There is a danger of taking the Mass and Holy Communion for granted, especially if they are not nourishing us and bringing changes to our lives. The problem could be our lack of attention and devotion that we ourselves bring to the Mass. This might represent years of attending Mass and just going through the motions mechanically, saying prayers and not really praying them, and possibly receiving the Eucharist without meeting our Savior in this most precious gift. Our current participation at Mass is something to think about.
Barnum and Bailey Circus was an American traveling circus company billed as The Greatest Show on Earth, and was an icon of the past. The Catholic Church can bill the Catholic Mass as the Most Amazing Event of the Universe, and is an icon of the past, present and future. We Catholic Christians are so blessed to have ordinary bread and wine become the real presence of Jesus’ Body and Blood during the Consecration of the Mass, and we get to receive Him within us at Holy Communion. There is nothing in this entire world that compares to that gift of love from Our Beloved Jesus., who died on the Cross for every sin we will commit in our life. Now that should bring great excitement to us as we are preparing to go to Mass.
Our preparation for Mass will be part of our effort to receive the most graces possible from every Mass we attend. Grace is the help we receive from Heaven to lead a life pleasing to God, and it is also a gift granted by the Holy Spirit to enable us to collaborate with Him in the salvation of others, which includes our family and friends.
Let’s explore ways to prepare ourselves for Mass:
· Our commitment to attend Sunday Mass
It starts with us making this life-giving commitment to Jesus that His precious gift of the bloodless re-enactment of His passion on the altar is a priority in our life. Our Blessed Mother gave a message at Medjugorje, April 25, 1988, which included the words: “Let Holy Mass be your life.” She knows the Holy Mass will draw us to holiness, which is why she is asking us to make the Mass the center of our life.
· Our mental preparation
One way to put ourselves into the right frame of mind is to think of the Mass we are about to attend as OUR FIRST MASS, OUR LAST MASS, OUR ONLY MASS. That mindset can help us stay focused and attentive to each part of the Mass, anxiously anticipating Jesus’ coming at the Consecration and our receiving His True Presence when we receive Him in Holy Communion. What an incredible gift to prepare for, like the bride [us] preparing to become one in union with the bridegroom [Jesus] at each Mass we attend.
Lastly, we can also think of any sins that we will want to place before the Lord at Mass.
· Read the Mass readings beforehand
God will speak to us through the inspired words of Sacred Scripture, but it is so easy to be distracted during the readings. Maybe the lector or priest is speaking softly or with an accent that is difficult to understand or the sound system in the church is not good or the names in the readings are foreign to us. Any of these reasons can make our minds wander during the readings, which is why it is so beneficial to read the readings ahead of time and reflect on their meaning to gain insights on how they apply to our life. If we are having difficulties understanding a reading, then we can ask the Holy Spirit to help us since He inspired the Bible. Sunday and daily Mass readings are available online by date at the USCCB website [https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/MMDDYY.cfm, where MMDDYY = 071022, corresponds to the Sunday readings for July 10, 2022]. We can also apply at that website to get a daily email with the Mass readings.
· Arrive early and observe 10-15 minutes of silence before Mass
What a wonderful opportunity to invite Jesus into your heart during this silent time. The Lord said in Jeremiah 29:13-14, “When you look for me, you will find me. Yes, when you seek me with all your heart, you will find me with you.” And we must realize that prayer from our heart is better than only prayer from our lips, and it is the key to God’s heart.
Whenever we aren’t able to arrive early, then let’s turn off our car radio and remain in silence as we travel to church, and if we are with our family, then we could say a prayer as a family before arriving.
· Holy Water and Genuflecting
The first symbol that greets us as we enter church is the blessed water at the door. Taking some Holy Water and blessing ourselves re-connects us to our Baptism in church when we became members of the Mystical Body of Christ, ready to join Him in His death and resurrection. When we reach our pew, we genuflect looking at the place where the Tabernacle is located, containing the True Presence of Christ in each Host there. To give our genuflection more meaning, we can say something like, “Lord, thank you for calling me here today to celebrate with You.” Once in the pew, we can spend a few moments in silent prayer before the Mass begins.
We always have to deal with distractions during Mass. These could be from our phone, our job, our kids, our family, and everything else. Sometimes where we sit in church provides a scene of distractions in front of us before our eyes reach the altar. Closing our eyes during distractions can help, and preferably sitting nearer to the altar can lessen the distractions we experience.
Crying children at Mass is part of the distraction, but thank God that these parents are introducing their children to the Mass. What a blessing for us to have an opportunity to pray that these children will become faithful, life-long Catholics. I can understand that many people are so disturbed by crying children and can’t pray for them, but just want the parents to take them out of the church service. We can ask Jesus to help the parents quiet their children.
Finally, let’s commit to pleasing Jesus by actively participating in every Mass we attend, knowing that the Mass is His most precious gift to mankind. Jesus accepts our best efforts to give Him a heart filled with love and thanksgiving at each Mass.