Family
Spirituality
Families can
get more out of Mass
At Home with our Faith
offered a series of 10 short articles on how your family can get more
out of the Mass. We walked through the chronology of the Mass, from
preparation and gathering through the final blessing and sending forth.
Each month for ten issues we suggested ways that you and your family
can better appreciate how the Mass can deepen and enrich our life
together. What follows are the ten installments.
Who is our host?
A poor college student
was riding home from school on the train. He sat next to a distinguished
looking older woman who expressed interest in his opinions on education
and his plans for the future. They had a pleasant conversation.
When the young man
arrived at his destination and was met by his parents, he bid farewell
to his traveling companion. As she walked away his parents asked him
if he realized who she was. He didn’t. "Why, she’s
the woman who’s paying your college scholarship; she’s responsible
for your opportunity to attend that prestigious university. Didn’t
you know?" The young man stared after the woman with a new recognition
and thought about all the things they had talked about in a new light.
The part of the Mass
known as the eucharistic prayer ought to be like that moment of recognition
experienced by the college student. We come to Mass to recognize and
celebrate the One who makes our very life and our salvation possible.
Here are some ways
to get more out of this central part of the Mass.
1. Encourage
participation. The
word liturgy means "work of the people," and it’s this
work that builds our spiritual strength. As with physical exercise,
the spiritual value of this prayer is best experienced through regular
doses over a long period of time. This is as true for our children
as for ourselves. You don’t sit in the La-Z-Boy watching the
exercise channel and expect to get physically fit. Well, neither is
the eucharistic prayer a spectator sport–it demands active participation.
The eucharistic prayer is the work of all the people gathered, not
just the priest.
Make sure your children
know all the responses involved in the eucharistic prayer. (It begins
with a dialogue: The Lord be with you. And with your spirit.) Encourage
them to sing out when called for and to actively listen as the celebrant
directs our prayers to God. Explain that when we sing the Great Amen
we are affirming our faith that Jesus died, rose, and will come again.
Tell them, "This mystery is difficult for children to comprehend.
It’s hard for adults to understand, too. But it’s worth
spending a lifetime just paying attention to it and deepening our
belief day by day."
2. Seek
out family-friendly liturgies.
Many parishes have family Masses designed to appeal more to younger
people. At the family Mass at our parish those who care to are invited
to gather around the altar during the eucharistic prayer. The kids
bunch up close where they can observe the action at the altar. They
hold hands at the Our Father and participate enthusiastically at the
sign of peace. Encourage your parish liturgy team to find ways to
involve children and families in this part of the Mass in a special
way.
3. Heighten
older children’s appreciation
of the eucharistic prayer by inviting them to listen for a phrase
that strikes them and talk about it after Mass. Ask why that phrase
caught their attention or makes particular sense to them. This prayer
contains profound and poetic language: "For our sake he opened
his arms on the cross; he put an end to death." Or, "We
thank you for counting us worthy to stand in your presence and serve
you."
4. Point
out the importance of the consecration.
It’s a mystery beyond our full comprehension, but the ritual
action speaks volumes to our souls. The bread and wine we’ve
brought to the table become for us the Body and Blood of our Lord
Jesus Christ. There’s no way you can fully explain it. You can
simply state your belief and point to its sacredness. Ritual speaks
to us at deep levels, on levels where words are feeble and grow inadequate.
Let the power of the ritual transform you all. Your children will
know it’s valuable and pay attention to it themselves throughout
their lives. TJM
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