Praying like the Mass

I recently had the very happy experience of visiting a beautiful local church that offered the “Novus Ordo Latin Mass,” something I have not attended in a long time. I was very moved by the Latin – which, I realized, I finally understand after many years – and felt transported to another time and place. It was very peaceful and my immediate feeling was one of being home.

I have no problems with the regular Novus Ordo Mass whatsoever, by the way. But I get why many flock to the Latin, and it was nice to be reminded with more clarity why the Catholic Church is different, and why what is on offer there, so to speak, will always be different. It takes work to find and make meaning in the highly secular world; at that Mass it seemed to be presented to one on a platter (and a golden one, at that).

The priest had an interesting and, for me, relevant homily about how to pray. Lately I have been contemplating, what is the best way to pray? I don’t believe there is only one way to pray – that would eliminate the truth that everyone has unique gifts and ways of being – but that there has to be a simple way, at least, to get started. I imagine many people would like to pray, but don’t know where to start, and I want to reach those people.

So, yes, there is the Ignatian way (to which I am partial), the Dominican way, the Benedictine way, and so on. But is there something even simpler than that?

Look out for my next articles on this topic later this month. I’m working on a part 1 and a part 2, with the first being directed at answering the question, “How do I pray for the world?” and the second, “How do I pray in a personal way that connects me to God?” So, the outer prayer, followed by the inner prayer.

This priest’s answer to the question of, “How do I pray?” in his homily was an interesting one: his advice was to remember the order of the Mass and mimic it. So: start with the sign of the cross, move to an acknowledgement of being in the presence of God, confessing your sins, giving glory to God, and listening to and praying over the Gospel. This seems just as about as good advice as can be given, don’t you think? The Mass is the highest form of prayer, and lo and behold, is also a handy guide for praying on one’s own.

Side note: this is one of the things I love and appreciate about the Church so much, that there are so many ways to pray. The Stations of the Cross! The Examen! The Rosary! Prayer alone, prayer with others! Just pray!