Sharing in the ongoing gratitude and self-gift of the Lord Jesus: that's what we are doing when we participate in the celebration of the Mass. When we gather, we are doing much more than fulfilling an obligation ...

 ... We become guests with Jesus' earliest disciples at the meal that gave final expression and meaning to His whole life ...

 We actually get to participate in the grateful gift of himself to His Father that Jesus made by way of conclusion to His whole life and ministry.

When we come to Mass, we become again equipped to be instruments of the gratefulness of the Lord in the world around us. What a gift!!