The night before He suffered and died, the Lord Jesus Christ gathered with His disciples and instituted the most holy Sacrament of the Eucharist. Christ left His Body as food and His Blood as drink for the faithful to take in the shape of bread and wine to ensure that the memory of such a magnificent gift of His sacrifice would live with us forever.
The Eucharist is a potent representation of Christian love and unity. It serves as a reminder that we are all united by our belief in God and must treat one another with the same love and service that Christ demonstrated. Christians are urged to strengthen their bonds with one another and God through Communion and to practice their faith daily.
Such a powerful Sacrament requires us to prepare suitably before its celebration. So let us offer some moments in prayer as we prepare to celebrate the sacred mysteries of the Eucharistic sacrifice.
Prayer before attending the Holy Mass
God our Father, almighty and eternally majestic and powerful, I praise and glorify You for all Your wondrous deeds. In You, we live, move, and have our being. From the very beginning, You have shown Your love and mercy. From age to age, You have not wavered from Your faithfulness and compassion.
God, thank You for giving us Your Son to redeem us from sin and death. His selfless sacrifice on the cross has paid the price of our death and eternal damnation. His death on the cross has reinstated our relationship with You. Thank You for not abandoning us in the shadow of sin and death.
On the night before He gave Himself freely to death, our Savior Jesus Christ instituted the Sacrament of the Eucharist. He did this so His sacrifice will be perpetuated forever until He comes again in glory and power. Thank You, God, for this wondrous Sacrament. By it, we are nourished and strengthened as we continue to live lives pleasing to You.
As I prepare myself to join in the celebration of the Holy Mass, grant me a humble and contrite heart, dear Lord. May I approach this Sacrament with a pure heart. Forgive my sins and faults. May this Sacrament bring about in me genuine contrition and conversion.
I pray for the priest who will preside over today’s celebration of the Mass. Make him a worthy instrument of Christ who will act in His person and name. May the Eucharist be the beating heart of his ministry and life.
I also pray for all our brothers and sisters attending this Mass. May we truly become one family united in the Holy Spirit. May we constantly be reminded that we are Your people. May we genuinely realize and strive to become the Body of Christ here on earth.
Lord, as I prepare to participate in this Eucharist, please always remind me that this Sacrament is a foretaste of the heavenly worship. May all the angels and saints be with me today. May the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Christ and our mother, intercede for me and for all of us. May we receive Christ her Son into our hearts full of humility, love, and confidence.
We ask all these through Your Son and our Savior, Jesus Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever. Amen.
Short prayer before Mass
Father, with humility and faith, I approach You as I prepare myself to attend Holy Mass. Grant me a trusting heart and a renewed faith so I may always see this Sacrament as Christ’s eternal memorial of His love for us. May I approach this Sacrament with utmost humility and gratitude. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Word of God
I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever, and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.
John 6:35,51 NRSVUE
Prayer to Blessed Carlo Acutis before attending Mass
Beloved Blessed Carlo Acutis, a young and devoted lover of Christ, I beg for your intercession and guidance as I prepare to attend Mass and encounter our Lord Jesus Christ. You lived a life of profound devotion to God and a deep love for the Eucharist. I pray that you may help me approach this most holy Sacrament with the same reverence and dedication as you did.
Please pray for me that I may have a heart open to receiving the Word of God and a mind focused on the mysteries of the Holy Mass. Help me to welcome the Lord with a spirit of humility and thanksgiving, to offer myself to Him, and to be totally present at this moment.
O Blessed Carlo, you who have tasted the goodness of the Lord in the Holy Communion. Please pray that I, too, may develop my faith and love for Christ. May this time I spend at Holy Mass be a time of renewal and conversion. May I be loving and attentive throughout the whole celebration.
Pray to God on my behalf that He may bless me with humility and profound faith in this Sacrament. May I always see it through the eyes of faith and reverence. May this celebration of Christ’s Body and Blood bring me a renewed sense of mission and purpose to bring the love of God to my brothers and sisters.
Blessed Carlo Acutis, lover of the Eucharist, pray for us. Amen.
Further reflection
The Eucharist stands as the central Sacrament in the Church. It is the source and summit of the Christian life. All of the Church’s endeavors come from and are directed toward the Eucharist. In the Eucharist, we receive Christ Himself. In the Eucharist, Christ is undoubtedly, wholly, and truly present – Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity.
The Sacrament of the Eucharist also has a communal dimension. The faithful experience God and their community in a profoundly spiritual way through the Eucharist. It is regarded as a means of receiving God’s pardon, grace, and spiritual sustenance. Catholics hold that through partaking in the Eucharist, they can transcend their individual selves and join the mystical body of Christ, where they can become one with Christ and with one another.
As we prepare ourselves in all the Masses we attend, let us put our faith in God. May we ever be reminded of the greatness of this Sacrament. May we never forget the reason why Christ instituted this Sacrament. May the Eucharist bring us to genuine conversion and love.
