How does one make Sunday Mass the most important hour of the week? How can we ‘get more out of Mass’? When Mass becomes an “obligation to fulfill” it means our relationship with Jesus Christ is weak. We have lost the ability to “taste and see the goodness of the Lord.” Our relationship with God needs strengthening. I suggest several things that can help. 

 

DAILY PRAYER

First and foremost, there must be a commitment to daily prayer. The Morning Offering Prayer (or Daily Offering Prayer) found in the Apostleship of Prayer Monthly Intentions of the Holy Father leaflet (exits of the Church), is an excellent way to make our lives more “Eucharistic,” i.e., centered on the Eucharist. We can pray this prayer the first thing every morning. The prayer expresses a desire to offer our whole day to God, including all of our prayers, works, joys, and sufferings. We offer ourselves to Jesus by uniting everything in our lives to the sacrifice of the Mass; this is a spiritual union of offering all the experiences of my day with Mass being offered in the Church throughout the world. Every event in our lives has the potential to make us more Eucharist-centered in our lives.

The gifts of bread and wine symbolize the “stuff” of our lives: blessings and bitterness, joys and sufferings, fruits and labors. When the priest at Mass offers the bread and wine to God the Event of Jesus’ dying and rising becomes present; in turn, these changed gifts are given back to us as the Food of everlasting life, the very Body and Blood of Christ. We can live this exchange of gifts outside of Mass in our daily experiences by consciously offering everything to God, and then receiving whatever He gives in return.

 

GOSPEL MEDITATION

Another way to improve our relationship with God is to meditate on the events of Jesus’ life. Some do this with Mary in praying the Gospel mysteries of the rosary; some pick up the Gospels every day and choose one event to meditate on. All we need is a few earnest minutes of meditation on the Gospel and, if we are open, our hearts will expand to hunger for Jesus more. Be sure to begin all scripture meditation by praying for the grace to know Jesus better, so we can love him more.

 

ATTEND DAILY MASS THIS LENT

Finally, we might attend one or more daily Masses a week. Daily Mass is much shorter than Sunday Mass. It is usually more simple and devotional. Many students come to daily Mass at St. Mary’s and are surprised to find a treasure. Daily Mass is NOT for those who miss Sunday Mass. It is NOT for those who think themselves to be “holy”; no, it is for those who know themselves as weak, and who truly hunger for God in their lives. We pray because we need God. We pray together because God is especially present in communities of prayer. We pray daily Mass because there we receive the Heart of Jesus and gain entrance into the Mysteries of the Heart of the Father, who loves us and strengthens us for the journey. Jesus is truly our daily bread.

 

Come to a daily Mass this week and see for yourself.