How do I learn to appreciate the Mass?
Catholics consider the Mass the source and summit of their lives, but many Catholics complain that they “don't get anything out of Mass.”
This complaint is not as selfish as it sounds. We should expect that participation in something as important as the Mass will make a difference in our lives. It should awaken an attitude of awe and gratitude for the wonders of God's love; it should inspire and challenge us to live more intentionally as active members of the Mystical Body of Jesus on earth.
Many Catholics are fascinated (or confused) by various incidentals of the liturgy, but better participation more often depends upon a deeper appreciation for the Mass as a whole. Regardless of the specific words, gestures, rituals, music and prayers, the Mass is always God's People gathered together to remember, celebrate and give thanks for who God is and what God has done. We come to Mass to be incorporated more fully into God's redeeming activity which finds its most perfect expression in the life, death and resurrection (the Paschal Mystery) of Jesus Christ. As his disciples and members of his Body on earth, we re-dedicate ourselves to live as Jesus does.
These aspects of the liturgy -- the gathering, remembering, celebrating, and mission -- are inseparable, but they are experienced in the four “movements” of the Mass: the Gathering Rite, the Liturgy of the Word, the Liturgy of the Eucharist and the Dismissal. Experienced as a whole, the liturgy enables us, in the words of St. Augustine, to be what we are, the Body of Christ.
Our active participation in the Mass always depends in part upon the concrete ways in which, as individuals and as a community, we continue to experience the real presence of God's faithfulness, love and mercy in our daily lives.
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Learn More:
> Guide to the Mass
> "Body of Christ"--Reflective Guide to the Catholic Mass
> Why the Mass Is a Challenge
> Books that will help you appreciate the Mass
> 7 Ways to Connect More Deeply to the Mass
> How to Worship Well
> "How to Pray the Mass"
> Reflective Guide to the Mass
Last Update: 06.08.22