Meeting Christ in a Foreign Land | The Eucharist in Georgia

5 PM – A Bucket List Mass: The Latin Mass Experience

This was more than just another mass—this was an unexpected and profound encounter with God.

As an expat attending a Latin Mass, I had tempered my expectations due to the language barrier. I knew the Liturgy of the Word would be in Russian, while the rites would be in Latin. To prepare, Koko and I did two things to help us follow along:

We read the day’s Gospel in advance to understand the context.
We brought a Latin-English Mass guide to keep track of where we were during the service.

I anticipated it would be just another typical mass, similar to those where we’ve struggled to understand priests due to accents or sound issues. But to my surprise, God revealed Himself in this foreign place, in a language unfamiliar to me, in a way I hadn’t expected.

There was a slight uneasiness at the beginning, (Continue Reading here) knowing the language barrier would be a challenge. Kokobear had prepared a translation guide, and we followed along on our mobile phones, reading Latin on one side and its translation on the other. Surprisingly, it wasn’t difficult at all—there was something familiar about it. You just know it. As the mass progressed toward the collection, I took out 20 GEL to offer, but the collector passed by quickly, and I missed the moment. Kokobear nudged me, but it was too late, so we simply continued with the service.

Then came communion. As I waited for my turn, a mix of awe, hesitation, and reverence washed over me. It wasn’t fear, but a deep respect—the kind you feel in the presence of someone with great authority. A shiver ran through my body, and my eyes welled up. Though I didn’t understand the song being sung, it added to the sacredness of the moment. As I reached the end of the line, I noticed many fellow expats attending alongside us.

I received Jesus in the Eucharist with a touch of His blood, as the Masses in Georgia offer both the bread and wine. This made the encounter even more special. The last time I received both was 10 years ago, during our wedding. Now, a decade later, it felt like a renewal of vows—not just between me and Kokobear, but with God. Here we were, receiving Him fully again.

As I returned to my pew and began to pray, I couldn’t even finish the Our Father. My emotions overwhelmed me. I started sobbing—tears streamed down my face, my nose ran, and in the back of my mind, I thought, if I wasn’t in the middle of Mass, I would have completely broken down and cried out loud. I struggled through the Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be, but I persisted, knowing I had to finish. So I did, even as tears continued to flow. Kokobear gently tapped my shoulder; he knew I was having a profound encounter with God.

In the silence that followed, God spoke to me: “20 GEL? I don’t need your 20. I need you. I need your life. I need your service.”

“Hearing this brought me to another wave of tears. It was a powerful reminder that what He seeks is not our offerings, but our hearts.”

I took the tissue and wiped my tears. Calmed myself down and eventually the mass ended. We stayed inside for a while in silence.

We went outside the church, sat in front of it and just soaked in everything that just happened. The day’s gospel, 1st and 2nd reading – it simply is a clear message. The church… Peter and Paul, though not a couple, but a couple of Jesus’s disciples. Peter and Paul, JM & Darrelle.

This mass, in a foreign land and language, unexpectedly became one of the most profound encounters with God I’ve ever experienced.