Receiving Holy Communion at Mass: "Behold the Lamb of God" and "Lord, I Am Not Worthy"

The Mass moves toward its climax in Holy Communion. In this session of The Mass Explained, Dr. Brant Pitre opens up the words that surround it: the priest's "Behold the Lamb of God… Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb," which joins John the Baptist's cry (John 1:29) to the marriage supper of the Lamb in the Book of Revelation (Revelation 19:6–9); and the people's response, "Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed," taken almost word-for-word from the centurion whose servant Jesus healed (Matthew 8:5–13). He explains why the very word "communion" means a participation (Greek koinōnia) in the Body and Blood of Christ (1 Corinthians 10:16–17), and how, from the earliest centuries, the communicant's "Amen" is a profession of faith that this truly is the Body of Christ (St. Ambrose; St. Leo the Great). Drawing on St. Paul's warning about receiving "in an unworthy manner" (1 Corinthians 11:27–29), the Didache's call to confess sins first, and the Catechism, he shows how the Church prepares to receive — examining our conscience, going to Confession when conscious of grave sin, and observing the Communion fast (CCC 1385).

Key passages & sources examined: "Behold, the Lamb of God" (John 1:29); the marriage supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:6–9); the centurion's "I am not worthy… only say the word" (Matthew 8:5–13); "communion" as koinōnia and receiving worthily (1 Corinthians 10:16–17; 11:27–30); the Didache on confessing sins first; St. Ambrose and St. Leo the Great on the communicant's "Amen"; and the Catechism on preparing to receive (CCC 1385).