Most events in life require preparation. When you go on a trip, you get to the airport early so you can get through security. When you go to a concert or sporting event, you arrive early to find your seat. When you host a party, you make sure you have all the right food and supplies.
Preparation is important for a successful day at work, at school or even at the gym. Getting in the right mindset, anticipating what might happen and setting goals for what you want to achieve is a recipe for success. It helps you feel a sense of security, readiness and satisfaction.
The same holds true for Mass.
For some people in the parish, taking time to prepare for Mass is absolutely essential. Your parish priest prepares a homily. Lectors spend time reviewing the readings. Music directors select hymns that tie into the readings. The choir practices. The sacristan readies the vestments, the hosts and the wine. Liturgy committee members make sure altar linens are pressed, banners are hung and flowers are arranged. Staff members make sure bulletins are ready for distribution. Someone cleans the church.
Most Catholics would agree that these kinds of preparations are important for a prayerful liturgy. But what most Catholics don’t realize is that it is also important for the people in the pews to prepare for Mass.
Here are five simple things you can do to prepare for Mass. They aren’t difficult or time-consuming. But they are guaranteed to help you enter more deeply into the celebration of the Mass and achieve a more intimate union with Christ and the other members of the worshiping community.
- Know why you are there. The Mass is a liturgy. The word liturgy comes from a Greek word meaning “the work of the people.” You come to Mass not as a spectator but as a participant. You join with other members of the parish community in prayer, worship, thanksgiving and communion. You are no longer just an individual. You are an important part of the body of Christ. Take a few minutes each week to think about your place in the body of Christ. It will give you a deeper appreciation of who you are. It will help you recognize the unique gifts and talents that you were given. It will give you a deeper appreciation of the other people in your parish community.
- Reflect on the readings. Set aside a few minutes on a specific day each week to read the first reading, the psalm, the second reading and the Gospel for the following weekend. Let the words penetrate your mind and your soul. How do these readings apply to your life? What is the Lord saying to you in these readings? Is there something that you are being asked to do? Is the Lord leading you in a new direction? Finding the weekly readings is easy. You can purchase a Sunday Missal, or subscribe to a magazine like My Daily Visitor, Magnificat or The Word Among Us. You can also check out readings in many online sources, among them www.usccb.org. As you become accustomed to reviewing the readings ahead of time, you will begin to look forward to going to Mass. During the Mass you will have a deeper awareness of how the introductory prayers tie into the theme of the readings. When you hear the readings proclaimed and listen as the priest gives the homily, the insights you receive will be more profound, and you will have a heightened spiritual awareness.
- Think about your offering. When you come to Mass, you bring everything that you are to the altar as an offering to the Lord. It’s a good idea to spend a little time throughout the week thinking about what you will offer to the Lord. What joys will you share? What sorrows would you like to unburden? How have you used the gifts that you have been given? What anxieties or tensions are troubling you? Do you want to offer up any pain or suffering you have experienced? Do you have questions or doubts that you want to give to God? Think also about the state of your soul. Are you ready to give yourself to God entirely? Are you holding anything back, carrying any anger or resentments? Do you need to forgive someone or seek the forgiveness of someone you hurt? Do you need to seek the Lord’s forgiveness in the sacrament of reconciliation? It’s also a good idea to think about what you want to ask God. Is there something or someone that you want to pray for? Do you need guidance in some area of your life? For what are you grateful?
- See yourself as part of the community. Your experience of the Mass begins the moment you arrive at church. Plan to get there a little early. Outside of the church, smile and speak to the other people who are arriving, keeping in mind that everyone in the parish community is part of the body of Christ. You might take a moment in the parking lot or vestibule to introduce yourself to someone you don’t know. A friendly hello makes everyone feel wanted and welcome. As you enter the church, bless yourself with holy water. Making the sign of the cross with holy water is a reminder of your baptism, which made you a part of the body of Christ. It is through your baptism that you can participate in the fullness of the Eucharistic celebration. You might try sitting in a different pew every once in a while. It will give you a new view of the altar and a chance to interact with different people. Be sure to genuflect or bow before entering your pew. We do this as an act of reverence and an acknowledgement of God’s presence.
- Enter into God’s presence. Spend some time in silence before Mass begins. Quiet your mind. Let go of any tensions or anxieties that you brought with you. Think about how you purposely avoided food for an hour before Mass. One reason for this fast was to create in you a feeling of hunger for the Eucharist. Allow your soul to yearn for the Lord. Ask God to fill all of the empty places inside you. Invite the Holy Spirit to speak to you in the readings, the music, the homily, the prayers of the Mass and your Communion meditation. Everything that you think and do in these final moments before Mass instills in you a joyful anticipation for your encounter with the Lord.
When you take the time to prepare for Mass, your attitude begins to change. The Mass becomes much more than something that you do every weekend. Your mind discovers a deeper appreciation of the mystery that you experience during the liturgy, your heart becomes more open to God’s love, and your soul becomes more receptive to the graces that God is bestowing upon you.
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