The Mass can seem like an island of holiness, a time-out from daily life. When we enter Church, it’s easy to think daily life should be left at the door and shouldered again when we leave. But that was never Jesus’ intention. He asked us to break bread in memory of him, of what he did, and what he continues to do in our lives, not just in memory of his breaking bread.

Paragraph 901 in the Catechism of the Catholic Church invites us to bring our daily lives to the altar—to offer everything along with the gifts of bread and wine. When we do that, the Eucharist can transform daily life, our relationships, and even the world. It becomes the light by which we see more clearly our call to serve others.

Don’t park your life at the church door. Bring it to the Father, through the Son, in the Spirit.