A Program for Study and Reflection

In his apostolic exhortation Sacramentum Caritatis, Pope Benedict XVI wrote about the Eucharist as a mystery to be believed, a mystery to be celebrated, a mystery to be lived.  It is for this immersion into the mystery of the Eucharist that the Believe, Celebrate, Live the Eucharist program has been prepared.

Every time we gather to pray together, we are being invited to become part of something larger than ourselves–part of a community, part of the body of Christ.  From many directions, through many doors, we come into one place.  From our individual prayer, we are called into prayer together. We stand together.  We make the sign of the cross together. We sing together.  Through words, gestures, and music, we say yes, I want to be part of this community of faith.  The unity of our prayer makes visible, today, in this place, the body of Christ, living and active in the world.

Use the following links to find expanded study materials.  Reflection questions are included below for you or your group to explore each aspect of the Eucharistic celebration.

Gathering

• What brings you to Mass Sunday after Sunday?  Where and when does your “procession begin? What do you look forward to at Sunday Mass?
• Can you think of a time when a particular hymn or song has moved you deeply or spoken to you in a special way?
• Do you feel connected as one in Christ with your community?  If not, what’s missing?  Can you think of a time when you truly experienced Christ’s presence in the community around you?
• What expectations do you bring to the Mass?  What does the Mass expect of you?
   

The Liturgy of the Word

• What qualities make someone a good listener?  Are you a good listener when it comes to the scriptures proclaimed in church?
• The Book That Reads Me by Hans-Ruedi Weber tells the story of a woman who carried her Bible everywhere.  Her neighbors laughed, saying, “There are so many other books you could read.”  She replied, “Yes, buth there is only one book that reads me.”  How does the Bible “read” you?
• How did Christ speak to you in this Sunday’s scriptures?  When else has Christ spoken to you powerfully in the readings?
   

Giving Thanks

• The word eucharist means “thanksgiving.”  For what do I give thanks today?
• What  are my gifts?  Do I share my time, my money, myself with the parish?  Or do I feel that I don’t have anything to offer?
• How do I actively participate in the Eucharistic Prayer?  What part of the prayer affects me most while praying and listening to the Eucharistic Prayer?
   

Communion

• What does receiving the Body and Blood of Christ mean in my daily life?
• Is receiving Communion a private moment?  Is it a communal moment?  Might it be both?
• As I continue to grow in grace and enrich my spiritual life, how might I deepen my faith in this great sacrament?
   

Sending

• Why does Mass end the way it does?  How does it resemble other times we take leave of others in our lives?
• Does my participation in the Sunday Mass have an effect on my life during the rest of the week?  Am I able to connect the worship I offer God on Sunday with my daily life?  If yes, how?  If no, why not?
• How can I love and serve the Lord in my daily life?  How can I go in peace to my family, my work, my broader community?
• As I take leave of the Lord’s altar, do I anticipate the next time I will gather with the other baptized members of the body of Christ in celebration?

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