Participating in the synodal process will help us journey together to come closer to God and to reenergize our parish. Two main ways to accomplish this goal involve celebrating the Divine Liturgy (whether in person or watching from home), and meditating on the Beatitudes, both by ourselves at home, and with other members of the parish in the Zoom meetings every Tuesday evening at 7 p.m., through the end of March.

We know from watching sports, from the lowest level to the highest, the importance of preparation. In addition to the weeks, months or years of advance preparation, there is also preparation immediately before the competition, sometimes known as “putting on your game face” or “psyching yourself up.” The Divine Liturgy is not a game, but it is our most important work, and we need to prepare ourselves for it. Such preparation begins at home, reading the Epistle and Gospel before we go to church. Explain them to young children; think about how these words of God speak to you and how they apply to your life.

As you get ready for Liturgy, remember the expectation you felt when you were going on a date with someone special. Remember how eagerly you got yourself ready; the joyful, breathless anticipation. Or imagine that you are going to meet an important person, how excited you would be. Then realize that in Holy Communion, you are going to meet Jesus Christ.

Arrive early at church, 15 minutes if possible—I know how hard this is with children—so that you can calm yourself and speak to Jesus before the Liturgy begins. Bring everything that is in your heart to Him. Then, like Samuel, say “I am here, Lord. Speak, your servant is listening!” and stay with Him in silence. The green liturgy books also have Prayers of Preparation for the Faithful (p.4-7) which you can pray silently, or you can join the choir in singing them.

When the Liturgy begins, participate actively and listen with an attentive heart to the Liturgy of the Word. During the Liturgy of the Eucharist, be open to transformation by the Holy Spirit, when the priest calls Him down, “…and we implore, pray and entreat You: send down Your Holy Spirit upon us and upon these gifts lying before us.” We are asking the Holy Spirit to transform us, then the gifts of bread and wine. So many of the priest’s prayers are that we receive Communion worthily to “bring about the remission of sins, the pardon of transgressions, the communion of the Holy Spirit, the inheritance of the kingdom of heaven, confidence in You, not judgment or condemnation.” Fr. Edward Wojciechowski described Communion: “In our uniting with Him, He unites us closer to one another, in a single body, the Church, that around Him we may be united in one Spirit. How our hearts should burn with love to receive the risen Christ in Holy Communion.”

We also come closer to God and to each other by praying the Beatitudes. Meditate on the Beatitude of the week using the “Word of God” at the end of the online bulletin. It is helpful to have a Bible at hand when reading “Shedding Light” to read the references to other passages of Scripture. The Catechesis on the Beatitudes by Pope Francis is always enlightening and thought provoking. When you read the “Community Reflection,” think how we live this Beatitude in our community, how we can improve, and how we can reach out to others. We then need to try to live the Beatitude at home, with our family, at work, in our parish, and in our neighborhood. Knowing the Beatitudes is not enough; we must try our best to live them. Sharing our thoughts and struggles with other members of our parish family on Tuesday evenings has proved fruitful in growing spiritually and coming closer together. We urge you to join us in our Zoom meetings, even if you have not had the time to do the readings before the meeting, and may not be ready to share, to find out if these gatherings are helpful to you.