Here is what St. Peter Julian Eymard says about meditating the Mass from St. Peter Julian Eymard’s Holy Communion, the 2nd Volume of the Eymard Library, Method of Hearing Holy Mass by Meditating on the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ:
“For as often as you shall eat this Bread, and drink the Chalice, you shall show the death of the Lord until He come “(1 Cor 11:26)
and
“In order to hear Holy Mass with profit, meditate on the events of the Savior’s Passion which it so wonderfully renews.”
I have been attempting to meditate the Mass, but have gotten some resistance from others who insist that I should be following the Mass in the Missal. I believe they obtained this advice from another saint in the Catholic Church, Pope Pius X, who said that in order to hear Mass with profit, one should carefully pray the Mass from the Missal with the priest.
Since two separate methods have come down to us from two separate saints, I have concluded that either one is acceptable to God. And as I gravitate towards meditating the Mass, myself, and have added the presence of Mary with Jesus throughout, I share my own experience of this lesser known way to assist at Mass.
When Pope Pius XII wrote the encyclical “Mediator Dei,” he said that during the Mass, the congregation “can lovingly meditate on the mysteries of Jesus Christ or perform other exercises of piety or recite prayers which, though they differ from the sacred rites, are still essentially in harmony with them” (No. 108).
https://www.traditioninaction.org/religious/d030_Rosary.htm
I’ve included the above quote and link in order to allay any fears regarding reciting the rosary at Mass, so that you would be free to follow my method if it is something that strikes your own heart and way to Jesus Christ at Mass.
- A little before Mass begins, I find Mary. Where is Mary? She is in the tabernacle with Jesus. She is continually guarding, loving, and worshiping Him. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. She loves Him so much forever. She is surrounding His Body with her womb. She never leaves Him: once the Mother of Jesus, always the Mother of Jesus. Blessed art thou among women and Blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
- I talk at the tabernacle to her because she is in or around it. I give her my heart and ask her to give it to Jesus. Also, I make my petition for the Mass and ask her to pray my petition for me to Jesus Christ at the Consecration because it is the most powerful time in the world to petition, thank, praise, or ask forgiveness of God. Mary will bring my prayers to Jesus, but the prayers will be perfected by her and make Our Lord very happy.
- Then, I start saying the First Sorrowful Mystery of the rosary which is The Agony in the Garden. I begin just before the priest comes out. I usually envision going to the Garden of Gethsemane where there is a fence between Jesus and me. I think it is because it mirrors the Communion rail at the altar. Out of respect for this most sacred place, my subconscious mind erects a fence. I greet our sorrowful Savior, and He tells me to go to His Mother. I see her a ways off and run to her side where I kneel and lean up against her. I talk to Jesus through her. I ask her to say the things I would say to Him if I had her Immaculate Heart, so that I will please Him and not injure Him any further as He is in great anguish when I’m there. I envision Him sweating blood. Of course, it goes without saying that your own vision will be instructive and superior for you. Jesus reaches out to each one of us with all His Love with respect to individuality.
- I notice that the priest has started the Mass. He is saying the Confiteor, alternating the recitation of it with the altar boys. It says to me, because the priest is taking the place of Jesus, that he is taking on our sins in the garden. He is bowing to God for us. He is asking forgiveness of God for sins He has never committed, but they are His now because He has taken them upon Himself.
- The altar servers are attending Him and also saying the Confiteor. But their “I’m sorry” to God is not enough, and it needs Jesus’s I’m sorry to make it all right. The priest’s Confiteor is to make up what we, His apostles, lack; for although the Apostles were with Jesus in spirit that night, they were asleep in the flesh. “Could you not watch one hour with me?”
- It is true today as it was then. There is only so much and no more that we will all give to Christ Jesus unless He is the only one alive in you like He was with Mary. She was full of grace which means she was full to overflowing of God’s life in her. We are vessels that only do our duty to hold Jesus Christ within us, half-heartedly. I am put in mind of some of the names for Mary in The Litany of Loreto: Spiritual Vessel, pray for us. Vessel of honor, pray for us. Singular Vessel of Devotion, pray for us.
- The priest then recites the Introit at the right side of the altar and then recites the Kyrie Eleison in the center of the altar. It seems to me Jesus is taken from the Garden of Gethsemane on the right as the Introit is being recited. Introit means enter. He leaves the garden and enters into his public Passion. He is brought to the center as He was in life. He is asking God for mercy for us as he says the Kyrie Eleison.(to be continued)