St. David Holy Name Society thanks Queen of Angels Regional Catholic School students for their participation in the annual HNS Essay Contest. The essay below is the eighth grade winning essay, written by Ella Foley.

Eucharistic Preparations

Receiving the Eucharist at Mass is important because you are receiving Jesus. There are certain preparations to receive the Eucharist at Mass. Here are some preparations that you can do to help prepare yourself for Mass. Going to Reconciliation monthly, arriving early for Mass, and not taking the Eucharist for granted are things that can be done to prepare oneself for receiving the Eucharist.

Going to Confession is a very important part about preparing for the Eucharist. Confession is vital because it helps clean our soul so we are prepared to receive the Eucharist. If our soul is not clean then we can not receive the Eucharist. You have to go to confession on a consistent basis.

Arriving early for mass also helps prepare you to receive the Eucharist. This gives you time to talk to Jesus before everyone else arrives. You have time to have a conversation between you and Jesus, and you also have time to talk to the priest at your parish and the people around you.

Lastly, when you are receiving the Eucharist, you should never take it for granted. The Eucharist is the most vital important part about Mass because you are receiving a piece of Jesus and you are not supposed to take that for granted. The Eucharist is a gift from Jesus and it’s special. He wants to be respected and by not taking the Eucharist for granted, we are able to better show our respect for Jesus.

These are all important preparations for receiving the Eucharist at Mass. Next time you are receiving the Eucharist at Mass you can do the following preparations, going to Reconciliation monthly, arriving early for Mass, and not taking the Eucharist for granted.