Customs prior to Mass

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Still new to the Catholic faith, I’ve been wondering what parishioners are doing when they kneel before mass. I notice most of their lips are moving so evidently they are saying something. What is it? Hail Mary’s? Other prayers? Thanks for your comments.
 
There may be some traditional prayers, but I usually ask God to calm my spirit and help me be attentive to what is happening during the Mass, and to offer up any particular intentions I have for that Mass (say for a friend or family member or for a troubling situation). I also pray that my children will behave and that I can be patient with them when they inevitably don’t. 😛
 
Different prayers. My lips aren’t moving, tho, unless I accidentally sit next to talkers. Then I pray in a loud whisper. Either they’re all deaf or don’t care. 😦
 
It could be a number of prayers. I don’t generally move my lips, but do prayer for the graces for a number of things (thanks giving, mercy for faults, freedom from distraction, custody of eyes, against pre-judgment of bad music, et cetera). My goal is set aside the outside world to enter into greater union with Christ.
 
I’m usually praying to “be in the moment” so I can focus on the Mass and not let my mind wander to the 10,000 things that need to be done in the coming week. After that I just like to kneel in silence before the Blessed Sacrament.
 
Still new to the Catholic faith, I’ve been wondering what parishioners are doing when they kneel before mass. I notice most of their lips are moving so evidently they are saying something. What is it? Hail Mary’s? Other prayers? Thanks for your comments.
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There are specific prayers that are said by the priest before Mass, and these are listed in many Roman Missals. The laity may also say these same prayers in preparation for Mass.

I use the St. Andrew’s Daily Missal. Before the canon of the Mass in this book, there are listed these various prayers to be said before Mass. It takes about 10-15 minutes to say all of them in their entirety.
 
srfnolen said:
Still new to the Catholic faith, I’ve been wondering what parishioners are doing when they kneel before mass. I notice most of their lips are moving so evidently they are saying something. What is it? Hail Mary’s? Other prayers? Thanks for your comments.
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Can’t speak for anyone else but I kneel and pray a Glory Be, Our Father, Hail Mary and Alma Redemptoris Mater. Maybe give some acknowledgement to various saints too and solicit their prayers.
 
Usige said:
I don’t generally move my lips, but do prayer for the graces for a number of things… against pre-judgment of bad music…
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👍

This made me laugh. As the organist at mass, and as one who frequently chooses the hymns,** I am praying before mass **that nothing we do in the choir loft distracts people from mass or causes them to be tempted to pass judgment against us!
 
I might be praying for any number of things, including many of the above mentioned.

In addition, I try to remember to ask forgiveness for my venial sins. I might be praying in prayer tongues; I might be offering the Mass and its Graces for a specific person, or request/cause. I could be praying the Rosary or the Divine Mercy. I could also be trying to calm myself from an anxiety/panic attack. One prayer that is easy to pray and calming is “Come, Lord Jesus”, or “Come Holy Spirit”. I might even be singing silently to myself a hymn or Christian song.
 
Before Mass, I always ask God the Father to accept the Holy Sacrfirice we are about to offer up to Him and to fill us with His peace, grace, and love. I also use some nice prayers from my prayer book to prepare for Communion. They are special pre-Communion acts of faith, hope, and love, plus a prayer by Saint Thomas Aquinas for before receiving Communion.

I hope this helps! May God bless you always! 🙂
 
Still new to the Catholic faith, I’ve been wondering what parishioners are doing when they kneel before mass. I notice most of their lips are moving so evidently they are saying something. What is it? Hail Mary’s? Other prayers? Thanks for your comments.
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Personally, I start off with thanking God for allowing me into His home to celebrate the Mass and for allowing me to receive the Body and Blood of Jesus. I offer the Sacrifice of the Mass for all of the Holy Souls in Purgatory, especially my father. I tell Him I love Him and thank Him for the sacrifice He made for us on the cross.
 
Sometimes if I get to mass really early I will pull out my rosary and pray. Or else just pray whatever prayers come to my heart to pray. I’m used to traditionally in my family, we all kneel from the second we get into the pews until Mass begins.
 
When you see others kneeling before Mass,they are either saying the Rosary,or praying and talking to Jesus,or his Father…
 
I may pray any number of things, but ALWAYS pray one Hail Mary for our celebrant, followed by “St. John Vianney, pray for all priests and seminarians; St. Teresa of Avila, pray for all consecrated men and women; St. Stephen, pray for all deacons.” (Just to continue my train of thought and apropos of nothing, AFTER Mass I pray the prayer to St. Michael, Archangel . . . 🙂
 
Praying that my heart, mind, and soul be ready for mass. I often start with an Our Father, and often follow with a Hail Mary and Glory Be, but I pray in my own words, too, after.
 
I usually do some mental prayer… there are also specific prayers you can say from your missal (at least the 1962 missal) to offer the Mass to God 🙂
 
srfnolen said:
Still new to the Catholic faith, I’ve been wondering what parishioners are doing when they kneel before mass. I notice most of their lips are moving so evidently they are saying something. What is it? Hail Mary’s? Other prayers? Thanks for your comments.
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Some pray the Rosary before Mass. Others pray devotions.

If I attend an Evening Mass, I arrive 15-30 minutes early to pray Vespers. I usually pray Lauds when I arrive in the school chapel early before the 6:30 am daily Mass.

The purpose of these are to evidently prepare one’s mind for the sacred action.
 
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