The Eucharist
The Eucharist is the source and summit of the Christian life. The other sacraments, and indeed all ecclesiastical ministries and works of the apostolate, are bound up with the Eucharist and are oriented toward it. For in the blessed Eucharist it contains the whole spiritual good of the Church, namely Christ himself, our Pasch. (Catechism of the Catholic Church 1324)
In the Catholic Church we believe that Christ becomes present in a unique way within the celebration of the Eucharist. It is here that we participate in Jesus’ Last Supper with his disciples on the night before his death on the cross. On that night Jesus “took bread, and when he had given thanks he broke it and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’” (Luke 22:19) Whenever we celebrate the Mass we do that which Jesus commanded his disciples to do. As the bread that Jesus broke became his body, so too, at the Mass we break bread which becomes the body of Jesus. This mystery of Christ’s body and blood is at the core of our faith since we become participants in Jesus’ passion, death, and resurrection. It is Jesus whom we consume, and for those whose hearts are open, he gives the grace to become that which we eat.
Implications of our Belief
The Mass is not a human invention, it is a gift given to us by God and we are to receive it as a gift. This means we do not attempt to change the Mass in order to fit our own desires and sensibilities. As Jesus gave himself to us on the cross, our attitude in going to Mass needs to be one of self-giving as well. We go to serve God first and foremost.
If we truly believe that it is Jesus who shows up at Mass and desires to give his body and blood to us for the salvation of our souls, how could we ever deny him?
Whenever we refuse to attend Mass on Sundays we refuse to be with Jesus. This rejection of Jesus destroys his love within our hearts. In fact, all mortal sin destroys his love within us; sin is in direct opposition to Jesus’ love and life that he offers us. Jesus desires that you receive his life and love that he freely bestows upon you at Mass.
If you have committed a mortal sin since your last confession, please visit this sacrament of Jesus’ mercy before you receive him again in the Eucharist. Through sinning we turn our backs on Jesus, in confession we turn toward him in an act of faith. Those who find themselves in mortal sin are still required to attend Mass.
Communion to the Homebound
For those who are ill or disabled and are not able to attend Mass we would like to bring Holy Communion to you. Please contact our parish nurse, Betty Mastey at 320-387-2377, you may also email our parish office at [email protected]
There are many Masses that have been televised and streamed since covid-19, the homebound are encouraged to partake in a spiritual communion by viewing Mass electronically. If you are able bodied, watching Mass electronically is no longer a legitimate substitution for attending Mass in person.