CHAPTER 12. — THE BLESSED EUCHARIST AND THE MASS.

1. Q. Whom do we receive when we go to Holy Communion?
A. We receive Our Lord Jesus Christ.

2. Q. How do we know that we really receive Our Lord Jesus Christ?
A. Because He tells us so. At the Last Supper, the night before He was crucified, He changed bread and wine into His Own Body and Blood, and He told His apostles and their successors to do the same thing in commemoration of Him.

3. Q. What do we call this Sacrament of Our Lord?
A. This Sacrament is called the Blessed Eucharist.

4. Q. Who changes the bread and wine into Our Lord’s Body and Blood?
A. The Priest changes the bread and wine into Our Lord’s Body and Blood.

5. Q. Who gave Priests this power?
A. Our Lord Himself gave Priests the power to change the bread and wine into His Body and Blood.

6. Q. When did He give Priests this great power?
A. Christ gave this power when He said to His Apostles at the Last Supper “Do this for a commemoration of Me.
(Luke 22:19.)

7. Q. How often should we go to Holy Communion?
A. We should go to Holy Communion as often as we can.

8. Q. How should we prepare ourselves for Holy Communion?
A. We should be free from mortal sin and prepare our souls to receive Our Lord Jesus Christ.

9. Q. How do we prepare our souls?
A. We may prepare our souls by full, conscious and active participation in the Mass, thus making Acts of Faith, Humility, Sorrow, Adoration, Love and Desire to our adorable God. (There are more suggestions towards the end of this catechism.)

10. Q. May we take solid food immediately before receiving Holy Communion?
A. No. We cannot take any solid food for one hour before receiving Holy Communion.

10a. Q. May we drink before receiving Holy Communion?
A. Yes. Water may be taken always. Alcoholic drink cannot be taken for one hour before receiving Holy Communion. Non-Alcoholic drink cannot be taken for one hour before receiving Holy Communion.

11. Q. What should we do after receiving Holy Communion?
A. After receiving Holy Communion, we should stay awhile and speak to Our Lord in Acts of Faith, Adoration, Humility, Love, Thanksgiving, Offering and Petition.

12. Q. When does the Priest change the bread and wine into Our Lord’s Body and Blood?
A. The Priest changes the bread and wine into Our Lord’s Body and Blood when he offers the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, at the time of the Consecration.

13. Q. Is the Mass the True Sacrifice of the New Law?
A. Yes; the Mass is the true Sacrifice of the New Law, for in it Our Lord Jesus Christ, through the priest, offers Himself to God the Father for the living and the dead.

14. Q. What are the principal parts of the Mass?
A. The principal parts of the Mass are the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist, which in turn is made up of the Offertory, the Consecration, and the Communion.

15. Q. How often must we go to Mass?
A. We must go to Mass every Sunday and Holyday of Obligation.

16. Q. Is it a sin to miss Mass on Sundays and these Holydays?
A. It is a great sin to miss Mass on Sundays and these Holydays, if we stay away through our own fault.

17. Q. Why do we go to Mass?
A. We go to Mass to offer sacrifice to God.

18. Q. Why do we offer sacrifice?
A. We offer sacrifice to adore God;
to thank Him for His goodness;
to seek pardon for sin;
and to ask Him to help us both in soul and body.

19. Q. May we pray for others at Mass?
A. Yes. We may pray for all who are in need, living and dead.

20. Q. Should we go to Mass on weekdays?
A. It is good to go to Mass every day if we can.