Midnight Mass Explained
5. The Sacrament
Being centred around a Catholic community, the act of Communion is a common sight within the series. However, it isn't wine that the congregation are drinking, it's blood - and not the metaphorical kind either.
It's vampire blood to be exact. The creature has been filling the sacrament with his own blood, and Monsignor Pruitt has been handing it out to his congregation on a daily basis. Riley is the only one to witness this disturbing action when he stumbles upon Pruitt and the creature one night. And it's this mistake which sees him transformed into a vampire.
The more sacrament consumed by someone, the more vampire blood is in their system and the more noticeable its effects are.
The religious parallels are unmistakable here. Through drinking miracle-given blood believed to be a "gift" from God, Pruitt believes he's offering his congregation a second chance at life. However, the source of this gift and the events giving it leads to challenges the purity of our concept of faith, questioning whether it's even a good thing in the first place.
This is just one part of the questions raised in Midnight Mass which make it a fascinating watch.