Becoming a parent definitely changes the rules when it came to Mass attendance. Often, you are likely to find yourself focused on your children rather than on the celebration. While it’s not necessarily a bad thing, it is probably not the best situation to be in. How can you make the most of Mass and take care of your family at the same time? Here are some tips that should help.
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Read the Missal Before Mass
The portion of the Mass that is typically missed the most by busy parents are the readings. To alleviate this, try to read them with the entire family before going to Mass. You’ll find that you retain more, and that they are more meaningful when you do hear them at Mass, than if you were to just listen to them read by the lector. Plus, it’s a great opportunity for your family to discuss and ask questions about the readings and how they relate to each other.
Give Assignments to Your Family
Give each member of your family the opportunity to become a subject matter expert of a particular portion of the Mass. By doing this, you can inspire your family to take a more active role in what goes on. For example, You can assign your son or daughter to give a speech or presentation on the first reading, have each family member pick a portion of the Mass that is unfamiliar and research it, or challenge your kids to ask the priest about a certain portion of his homily. The possibilities are endless, but you will definitely see an increase in the interest of your family almost immediately.
Quiz Your Family on the Mass or Catholicism in General
Finally, why not have a pre-made quiz made up for your kids in which, if they answer them all, they get a prize or kudos? Sometimes bribery is not a bad thing, especially when it brings someone closer to God. Of course, you don’t want them to focus on the prize, but on the parts of the Mass or Catholicism in general. Plus, You will learn more about your faith by doing this too! If you don’t know much about your faith, you can always look online for Catholic quizzes like the one below:
World’s Toughest Catholic Quiz
Conclusion
All of these tips can be summarized in one simple sentence: make the Mass a fun and interactive experience for your family and you will see their love for it increase.
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