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While much emphasis is placed on our First Holy Communion and preparations for it, we can often forget to prepare for the next time we receive Jesus at Mass.
It can be tempting to simply show up at Mass and never think about what we are about to partake in.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church offers a short guide to receiving Holy Communion, explaining what we should do before each Mass.
1Examine your conscience
The first way to prepare for Holy Communion is to examine your conscience.
To respond to this invitation we must prepare ourselves for so great and so holy a moment. St. Paul urges us to examine our conscience: "Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a man examine himself, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For any one who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment upon himself." Anyone conscious of a grave sin must receive the sacrament of Reconciliation before coming to communion.
The Catechism is clear that if we discover a grave sin on our soul that we have not confessed, we need to carve out time in our schedule to go to confession.
2Approach with humility
Reception of Jesus in Holy Communion should remind us of our place before God and we should approach Jesus with humility.
Before so great a sacrament, the faithful can only echo humbly and with ardent faith the words of the Centurion: "Domine, non sum dignus ut intres sub tectum meum, sed tantum dic verbo, et sanabitur anima mea" ("Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul will be healed.")
3Observe the Communion fast
Another requirement to approaching the altar for Holy Communion is to observe the fast proscribed by the Church.
To prepare for worthy reception of this sacrament, the faithful should observe the fast required in their Church.
4Prepare ourselves in body and spirit
One overlooked area of preparation is to prepare our body, both in what we wear and how we approach Jesus.
Bodily demeanor (gestures, clothing) ought to convey the respect, solemnity, and joy of this moment when Christ becomes our guest.
It is true that Jesus will accept us in whatever clothing we are wearing, but if we deliberately choose what we wear, it can remind us to also prepare our hearts.
