Small Catholic

It seems that this word “participation”, apparently a key word in the conversations at Vatican II, has been much confused and abused. The document Sacrosanctum Concilium has this to say about participation:

14. Mother Church earnestly desires that all the faithful should be led to that fully conscious, and active participation in liturgical celebrations which is demanded by the very nature of the liturgy. Such participation by the Christian people as “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a redeemed people (1 Pet. 2:9; cf. 2:4-5), is their right and duty by reason of their baptism.

In the restoration and promotion of the sacred liturgy, this full and active participation by all the people is the aim to be considered before all else; for it is the primary and indispensable source from which the faithful are to derive the true Christian spirit; and therefore pastors of souls must zealously strive to achieve it, by means of the necessary instruction, in all their pastoral work.

Some people have limited this vital concept of “full, conscious, and active participation” to having lay people involved in individual and very visible ministries during the Mass. And it can be good to have lay people involved in serving at the altar, singing in the choir or reading at Mass. But if people are only participating fully (a key goal of the Church) when they are exercising one of these very limited and specific ministries, it seems that this primary goal of the Council is an unattainable goal for most Catholics.

So I think it’s good news that every source I’ve read on the liturgy (and this is a wide variety, I think) is in agreement that these specific, very visible ministries are not what the Council meant by full, conscious, and active participation.

Participate, according to my Webster’s Third New International Dictionary, unabridged (that’s a big book!) can mean any of the following things (my abridged version of the entry!): to partake; to impart a share of; to possess some of the properties, qualities, or attributes of something; to take part in something; to have a part or share in something.

Most literally from the Latin, it means “to take part.”

Sacrosanctum Concilium certainly makes clear that this participation is desired for all of the faithful and requires careful instruction, specifically “liturgical instruction”:

19. With zeal and patience, pastors of souls must promote the liturgical instruction of the faithful, and also their active participation in the liturgy both internally and externally, taking into account their age and condition, their way of life, and standard of religious culture. By so doing, pastors will be fulfilling one of the chief duties of a faithful dispenser of the mysteries of God; and in this matter they must lead their flock not only in word but also by example.

And isn’t it interesting that *active* participation includes silence?

30. To promote active participation, the people should be encouraged to take part by means of acclamations, responses, psalmody, antiphons, and songs, as well as by actions, gestures, and bodily attitudes. And at the proper times all should observe a reverent silence.

And not too surprisingly, one of the clearest forms of active participation is having the congregation sing praise to God together:

114. The treasure of sacred music is to be preserved and fostered with great care. Choirs must be diligently promoted, especially in cathedral churches; but bishops and other pastors of souls must be at pains to ensure that, whenever the sacred action is to be celebrated with song, the whole body of the faithful may be able to contribute that active participation which is rightly theirs, as laid down in Art. 28 and 30.

I have a few thoughts on participation that have been bouncing around in my head for some time. At this point I think of participation as striving for two things in particular:

1. to be fully present, from the heart.
2. to be united in prayer with those around me and with the wider church around the world and in heaven.

This is perhaps a particular struggle for me as a person diagnosed with ADHD. It remember that my childhood participation in Mass and even my pre-diagnosis adult participation were pretty weak. Especially as a child, I remember often being completely in my own head during Mass, sometimes with on-topic distractions (e.g. pondering one part of the homily and missing the rest), but usually making up stories in my head or thinking about what’s next.

I imagine this form of participation at Mass is a lifelong struggle for everyone. Here are a few things that have helped me:

1. I try to be a good sport about singing, even if it’s a song I don’t particularly care for.
2. I use a missal to follow along with the readings during Mass. Although ideally the readings are heard at Mass, it’s much easier for me to focus when I have both auditory and visual input. Generally I pre-read the readings right before Mass in my pew. My methodology is to underline a couple of words or phrases that strike me while I pre-read it (I do this in pen). I use a pencil to jot down notes during the homily, not so much to preserve the ideas as to make it easier for them to sink in.
3. I go to daily Mass whenever I can. The frequency, shorter length and less crowded nature of the daily Mass all seem to help.
4. I usually sit in the front, which makes it easier for me to see what’s going on and less distracted by others. (Though I know many who have a harder time paying attention in front.)
5. I spend time learning about the Mass to make me more prepared to be awed and amazed by what is going on there.

What helps you to be more fully present at Mass?