BUT FATHER, I GET BORED AT MASS"
I once attended a cricket match in Waterloo. Many people gathered dressed in their finest summer whites and straw hats. The players took their places in the lower field and we, the spectators, sat comfortably in our folding chairs. The games began and I had no clue what was going on. When people cheered, I cheered. I did not know why I was cheering, but I knew that it was the thing to do. Often this can be our experience at Mass. We sometimes know when to sit, when to stand, and when to say "and also with you," but we may not know why we do what we do.
To cure the boredom, one understands what we are engaging in and why we do what we do. It is understanding who is the Eucharist. Some practical things we can do to engage in the Mass are:
1) Pick up a Sunday missal: (The readings are the same all across the world!) It has all the readings for the year and read them before going to Mass. The readings are also found on our website www.stmaryhespeler.ca. Prepare before hand to get the most out of it when you are there.
2) Move from the back pew to the front pew, or at least plan to move one pew forward each Mass. (To have a better "view from the pew, you can know what to do"). Arriving a tad early also gives you time to focus, reflect and pray.
3) Read over and meditate on the Eucharistic prayers: these are the prayers the priest prays over the bread and wine, they are so rich and can help us with our faith lives. Listen for key words that touch you...that way you are not listening but praying.
4) Check our the religious articles displays at Church, or go to the local Christian bookstore and pick up some reading. There are several books on understanding the Mass. Surf the net and find some articles (i.e. www.vatican.va) Our own website has a number of links also - check it out.
5) Ask Father - sometimes a simple clarification of why we do something helps clear things up.
There are many other ways to delve into the mystery of the Holy Mass.