Never Pray the Mass the Same Again

I normally try to create content that is evergreen -- as they say in the blogging world -- that can be useful to people for many years. I sincerely hope that this postal service is not useful for too long, that soon churches will be open, Masses will be public over again and nosotros, the faithful, will never again face the long-term prospect of being unable to attend Mass and participate in the Eucharist. But, for the next few weeks anyway, that'southward exactly the situation in which many of u.s. find ourselves.

So, how shall nosotros participate in the Mass from abode?

Information technology'southward important to note here that we are obligated to participate in the Mass when we are able to exercise so. We are never obliged to practice what isn't possible. Many of us are not able to nourish Mass because public Masses are not being celebrated. Many of us as well have been formally dispensed by our bishops from the obligation to attend Mass. In these cases, nosotros are excused completely from our Mass obligation and do not accept to do anything as a substitute.

However, most of usa very much desire to unite ourselves and our children to God and the Catholic Church during these trying times. And regardless of our ability to attend Mass, Sunday is nevertheless Sunday, and every Lord's day -- even a quarantine Sunday --is the Lord'due south Day.

On Sundays and other holy days of obligation, the true-blue are to refrain from engaging in work or activities that hinder the worship owed to God, the joy proper to the Lord's day, the performance of the works of mercy and the appropriate relaxation of mind and body. Family unit needs or of import social service legitimately tin can excuse from the obligation of Sunday rest. The true-blue should run into to it that legitimate excuses do not pb to habits prejudicial to faith, family life and wellness. (Catechism of the Catholic Church 2185)

So let'due south presume that nosotros all want to notice Sunday to the best of our abilities -- in consideration of our circumstance -- and non encourage any prejudicial habits in ourselves and our children.

I think the language is important here. Catechism law tells us that on Sundays and other holy days of obligation, the faithful are obliged to participate in the Mass. (Catechism 1247)

The words used are "participate" and in other places "help." Mass is supposed to exist an action for united states of america, not something that happens passively in front end of us. That'due south enough of a claiming when we are at a church surrounded past the community of believers. How tin nosotros get that feeling at home?

I've seen it recommended -- pretty much universally -- that if we are prevented from attending Mass in person, we should sentry a Mass on TV. Maybe that would work for y'all, and if so, carry on. But my big kids scout Television receiver like slack-jawed, glassy-eyed zombies, and my niggling kids watch TV for near four minutes earlier they get bored with it and wander off. TV just doesn't control their participation.

Besides, I accept this business that all this suggestion that Mass on TV is a good substitute for actual Mass is going to exist disruptive to people long term and will have unintended consequences -- but maybe that's just my own preference against screens for religious purposes.

The proffer in canon police is that if participation in the Eucharistic commemoration becomes incommunicable because of the absenteeism of a sacred minister or for another grave cause, it is strongly recommended that the true-blue take function in a liturgy of the word if such a liturgy is celebrated in a parish church building or other sacred place according to the prescripts of the diocesan bishop or that they devote themselves to prayer for a suitable time alone, equally a family, or, as the occasion permits, in groups of families. (Canon 1248)

I recall what'southward going to work for our family is to lean into this fourth dimension of cloistered family life as a way to strengthen our domestic Church, and to actively participate in the cede of the Mass as much as possible -- especially on Sundays.

We're going to go dressed in our Sunday best and come together as a family as we would usually come together as a community. We take a abode chapel, then that's where nosotros'll be, only wherever in your home you ordinarily pray as a family (or if you don't have that spot even so, no time like the present to selection ane) ideally in front end of a crucifix or other religious image.

We will light candles, blessed by a priest on Candlemas. We'll sing a hymn.

For the prayers of the Mass, we volition read from the Magnificat. We accept subscribed to the Magnificat for 10 years and actually dearest it. They are offering free online access to everyone during this crisis, only I highly, highly recommend subscribing to the physical version, as well. We also subscribe to MagnifiKid for our children. It's available online, as well. Hither is the consummate March issue and here is April. Again, I really recommend subscribing.

Whatsoever time we are not able to receive the Eucharist, nosotros make an Act of Spiritual Communion. This is the ane nosotros use, recommended past St. Josemaria and used by him since babyhood. (See it in his ain handwriting hither.)

I wish, my Lord, to receive y'all with the purity, humility and devotion with which your almost holy mother received you, with the spirit and fervor of the saints.(Past Begetter Cayetano de San Juan Bautista, Pamplona Espana, 1800)

Hither is some other version:

My Jesus,
I believe that You
are present in the Nearly Holy Sacrament.
I honey Y'all above all things,
and I desire to receive You into my soul.
Since I cannot at this moment
receive You sacramentally,
come at to the lowest degree spiritually into my eye. I embrace

Yous equally if You were already there and unite myself wholly to You lot. Never permit me to be separated from You. Amen.

It's important to remember that, contrary to the linguistic communication often existence used, Masses are non cancelled. Masses are occurring everywhere, all over the earth. Information technology's just that in many places, the faithful are non allowed to attend those Masses. Your pastor, along with every priest you lot know, is saying a Mass today, attended by the angels. He is saying it with you in mind and for your intentions. We can and should unite ourselves to those Masses.

A adept way to do this any time (not merely pandemic time) is to make a morning offering each morning.

O my Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer thee all my prayers, works, joys, and sufferings of this twenty-four hour period, for all the intentions of thy Sacred Center, in spousal relationship with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass offered through out the word, in reparation for my sins and for all the intentions of the Holy Begetter. Amen. (Available as a gratis printable here, or alongside dozens of other useful daily prayers and devotions in the Catholic All Day booklet, available as a printable download here, or every bit a paperback from Amazon hither. And also in a Star Wars-ish version hither.)

So, from our abode, nosotros are going to do our best to actively participate in the Mass, being offered past our priests. I'm not officially ruling annihilation out, merely nosotros are probably not going to rely on the Idiot box equally an aid e'er. Instead we'll exist doing the prayers and readings for the day's Mass at home as a family, using the Magnificat.

Is it going to be perfect and reverent at every moment? Nope. Is it worth doing anyhow? Yes. I don't know virtually you, only our Masses at church aren't perfect and reverent at every moment either. Volition in that location exist lament? Probably not, because by this signal, my kids are pretty used to the way we roll. They actually like to "play Mass" sometimes.

I practice non recommend using corn chips and cranberry juice -- or anything else -- equally a substitute for the Eucharist in a family unit prayer service when ane cannot attend Mass.

Anyway, I can certainly imagine at that place would take been some pushback in earlier days. If I faced that at present, I'd explain why this is so important, and why we really have to make an effort, specially in these altered circumstances, to make Sunday feel like a day set apart for God. And I'd as well remind them that I'thousand in accuse of Lenten Dominicus screens and treats.

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Source: https://www.dioceseofcleveland.org/news/2020/04/04/participating-in-mass-from-home-during-the-coronavirus-quarantine

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