Mike

“Recognize in this bread what hung on the cross, and in this chalice what flowed from His side…whatever was in many and varied ways anounced beforehand in the sacrifices of the Old Testament pertains to this one sacrifice which is revealed in the New Testament.” – St. Augustine, Sermon 3,2; 410 A.D.

1. Read the readings a day or two prior to Sunday Mass. One of the great advantages of being Catholic is the Lectionary. We know exactly which scripture will be read at any particular mass ahead of time; going to a school lecture “cold” without at least skimming the reading you “get less” out of what the professor is teaching. As we sit in the pews for the first half of mass, we are assuming the ancient Jewish posture of students, so the analogy is direct. Online resources (The US Coucil of Bishops) and hardcopy missals are easy to access for this preparation.

2. Admire the people who are not going up for communion. Sticking to the discipline of not unworthily receiving communion is something to be encouraged and viewed with awe. Respect yourself and respect Jesus in the Eucharist. Which leads to…

3. Go to Confession regularly! Confession/Penance and Mass/Eucharist are not only theologically linked sacraments, but practically speaking going to a session of “2 minutes in the box” on Saturday followed by Mass on Sunday makes your faith more of a joyful comprehensive lifestyle, and not burdensome cloak you briefly put on occasionally. If you are lucky, your confessor might make your penance a requirement to seriously meditate on one or more of the readings for the weekend liturgy, giving a boost to your brain as you head into mass. Remember: Partaking the Sacrament of Reconciliation is like baseball, you only get better and more comfortable with hitting a 80-90 MPH fastball coming at your head with repetition; and everyone occasionally needs help hitting a curveball; life/baseball is a game of failure…there is not shame is striking out… safely getting a “basehit” a bit more than 1 out of 3 times qualifies you for the Hall of Fame/sainthood… so have mercy on yourself and avail yourself of reconciliation and mercy before a small slump becomes a career ending malaise… and try to learn from that at-bat, doing better in the next one or the next game.

4. Don’t forget to make a deep show of reverent respect for the Eucharist directly before receiving (deeply bow from the waist or reverently quick kneel) communion. It reminds you of the Catholic truth that Christ IS substantially present in the Eucharist, and that being in his presence is a special moment, and that in receiving him into your body and going out into the world you are sharing in his royal mission/responsibility.

5. Also, at the moment of “Body of Christ” or “Blood of Christ” make eye contact with your priest/eucharistic minister when you are presented his body and blood. Loudly affirm your faith and intention to love and serve the Lord when you say “Amen”

6. Take time to really contemplate the words of the Kyrie, Gloria, Eucharistic Acclimation, and all the prayers as you and the congregation speak them or sing them.

7. Take time to revel/wonder at the notion that people have continued, after 2000 years and the distractions of NFL/MTV/uncertainty, that people continue to meet and worship the faith of our fathers. It is not easy being Catholic, but people continue to voluntarily join the Church and its requirements everyday. So many people, over so many years, can not be living this life just to make Mom and Dad happily continue to pay your tuition and phone bills or out of “fear of the pains of Hell.” There must be something joyous to be received at mass that we so steadfastly continue to pray and live as a connected Body of Christ. Actually it is not something we look to get out of mass; it is Some One. Jesus, “The Word of God… made flesh… walks among us” once when we hear his wise and calming words in Scripture and eat his spiritually nourishing flesh.