HOLY YEAR PREPARATION: POPE FRANCIS

HOLY YEAR PREPARATION: MASS

• Welcoming the Eucharistic Jesus: the broken bread becomes nourishment for the life and presence of God that strengthens and sustains us. It is necessary to experience this important moment with greater awareness in the certainty that the Lord enters each person’s life and desires to be received into a generous and attentive heart. As you approach Holy Communion, some silent prayers can be recited in your heart that will prepare you to receive the Lord with greater awareness and gratitude.
• “The Mass is ended, go in Peace”: Having been nourished at the table of bread and wine, with the final greeting, we are invited to become credible witnesses of Christ and bearers of peace in the world.
• Thanksgiving: Before leaving the church, it is good to pause (at least for five minutes) to give thanks for the gift received in Holy Communion, aware that the Lord has come to visit us. In this way, we can more carefully cherish the grace within us and be able to face the world with His help.

Pray the Lord’s Prayer attentively: meditate on the prayer that Jesus taught by reflecting on the meaning of the words that are said. Even in personal prayer, one should not rush when reciting the words, rather, dwell carefully and reverently on every expression used to converse with the Father.

Listen carefully to the Word of God: maintain a receptive, meditative attitude that enlightens the heart and mind of every Christian because the Word is “living”. By listening and through personal recollection, it is possible to translate the Word into everyday life, receiving help and consolation. Therefore, especially when standing up at the time of the proclamation of the Gospel, we are called to recognize the presence of the Lord who, through the minister, still speaks to us today in the Eucharistic celebration.

The Mass

Make the Sign of the Cross well: the words and gestures made in the initial rites enable us, from the very beginning, to be involved body, soul, and mind in the celebration. The sign of the cross, in fact, summarizes the whole of our Christian faith. When we sign ourselves with the symbol of the cross, we recall the incarnation, redemption, and resurrection of the Lord and when we pronounce the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, we recall the great Mystery of the Holy Trinity.

• Prepare for Mass well: approach the communal moment of the Eucharist with a brief personal preparation in silence that helps you step out of the hectic pace of daily life to reflect on the mystery you are about to experience. You can pause in front of the tabernacle, for a few minutes, where the Blessed Sacrament is present, recognizing that He will soon make Himself present on the altar, giving Himself to us in His true Body. It would also be very helpful to read beforehand the passages of God’s Word that will be proclaimed in the liturgy.

‘Mary teach us to say Yes to the Lord every moment of our lives.
Mary teach us to say Thanks to the Lord every moment of our lives.’