WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO PREPARE ONESELF TO RECEIVE THE EUCHARIST.

To respond to the Lord’s invitation to eat his flesh and drink his blood, the believer must be prepared. Saint Paul urges us to examine our conscience. “Whoever therefore eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the Body and Blood of the Lord” (1 Cor. 11.27). Before we approach the table of the Lord it is important to reflect on our life, ask God’s forgiveness for our failings and if necessary, due to serious sin, to avail ourselves of sacramental confession. Recent polls indicate that a significant number of Catholics do not have a complete understanding of the Eucharist and specifically the real presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament. Whatever the cause of such misunderstanding of the faith, all who approach the table of the Lord need to recognize the significance of their action and the importance of their spiritual preparation. It sometimes becomes the task of older members of the family, especially parents, to review with the younger ones what is happening at Mass and who we receive in Holy Communion. Grandparents have in some instances a unique and privileged role as a teacher of the faith in an age where the awareness of the real presence seems to be diminished.