Daily Roman Missal, 7th Edition. Woodridge, IL: Midwest Theological Forum, 2012.
• Manelli, Stefano M. Jesus, Our Eucharistic Love. New Bedford, MA: Academy of the Immaculate Publishing, 1996.