Usually, we go to church to attend Mass. With the temporary suspension of Masses celebrated publicly due to the coronavirus crisis, Mass online remains one of very few, if not the sole way of attending. I’d like to offer a few practical suggestions to make ‘watching’ Mass more participatory.
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- Dress up a bit for the occasion – your outfit impacts your spiritual attitude.
- Turn off or silence those devices that can interrupt or distract you – make your environment as quiet as possible; not only sound-like but in a wider sense.
- I suggest sitting in a chair rather than an armchair. Sit, stand and kneel as usual if your health permits.
- Get ready 5 minutes before Mass; let your mind quieten; say your prayers.
- Use a personal missal to follow Mass; if you don’t have one, you can use an online service called Universalis – this link sets the liturgical calendar for the Diocese of Aberdeen, the one we follow to celebrate Mass here.
- The main challenge of attending Mass online is that we cannot receive Communion. Spiritual Communion has been a long tradition in the Church. To understand it’s better, below is a short video to watch. You can also use an Act of Spiritual Communion
