Pope Francis - Reflections on the Sunday Gospel: How to More Fully Live Out Your Relationship with God

Today we begin a new series of catecheses, which will direct our gaze toward the heart of the Church, namely, the Eucharist. It is fundamental that we Christians clearly understand the value and significance of the Holy Mass, in order to live out our relationship with God ever more fully.

In the year 304, during the Diocletianic Persecution, a group of Christians from North Africa were surprised by soldiers as they were celebrating Mass in a house, and were arrested. In the interrogation, the Roman proconsul asked them why they had done so, knowing that it was absolutely prohibited. They responded: Without Sunday we cannot live, which meant: if we cannot celebrate the Eucharist, we cannot live; our Christian life would die.

Those Christians from North Africa were killed because they were celebrating the Eucharist. They gave witness that one can renounce earthly life for the Eucharist, because it gives us eternal life, making us participants in Christs victory over death. This witness challenges us all and calls for a response to what it means for each of us to partake in the Sacrifice of Mass and approach the Lords table.

The Eucharist is a wondrous event in which Jesus Christ, our life, makes himself present. Participating in the Mass is truly living again the redemptive Passion and death of Our Lord. It is a visible manifestation. The Lord makes himself present on the altar to be offered to the Father for the salvation of the world (Homily at the Domus Sanctae Marthae, February 10, 2014).

The Lord is there with us, present. But so often when we go to Mass, we look at things around us and talk among ourselves, all while the priest is celebrating the Eucharistand we do not celebrate close to him.

But it is the Lord! He is there, present! If today the President of the Republic were to come, or some very important world personage, it is certain that we would all try to gather close to him, that we would want to greet him. So think: when you go to Mass, the Lord is there! And yet you get distracted. Remember, it is the Lord! We have to think about this.

Father, its that the Masses are dull, you say.

But what are you saying, that the Lord is dull?

No, no, you respond. Not the Mass, the priests.

Ah, may the priests convert, but it is the Lord who is there!

Participating in Mass is living again the redemptive Passion and death of Our Lord. Do you understand? Do not forget it.

Now let us try asking ourselves a few simple questions. For example, why do we make the sign of the Cross and perform the Penitential Rite at the beginning of Mass? Here, I would like to add an important side note: Have you seen how children make the sign of the Cross? No one knows what they are doing, whether it is the sign of the Cross or an outline. They do this [