Ask Fr. J – What "word" heals us in Mass?

Q: In the part of the Mass when the priest says something along the lines of, “When I say the word, I shall be healed.” What “word” are they referring to?

A: Actually the priest is praying for God’s grace and mercy. The real phrase goes like this, “Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word and I shall be healed.” The priest prays this directly before he receives Communion. What he is doing is recognizing that he (like everybody else in the congregation) is in need of the mercy and healing of God. And that without that mercy from God we are truly not worthy to bring His Son into our bodies at the Eucharist.

I find that to be one of the most humbling parts of the Mass. A time for me to remember that it was God doing all the work the whole time anyway. Good question, keep it up, the more you learn about what’s going on during the Mass the more Mass will come alive for you.