Last week my family and I took a short vacation to Green Bay, Wisconsin. We enjoyed the usual sites, including a visit to the National Railroad Museum (for the kids) and a tour of Lambeau Field (for my wife and me).

But the highlight of the trip was on the second day when we drove 20 minutes to Champion, Wisconsin, to visit the Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help. This shrine is located at the spot of the only Church-approved Marian apparition in the United States.

In 1859 Adele Brise, a youth Belgian immigrant, saw a woman in white standing between two trees. She was frightened by the vision, which reappeared a second time the following Sunday as she was walking to Mass. She asked a priest for advice and he told her she should ask it, "In the Name of God, who are you and what do you wish of me?"

On her way home the lady appeared again and Adele did as she had been instructed. The lady replied, "I am the Queen of Heaven, who prays for the conversion of sinners, and I wish you to do the same." Adele was also told to "gather the children in this wild country and teach them what they should know for salvation."

Adele dedicated the rest of her life to catechizing the children of rural Wisconsin, walking from community to community and later founding a school at the spot of the apparition. (It was closed in the 1920s and is now a sandwich shop, but some of the original blackboards are still hanging up!)

Adele Brise is a wonderful example of the humility and perseverance needed for catechists today. The Blessed Mother’s call to “teach them what they should know for salvation” remains our calling whether as parents, catechists, Catholic school teachers, youth ministers, RCIA team members, or any number of other roles we play in our lives.

I pray that, during this month of Mary, the Queen of Heaven will pray for you and all the catechists of our diocese so that we may fulfill her son’s will to make disciples in his Church.

Our Lady of Good Help, pray for us!

Every year in late winter my mother spends a weekend at our house helping me to paint a room. This little tradition started the first year after we moved into our house and so far we've completed the living room, the boys' room, our daughter's room, and now the hallways. It's a lot of work -- especially taping off all the windows and woodwork in an old house like ours -- but it's worth the effort for the clean, pristine walls afterward.

(Not that they stay that way with ten little hands in the house, but that's another story.)

This year as I was rolling a fresh coat over scratches and smudge marks, I thought about how painting a wall is a lot like the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation. A wall, when it is first constructed, is a plain thing, not quite white, until it receives the first coat of paint; then it is clean and unblemished. But over time the wall accumulates hand prints and dirt, gouges and pencil marks. Some are due to carelessness, some are deliberate. But in the end the wall is less attractive and in need of some care. So we break out a gallon and with a fresh coat of paint the wall is healed and made new. This process can repeat itself many times over the lifetime of a house; it takes patient care and effort to ensure that the walls are kept fresh over the years.

The wall is like our souls. The first coat of paint is our baptism, through which the stain of original sin is washed away. But we fail to take care of the wall and, through sin, it is marked and beaten. But through the sacrament we can wash away the smudges of sin and heal our souls. This process repeats itself many times over a lifetime through dedication and a deliberate intention to confess our sins and receive absolution.

So this Lent, make sure you get yourself a fresh coat of paint by revisiting the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation.

Mandato general de HHS se queda igual, viola los derechos de conciencia y la libertad religiosa Congreso tiene que actuar para arreglar el problema

Durante muchos años, los obispos de EE. UU. han apoyado el acceso al cuidado de la salud que afirme la vida de todos. En el curso del debate sobre la reforma al sistema de cuidados de la salud en el Congreso ustedes recibieron un número de circulares urgentes de parte de USCCB pidiendo legislación que avanzara la meta de ofrecer cuidados de la salud que verdaderamente fueran universales y afirmara la vida: defendiera políticas federales aceptadas por largo tiempo contra el financiamiento del aborto, protegiera los derechos de conciencia y no dejara a los inmigrantes en una situación peor.

El 20 de enero de 2011, el Departamento de Salud y Servicios Humanos (HHS, sigla en inglés) reafirmó una regulación que exige que casi todos los planes de salud cubran la esterilización, los abortivos y la contracepción. La regla daba una exención a los "empleadores religiosos," pero excluía a los que dan servicio o emplean a personas que no profesan la misma religión. Esto era tan estrecho que no cubre a la gran mayoría de organizaciones religiosas, incluso hospitales, universidades y organizaciones católicas de servicio que ayudan a millones cada año.

Después de escuchar el alboroto de muchos grupos, el 10 de febrero, la Administración de Obama emitió un mandato final "sin ningún cambio". Además, la administración dio a algunas organizaciones religiosas caritativas una prórroga de un año para cumplirlo y prometió emitir más regulaciones para "acomodarlas". Sin embargo, bajo esta futura "acomodación" nuestra organizaciones caritativas, hospitales y universidades todavía serían considerados ciudadanos de segunda clase dentro de los círculos religiosos, y todavía se verían obligados a pagar cobertura que viola sus convicciones religiosas. Esto es inaceptable.

Urgentemente necesitamos legislación para corregir las amenazas del mandato a la libertad religiosa y los derechos de conciencia. La Ley de Respeto a los Derechos de Conciencia se ha introducido en el Congreso (H.R. 1179, S. 1467) para asegurar que quienes participen en la compra de seguro de la salud “retengan el derecho de proporcionar, comprar o afiliarse a una cobertura de salud que sea conforme a sus creencias religiosas y convicciones morales".

Para movilizar a los católicos para que contacten el Congreso, USCCB les ofrece el volante adjunto. Al igual que con nuestros esfuerzos pasados sobre la reforma al sistema de salud, les pedimos que lo compartan con sus parroquias y organizaciones y agencias católicas lo antes posible. Aunque la legislación cambie, el lugar para la acción que se anota en el volante puede cambiar rápidamente.

Encontrarán más información en www.usccb.org/conscience. ¡Muchas gracias por sus acciones urgentes y oraciones para este esfuerzo nacional!

On January 20, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) reaffirmed a rule that virtually all private health care plans must cover sterilization, abortifacients, and contraception. The exemption provided for "religious employers" was so narrow that it failed to cover the vast majority of faith-based organizations -- including Catholic hospitals, universities, and charities -- that help millions every year. Ironically, not even Jesus and his disciples would have qualified for the exemption, because it excludes those who mainly serve people of another faith. On February 10, the Obama Administration made this rule final “without change”; delayed enforcement for a year against religious nonprofits that were still not exempted (our charities, hospitals, and colleges); and promised to develop more regulations to “accommodate” them by the end of that additional year. But, as explained below, that promised “accommodation” still forces them to pay for “services” that violate their religious convictions.

The original rule that violated our religious liberty so severely has not been changed, but finalized. After touting meaningful changes in the mandate, HHS instead finalized the original rule that was first issued in August 2011 “without change.” So the offensive definition of “religious employer” -- which excludes our charities, hospitals, and colleges because they serve people of other faiths -- is still in place, and those institutions are still subject to the mandate.

HHS has promised some kind of “accommodation,” but only after the election.

HHS said it would take an additional year to develop more regulations to “accommodate” religiously-affiliated charities, schools, and hospitals that still fall outside the “religious employer” exemption. The impact of these additional rules will not be felt until after the election, the only point of public accountability for the Executive Branch. This eliminates an important incentive for HHS to provide the best protection for religious liberty

The promised “accommodation” — even at its best — would still force our institutions to violate their beliefs.

Under the proposed “accommodation,” if an employee of these religious institutions wants coverage of contraception or sterilization directly from the insurer, the objecting employer is still forced to pay for it as a part of the employer’s insurance plan. Since there is no other source, the funds to pay for that coverage must come from the premiums of the employer and fellow employees, even those who object in conscience.

There is no exemption for objecting insurers, secular employers, for-profit religious employers, or individuals.

The U.S. bishops defend religious liberty for all, and so have repeatedly identified all the stakeholders in the process whose religious freedom is threatened by the mandate -- all employers, insurers, and individuals, not just religious employers. Now, all insurers, including self-insurers, must provide the coverage to any employee who wants it. In turn, all individuals who pay premiums have no escape from subsidizing that coverage. And only employers that are both non-profit and religious may qualify for the limited “accommodation.”

We urgently need legislation to correct the mandate’s threats to religious liberty and conscience rights. The Respect for Rights of Conscience Act has been introduced in Congress (H.R. 1179, S. 1467) to ensure that those who participate in the market for health insurance “retain the right to provide, purchase, or enroll in health coverage that is consistent with their religious beliefs and moral convictions.”

ACTION: Contact your U.S. Representative by e-mail, phone, or FAX letter:

• Call the U.S. Capitol switchboard at: 202-224-3121, or call your Members’ local offices.
• Send your email to Congress through www.usccb.org/conscience.
• Additional contact info can be found on Members’ web sites at: www.house.gov and www.senate.gov.

MESSAGE: “Please co-sponsor and support the Respect for Rights of Conscience Act (H.R. 1179, S. 1467). The Obama administration’s decision to mandate coverage of sterilization and contraceptives, including drugs that can cause an abortion, makes passage of this measure especially urgent. Please ensure that the religious liberty and conscience rights of all participants in our nation’s health care system are respected.”

WHEN: Now is the time to build co-sponsors and support. Please act today! Thanks!

Catholic elementary and secondary schools in the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois will be holding open houses in the coming months for families interested in choosing Catholic education for their children.

“These informational sessions will give families an opportunity to experience the difference Catholic education makes in the lives of students as they make school decisions for the 2012-2013 academic year,” said Jonathan Sullivan, director of catechetical ministries for the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois.

Families interested in learning more about Catholic education in their area can visit on the following dates:

Alton

• Ss. Peter and Paul – Sunday, January 29 (11 AM)

Brussels

• St. Mary – Saturday, January 28 (7:30 PM - 8:30 PM)

Decatur

• Our Lady of Lourdes- Monday, January 30 (9:00 AM - 2:30 PM)
• St. Patrick- Tuesday, January 31 (8 AM through lunch)
• St. Theresa High School- Tuesday, March 20 (Freshmen Open House: 6:00 PM)

Edwardsville

• St. Boniface – Saturday, January 28 (5:15 PM) and Sunday, January 29 (9:15 AM – 7

Effingham

• St. Anthony of Padua Grade School - Thursday, February 21 (6:30 PM)
• St. Anthony of Padua High School - Wednesday, February 1 (7:00 PM)

Granite City

• Holy Family - Monday, January 30 (6:30 - 8:30 PM)
• St. Elizabeth - Sunday, January 29 (11:30AM - 1:00PM)

Jacksonville

• Routt Catholic High School - Thursday, March 1 (7:00 PM)

Hardin

• St. Norbert – Sunday, February 5 (8 AM – 12 noon)

Maryville

St. John Neumann- Sunday, January 29 (12:00 noon)

Newton

• St. Thomas the Apostle - Kindergarten Open House: Thursday, February 23 (4:30 PM)

Quincy

• Blessed Sacrament – Tuesday, March 13 (5:30 PM - 6:30 PM)
• Quincy Notre Dame High School – Sunday, February 19 (1:00 - 3:00PM)
• St. Dominic – Tuesday, March 6 (5:30PM - 6:30 PM)
• St. Francis Solanus – Wednesday, March 7 (5:30 PM - 6:30 PM)
• St. Peter – Monday, March (5:30 PM - 6:30 PM)

Paris

• St. Mary- Monday, March 15

Springfield

• Blessed Sacrament- Tuesday, January 10 (6:30 PM)
• Cathedral School- Wednesday, January 18 (6:30 PM)
• Christ the King- Thursday, January 12 (6:00 PM)
• Little Flower- Tuesday, January 17 (6:30 - 8:00 PM)
• St. Agnes- Wednesday, January 11 (6:30 PM)
• St. Aloysius- Thursday, January 19 (6:30 PM)
• St. Patrick- Tuesday, January 24 (6:00 PM)

Taylorville

• St. Mary – Sunday, January 29 (12 noon)

Additional locations and dates will be posted as we recieve them.

As I have done the past two years, I'd like to offer five book selections that I read the previous year to "jump start" your reading pile! These books come with my highest recommendation and are sure to be a blessing to you.

• Between Heaven and Mirth: Why Joy, Humor, and Laughter Are at the Heart of the Spiritual Life, by Fr. James Martin, SJ (2011) - I can't imagine anyone else having written this book. Fr. Martin's signature wit and gift for bringing spiritual topics to the masses makes this not only a delightful read but a probing search for joy in the faith.
• Church and New Media: Blogging Converts, Online Activists, and Bishops Who Tweet, edited by Brandon Vogt (2011) - I fully expect the next generation of Catholic media creators to cite this book as a powerful inspiration. The essays contained within highlight some of the best Catholic work being done on the web.
• Practice Makes Catholic, by Joe Paprocki (2011) - Joe's latest book outlines the Catholic faith through five principles: sacramentality, community, justice and the dignity of human life, reverence for Tradition, and a disposition towards faith and hope. A great read for any Catholic looking to deepen their practice of the faith.
• Jesus of Nazareth: Holy Week: From the Entrance Into Jerusalem to the Resurrection, by Pope Benedict XVI (2011) - In this, the second volume of the Holy Father's reflections on the life of Christ, the pope's humble spirit and gift for explaning the truth of the faith in simple, lucid terms is in full effect as he unpacks the mysteries of Christ's death and resurrection.
• The Catholic Briefcase: Tools for Integrating Faith and Work, by Randy Hain (2011) - This book is a must-read for anyone who has wondered how to live out their faith the other six days of the week.

If you have any recommendations that you've read in the past year, share them in the comments!

Photo by Thomas Hawk / FlickrCC

Every year it seems that the cultural observance of Christmas starts a little bit earlier. Stores are constantly seeking to lengthen the time they have to sell holiday items; this year I even saw some stores with Christmas decorations in stock before Halloween!

While this is understandable from a commercial point of view, it clashes with the Church's observance and understanding of Advent -- that time of both preparation for Christmas and anticipation for the Second Coming of Christ.

How can we keep Advent in a culture that has forgotten this important liturgical season?

• Put up an Advent wreath in your home. Light it during meal time with your family.
• Start each day in prayer and reflection. Many parishes provide a booklet of reflections for use during Advent; you can also purchase such booklets from a local Catholic bookstore or online Catholic supply store.
• Utilize a site such as the University of Creighton's "Praying Advent" page for daily prayers and audio reflections.
• Don't decorate your house or trim your tree until the week before Christmas and leave the decorations up throughout Christmas Time.
• Attend the Sacrament of Reconciliation, either at a parish reconciliation service or at your parish's normal time.
• Find or download an album of Advent music (yes, they do exist!) to play during the season.

For the record: This year Advent begins on November 27. The Octave of the Nativity of the Lord begins on December 25 and ends on January 1 (the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God). Christmas Time begins the evening of December 24 and runs until January 9 (the Baptism of the Lord).

Have a very blessed Advent season; Come, Lord Jesus!

The Office for Catechesis, in conjunction with local parishes, will again offer faith formation courses for adults across the diocese. These courses, which are open to everyone, are designed to help Catholics grow in their faith, respond to questions about the Church, and make faith-filled decisions in their lives.

Catechists and Catholic school teachers may also attend these classes for credit in the diocesan catechist formation process.

The complete schedule follows.

For more information about any of these courses or other faith formation activities, contact Christine Malmevik, associate director for catechesis, at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or (217) 698-8500.

The Acts of the Apostles (Little Rock Scripture Study)
Sept 12, 19, 26; Oct. 3, 10, 17, 24, 31; Nov. 7, 14; 7:00-9:00 p.m.
Maria Carmody; St. Francis of Assisi Parish (Hardin)
Contact: Maria Carmody; (618) 576-2662

A Biblical Walk Through the Mass
Sept. 15, 22, 29; Oct. 6, 13; 9:00-11:00 a.m.
Debbie Sanders; Ss. Peter and Paul Parish (Collinsville)
Contact: Parish Office; (618) 345-4343

The Great Adventure Bible Series
Sept. 19, 26; Oct. 10, 17, 24, 31; 10:00-11:30 a.m.
Sr. Therese Flerlage, O.S.F.; St. Cecilia Parish (Glen Carbon)
Contact: Parish Office; (618) 288-5523

A Biblical Walk Through the Mass
Sept. 21, 28; Oct. 5, 12, 19, 26; Nov. 2, 16, 30; Dec. 7; 6:30–7:30 p.m.
Helen Crusen; St. Jude Parish (Rochester)
Contact: Dan Frachey; (217) 498- 9197 x23

Getting Started as a Catechist, Roles of the Catechist and Person of the Catechist
Sept. 22, 29, Oct. 6; 3:00-4:30 p.m.
Marsha Chomko; St. Jerome Parish (Troy)
Contact: Marsha Chomko; (618) 667-6571; This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

A Biblical Walk Through the Mass
Sept. 25; Oct. 2, 16, 23, 30; Nov. 6, 13, 20; Dec. 4, 11; 9:15-10:15 a.m.
Dan Merriman; St. Jude Parish (Rochester)
Contact: Dan Frachey; (217) 498- 9197 x23

The Sacraments
Sept. 28; Oct. 5, 12, 19, 26; Nov. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30; 8:30–10:00 a.m.
Rev. David Zimmerman; St. Mary Parish (Paris)
Contact: Secretary; (217) 466-3355

Person of the Catechist, Roles of the Catechist, Getting Started as a Catechist
Sept. 29; Oct. 6, 13; 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m.
Sr. Mary Ellen Backes, O.S.U.; St. Joseph Parish (Springfield)
Contact: Sr. Mary Ellen Backes, O.S.U.; (217) 544-7426

A Biblical Walk Through the Mass
Oct. 4, 11, 18, 25; Nov. 8; 6:30–8:30 p.m.
Pat Ellis; Ss. Peter and Paul Parish (Collinsville)
Contact: Parish Office; (618) 345-4343

Liturgy and Sacraments – Part One
Oct. 27; 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m.
Sr. Mary Ellen Backes, O.S.U.; St. Joseph Parish (Springfield)
Contact: Sr. Mary Ellen Backes, O.S.U.; (217) 544-7426

I Believe, We Believe
Oct. 29; 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
Cathy Becker; St. Katharine Drexel Parish (Springfield)
Contact: Cathy Becker; (217) 744-0578

Introduction to the Learner
Dec. 10; 9:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.
Cathy Becker; St. Katharine Drexel Parish (Springfield)
Contact: Cathy Becker; (217) 744-0578

Prayer and Spirituality
Feb. 25; 9:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.
Cathy Becker; St. Katharine Drexel Parish (Springfield)
Contact: Cathy Becker; (217) 744-0578

Person of the Catechist
April 28; 9:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.
Cathy Becker; St. Katharine Drexel Parish (Springfield)
Contact: Cathy Becker; (217) 744-0578

At its heart, the Eucharist is a sacrament of communion, bringing us closer to God and to our brothers and sisters in the Body of Christ. If we live the fruits of the Eucharist in our daily lives, we will fill our families and our communities with the life-giving qualities that the Liturgy brings: hospitality, concern for the poor and vulnerable, self-offering, and thanksgiving.

An ancient saying in the Church reads “lex orandi, lex credendi,” meaning that the law of prayer is the law of faith. More loosely: as we pray, so we believe. To that we might add lex vivendi, meaning that as we pray, so we believe, and so we live. In the third edition of the Roman Missal, the bishops and translators have taken great care to ensure that the prayers accurately and fully reflect the mysteries of our faith. Thus, the words that we pray in each liturgical celebration will help to form and strengthen our understanding of the faith.

However, if the effects of the Liturgy stop at the doors of the church, we have not made our prayer and our faith part of our law of living. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) teaches that the Eucharist helps us to grow in union with Christ, avoid sin, increase in charity, strengthen communion with our brothers and sisters, and recognize Christ in the poorest and most vulnerable members of society (see CCC, nos. 1391-1397). But what does that mean in daily life?

Living a Life of Prayer

Our prayer lives should not be limited to a single hour on Sunday mornings. In fact, the richer our prayer lives are throughout the week, the more fully we will be able to enter into the Sunday celebration of the Eucharist. Here are some ways to make your daily life more prayerful:

• Try attending daily Mass at least once a week. Your parish may have an early morning Mass, or a church near your job may offer a lunchtime Mass.
• Stop in a church before or after work or on your lunch hour for fifteen minutes of quiet prayer before the Blessed Sacrament
• Make it a practice to say grace before every meal -- even if you are eating in the car.
• Schedule time for family prayer at least once a week. This prayer can be as simple as saying the Our Father or a decade of the Rosary together.
• Take time during the week to read or listen to the readings for the upcoming Sunday. The readings are available online (in print and audio) at www.usccb.org/bible.
• Begin your day with a brief prayer of thanksgiving to God, offering your day to him.
• End your day with an examination of conscience, looking at your successes and failures in what you have done or what you have failed to do. If you are aware of serious sin, receive the Sacrament of Penance before you receive Holy Communion again.

Living a Life of Loving Service

Celebrating the eucharistic Liturgy and receiving Holy Communion should strengthen us to conform our lives more closely to the example of Christ. As Jesus knelt before his Apostles to wash their feet (see Jn 13), giving them an example of humble service, so must we who bear the name Christian live our lives in service to our brothers and sisters.

To help us in this endeavor, Church Tradition has identified works of mercy. These fourteen practices demand great sacrifice and generosity, but they also draw us more deeply into conformity with the Lord. Focusing on one of these works each week may be a practical way to integrate them into our personal, family, and parish lives.

Corporal Works of Mercy

• Feeding the hungry
• Sheltering the homeless
• Clothing the naked
• Visiting the sick
• Visiting the imprisoned
• Giving drink to the thirsty
• Burying the dead

Spiritual Works of Mercy

• Converting sinners
• Instructing the ignorant
• Advising the doubtful
• Comforting the sorrowful
• Bearing wrongs patiently
• Forgiving injuries
• Praying for the living and dead

Our parishes and civil communities offer numerous opportunities to live out these works, from assisting with religious education classes or volunteering at a food bank to encouraging our legislators to put forward policies that protect the life and dignity of each person. As we grow in conformity to Christ, we see more clearly that all people are made in the image and likeness of God (see Gn 1:26) and so have an inherent value and dignity. By helping to build a more just and compassionate society, we act as Christ’s Body in the world.

It All Comes Back to the Eucharist

Living the Christian life is not easy. “What material food produces in our bodily life, Holy Communion wonderfully achieves in our spiritual life. Communion with the flesh of the risen Christ . . . preserves, increases, and renews the life of grace received at Baptism. This growth in Christian life needs the nourishment of Eucharistic Communion, the bread for our pilgrimage” (CCC, no. 1392).

And so, each Sunday, we return to the Eucharistic table, bringing all our efforts of the previous week, the good and the bad, the successes and the failures, the joys and the sorrows. We gather with our brothers and sisters in the Lord and, together with our priest, we join these efforts to the perfect sacrifice of Christ, asking that God will receive what we offer back to him in humble thanksgiving. The Catechism explains it as follows:

The Church which is the Body of Christ participates in the offering of her Head. With him, she herself is offered whole and entire. She unites herself to his intercession with the Father for all men. In the Eucharist the sacrifice of Christ becomes also the sacrifice of the members of his Body. The lives of the faithful, their praise, sufferings, prayer, and work, are united with those of Christ and with his total offering, and so acquire a new value. Christ’s sacrifice present on the altar makes it possible for all generations of Christians to be united with his offering. (CCC, no. 1368)

Then, strengthened by Holy Communion, we are once again sent forth into the world to glorify the Lord in our lives.

Reference

Catechism of the Catholic Church (2nd ed.). Washington, DC: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2000.

Excerpts from the Catechism of the Catholic Church, second edition, copyright © 2000, Libreria Editrice Vaticana–United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, D.C. Used with permission. All rights reserved.

Copyright © 2010 United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, D.C. Used with permission. All rights reserved.

Jesus Christ, the Redeemer of Man and center of the universe and of history, gives us a share in his divine life as we worthily receive him in Holy Communion. In thanksgiving for such a gift, it is fitting that we humbly prepare ourselves to receive him in two ways as outlined in “Happy Are Those Who Are Called to His Supper: On Preparing to Receive Christ Worthily in the Eucharist.” (See the full text of the statement issued on November 2006 by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops at www.usccb.org/doctrine/Eucharist.pdf.)

First, we approach the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass by our remote preparation. This includes regular prayer and reading of Scripture, the faithful and loving fulfillment of the daily responsibilities of our state in life, and regular participation in the Sacrament of Penance, including daily repentance of sin by an examination of conscience and recitation of the Act of Contrition.

Second, our attentive proximate preparation includes our prayerful recollection as we come to Mass and fasting from food and drink for at least one hour prior to receiving Holy Communion as our health and age permit. (The Code of Canon Law notes in §919 that water and medicine are exceptions to the fast and that the elderly, the infirm, and those who care for them can receive Holy Communion even if they have eaten something within the previous hour. See www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/_INDEX.HTM.) Proximate preparation also includes dressing appropriately and modestly.

These ways of preparing culminate in our prayerful and active participation throughout the eucharistic celebration, as we join with the Body of Christ in  gratitude for such a great gift.

Copyright © 2011, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, D.C. All rights reserved. Permission is hereby granted to duplicate this work without adaptation for non-commercial use.

Scripture texts used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, copyright © 1991, 1986, and 1970 by the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, DC 20017 and are used by permission of the copyright owner. All rights reserved.