Welcome to our My Mass Encounter series! Our mission at Every Sacred Sunday is to invite each person into deeper relationship with Christ by creating spiritual resources inspired by the beauty of the Catholic Church. In this monthly Q&A we will interview various Catholic individuals to share more about their personal prayer life and how they engage with the Mass. Our goal is to provide our community with beautiful insights that draw us into a deeper relationship with God. We’re so glad you’re here and welcome to the ESS fam!
Tell us a little bit about yourself. What has your faith journey been like? What has your relationship to the Mass been throughout your life?
My faith expressed itself in myriad ways throughout my life, but my attachment to the Mass has always been at the center. Sunday Mass is where many of the best parts of my life converge week over week. It serves as a constant reminder of what God has blessed me with, and of how much He loves me.
What has helped you stay rooted in prayer this past year?
I find comfort in praying a daily Rosary as I get ready for my day. It can be hard for me to focus on the prayer on my own, so I use a playlist of the Mysteries on Spotify to stay on track. I pray with the Mass readings weekly in my ESS Mass Journal, and in the last few months, I’ve returned to my own daily prayer journaling practice. Writing down my prayers and feelings is like the Red Sea parting in my soul -- I can feel room being made within me for the Spirit’s wisdom to live.
When you pray the Mass, what internal prayers, postures, or meditations are helpful to you? What goes through your mind?
I like to use my hands during the prayers of call and response, and during the consecration. For example, when we “lift [our hearts] up to the Lord,” I raise my hands up toward Heaven as a way of entering more deeply into the prayer. In my mind are prayers like St Thomas’s, “my Lord and my God” or “here I am, Lord.” Together, these prayers and actions keep me grounded in the present moment.
If you were to briefly describe the Mass to a friend who was curious, what main takeaway would you want them to leave with?
At a school Mass in elementary school, our priest used his homily to compare the Mass to a dinner party with family or friends. The comparison resonates, and I think this is the touchpoint I would offer to someone who doesn’t understand the Mass -- a group of people come together to participate in a shared history, break bread, and give thanks for one another. Like a weekly Sunday dinner with family, this is how the Body of Christ stays together.
How does ESS help you prepare, engage, and reflect on the Mass? How does the ESS Mass Journal fit into your prayer routine?
I take an hour or so the day before Mass to do a brief Lectio Divina exercise with Sunday’s readings and reflect on what is speaking to me before praying the Mass. I love to repeat the process during and after Mass because I often find something new to pray with in those same readings. After a weekend of reflection, I write down my imperative for the week and revisit it a few times to see how I’m doing or how my calling for the week might have changed.
Perpetua Charles works as a book publicist in Boston, Massachusetts. She loves the Lord, TV, Disney princesses, books, 90s-00s teen pop, and the color pink. Say hi on Instagram!
Did you miss last month’s interview with Tisa Muico? Click here to check it out!