As we continue to reflect on how to make going to Mass on Sunday a part of our lives.
5. Go Make a Difference Once Mary received our Blessed Lord in her womb by the power of the Holy Spirit she was compelled to go forth and server her cousin Elizabeth, who was pregnant with John the Baptist. In a similar way when we have received the Lord in the Eucharist we are sent forth from the Church to make the world a better place. We are to live out what we have just celebrated. Therefore if you wish to get more out of Mass, than I encourage you to commit yourself to some type of service.
From time to time, I am blest with the opportunity to celebrate Mass for the Missionaries of Charity. They are the religious order that Mother Teresa founded. It is inspiring for me to see the importance they place on starting off their day with Mass. It is what fuels them throughout the day to the many acts of service they provide to those in need.
6. Experience the Variety One of the things, I enjoy about the Mass is the wide variety of ways in which the ONE Mass is celebrated. I can celebrate a quiet Mass with minimum amount of music at 7 in the morning, followed by a Mass with a classical Church choir at nine in the morning and later around six in the evening I can celebrate Mass with a choir that focuses on contemporary Christian music. At the seven in the morning, I am inspired by the faithfulness of the older generations, at the nine in the morning, I am excited to see all the young families, and at the six in the evening, it is awe-inspiring to see teenagers and young adults commit themselves to prayer. Take time to see all the Church has to offer before leaving the Church again. Remember though ultimately it is about receiving Jesus Christ and deepening your relationship with God so be careful not to let your own preferences from taking over your spiritual life. Remember that the Mass has also been said in concentration camps, prisons, etc
7. Go Early/Stay Late Growing up, my mother’s side of the family would gather quite often for dinner. After dinner the children would go outside and the adults would play different card games. Canasta was the game of choice. During the evening of fun, my mother would have to call home and let me dad know when we were going to eat. He would then come over to my grandmother’s house just in time for dinner and then after he had eaten he would leave after he was finished missing out on all the fun. Some people attend Mass in the same way. They arrive late and leave early and miss out on so much.
8. Dress Up The tradition of dressing up for Mass, I believe goes all the way back to the early Church. People dressed up to remind themselves that they were special. They were special because God created them but they were even more special because God had redeemed them through the Pascal Mystery. Dressing oneself physically reminds us that we are a new creation in Christ.
When a priest gets vested he is supposed to make sure almost all of his clerics are covered by his vestments to point out that what he is about to participate in not something ordinary but is rather something quite extraordinary. In the same way people who dress up for Mass remind themselves that they are special. Can we go to Mass in a t-shirt? Yes but we are in danger of losing some of symbolism that can inspire us to get more out of Mass.
9. Participate Watching an exercise class and participating in one are definitely two different things. Going to Mass and participating in Mass are two different things also. God designed the Mass in such a way that our whole bodies are invited to get involved so when people are standing stand, and when they sit then sit. Don’t be worried if you get it wrong, for we are all in the Church together.
10. Give it time Finally give it time, coming back to something for the first time is always going to be a little rough. God does not expect perfection from you so why should you?