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The Morning Offering

I have tried recently to be more conscientious about this. I have many friends who do this, and they tape the prayer to their bathroom mirror, or something similar. But you know me: I don't plan things; I don't think I've done a single thing that has become lifeless. I suppose that's the danger as a Catholic; to me, that is only theoretical.

Predictably, I use my own words. It's pretty close to what you might find written down. And most of them--if not all--reference Jesus as he is offered to us in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. I can tell you right now with no hesitation or feigned piety, that it fills my heart with joy just to say those words. It fills my heart with joy just to think about what they mean. As he said in John 6, "the bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world." In essence, Jesus is offering himself for the life of the world. We often talk about what we will do to evangelize the world, and we should. But we must understand that the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is the work that Jesus does to evangelize the world. In another place, he says, "and after I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all men to myself."

If that doesn't make you want to be near the altar, I can't help you.
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