In every Mass, we hear the presiding priest say the words of John the Baptist that are quoted in this Sunday’s Gospel message: “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” To which we reply: “Lord, I am not worthy… but say the word and my soul shall be healed.”

This healing began at the beginning of Mass in the Penitential Rite if we had a sincere attitude of repentance. With this healing, we receive Jesus in all of his humanity and divinity. With this healing, we leave church ready to be like John the Baptist, testifying by word and by the way we live that “now I have seen that Jesus is the Son of God.”

Is Mass that kind of experience for you?

All parts of the Mass contribute to this. Jesus is present in the community as we unite in song. Jesus is present in the Penitential Rite, listening to our sincerity. Jesus is present in the Liturgy of the Word: the Word read and the Word broken open like bread to nourish our spiritual growth, and when the homily is poor or absent, his Spirit preaches to us privately (straying thoughts are often an action of God). And Jesus is present in all the prayers: the ones we offer and those of the clergy.

All of Mass is meant to transform us, prepare us, and send us out from church as witnesses of the true presence of Christ in our world.

Like John the Baptist, we can say: “I did not know him.” In other words: “I saw only bread and wine” and “I was sinful and didn’t realize the damage I had done” and “I was wounded and did not know how to be healed.”

And like John we can add: “Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God. The Holy Spirit revealed to me the presence of my Savior in the Eucharist. The Holy Spirit gently exposed my sinfulness and gave me help in overcoming them. The Holy Spirit leads me to the resources that are healing my wounds.”