7 Practical Ways for Families to Prepare for Sunday Mass
In this post, I share 7 practical ways for families to prepare for Sunday Mass.
Attending Mass as a family takes sacrifice, planning, and preparation. You may sacrifice sleeping in or relaxing to be there. You may have to plan around other family obligations, duties, or expectations. However, with a good plan in place that you make a habit, you will be able to smoothly attend Mass with your children and gain all of the graces that God has in store for you! Today, I will share 7 practical ways for families to prepare for Sunday Mass.
The 7 steps are:
Read the Mass Readings
Go to Confession
Lay out clothes and shoes for Sunday
Meal Prep for special Sunday meals/desserts
Clean the home
Plan a family activity
Plan an extra family spiritual practice
Be sure to check out my other post about the benefits of Mass for children, and subscribe so you never miss a post to help you teach the faith!
Planning Leads to Profit
A good plan in place can help things run smoothly and bring peace to a home. Proverbs 21:5 states:
The plans of the diligent end in profit, but those of the hasty end in loss.
If attending Mass on Sunday is a last minute afterthought, then getting out the door will probably be difficult and chaotic. We can prepare our minds, hearts, and bodies for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, and we can involve the children too! Once good habits around attending Holy Mass are established, Sundays will be restful and fruitful.
Prepare Your Heart
1. Read the Mass Readings
This can be done during the week, Saturday night, or even Sunday morning with your coffee and breakfast. Choose a day to bookmark the readings in your Bible to read aloud. You can also find the readings for free on the USCCB website. Another option is to listen to the readings and a reflection on the Amen App, which is also free.
Holy Heroes also has a great Mass Prep Series for free! You will get videos, prayers, and activities delivered each week to help your little ones prepare for the Mass.
After listening to or reading the Mass readings as a family, be sure to address any questions and go over the meanings of any unfamiliar words. As a bonus, you could choose a verse or line to memorize together. The responsorial Psalm is a great one to start with!
2. Go to Confession
Anyone in the family who is able, should go to Confession. It is a great habit to go once a month for the First Saturday and First Friday devotions. Of course, attend more as needed! This will set you up for success, and will make sure you are in a state of grace to receive Our Lord at Sunday Mass.
Prepare Your Home
3. Lay Out Clothes and Shoes for Sunday
First, I recommend having 2 outfits reserved just for Sunday (including shoes). Women and girls can wear a seasonally appropriate, modest dresses. Men and boys can wear nice slacks and a collared shirt. Even toddlers can be told that they have a special outfit just for visiting Jesus! Having only 2 outfits eliminates the stress of not knowing what to wear each week. Two outfits are recommended to ensure that you have a back up.
Set the outfit aside on a hook or hanger, and pull it all out on Saturday evening before dinner time. This ensures that if something needs to be washed or fixed, you will not be surprised on Sunday morning. Lay out shoes and socks as well.
Pack your diaper bag or purse with anything that you will need for Mass on Saturday as well. After Mass, replenish any supplies that were used up so that you are prepared for next time.
4. Meal Prep for Special Sunday Meal and Desserts
Plan and prepare a special meal or dessert for Sunday. Using your slow cooker makes Sunday very restful, and frees up time for you to spend with the family. You could also pre-make a special breakfast like sheet pancakes, which are quick but yummy, or a quiche. Cookies, cake, or any other pre-made dessert for Sunday also makes the day relaxing and enjoyable. Remember, every Sunday is meant to be observed as a “little Easter,” so have fun and treat yourself and your family!
5. Clean the Home
Be sure to tidy your home and do any of your normal weekly cleaning during the week. Saturday can be used for the last bits of tidying, laundry, and cleaning that you didn’t get to during the week. Give the house a nice vacuum and mop. Wipe down your tables and counters. Waking up on Sunday to a clean and tidy home is a gift! You will be able to truly rest in the Lord knowing that your home is in order.
Prepare for Family Time
6. Plan a Family Activity
You have prepared you hearts and home, and now we will plan for spending time with family. Plan activities to do together as a family that are reserved just for Sunday. Some ideas are board games, backyard sports, taking a family walk, reading books, or doing handcrafts together. You could also plan a simple family outing to the beach or park, and make a special picnic to bring.
Sunday is also a wonderful day to spend with family and friends. Join your extended family for a special meal. Offer to host, or offer to bring a recipe to share. Sometimes, parishes have donuts or bagels after Mass. This is a great time to get to know other families and parishioners.
7. Plan an Extra Family Spiritual Practice
Sunday is the Lord’s Day, and if you have prepared well, so should have some extra time to enjoy time with the Lord. On Sunday, try adding an extra family spiritual practice like praying the Rosary, Divine Mercy chaplet, or Liturgy of the Hours. You could also study the Catechism together and read about the lives of Saints. If you have an Adoration chapel nearby, why not stop in as a family to thank Jesus for your week together and ask Him to guide you in this new week ahead?
When we take intentional spiritual and practical steps to make Sunday Holy, we can get even more of the graces that God wants to shower us with. What is something you can do to make Sunday more restful and peaceful? Let me know in the comments!