Praying before Mass?

[hawksnest23]

Hi I just wanted to see. Do you have to pray before and after Mass? I think it is a good idea but is it mandatory? Have you not fulfilled your obligation if you don’t? Thanks for all the help

 

[AJV]

No, it is not obligatory. Yes, you fulfill your obligation to attend Mass on a Sunday/Holy Day of Obligation if you don’t.

 

[YoungTradCath]

No, but it’s nice to go ahead and do it anyways if you want. That is, if it’s one of those churches with parishioners who aren’t in the habit of carrying on full-blown conversations before mass starts.

 

[MissRose73]

I like to have a few minutes to pray & reflect before Mass starts, but I usually do not stay after Mass to pray but that is my personal choice.

 

[Zekariya]

I pray the pre-communion prayers before Mass starts. I pray the post-communion prayers immediately after communing with Jesus (while others are still communing). Both sets of prayers are from my 1962 Baronius Press Roman Missal.

 

[Deo_Gratias42]

I have seen “Failing to make a proper Thanksgiving after Mass” on a number of examination of consciences. Obviously if you have a legitimate reason why you can’t stay for a few minutes, you can’t, but if it’s simple because you don’t want to, then I can see the sin involved.

On the other hand, I was once advised at a particularly noisy parish that if I wanted to pray before Mass, I should go to chapel to pray. Imagine that! Wanting to pray in the church prior to Mass! gasp!

 

[Bookcat]

It is good…but no one is not per se “obligated” to come early or stay after…

 

[pollycarp]

If I don’t pray before Mass I end up just daydreaming. So I pray.

I’m always thanking God throughout my day, so do I have to sit in the cold church while I’m doing that? I don’t think so, but anyone can correct me.

 

[E_7]

Sometimes I pray before Mass. I tend to be 25 minutes at Church before the Mass starts because that way I can feel like being home and that way I can actually listen Mass. If I get there 10 minutes before Mass (which is rare ) I get distracted, can’t concentrate and start daydreaming.

 

[DoGodsBidding]

My wife and myself pray together before Mass. We get there an hour before Mass is scheduled and then do our prayers, including a Rosary. It is wonderful to spend time in the church before Mass.

DGB

 

[thistle]

My wife and myself pray together before Mass. We get there an hour before Mass is scheduled and then do our prayers, including a Rosary. It is wonderful to spend time in the church before Mass.

DGB

That doesn’t work at our Church. On Sundays we have 10 Masses and only 15 minutes between the end of a Mass and the start of the next one (apart from the very first Mass at 5.30 am and the first one after lunch at 3.30pm).

 

[YoungTradCath]

That doesn’t work at our Church. On Sundays we have 10 Masses and only 15 minutes between the end of a Mass and the start of the next one (apart from the very first Mass at 5.30 am and the first one after lunch at 3.30pm).

15 minutes or less isn’t enough to pray? I can hardly think up enough stuff to pray to fill up five minutes most of the time.

 

[thistle]

15 minutes or less isn’t enough to pray? I can hardly think up enough stuff to pray to fill up five minutes most of the time.

You are missing the point. There is a continuous stream of people leaving and coming in and talking. There is no quiet time.

 

[hawksnest23]

“I have seen “Failing to make a proper Thanksgiving after Mass” on a number of examination of consciences. Obviously if you have a legitimate reason why you can’t stay for a few minutes, you can’t, but if it’s simple because you don’t want to, then I can see the sin involved.”

Is it ok to pray in the car or at home instead of staying after Mass?

 

[curlycool89]

I have seen “Failing to make a proper Thanksgiving after Mass” on a number of examination of consciences. Obviously if you have a legitimate reason why you can’t stay for a few minutes, you can’t, but if it’s simple because you don’t want to, then I can see the sin involved.

I’m pretty sure this is being scrupulous.

Yes, making a prayer of thanksgiving is a very good thing, a morally praiseworthy action even. But is it a mortal sin if you don’t? I can’t think of which Commandment you’d be breaking in this case in order to elevate it to a grave matter.

 

[Zekariya]

Is it ok to pray in the car or at home instead of staying after Mass?

I have done that before. It’s like the ten lepers that Christ healed. Only one came back to thank Him. Christ said something along the lines of “Were there not ten of you?” to the one that thanked Him. I’d say that as long as you thank God, even at home, it should be perfectly fine.

 

[dochawk]

On the other hand, I was once advised at a particularly noisy parish that if I wanted to pray before Mass, I should go to chapel to pray. Imagine that! Wanting to pray in the church prior to Mass! gasp!

Surely you don’t claim that prayer is more important than for the music mafia to “teach you” the latest new song they found, or yet anoer sing-song tune for the Psalms . . .



hawk

 

[Deo_Gratias42]

Surely you don’t claim that prayer is more important than for the music mafia to “teach you” the latest new song they found, or yet anoer sing-song tune for the Psalms . . .



hawk

Vacation Bible School slideshow. It was so loud, I couldn’t get through a Hail Mary without losing my train of thought.

I’m pretty sure this is being scrupulous.

Yes, making a prayer of thanksgiving is a very good thing, a morally praiseworthy action even. But is it a mortal sin if you don’t? I can’t think of which Commandment you’d be breaking in this case in order to elevate it to a grave matter.

Not everything on Examinations of Consciences are mortal sins, and a lot of people have devotions to Confession and confess venial sins too. It is not scrupulous.