How can I improve my experience at mass?

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Lifeisawesome

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What are ways that help you to improve your participation and experience at mass?
 
Lifeisawesome said:
What are ways that help you to improve your participation and experience at mass?
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By participating, of course! Look, you get out of Mass what you put into it. If you open up the hymnal (or Music Issue, depending on where you go to Mass) and sing every single hymn and every proper and participate in reciting every prayer, and make every time you stand or sit or kneel a deliberate action, you are already significantly participating more than you probably ordinarily would be.

On top of that, everyone should take the time to contemplate the Lectionary readings for the upcoming Sunday, which you can find here. Find a good Catholic Scriptural commentary for Sunday readings and follow along with that or subscribe to homilies via e-mail. That way, you arrive at Mass not only with the readings in your head, but you have one or two interpretations of them up there so you’ll be more likely to listen to the homilist and will already have acquired an interested in those readings. Fr. Barron puts out very insightful, free, weekly podcast homilies for the upcoming Sunday. You can get them here.

Make your reception of the Eucharist deliberate. Always approach to receive our Lord properly disposed and receive Him sacredly. When you return to your pew, kneel and contemplate what has just happened and Whom you have received.

Finally, don’t let yourself get caught up in making Mass something “entertaining” or “fun.” It’s not. It’s not supposed to be. Don’t make it that way. The Mass is spiritual and far more can be gained from a “boring” Mass than a superficially “good time.”

God bless!
 
  • Make sure you are in the state of grace. If necessary, go to confession.
  • Prepare spiritually ahead of time. Before you go to Mass (even the night before), tell Jesus how much you long to receive Him. This “spiritual communion” prepares your heart to receive Him well.
  • Read the readings for Mass ahead of time (perhaps the night before). Think about what they mean. You will get more out of the readings and homily.
  • Observe the Eucharistic fast. It is good to be a little hungry; it helps our souls hunger for Jesus.
  • Arrive early and spend some time in silent prayer before Mass begins. Ask the Holy Spirit, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and your guardian angel to help you pray well.
  • Formulate a special intention for which you want to offer the Mass.
  • At the Offertory, when the priest offers the bread and wine on our behalf, and at the Consecration, when the priest offers the Body and Blood of Christ to the Father, join the gift of yourself — all you are, all you do, all your joys and sufferings — to the gifts being offered.
  • Celebrate Mass in the company of Mary. Where Christ is present, she is present too. Remember that you are truly at Calvary when you are at Mass. Stand with Mary at the foot of the Cross. Grieve with her at the death of Christ, slain for our sins. Rejoice with her at His resurrection. Receive Jesus in Holy Communion as she received Him at the Annunciation.
 
Try to build solid foundation of your faith - read the Bible, try to build a real relationship with Jesus through prayer - the more He will become a real person for you, the more meaningful will be the experience of Holy Mass as you will start to see it as not just a (beautiful) liturgy but the participation in Jesus’ death and His offering on the Cross for your own salvation and for the salvation of the whole Church - it is the most powerful prayer we have here on Earth.

Btw, read the Scripture for the day before the Mass so that you will understand it more deeply.
 
Be there mentally and spiritually, not just physically: hear every word, see every gesture of the celebrant, unless closing your eyes at certain moments helps you concentrate.

If you find your mind wandering, say to yourself ‘I can take care of that later. Now I’m paying attention to the Mass’.

And pray your postures: stand proudly, kneel without leaning, be as graceful as your physical abilities allow. Nothing sloppy, lazy or haphazard. BUT keep it simple: nothing that would in any way attract attention to you, and therefore, away from the Mass itself.
 
prepare, be there, listen and reflect.

Prepare - read the Sunday readings beforehand, with a small faith group, your family or on your own, from the bible or with a devotional commentary like Word Among Us. Plan you day to get there on time, put yourself in the framework for prayer. This takes work in the family to create a peaceful, calm environment on Sunday morning, perhaps a ban on quarreling, TV etc. at least until you get out of the car after Mass.

Be There - get there on time, teach children to sign themselves with holy water, to genuflect. Bring them to church outside Mass times for adoration, or simply to look, so you can explain church furnishing, meaning of pictures on the windows etc. Use your senses. leave off concerns of the world and be present to Christ as He is present to you.

LISTEN - every Mass no matter how lame the music, how dry the homily, how lacking in reverence the congregation, or how innovative the celebrant, has a Word for you specifically for that place and time. It may be in the homily and readings, it may be in the prayers of the Mass, the priest’s or our responses, the hymn, or even a casual comment by someone on the way out. But there is a Word for you that day. LISTEN. If you saw in Friday’s paper that Jesus would be appearing at the local ballpark on Sunday, would you be there to listen? Then Be There and Listen at every Mass.

Listen to the sounds that are not words, music but also background. even listen to the parts not in your native language.
I have found many times in the Spanish Mass, or since we have started using some Latin again, or even at times in my travels, the Vietnamese, Polish, Italian or other language Mass, I can still “hear” the prayers, the readings, and even “hear” in my heart meaning from the homily or hymns, even without the English translation. That is a gift of the Holy Spirit freely available to he who listens.

Reflect. Take that time after communion, no matter how little they give you, or how noisy the church is to make interior silence for a precious moment with you and the Lord. Don’t think or speak, just be with Him. Take care, and teach your children, to leave quietly and courteously, to smile to your fellow members of Christ’s Body, to visit outside after Mass, to drive home carefully. Spend a bit of time talking or thinking about the experience, the gospel, the homily. Don’t use this as an excuse to pick apart the priest, or criticize conduct of the Mass, but to chew on the message and think about it.

Make a resolution based on what you heard and experienced for at least the rest of the day, if not for the rest of the week.

Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
 
All of the above is great advice! I have nothing to add except that Thomas Howard has a helpful and inspiring little book called “If Your Mind Wanders At Mass.”

amazon.com/If-Your-Mind-Wanders-Mass/dp/0898707617

If you think you might like to read and reflect on the Sunday Mass readings ahead of time, please visit my humble webpage linked below for some helps.
 
dconklin said:
Sit in the front row.
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that’s not bad advice actually. I attended a mid-week Mass a few days ago and there was about a dozen of us scattered amongst the pews. Before the service began the priest suggested that we should all move up to the front to gain a better experience…and he was right.
 
One of the best things to do to get more out of the mass from my own experience. Go to a daily mass…not just a weekend liturgy. Maybe it’s because there is less distraction, or that everyone there wants to be there and participates…that I get so much more out of attending a weekday mass.
 
I also find Sunday Mass a rush & a social whirl. Adoration seems to feature very little. Silence is almost non-existent. Daily Mass is much easier & sorry to say more meaningful. The music, the kids, the babies, the acknowledgements, the collections are all so so distracting.
  1. Come early.(what’s my special intention for this Mass?)
  2. Sit at the front
  3. Don’t rush for Communion
    4 Stay afterwards at least 5 mins
If it is really a circus, speak to your PP & make some suggestions, particlarly about adding periods of silence 1. before Mass, 2 after the Gospel, 3 after the homily, after Communion.

Indeed the entire period during Mass should be silent - not tuning up, collecting or greeting. Socializing can happen after Mass. Those who remember pre-Vat II days know that this is how it used to be - silence & reverence. Perhaps we can get back to that. I think RCs would be amazed if they attended a Quaker service -silence & contemplation for several hours. Do we know how to be still any more?

Finally if you always think -this could be my last Mass - then that will really centre your thoughts
 
Learn to be a server, and serve when asked.
Learn to be a reader, and read when asked.
Arrive early. Stay late.
Read some good theology works.

Remember that God loves even the stinky unwashed street-person who wandered in, and they have every right to be there for mass, too.

Remember that the mass is not about “Me”, nor even “Jesus and Me”, but “Jesus and Us.”

Find your nearest non-schismatic Traditional parish, and experience the Latin mass.

Find your nearest Eastern Catholic Parish, and experience the diversity of valid and licit catholic worship.
 
Learn what the Mass is about - seems simple and you may indeed know what is happening, but many don’t and therefore can’t fully apreciate the miracles, both seen and unseen, that are talking place.

One book that really helped me discover the natural and supernatural realities of the Mass was The Lamb’s Supper by Scott Hahn. 🙂
 
tobbias88 said:
I also find Sunday Mass a rush & a social whirl. Adoration seems to feature very little. Silence is almost non-existent. Daily Mass is much easier & sorry to say more meaningful. The music, the kids, the babies, the acknowledgements, the collections are all so so distracting.
  1. Come early.(what’s my special intention for this Mass?)
  2. Sit at the front
  3. Don’t rush for Communion
    4 Stay afterwards at least 5 mins
If it is really a circus, speak to your PP & make some suggestions, particlarly about adding periods of silence 1. before Mass, 2 after the Gospel, 3 after the homily, after Communion.

Indeed the entire period during Mass should be silent - not tuning up, collecting or greeting. Socializing can happen after Mass. Those who remember pre-Vat II days know that this is how it used to be - silence & reverence. Perhaps we can get back to that. I think RCs would be amazed if they attended a Quaker service -silence & contemplation for several hours. Do we know how to be still any more?

Finally if you always think -this could be my last Mass - then that will really centre your thoughts
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This is fantastic advice
 
While listening to a talk by Matthew Kelly last year, a suggestion he made caused all of us to sit up and take notice –

Know that there is a word for you in that Mass. Listen for it. It may be in the Opening Song. It may be in the Homily. It may even be in something said casually by another parishioner as you leave or enter. Just know that God is trying to get your attention — often taking the time to hone some shortcoming or fill you with His Mercy. Something will suddenly resonate deep within you – you’ll know when you hear it.

Write down that word or message. On the bulletin – on a tissue. Or, preferably, in a journal you’ve brought with you for that very purpose.

Then, meditate upon that message that day and for the entire week. Ask God to develop that message as the week progresses.

You’d be amazed at how much more you’ll get out of Mass! 👍
 
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