What is meant by participating in mass

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Hello, I am a RCIA Candidate Who was baptized in a baptist church and have been attending mass regularly since last lent , my question is what is meant by participation at mass, I know it doesn’t mean lector EHMC IT means being in the pews. but What does it entail, is it just saying the responses and listening to the readings and homily…
the reason why I am asking you this is because tonight I went to the vigil mass for all saints day, it was in Spanish and I barley speak Spanish. I was using a paper to say the responses. and didn’t understand the readings or homily that much .
Did i Participate. I tried the best I could
Thanks.
 
It means making a reasonable effort to make the responses and sing if you are able and have no mental/physical/emotional impediment from doing so.
 
It means to join yourself to the prayers of the Mass as best you are able.

Even singing along isn’t requisite. Being attentive, prayerful, and aware of what is happening is the basic minimum; saying the responses at the correct time is better still.

For fulfilling one’s obligation, the time factor also matters - one should be present for the Gospel and Homily and the Anaphora (Eucharistic Prayer) to count oneself as having attended, and if possible, one should be present from the first note of the entrance hymn through the last note of the recessional hymn. Note that if Catechumens are dismissed, they should be present for the Gospel through the dismissal of the catechumens, and again, ideally from the first note of the entrance hymn until the dismissal of the catechumens.
 
Hi, taylor-------If you participate in Mass, you’re not merely taking up pew space while your mind is touching upon one thing and then another. Instead, you read along with the words in the missalette (or whatever print form you have)–as you did in the Spanish version–focusing upon what the priest is doing, so that your mind and heart are engaged in helping to offer the sacrifice of the Mass. You also pay close attentioin to the words of the Gospel as it is read, the message in the priest’s homily, and you join in song with others. You simply take part in all that constitutes the sacrifice of the Mass. It is most desirable to receive communion, but you can participate in the Mass without doing so. Welcome!
 
YoungTradCath said:
It means making a reasonable effort to make the responses and sing if you are able and have no mental/physical/emotional impediment from doing so.
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According to Pope Benedict in his book “The Spirit of the Liturgy”, it means participation in the action of the Mass. The action of the Liturgy of the Word the proclamation of the Word.

To Pope Benedict, active participation is giving one’s attention to the Word proclaimed in the Readings, Psalm and Gospel, and to the instructions given in the Homily. One does this to the best of their ability, In your case, your ability is limited, what is called for is not to let your mind wander etc… It would help if you could read the Readings for the day in English at the same time.

The actio of the Liturgy of the Eucharist, according to Pope Benedict, is the Confection and Offering of the Blessed Sacraments.

Our active participation requires us to offer ourselves along with the Sacrifice offered by the priest. Here, language is immaterial.

Active Participation does not require, or even call for, us to say a single thing at Mass,
 
We can never be required to do more than we are able. I have mental health issues - I have had days where it was all I could do to sit quietly in the back and cry. I figure God is pleased enough that I attended on those days.

I actually love occasionally sitting in on a service I don’t understand. It can be an incredibly humbling experience to focus on our Lord in the midst of people praising him in another language. Takes you out of yourself and forces you to focus.
 
taylormcbee said:
Hello, I am a RCIA Candidate Who was baptized in a baptist church and have been attending mass regularly since last lent , my question is what is meant by participation at mass, I know it doesn’t mean lector EHMC IT means being in the pews. but What does it entail, is it just saying the responses and listening to the readings and homily…
the reason why I am asking you this is because tonight I went to the vigil mass for all saints day, it was in Spanish and I barley speak Spanish. I was using a paper to say the responses. and didn’t understand the readings or homily that much .
Did i Participate. I tried the best I could
Thanks.
Click to expand...
“Participating” in Mass means “attending” Mass.
 
It means attending the mass with the intention of being part of it. That just means paying attention, responding where required, following along prayerfully, listening and watching, and trying to think about what is happening at the altar during the sacrificial action of the priest offering the Eucharist, and uniting your own intentions and prayers. If you get distracted, it’s OK, just do your best. If you don’t know the language, it’s OK, too.

If I’m waiting for a bus on a corner outside the church on a snowy day, and because it’s cold go inside the church and sit in back to read my newspaper while a mass happens to be going on, I am not “participating,” even though I am there.
 
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