The celebration of the Eucharist is wholly directed

toward the intimate union of the faithful with Christ

through Communion. (CCC, #1382).

This statement is the heart of how the Church understands the reason for our participation in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. We are all aware, sometimes too painfully aware, that that intimate union does not always seem to happen during our participation in the Mass. Sometimes that is because of factors outside of our control, but sometimes it is under our control. (Obviously, however, that union always happens to some extent). The clear intent of the Church is to have us grow in our intimate union with the Lord Jesus during Mass. But we can have a very significant impact, for good or for ill, on how much we dispose ourselves to allowing that union to take place. In order to facilitate the union, the Church instructs us on how to approach the Mass and how to celebrate it. The more that we conform our attitude and behavior to the Church's teaching, the better disposed we are to participate more deeply in that union with the Lord Jesus that He intends through His Church. The Church gives us very practical guidance on how to approach the Mass by the rubrics and liturgical rules governing its celebration and, specifically, our participation in that celebration. There are, in particular, rubrics and rules that deal with our approach and reverence for the Lord Jesus in the Mass as a whole and in the Eucharist in particular. It is good for us to reflect on them, from time to time, because it can help us to bring our minds in hearts into greater and greater conformity with His approach to this holy Mystery, thereby opening ourselves more deeply to that Mystery.

Contrary to what is popular opinion in some quarters, the Church does not generate these rules out of some misplaced legalism, but rather to indicate, in a very practical way, how we should act as a function of what we believe. This is based on the ancient liturgical principle: "lex orandi, lex credendi," which means: "the law of prayer is the law of belief." In other words, there is a fundamental and intrinsic connection between our prayer and what we believe. This has practical ramifications for the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in particular. For example, we believe that God is a Trinity, so we pray making the Sign of the Cross, invoking the Three Persons of the Godhead. We believe that the Lord Jesus is really present in the Eucharist, so we genuflect before His presence there, etc. It is very important to be aware of the fact that these rubrics and rules are not meant to simply be devotional indicators, as if they were something that more devout people do and less devout people do not. Rather, they are in fact the Church's clear statement of how each of us is to act as we participate in the Mass. They are given to us by the Church to guide us in our celebration of this Holy Mystery. Let us plead with the Lord Jesus to give us ever greater hearts of submission to His will as He reveals it through His Church.