How will You Prepare?

Yesterday I wrote about the betrayal by Judas and how Jesus allowed it to take place.  Do you realize that the dinner they were sharing when this took place is the Last Supper that Jesus shared before being arrested?

Do you realize that at the very dinner that Judas betrayed him, where Jesus offered his sacrifice, that we experience the very same meal at every, single Catholic Mass celebrated throughout the world every day?

Because God does not mark time like we do, and because Jesus is not re-sacrificed over and over again, every Mass is a participation in the very last supper he held with his apostles on that night.

That is amazing, isn’t it?

But what I do not want us to miss in this passage is the importance of preparation.  Because this was a Passover (Jewish) meal, the disciples of Jesus approached him to find out where he wanted them to prepare for it.

He told them to go into the city and find a certain man.  They were to tell the man, “The teacher says, ‘My appointed time draws near; in your house I shall celebrate the Passover with my disciples.’” The disciples followed his instructions and went to prepare for the Passover.

So think about this—how do we, every time we go to Mass and enter into this meal with Jesus, prepare ourselves?  Do we treat it as something routine, something very ordinary, or do we prepare ourselves for this moment?

A few ways we can prepare ourselves is by keeping the hour-long fast from food before we receive the Body and Blood of Jesus.  We can prepare our hearts through prayer and we can even prepare our minds by pre-reading the Mass readings and pondering them beforehand.

During these difficult days, if we are able, we can gather our families for a live or recorded Sunday Mass, avoiding distractions.  We can pray a spiritual communion prayer (see below) during the normal communion time, which helps us enter into spiritual communion with Jesus as we invite him into us.

Remember, it is at this meal that Jesus spoke the words we have come to know and love, that are spoken at every Mass by every Priest as he stands in the Person of Christ during the sacrament:

 “Take this, all of you, and eat of it, for this is my Body, which will be given up for you,” and “Take this, all of you, and drink from it, for this is the chalice of my Blood, the Blood of the new and eternal covenant, which will be poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins.  Do this in memory of me.”

Here is a spiritual communion prayer you may want to use during communion:

“My Jesus, I believe that You are present in the Most Holy Sacrament.  I love You above all things and I desire to receive You into my soul.  Since I cannot at this moment receive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart.  I embrace You as if You were already there and unite myself wholly to You.  Never permit me to be separated from You. Amen.”

As we move through Holy Week, let us look for ways to prepare ourselves for what is to come.  Let us walk together, being of one mind and one heart, as we enter into the Triduum, the three highest holy days, which will soon be upon us.

Janet Cassidy
janetcassidy.blogspot.com
janetcassidy.blubrry.net