Mass Attendance - I Need Help

[AngelRose81]

You don’t need help; you need to go to Mass! (But go to confession ASAP)

Some pointers:

• Sit up front, don’t hide in the back
• Follow along with a Missalette. I suggest you read the readings and Gospel before you go to Mass so that you will already be ‘in the story’ that will be discussed during the homily
• The two readings point to the Gospel that is read by the Deacon or Priest. Find the hidden clues in the Old Testament reading that point to Christ. He is in there every time, but you have to look.
• When you find your mind or eyes straying, focus on the crucifix. Contemplate the suffering of Christ and His offering for you.
• Brush up on your reverence: when you cross yourself, make it a big cross. When you genuflect before the tabernacle, make it a deep one. At the sign of peace, look into the eyes of the other parishioners while shaking hands. After receiving the Eucharist, return to your pew and kneel while bowing your head in understanding of your unworthiness to receive Christ.
• Hold the door for more of your fellow parishioners than you ordinarily would do.
• Put a few extra bucks in the collection basket.
• Arrive at least fifteen minutes prior to the start of Mass.
  Just a few tips for you to ponder. God bless you!

Kelly

Great tips!!

Also, I would recommend reading The Lamb’s Supper by Scott Hahn, too. Great book.

One thing that helps me is that instead of the Missal that my parish provides in the pew, I use my Magnificat that I subscribe to. I find that if I get to Mass early and read some of the prayers for the morning and the meditations for the day I get in the right frame of mind. Its a bit expensive to subscribe to but its a wonderful little book.

 

[Returnee]

You don’t need help; you need to go to Mass! (But go to confession ASAP)

Some pointers:

• Sit up front, don’t hide in the back
• Follow along with a Missalette. I suggest you read the readings and Gospel before you go to Mass so that you will already be ‘in the story’ that will be discussed during the homily
• The two readings point to the Gospel that is read by the Deacon or Priest. Find the hidden clues in the Old Testament reading that point to Christ. He is in there every time, but you have to look.
• When you find your mind or eyes straying, focus on the crucifix. Contemplate the suffering of Christ and His offering for you.
• Brush up on your reverence: when you cross yourself, make it a big cross. When you genuflect before the tabernacle, make it a deep one. At the sign of peace, look into the eyes of the other parishioners while shaking hands. After receiving the Eucharist, return to your pew and kneel while bowing your head in understanding of your unworthiness to receive Christ.
• Hold the door for more of your fellow parishioners than you ordinarily would do.
• Put a few extra bucks in the collection basket.
• Arrive at least fifteen minutes prior to the start of Mass.
  Just a few tips for you to ponder. God bless you!

Kelly

Good tips.

 

[Returnee]

I went yesterday. It dawned on me – “I’m taking from my religion, but not giving anything in return.”

Sounds like a reasonable conclusion. I pray you will (if you haven’t already) go to Confession and take the advice of others on this thread. It’s never really supposed to be “fun” anyway to go to Mass, if it were, then we’d be saying it’s “fun” to participate in the Sacrifice of our Lord.

It’s supposed to be something where we receive grace, unmerrited, by the Love of God. It’s humbling. It’s moving. It’s real.

Keeping this in mind is a guaranteed way of avoiding boredom. How could it be boring to partake in the same Sacrifice that took place 2000 years ago?

When else do you get to travel back in time, and witness the sacrifice of God’s Son, THE GOD, the Great IAM? NEVER! No where else.

Remember that next time your eyes get droopy.

 

[Pax_et_Caritas]

I’m someone who eats, sleeps and breathes Jesus, and who loves Catholicism. BUT, I don’t go to Mass because I find it horribly boring, even irritating. I loathe the obsession with singing, and bad sermons. The bad Masses seem to keep getting longer. I know I still BELIEVE. When I heard Tony Snow has liver cancer, I remembered how much my mother suffered while dying of the same thing. My heart sank, and I felt a desperate need to be in church. I thought of Mass. Yes, within a second or two, I realized I AM still Catholic. Knowing this, I ***MUST ***return to a more observant life. I must. ***GIVE ME GUIDANCE, MY FRIENDS. ***

I understand what you mean about Mass being boring and even irritating. The answer is to find a Traditional Mass in your area. Traditional Masses are neither boring, nor irritating, and the sermons are almost always very good.

Since it will be a little different than what you are used to, it may take a few months for it to grow on you… but after a few months of the Traditional Mass, you will be in love with it.