The Lord Jesus is here among us,
he has brought us together.
He speaks to us today;
he gives himself to us
to eat and to drink.
May he always be with you
R/ And also with you.
Introduction by the Celebrant
A. Take and Eat
The most frequent form of contact with the Church is, for almost all Catholics, the Sunday Mass. It is good to ask ourselves today: Why are we here? What are we doing here? Why must it be the eucharist that brings us together? Because the eucharist is the Lord himself. It assures us, believers, that the Lord is here, that he is present not only in the Blessed Sacrament but in each of us and in our communities. He guarantees to those who believe in him that he is walking with us as our companion in life. Even more, he shows us in the eucharist how to live like him, give ourselves with him; how with him to break ourselves for one another and to give thanks to God, and to each other too. We join Jesus now in his thanks to the Father.
B. An Active Presence