Comments on Roman Catholic Cop: 15 Ways to Pay Attention at Mass

Excellent list! Very good, practical advice on how...

2009-11-12T10:54:14.834-06:00

Excellent list! Very good, practical advice on how to participate in the Mass. I'm like you, in that I get distracted easily during Mass when I'm not actively doing something, and I know there are lots of people in the pews like this as well. I'd like to reprint these in my parish bulletin, if that's all right with you.

BTW, Greg and Jennifer Willits spent one of their segments on The Catholics Next Door talking about this post. Expect lots of new readers, like myself, from their shout out!

I find it really dissapointing that a great articl...

2009-11-10T17:15:10.839-06:00

I find it really dissapointing that a great article like this can come under criticism. Sure there is much we are supposed to do and not do during mass but with today's society that is pushing the social norms in many aspects we shouldn't push people away with our brash behavior and beliefs. We should welcome people with open arms and if Jesus can forgive us of our great acts of sin, than we can forgive others of not doing everything perfect to canon. I for one feel closer to mass because it's said in English. If we were to take Mass back to its original language it would not be Latin but Aremic the actual language supposedly spoken during the time of Jesus Chirst. Or Hebrew for the readings, maybe some Babylonian, Greek, Latin, and hebrew for the Gospels.

As a thought on what divabella883 said, I would op...

2009-11-10T14:32:21.220-06:00

As a thought on what divabella883 said, I would oppose to mouthing the words of the canon, especially the words of consecration. The consecration is the duty of the priest, not the people; the people, hearing and understanding the prayer, accept it with the Great Amen. And vice versa, the priest must not say the Amen, it is for the people of God.

Unfortunately, all that praying before and after M...

2009-11-10T10:19:43.861-06:00

Unfortunately, all that praying before and after Mass sure is hard when everyone around you is chatting about their kids' soccer game last night.

I have to say when you mentioned the Eucharistic p...

2009-11-10T08:19:46.310-06:00

I have to say when you mentioned the Eucharistic prayers and repeating them in your head, I also find it helpful to mouth the words while the priest is saying them. We hear them enough that it's pretty easy to remember the basics and also the Eucharistic prayers aren't meant to be just for the priest, but the prayers of the PEOPLE. Thinking the prayer, mouthing the prayer, opens the communal prayer to consecrate the gifts. It definitely makes me attentive and aware of the presence of Jesus while preparing for receiving the precious body and blood.

wonderful suggestions. Thank you very much. What I...

2009-11-10T05:58:18.358-06:00

wonderful suggestions. Thank you very much. What I do to avoid distraction is to sit in the front row very close to the altar. The more I move back, the more the distractions.

I would suggest that also after Communion you shou...

2009-11-10T04:10:46.156-06:00

I would suggest that also after Communion you should say the Anima Christi or the post-Communion prayer of St. Thomas Aquinas. Also after mass (since it probably will be close to noon or six in the evening depending on which Mass you go to) say the Angelus Prayer. These prayers are an older devotional practice but I find much good in them.

1. Singing hymns is not part of the Mass. Only si...

2009-11-09T17:27:38.138-06:00

1. Singing hymns is not part of the Mass. Only singing Mass parts should count here.

2. "Holding Christ in your hands" is an abuse unfortunately tolerated.

3. The Mass ends with the dimissal, not the final song (which is not part of the Mass). You can leave after the dismissal and have been at the whole Mass.

4. The GIRM call for us to listen attentively to the readings. We are not to read along during the lessons or the Gospel.

I would add one thing to this otherwise pretty good list:

GET A MISSAL. If you must go to an Ordinary Form, I would suggest a used copy of the "Daily Roman Missal" (used since the better translation is coming out fairly soon). Read the Latin, to teach yourself the actual language of our faith (which is not English).

I just came across your article on 15 ways, I will...

2009-11-09T13:09:45.200-06:00

I just came across your article on 15 ways, I will copy it, it will be very helpful for my Confirmation class that I teach.

Fran

These suggestions are very helpful. Thanks!

2009-11-09T12:46:23.210-06:00

These suggestions are very helpful. Thanks!

I think prayer, preparation and visualizaation are...

2009-11-09T11:56:27.839-06:00

I think prayer, preparation and visualizaation are particularly excellent suggestions. They help us make the Most Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, and all the rest of our lives, an acceptable gift to God.

However, I think some caution should be exercised in listening to the homily. In the three diocese that I have lived in, often, the homily is not merely poor, but scandalous. Priests or deacons have sometimes taught thing directly against Church doctrine or giving simply bad advice. For instance, on All Saints Day our deacon gave the homily and suggested we pick someone in our lives that WE think are good by our OWN standards and look up to that person asif he or she was a saint. In his case, he picked his grandfather who was not even religious and never went to mass at all. It might be worth listening to the homily to simply prepare yourself against heresy and bad advice, and to think up reasonable Catholic responses to those things

And on that point, I think preparation is more assuredly worthwhile when we do it with the saints. Why turn to ourselves or others who have not undergone the full trial of life and death yet? The saints are proven soldiers of God and their commentaries on the scriptures are enlightening. (See St. Augustine for some great ones.) To paraphrase one of the psalms says, from hidden faults acquit us O God.

- Eric

number one is the best...I have gone over the read...

2009-11-09T11:55:08.330-06:00

number one is the best...I have gone over the readings with my family, or even by myself, and practiced lectio divina for many years. I also recommend it to the RCIA class I teach. Then you don't need the missalette and you can hear the Word of God proclaimed at Mass!
Bring your laptop to code 7 or bring your Bible with the markings :) Michele- Retired Deputy from CA

Good advice! It all boils down to staying in the m...

2009-11-09T09:57:00.050-06:00

Good advice! It all boils down to staying in the moment and to enjoying right now for tomorrow may never come - or get here all too quickly.

I remember when I was young, Mass seemed to last forever - of course, in those days it was said and answered in Latin - and time dragged on and on...but now, I try to live in the moment and enjoy every minute as if I were living like it was my last day on earth.

I've not always been that way, but sure glad I can be that way now.

God bless you!