external participation

We should also participate in the Mass externally, taking care of little details:

• Attend the Mass with a spirit of prayer, praying as the Church teaches us to pray, avoiding distractions. Be one with the words, actions, and gestures of the celebrant who acts in the person of Christ. Give up personal preferences; accept the option which the celebrant, considering the circumstances of the people in each community, has chosen from among the legitimate possibilities that the liturgy offers us.

• Listen, respond, acclaim, sing or keep opportune silence in order to facilitate union with God and to deepen our reflection on the word of God.

• Stand, sit and kneel with the congregation and be serene even if you see someone who does not do so.

• Be punctual. This is a considerate detail for Christ Our Lord himself and for others who are also attending Mass. Arrive before the priest goes to the altar. Leave only after the priest has left.

• Use your missal, or the missalette available in the church. By reading and following the prayers of the priest, you can avoid distractions. The more complete Missals for the faithful have the prayers of the Mass distributed in three main sections: Fixed Prayers of the Order of Mass, Proper Prayers, and Readings. The missalettes for the use of the faithful usually contain the variable prayers for each day’s Mass and most of the fixed parts of the Order of Mass arranged in their usual sequence.

• Dress properly. We should go to Mass dressed and groomed as for an important meeting and not, for instance, as if we were going to play sports. Dress ought to convey the respect, solemnity, and joy of the Mass.¹