HOW TO BEHAVE DURING A CATHOLIC MASS
Respecting Jesus Christ at Mass and in receiving the Holy Communion
Rev Fr Utazi Prince Marie Benignus Zereuwa
Email: utaziprince@yahoo.com Facebook: Utazi Prince
GENERAL OVERVIEW
The Lord is present when we go to him in prayer. On the other hand, when we go before our Lord in our parish church or another Catholic chapel, we already know he is fully and substantially present in our midst, having been reposed or reserved in the tabernacle (in the church), waiting to be adored. It is here, in the presence of Jesus in the Eucharist that we pour out our hearts to him. Our first inclination ought to be one of adoring Christ who dwells among us in this mysterious, yet real and authentic way. We kneel in his presence, asking his mercy and listening as he speaks to our hearts. From time to time, we hear him speak to us from the very depths of our souls.
The intimacy we experience in prayer, especially in the presence of our Eucharistic Lord, is intensified when we participate fully in the celebration of the Eucharist, otherwise known as holy Mass. Why? Because our full participation at Mass means receiving our Eucharistic Christ in Holy Communion. THE CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH (CCC) no.1391 tells us that The principal fruit of receiving the Eucharist in Holy Communion is an intimate union with Christ Jesus. Indeed, the Lord said: He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. This intimate union with Christ is likewise possible when we go before him on bended knee to adore him, present in the tabernacle, the red candle (tabernacle light) lit nearby to acknowledge his presence in the Eucharist or in every Catholic Church or chapel worldwide.
A. ETIQUETTE AT MASS
The Eucharistic celebration, otherwise known also as Mass, is a solemn worship of the Triune God. During Eucharistic celebration, every heavenly being is fully present. Therefore, human beings who are involved in the Eucharistic Celebration should strive to behave well and respectfully. To act respectfully during Mass, arrive on time, maintain silence, participate actively, and dress modestly. Refrain from talking during Mass, from using phones during Mass, or eating during Mass, and focus on prayer and reverence. Following these guidelines ensures a prayerful and respectful environment for all.
A. i. BEFORE MASS
1. Arrive early: Being on time allows for a moment of quiet reflection before the service begins.
2. Magna Silencia (Maximum Silence, Great Silence). Avoid unnecessary talking and maintain a prayerful atmosphere.
3. Turn off your phone: Ensure your phone is completely switched off or on silent to avoid distractions. Turn off cell phones. Do not text messages or check your Facebook account from the pews or the back of the church. Leave your social media devices in the car. It is time to focus on God. It is distracting for others who are trying to pray. If you are waiting for an important phone call, consider going to Mass at another time. Cameras likewise should be left in the car, unless you are coming for a tour of the church and you have checked with the tour guide.
Most disgeartenly is that during consecration, people will have the gut to answer phone calls. Hmmmm!
4. Dress modestly: Choose clothing that is respectful of the sacred space. Dress with dignity for Mass. It seems that many women and girls in this day and age have a need to always have a sexy look. Mass is not a cocktail party. Mass is not a hockey arena. Come dressed with decorum, an aura of dignity. Consider teaching your children that different types of dress are important for different occasions. For everything there is a time. Please remember to dress modestly and insure your daughters do, too. Bare shoulders and visible bra straps are not a good idea. They are highly distracting.
A. ii. DURING MASS
1. Participate actively: Join in the singing, prayers, and responses. Do not be an observer of the Mass, but a participant. Do not ask yourself, What is this Mass doing for me? Instead, ask yourself, What can I do to participate in the Mass more fully? Make an effort to listen, follow the readings, pay attention to the homily. You can read the scripture passages before Mass, learn the prayers of the Mass, follow along in the missalette, and sing! You will become an outstanding role model for your kids.
2. Follow the lead of the priest and servers: Pay attention to the order of the Mass and participate in the appropriate actions.
3. Genuflect: When entering and leaving your pew, genuflect (bend the right knee) toward the tabernacle.
4. Be mindful of your posture: Stand, sit, and kneel as indicated by the service.
5. Focus on prayer: Engage in silent prayer and reflection throughout the Mass.
6. Be mindful of others: Avoid talking, moving around excessively, or being disruptive.
7. Do not leave early: Remain until the end of the Mass and the recessional procession. You will be missing the supernatural graces of the final blessing. Besides it is a bad example for your kids
8. Receive Communion with reverence: If receiving, do so with a clean body and mind, consuming it immediately.
9. Do not chew gum during Mass or put it in your side cheek, to chew on it later. Spit it out before entering into a church. Did you know that you are supposed to be prayerfully fasting for an hour before Mass? There is a possibility that if you keep the gum in your mouth and resume chewing after receiving the Eucharist, you may unintentionally spit out a bit of the body of Jesus. That would be sacrilegious.
10. Do not bring the activity bags, granola bars, Cheerios, juice boxes, water bottles, or toys of the children, including a childs DS, Playstation, Game Boy, iPod Touch or similar items of amusement to church. Mass is only a maimum of two hours long in most cases. Children would grow in virtue if their parents expected them to detach from these things for at least two hours a week. There are plastic rosaries or books about saints. Immerse your children in spiritual treasures during mass.
11. Parents have a duty give their children ongoing, on the job training, all the time. That includes the obligation to train their children in the appropriate times to kneel, sit, stand and face the altar. If children are engaged in playing with toys, or eating, and drinking, they are surely not being taught about the fact that Jesus is really up there on the altar, the significance of prayer, self control, and the importance of participating in the Mass. Parents themselves get distracted with managing the dispensing of food and toys. On top of that, it is a distraction to others in the pews who are hungry themselves, or who are trying to fully participate in mass.
12. Do not drink bottled water in a house of worship. If an adult, for some reason needs to drink water to take some medication, please leave the church premises or at least the Mass, and drink the water outside the celebration of the Eucharist.
13. If you are late for Mass, please do not walk down the aisles looking for a seat until it is appropriate. You are disrupting others.
14. Do not have conversations during the mass. Even in the secular gathering, you would never have a conversation during a performance of the symphony. If you do, you would be asked to correct your behavior or leave. Quite simply, it is rude.
15. It might be useful to ask yourself: Who am I? Why am I here? The answer: To know God, to love him and serve Him especially at Mass!
A. iii. AFTER MASS
Leave quietly: Exit the church respectfully, allowing others to pray in silence.
Pray after Mass: Take a moment to offer a prayer of thanksgiving.
B. THE EUCHARIST
The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) no.1407 makes it clear that the Eucharist is the heart and the summit of the Church's life, for in it Christ associates his Church and all her members with his sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving offered once and for all on the cross to his Father; by this sacrifice he pours out the graces of salvation on his body, which is the Church.
The Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCCC) no. 271 says that the Eucharist is the very sacrifice of the Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus which he instituted to perpetuate the sacrifice of the cross throughout the ages until his return in glory. Thus he entrusted to his Church this memorial of his death and Resurrection. It is a sign of unity, a bond of charity, a paschal banquet, in which Christ is consumed, the mind is filled with grace, and a pledge of future glory is given to us.
Our celebration of the Eucharist, the Mass, is one act of worship divided into two parts: Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist. This liturgy of the Eucharist is our act of thanksgiving where bread and wine are consecrated by Christ himself, through his instrument, the priest. The Body and Blood of Christ is our divine nourishment.
The essential signs of the Eucharistic sacrament are wheat bread and grape wine, on which the blessing of the Holy Spirit is invoked and the priest pronounces the words of consecration spoken by Jesus during the Last Supper: This is my body, which will be given up for you This is the cup of my blood. (CCC 1412)
By the consecration, the transubstantiation of the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ is brought about. Under the consecrated species of bread and wine, Christ himself, living and glorious, is present in a true, real and substantial manner: his Body and his Blood, with his soul and his divinity (CCC 1413).
As sacrifice, the Eucharist is also offered in reparation for the sins of the living and the dead and to obtain spiritual or temporal benefits from God (CCC 1414).
The Bread of Angels, the Eucharist, when received properly, fortifies us with Gods life and love that unites us all with Christ and all that united to him. We share in and through Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit, a unity that can only be broken through ignorance and sin.
Anyone who desires to receive Christ in Eucharistic communion must be in the state of grace. Anyone aware of having sinned mortally must not receive communion without having received absolution in the sacrament of penance (CCC 1415).
Because Christ himself is present in the sacrament of the altar, he is to be honored with the worship of adoration. To visit the Blessed Sacrament is a proof of gratitude, an expression of love, and a duty of adoration toward Christ our Lord. (CCC 1418)
Living a Eucharistic life of an intense love of Christ demands a love to each of our brothers and sisters in whom Christ is present and with whom we share our communion with Christ with. This is a foretaste of heaven.
WHAT ARE THE NAMES FOR THIS SACRAMENT?
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