(From the book An Explanation of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass by Bishop M. F. Howley, D. D. )

As we continue to examine the order of the Holy Mass we turn today to the part of the Mass that is a preparation for the reception of our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. This part of the Mass begins with the most perfect of prayers taught to us by our Lord Himself, the Pater Noster or Our Father. In this section we are making our souls ready to receive our Lord truly and substantially, for in Communion we received the Sacred Heart and so we must make our intentions pure so that we might worthily receive Him and give full consent to the knowledge that it truly is our Lord’s flesh that we are receiving.