Lovely reflection. More and more as I get older, I experience Mass as a moment out of time. It's the "now but not yet" Kingdom of God, a glimpse of a communion that, in the here and now, we only recognize by virtue of faith. Yes, we're surrounded by people we judge without realizing it, and likely those who judge us as well. We're an imperfect lot, but we're also the Body of Christ, called to be there in our imperfection.

This is why I'm drawn to a theology of Eucharist that is about invitation and healing rather than worthiness. When we make the reception of the Blessed Sacrament about excluding those who aren't up-to-snuff in terms of personal virtue or lifestyle, we turn the Lord's table into a litmus test, a bouncer at the door of some exclusive club where only the (supposed) morally superior are welcome.

I much prefer the image of a good and generous God who yearns to share the Bread of Life with all, with no prerequisite other than the hunger for spiritual sustenance.