Hopefully last week’s article about doing an attitude check with regards to how we see going to Mass was helpful. Even as somebody who loves to celebrate Mass everyday, I found myself asking the Lord to continue to purify my attitude and renew my heart with a deeper love for the Mass.
As promised last week, my goal for this week’s article is to touch briefly on the external preparations we should undergo as we get ready to encounter the Lord at Mass. The first thing to consider is the Eucharistic fast. Here is what the law says concerning this fast: “One who is to receive the Most Holy Eucharist is to abstain from any food or drink, with the exception of water and medicine, for at least the period of one hour before Holy Communion.”
I am surprised at how many people are unaware of this obligation, so it is worth bringing up. There are a few things to explain here. There may be a person with a medical condition or advanced age where a fast is not possible. But in general, one hour before communion (not before the beginning of Mass, but before the reception of Holy Communion) is not that much of a burden. Notice also that the law says “at least” one hour. One can choose to make the fast before Holy Communion longer. The point of fasting before Holy Communion is to increase our hunger and thirst for the Lord, both physically and spiritually. So although this form or preparation is external, it is also necessarily connected to our internal preparation.
Another form of external preparation that is at the service of our internal preparation is the timeliness of our arrival to Mass. As I stand in the back of the church before the Entrance Procession, noticing the many empty spaces in the church, I sometimes half-jokingly comment: “The 4:02 pm bus must have not arrived yet.” By the time I process in, kiss the altar, and look out after the Sign of the Cross, the number of people in the pews has increased significantly! I get that our lives can be hectic and we often catch ourselves coming and going. But I hope we can all appreciate how arriving at the last minute makes it hard to transition to a prayerful state. Why not try to make an effort to leave a little earlier from home so that you can have a few minutes of silence during which you set your distractions aside so as to enter more fully into this great prayer that is the Mass?
Finally, I would like to reflect on our dress as we come to Mass. As you read this, you might be thinking: “Here we go, Father is going to complain about how we dress!” I just want for us to consider one point as it applies to our dress. I have heard people say: “God does not care what I wear to Mass, He’s just happy I am there.” There is truth in this. God loves us unconditionally and He does delight when we come to Mass. But the question is not so much about what God thinks of us, but I would suggest it is more of a reflection on what we think of God and about the importance of the Mass. We are usually very attentive to dressing nicely if we plan to come to a funeral or a wedding. We do that out of respect for others, to some extent. If we can be motivated to step it up as a sign of human respect, how much more should our externals also respect the internal gratitude we have for the God who created us, continues to hold us in existence, and who will love us and bless us more than any human being ever has or could?