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The Mass, also known as
the Eucharist, Holy Communion and many other names,
is the central act of worship for most Christians.
In a monastery, where people are trying to live in
communion with each other, the Mass has a particularly
important place. It is often called the Conventual
Mass, since the community (in Latin, conventus) comes
together to celebrate it. |
The
Mass celebrates our salvation by Jesus; it is a sign
of his presence with us as we journey through this
life to heaven, and it gives us a taste of the life
in his heavenly kingdom that Jesus promised those
who believe in him.
In monasteries it is usual
to celebrate Mass every day when there are priests
available to do this. In this way a monk is able
to offer his life together with Jesus’ own offering
of himself to God. In the same way that Jesus gives
himself to us as the food of life, a monk is able
to express his own commitment to his brethren. Holy
Communion is the sacrament of forgiveness and of
the unity of heart that comes from forgiving and
being forgiven. This is the unity a monk finds in
his community and which he tries to deepen.
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