Things to remember

1. The Holy Eucharist is not a symbol. After the words of consecration, what appears as bread and wine is truly, really, and substantially the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Our Lord Jesus Christ. This mystery is called the Real Presence.

2. You are here because Christ died for you and gave Himself as food for your soul. In Holy Communion, you partake in the Sacrifice of the Cross by receiving the Victim Himself. By this Sacrament, Christ draws you to Himself, loosens you from sin, and gives you a place in His Body, the Church. Being joined ever more closely to His Body, you are drawn into the life of the Trinity, having communion with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

3. Holy Communion also commits you to love. By becoming a member of Christ’s Body, you are called to love your fellow Catholics, other Christians, and indeed all people, whom God loves—everyone and everything He has made. Receiving Christ within you is not an end in itself; it sends you forth to serve in His Name, carrying His presence into the world.

4. The Mass is not an ordinary gathering. When you enter the church, remember that you are taking part in the Paschal Mystery: the suffering, Death, and Resurrection of Christ. Let your imagination, your will, your eyes, and your whole being be fixed on this reality. Be internally and externally composed. Turn off your phone; if possible, leave it outside the church. Follow the readings, perform the gestures prescribed by the Church, sing, and speak out loud, joining your voice as a member of this one single organism, the Church, the Body of Christ, which offers this Sacrifice to the Father.

5. There should be no chitchat and no deliberate distractions. If you struggle with attention, do not be discouraged. Simply return your focus to God and continue doing your best. God does not expect more than you are currently capable of, but if you give your honest best, He will continue to increase your capacity to love and to worship Him well.

Disposition

1. To receive Holy Communion worthily, a Catholic must:
– Be baptized and in full communion with the Catholic Church
– Be in a state of grace, that is, not conscious of mortal sin
– Observe the Eucharistic fast of at least one hour before Communion, except for water and medicine
– Intend to receive Christ with faith and reverence

2. If you are conscious of mortal sin, you must not receive Holy Communion. You should go to Confession as soon as possible. It is false to believe that one may receive Communion in mortal sin simply because one intends to go to Confession later. To receive Holy Communion knowingly in a state of mortal sin is a grave sacrilege and causes spiritual harm.

3. If you are conscious only of venial sins, you should not stay away from Holy Communion. The Eucharist itself strengthens us against sin and heals the wounds left by daily faults.

Preparation before Mass

1. Come early to Mass, preferably at least ten minutes before it begins, so that you may recollect yourself and prepare interiorly. Many people who arrive exactly at the start of Mass find that they remain unsettled for much of the liturgy. Recollection before Mass is important and should not be neglected. (Some prayers before Mass below)

2. At the beginning of Mass, examine your conscience briefly and sincerely. During the Penitential Act, when we strike our chests and say “through my fault,” ask God for mercy with humility and honesty.

Receiving Holy Communion

1. When it is time for Holy Communion, approach with recollection and reverence. As you walk toward the altar, keep your hands together and your mind composed.

2. Before receiving, make the required gesture of reverence, ordinarily a bow. When the priest says, “The Body of Christ,” respond “Amen.” This “Amen” is a profession of faith in the Real Presence. 

3. After receiving, return calmly to your place. Be aware that Christ is now truly present within you. This is a privileged and powerful moment of communion with Him. Treasure it. Do not rush past it or treat it casually.

4. If for any reason you are unable to receive Holy Communion, remain in your place and unite yourself to Christ interiorly. Do not feel ashamed. A sincere desire for the Eucharist, joined with humility and repentance, is already a grace and should deepen your longing for full communion with God.

After Mass

1. After Mass, remain for a few moments to give thanks to God. Reflect on the great grace you have received. From all eternity, God has willed to unite Himself with you at this moment. This is not something ordinary, and it should not be treated as such.

2. When the priest dismisses the congregation, he is not saying, “Go home, the ritual is finished.” Through him, Christ sends you into the world, just as He sent His Apostles. You are sent as someone in whom God dwells, as a living temple of the Holy Spirit.

3. Carry Christ into your daily life. Let Holy Communion shape your thoughts, your words, your choices, and your relationships. Bring His love, His truth, His healing, and His peace to everyone you meet. This mission is not optional. It is the natural completion of the Mass and the true fruit of Holy Communion.

Prayers Before Mass

By Saint Thomas Aquinas

Almighty and ever-living God, I approach the sacrament of Your only-begotten Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ. I come sick to the doctor of life, unclean to the fountain of mercy, blind to the radiance of eternal light, and poor and needy to the Lord of heaven and earth.

Lord, in Your great generosity, heal my sickness, wash away my defilement, enlighten my blindness, enrich my poverty, and clothe my nakedness. May I receive the Bread of Angels, the King of kings and Lord of lords, with humble reverence, with purity and faith, with repentance and love, and with a firm purpose of amendment that will lead me to salvation. May I receive the sacrament of the Lord’s Body and Blood, together with its reality and power.

Kind God, may I receive the Body of Your only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, born of the Virgin Mary, and so be received into His mystical Body and numbered among His members.

Loving Father, as on my earthly pilgrimage I now receive Your beloved Son under the veil of a sacrament, may I one day behold Him face to face in glory, who lives and reigns with You for ever. Amen.

By Saint Ambrose of Milan

Lord Jesus Christ, I approach Your banquet table in fear and trembling, for I am a sinner and dare not rely on my own worth, but only on Your goodness and mercy. I am defiled by many sins in body and soul, and by my unguarded thoughts and words. Gracious God of majesty and awe, I seek Your protection and look for Your healing, poor and troubled sinner that I am. I appeal to You, the fountain of all mercy. I cannot bear Your judgment, but I trust in Your salvation. 

Lord, I show my wounds to You and uncover my shame before You. I know my sins are many and great, and they fill me with fear, yet I hope in Your mercies, for they cannot be numbered. 

Lord Jesus Christ, eternal King, God and Man, crucified for mankind, look upon me with mercy and hear my prayer, for I trust in You. Have mercy on me, full of sorrow and sin, for the depth of Your compassion never ends. Praise be to You, saving Sacrifice, offered on the wood of the Cross for me and for all mankind. Praise be to the noble and precious Blood, flowing from the wounds of my crucified Lord Jesus Christ and washing away the sins of the whole world. 

Remember, Lord, Your creature whom You have redeemed with Your Blood. I repent of my sins, and I long to put right what I have done. Merciful Father, take away all my offenses and sins; purify me in body and soul, and make me worthy to taste the Holy of Holies. 

May Your Body and Blood, which I intend to receive, though I am unworthy, be for me the remission of my sins, the washing away of my guilt, the end of my evil thoughts, and the rebirth of my better instincts. May it incite me to do works pleasing to You and profitable to my health in body and soul, and be a firm defense against the wiles of my enemies. Amen.

Prayers After Mass

Lord Jesus Christ, take all my freedom, my memory, my understanding, and my will. All that I have and cherish You have given me. I surrender it all to be guided by Your will. Your grace and Your love are enough for me. Give me these, Lord Jesus, and I ask for nothing more. Amen.

By Saint Thomas Aquinas

I thank You, holy Lord, almighty Father, eternal God, who deigned to feast me, a sinful and unworthy servant, with the precious Body and Blood of Your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, not for any merit of mine, but solely because of Your merciful goodness. I pray that this Holy Communion, far from condemning me to punishment, may bring about my pardon and salvation, encompassing me with the armor of faith and the shield of good will. 

By it, may my vices be done away with and all lustful desires extinguished. May it advance me in charity, patience, humility, obedience, and every other virtue. Let it be a strong defense against the wiles of all my enemies, visible and invisible, calming every disturbance of flesh and spirit, binding me firmly to You, the one true God, and bringing my last hour to a happy close. 

I pray also that it may please You to call my sinful self one day to that banquet, wonderful beyond all telling, where You, with Your Son and the Holy Spirit, feast Your saints with the vision of Yourself, who are true Light, the fulfillment of all desires, joy without end, gladness unalloyed, and perfect bliss, through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.