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