Preparing for Mass: Pray

At Mass we encounter Jesus Christ. We meet Him in and through His Word, which He proclaims to us. We meet Him when we pray and sing as a community. We meet Him in a very special way when we receive Him, Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity, in the Holy Eucharist.

It makes sense, then, that to best prepare our hearts for these encounters, we need to strengthen our relationship with the One Whom we encounter, and to do that, we need to pray.

Try to get to Church at least fifteen minutes before Mass if possible. If you can't or if you find your particular parish a bit too noisy and distracting in the moments before Mass, take some time to pray at home, even if you have to get up earlier than normal. Ask Jesus to open your eyes, sharpen your mind, and expand your heart so that you may see, hear, and experience Him more fully at Mass. If you like, use some of the following prayer starters.

* Jesus, focus my attention on You at Mass, and help me overcome my distractions, especially...

* Jesus, during this Mass, I offer You...

* Jesus, during this Mass, I pray in a special way for...

* Jesus, when I listen to You in the Liturgy of the Word, help me understand...

* Jesus, when I receive You in Holy Communion, fill me with...

* Jesus, help me encounter You in this Mass so that I may...

However, whenever, and wherever you do it, just pray! Open up the channels of communication between you and Jesus so that you can better immerse yourself in Him during the Heaven-on-earth event you experience every week: the Mass.