5 Simple Ways to Prepare for a More Meaningful Mass
Getting Your Mind and Soul Ready for the Heavenly Banquet.
How often do we find ourselves distracted, zoning out, and struggling to focus during Mass?
We spend at least 52 hours per year attending Mass on Sundays. While overall this isn’t a ton of time over the course of a year, it’s enough for us to establish a routine and for Cradle Catholics (those raised in the faith since birth) to quote the entire Mass from memory. However, how much of what you hear during the homily or mass do you actually remember? If you're like most people, Mass might be a time you’ve found yourself preoccupied with thoughts of your endless to-do list, boredom, a lack of understanding the readings, or an inability to concentrate due to noisy children. You may have come to Mass with good intentions, but ended up feeling like you missed the whole message or got lost somewhere.
However, let me proclaim to you the ‘good news’. With the right plan and preparation before Mass, you can walk out of church feeling empowered to live up to the priest’s dismissal to “Go out and announce the gospel of the Lord!” Let’s dive into the 5 steps of how to prepare for a meaningful Mass next!
1. Study the Readings Beforehand
Before coming to daily or Sunday Mass, spend some time in the early morning or before your Mass time is scheduled to read the first, second, and gospel readings (or at least the gospel readings). Take a couple moments to allow yourself to contemplate and reflect on the message. This could be the simplest way God is trying to speak to you today! What better way to listen to his voice than by spending time in His Word. One way to develop consistency in setting aside time for these readings is by establishing a morning prayer routine. Get dressed and freshened up for the day, grab a cup of freshly brewed coffee, and sit in a quiet area in your house or living space free from distractions. If you’re pressed for time, you could also listen to daily reflections on the daily word from apps like the Catholic meditation app Hallow during your commute time. Creating this time with God will not only strengthen your relationship with the Lord, but will help you find peace and strengthen you for what God has in store for the day.
2. Arrive to Mass Early
It’s hard to become present in church and to release ourselves from the worries of the day when we’re late to Mass! Arriving 30 minutes to an hour early gives you the perfect opportunity to sit in silence with the Lord. Think of it as your scheduled 101 time with Jesus. While the thought of sitting still in church (especially for a WHOLE hour) may seem like a daunting task at first, begin small with arriving 20 mins early… then increase to 30 mins… and finally sit for an hour with God. Just like everything, silence is a skill that requires practice. The more you keep showing up and sharing to Jesus what’s on your heart - the worries of the day, gratitude, any sins you might be struggling with and wish to receive His mercy for, offer up to Him. It’s important to note that we are human “beings” not human “doings.” To simply be and to rest with the Lord is good for the transformation of our minds, bodies, and souls. Remember, no time is wasted if it’s spent with the Lord! Use this time to consider your Mass intentions, i.e. what you hope to bring to this time with Jesus and your fellow members in Christ. Conduct a Daily Examen (more on the practice of this exercise here) - recalling the areas of your day you are grateful for, the areas you wish to ask for forgiveness for, and what you intend to do better tomorrow - and offer these up to God.
3. Bring a Mass Journal
If you’ve ever had an 'aha' moment or been inspired by the message of Father’s homily, only for everything you’ve just learned to go in one ear and out the other once Mass is dismissed, keeping a regular mass journal could be a simple solution. Having a notepad or journal dedicated for Mass allows you to quickly jot down ideas and refer back to them later. You never know when you might need to hear those aspiring words again in the future! Writing also helps with memory retention, so the process of writing down the readings and quotes from the homily will help you better understand the Bible.
4. Go to Daily Mass
One of the many joys of being Catholic is we have the privilege of being able to attend Mass and experience Jesus in the Eucharist every day of the week. Mass does not have to be limited to only Sundays. If your church doesn’t offer daily Masses that fit your schedule, search the website for “Mass Times Near Me” to see mass times at other parishes in your area. Daily masses are usually 30 mins long, quieter, and contain a smaller number of people, making the overall experience more intimate. The Priest also distributes only the host (no wine) during the weekdays. It’s a great way to incorporate a bit of Sunday (and the glory of Resurrection Day) into your week days.
5. Pray a Rosary Before Mass
What better way to prepare for your time with Jesus than through spending some time with our mother, Mary! While Jesus was dying on the cross, after seeing his mother, he gave special orders to His beloved disciple John. “Women, behold your son,” and to John, “Behold, your mother!” (John 19:26-27). Our Lady plays a vital role in our lives, always pointing us to the direction of her son, who appointed her as a mother to all of us. Praying the rosary is a powerful weapon in a world undergoing an invisible spiritual battle. Meditating on the glorious, luminous, sorrowful, and joyful mysteries better helps us realize the wonder and awe of our merciful God, who in order to relate to us, stepped down from His thrown in Heaven and came to be with us in the form of a man. The rosary can seem purely repetitive at first, but the prayers are written in a way that is easy to recite, allowing us to reflect on each theme of the mysteries while praying simultaneously. It’s a rhythmic way we can recite simple prayers and reach a more meditative state. Repetition is an important aspect of prayer that should not be overlooked. If you consider how God operates in our daily life — there is so much beauty and truth in repetition around us. For example, the rhythm of a heart beating, the rising and setting of the sun, earth rotations, and seasons of the year. God operates and will continue to operate in the form of cycles and patterns. Once you grow more accustomed to the flow of saying the rosary, you will also better understand the stories of Jesus’ life and His paschal mysteries. This will allow you to grow in virtues (humility, obedience, charity) and apply them in your own life. The rosary is a gift handed to us by Jesus’ Mother, the holiest woman who ever walked the face of the earth. She saw and knew Jesus better than any other human. The rosary allows us to see Jesus as Our Lady must have seen Him… reflecting and contemplating in her heart all the mysteries as they happened to her in the annunciation, nativity, scourging at the pillar, all the way to the resurrection! As a token of her love, Mary in an apparition to St. Dominic even made 15 specific promises, one stating that “to all those who recite my rosary devoutly, I promise my special protection and very great graces.” (Marians of the Immaculate Conception). Remember, Mother knows best!
After walking through these five steps, it’s important to remember that we’re not simply at church to watch the priest bless the bread and wine, but to be witnesses and participants in the unbloody sacrifice of the Mass. The more present we are, the more we become aware of this miracle happening every Sunday right before our eyes!
