Scott Hahn (1999) writes that for most Catholics, there is nothing as familiar as the Mass, for its prayers, hymns, and gestures are like home to us. Yet, most of us will not go beyond the surface of memorized prayers, and only a “few will glimpse the powerful supernatural drama they enter into every Sunday” (p.1). He tells us that “heaven touches down whenever the Church celebrates the Eucharist” (p. 3), and that “God dwells among mankind, right now, because the Mass is heaven on Earth” (p. 113). Edward Monti (Catholic Stand) similarly describes the power of the Mass as beyond our comprehension; it is the means of our salvation, and we will be able to see a miracle occur at every Mass if we have the eyes to see it.
Dr. Hahn (p. 2) notes that although our experiences in Mass may not seem heavenly: crying babies, hymns sung off-key, pointless homilies, or people dressed too casually, every Mass is heaven on Earth. He points out that the heaven on Earth idea is not new and is as old as the Church. It is addressed in several places in the Catechism (p. 114). So how may we prepare to experience the supernatural, and what can we do to see it? Dr. Hahn tells us (Part 3, chapter 4) that we should treat every Mass as a renewal of our covenant with God. We hear God’s Word and receive the Bread of Life — both profound mysteries and incredible gifts (p. 157).
To receive God’s fullness of grace and truth in Mass, we must receive His grace properly and with gratitude, and not unworthily, else we face judgment. “The more we are prepared for Mass, the more grace we will rake away from the Mass” (p. 159). As we enter Church, dip our fingers into the holy water, and make the sign of the Cross, we renew the sacrament of Baptism. Every time we say Amen, we make a personal commitment as we are not spectators, but rather, participants to a covenant that Jesus renews. We must remember that “the Mass is our perpetual renewal of the New Covenant” and an oath we take before witnesses (p. 155). No one is worthy to approach God, as we are all sinners, so we do so with contrition. When heaven touches Earth, we receive the privilege of praying with the angels. We hear God’s Word, and the angels will hold us accountable to it and for the words that we pray. We declare our belief in the Church and and promise to live by her teachings. We forgive those who have wronged us as we ask God to forgive us; we give peace to our neighbors. Last, by receiving communion, Dr. Hahn writes that we receive heaven — we receive divine life and divine power.
Catholic Stand. The Mass: Heaven on Earth. Retrieved September 1, 2026 from: https://catholicstand.com/the-mass-heaven-on-earth/
Hahn, S. (1999). The Lamb’s Supper: The Mass as Heaven on Earth. Doubleday.
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