Do you pray badly at Mass? Padre Pio explains what you should say when the Eucharist is raised.
There is a moment in Holy Mass that goes almost unnoticed by many, but which is actually one of the most sacred moments that a Christian can experience. It is brief, silent, solemn. When the priest raises the Eucharist, heaven touches the earth and Christ offers himself again out of love for humanity.
However, for a large part of the faithful, that moment is experienced automatically: distracted looks, distant thoughts, absent hearts. As Padre Pio of Pietrelcina taught, one of the greatest opportunities to receive extraordinary graces is lost there.
This reflection invites us to awaken spiritually and to understand what really happens at that moment… and what God expects of our souls.
Elevation: A New Calvary Before Our Eyes
For Padre Pio, elevation was not a simple liturgical rite. It was a real renewed Golgotha. The living and real Christ gives himself to the Father for us, here and now.
He said firmly:
“The world could live without the sun, but not without Holy Mass.”
During the elevation, the sacrifice of Jesus is present. Not symbolically, but in a real way. In that brief instant, the soul has direct access to the greatest mystery of the Christian faith.
The big mistake: being present… but absent
One of Padre Pio’s greatest pains was to see the faithful distracted at the moment of elevation. People who were physically in the church, but mentally and spiritually elsewhere.
Everyday thoughts, worries, wandering looks… while Christ remains elevated, waiting for an interior gaze, a word from the heart, a sincere act of faith.
For Padre Pio, this distraction was equivalent to being at the foot of the cross… and turn our backs on him.
How Padre Pio lived the elevation
Witnesses of his Masses relate that, during the elevation, Padre Pio frequently entered into ecstasy. His stigmata bled more intensely and his face reflected a mixture impossible to describe: deep pain and absolute joy.
I didn’t see consecrated bread. I saw the whole Christ, giving Himself for every soul present. In silence, he seemed to be in intimate dialogue with the Lord.
That is the level of spiritual awareness that he wanted to transmit to the faithful.
The prayer that Padre Pio recommended in the elevation
Padre Pio taught a simple prayer, but of immense depth, which had to spring from the heart at that moment:
“My Lord and my God, I believe, worship, hope and love you.
I ask your forgiveness for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not hope and do not love you.”
It is not a matter of repeating words mechanically, but of pronouncing each sentence as if you were the only person before Christ.
The Deep Meaning of Each Word
“My Lord and my God”
It is a personal statement of faith. Not an abstract concept, but an intimate recognition: You are here, in front of me.
“I believe”
To truly believe that it is no longer bread, but the living Body of Christ. Padre Pio said that if we truly believed, we could never be distracted.
“I adore”
It is the highest act of the human soul: to recognize the greatness of God and our smallness before Him.
“I hope”
It expresses the certainty that God keeps his promises: salvation, healing, eternal life.
“And I love you”
Love is the summit of all prayer. To love without reservation, to give oneself completely.
“I ask your forgiveness…”
Here the soul becomes an intercessor. He offers his faith to repair the unbelief of the world, his love to heal the indifference of others.
Can personal intentions be added?
Yes. Padre Pio allowed it and recommended it.
After the main sentence, concrete intentions can be presented:
- For a child far from the faith
- Due to an illness
- Due to economic difficulties
- For a broken relationship
- For a specific temptation
Always with an attitude of trust and abandonment to God’s will.
The Three Movements of the Soul During Elevation
Padre Pio taught that this moment should be lived with three very clear interior attitudes.
1. Deep Worship
Recognize that God himself is there. Fix your gaze on the Eucharist, bow your head, say interiorly: “My Lord and my God”.
2. Total self-giving
To give one’s whole life: virtues, defects, joys, pains, past, present and future. No strings attached.
3. Trusting request for thanks
Ask with clarity, humility and abandonment. Not just “help me,” but concrete requests, trusting that God will give what is best for the soul.
The consequences of ignoring this moment
According to Padre Pio, living elevation with indifference produces a profound spiritual impoverishment:
- Loss of Graces
- Cooling of faith
- Greater weakness in the face of temptations
- Superficial spiritual life
But the opposite is also true.
When elevation is lived with ardent faith
Padre Pio recounted numerous testimonies of conversions, interior healings and unexpected solutions to impossible problems, the fruit of prayers made with faith during the elevation.
He compared that instant to a window that opens between heaven and earth. It’s just a few seconds. Whoever takes advantage of this moment, throws his heart directly to God.
Practical tips and recommendations
- Arrive at Mass a few minutes early to recollect yourself inwardly
- Mentally preparing intentions before consecration
- Avoid looking around during elevation
- Maintain a bowing body posture
- Pray with the heart, not in a hurry
- Remember that it is not routine, it is a real encounter with Christ
The elevation of the Eucharist is not just another gesture within the Mass. It is the heart of the Christian mystery. Living it with faith, adoration and dedication can transform an entire life.
As Padre Pio said, a single Mass lived with perfect love would be enough to change everything. Every lift is a new opportunity. Don’t let it go.
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