18th Sunday, Year B "What Happens at Mass"

In the first reading, the Israelites grumbled for not having food as they traveled to the promised land. But God gave them flesh (quail) and bread (manna). God said it was bread from heaven. It was food to help them on their journey to the promised land.

In the Gospel, Jesus told the people, “..you were looking for me, not because you saw signs but because you ate loaves and were filled.” He said, “Do not work for food that perishes but food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.” He reminded them “it was not Moses who gave them bread from heaven; my Father gives you the true bread from heaven and gives life to the world.” Our Lord said He is the Bread of Life, whoever eats His flesh and drinks His blood will live forever.

During the covid lock down last year, there was a rush for food causing grocery stores to be nearly empty. People were looking for food that gives life to the body. Catholics were especially looking for food that endures to eternal life (the Holy Eucharist9, which gives life to the soul. Jesus said, “He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood will live forever.”

Have you ever hoped Mass would get over quickly or that its boring? Some say, I never get anything out of it. Today I will give you somewhat of an understanding of what happens during Holy Mass.

According to St. Thomas Aquinas, the greatest miracle is the Holy Mass and it will happen right here in our church.

When bread and wine is brought up in procession, we are to give God our sacrifices, our works, our good deeds and our very self with the bread and wine offered to God. Therefore at every Mass place yourself and your gifts on the paten with the bread as a gift to God.

When we sing, the Holy Holy Holy, heaven is opened, and thousands upon thousands of angels come down from heaven to surround the altar. Prefaces say, we join together with the angels and saints singing, Holy Holy Holy. At Mass we are more closely united to our dead loved ones and all the saints in heaven, then any other place.

Then when the priest places his hands over the bread and wine --- like this-----the Holy Spirit will come down from heaven, upon the gifts to sanctify them to prepare them to become the body and blood of Christ. When the priests hands go like this-----in your mind picture the Holy Spirit, in the form of a dove coming down upon the gifts.

When the priest takes the host in his hands and says, “This is my body, which will be given up for you.” picture the priest disappearing and you see Jesus at the altar in his place. And suddenly you are present at the Last Supper. And then when the greatest of all miracles will happen! This why there is such a great silence in the church at this special moment called the “consecration”. Multiple things happen during the consecration.

We become present at Calvary. The Church calls it a re-presentation of Calvary. Not a representation, but a re-presentation because the event of the Crucifixion is re-presented before us. (Show Picture) Look at this artist’s depiction. In the picture, we see the priest with the Host elevated above the altar, but we also see Jesus hanging from the Cross above the altar. Jesus is not re-crucified. The Mass is like a time machine, where the event of the Crucifixion that happened 2000 years ago, becomes present on the altar. If we could see what takes place, we would see, Jesus hanging on a Cross. That’s why its called the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

During the consecration, Jesus offers Himself and His sacrifice on Calvary with our sacrifices and our gifts to the Father in union with the Holy Spirit. Then Jesus will come down as the Bread from heaven on the altar. At this moment, the bread is totally and completely changed into resurrected body of Jesus Christ. God almighty will be here. That is why we are to give Him the greatest possible reverence at Mass. That is why we kneel. We are not worthy to be in His presence. We are not worthy to gaze upon the face of Jesus or see His majesty and His glory. He remains hidden in the Sacred Host. And that is why St. Francis of Assisi said, “Let the whole of mankind tremble the whole world shake, and the heavens exalt-- when Christ, the Son of the living God, is present on the Altar in the hands of the Priest!”

The Church teaches the same Resurrected Jesus, who is in heaven, will come down on the altar. He is the Bread from Heaven who gives us the food of His flesh and blood so we can live forever and make it the promised land of heaven.

The Mass is the holiest place on earth. Because Mass is so holy, and so sacred, it deserves the greatest respect and greatest reverence. At Mass we have sacred music to raise our mind and heart to God. When we come to church, there should be silence. At Mass, the mystery of the resurrection becomes present, because the Eucharist is the resurrected Jesus. Eucharistic prayer 1 asks God to send an angel to come down from heaven to take our gifts the altar in heaven.

When we receive the Eucharist and consume the Host, we do not crush His body—because He can walk through walls, yet He physically comes inside us. His resurrected body is indestructible.

So what does Jesus look like when we receive Him in Communion. He looks like this (Show picture). He is present in His resurrected body.

In the days of kings and queens, people would kneel and genuflect to the king, but only on their left knee. Jesus Christ in the Eucharist is the King of heaven and earth and so we genuflect to Him on our right knee. Genuflection of the right knee is reserved to God alone. Because the Eucharist is Jesus, the Eucharist is God, we genuflect when we come to church and leave the church. This is why we kneel during the Consecration, why we dress-up for Mass, why incense is used, why we use a gold plated chalice and a gold plated paten, why candles are lit. That is why we bless our self with Holy Water, to wash away our venial sins before we enter into God’s presence. When we make the sign of the Cross with the Holy water, we are to say a prayer, to wash away our venial sins. When we begin Mass, we are telling God we are sorry for our sins. We say Lord Have Mercy. Christ Have Mercy. We recite the Act of Contrition, we do all this because we are sinners and we are coming into the presence of God in the tabernacle. We want our souls to be free of sin, when we enter His presence.

St. John Vianney’s clothing was in tatters, but not the vestments. He used the most glorious vestments to remind people, something extraordinarily special occurs at Mass. The Church states we should make a sign of reverence, before receiving Communion. To bow our head or make the sign of the Cross or genuflect or kneel.

The Eucharist is a double miracle. One miracle is the bread and wine are changed into the body and blood of Jesus. The other miracle is they continue to taste and look like bread and wine, but are the real and true body and blood of Jesus.

2000 yrs. ago, they ate the bread and fish at the miracle of the loaves. Today everyone is able to recieve the entire person of Jesus, as He multiplies His presence among us.

It is more reverent to receive Communion on the tongue, because it’s the most humble and respectful way and it’s the way the Church desires we receive. A recent comprehensive study from Europe indicates the danger of getting covid is the same for one who receives on the hand as on the tongue. The study indicated there is a less opportunity of getting covid if one kneels at altar rails.

After we receive Holy Communion, we should return to our pew, kneel down and close our eyes and pray to Jesus, who is inside us. The word Eucharist means “Thanksgiving”. And so we should thank Jesus for coming inside us. We should tell Him we love Him and ask Him to help us to be holy and we pray for the needs of others, especially our family. In Communion our heart is united to the Heart of Jesus.

St. Alphonus Ligouri said the physical presence of Jesus remains inside us from 10 to 15 minutes. We should not ignore Jesus who comes inside us. We should never receive Communion in the state of mortal sin, otherwise we commit a sacrilegious communion, which is another mortal sin. If we receive Communion in mortal sin, we receive no graces whatsoever and in fact deeply hurt Our Lord. We should first go to confession to be able to receive the Host worthily.

To best experience the unimaginable miracle, one must be open to receive every grace God wants to give and we should be free of serious sin.

I so much admire how the wonderful people of our parish continue to kneel at the end of Mass saying your prayers. You don’t get up and quickly leave like some in other parishes. You bear witness to your faith, Jesus is really and truly present in the Eucharist.

Now that we understand what happens at Mass, how can anyone ever say Mass is boring and want to hurry up and get it over? Today, let us give thanks to God for the most beautiful, most amazing miracle, the greatest and holiest event on earth, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. And let us never forget, the Eucharist is Jesus, the Eucharist is God. And may turn to the Virgin Mary, for Her intercession, asking her to pray that many in our parish will come and spend one hour a week with Jesus in Adoration.

What do we get out of Mass? Everything. We get God Himself who comes to us on the altar and in our hearts. Isn’t God everything?