Getting into the right mindset before Mass can often be very difficult. Distractions take our mind and soul to a million different places, and before we know it the priest is ready to distribute Holy Communion, and we've barely realized we're in a church.
What can we do to quiet our soul before Mass so that we can enter into worship more deeply?
A very simple but powerful age-old custom is to say a brief prayer of preparation. It could be said upon arrival at the church or while driving in the car. It is surprising how much a brief prayer, prayed with the heart, can calm us down and focus our attention at the mystery about to happen before our eyes.
Here are three prayers from the great treasury of the Church that can help you quiet your soul and open up the Mass for you in a new way.
Act of Love before Mass
Prayer of St. Thomas Aquinas
Prayer of St. Ambrose