Sometimes routine breeds a sense of commonness, and depending on our attitude that “commonness” that can breed usualness. It is all about our disposition.

When we prepare to receive Holy Communion, it must be with openness to the Sacrament and with a well-prepared soul and mind. What am I receiving?

When we approach the altar, am I prepared by prayer to receive the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of the Savior of the World? And am I reverent, or am I chewing gum (I have seen this) or am I greeting people enroute?

After I have consumed the Body or the Blood, do I return to my pew and pray, do I join in with the Communion hymn of praise, or do I rush out of the Church to avoid the announcements and to get to breakfast fast?

As I mentioned a week ago, there was a Rabbi who said, “That if I believed what Catholics
believe about Holy Communion—that God invites us to received His very Self, His essence—then he would crawl on his belly to the altar.” We are a blessed faith, apostolic in nature—an unbroken lineage from Christ and Peter to Francis, and we are able to be nourished by Christ Himself each and every time we attend Mass. That Eucharist provides us with fortifying grace, to grow in holiness and to become One with Christ now and in Eternity.

So I write this bulletin not to “scold” someone for being late or leaving early every
once-in-a-while. I write it to remind ourselves of what we are doing at Mass and who we are
receiving: Praising God and receiving Jesus Christ the Lord. How blessed we are, and how reverent we are called to be. For in the end, we are to be One with Christ. I was once told that to be (regularly) late to Mass or to (regularly) leave early is like showing up for dinner at a friend’s house after the meal has already been served and to leave the dinner party before the dessert is placed on the table. How many return invites to that home might we receive?