The Living Word: Helping To Prepare Hearts And Minds For The Sunday Mass

In a world full of distractions, it can often be difficult to focus on the things that truly matter. How many times have we arrived at Mass after a hectic morning of preparing breakfast for the family, dressing everyone in their Sunday best, and searching for coats and keys before rushing out the door? Anything we can do to better focus our hearts and minds on the liturgy before we walk through the doors of Our Lady of Assumption will bring us one step closer to a deeper relationship with the Lord. With this in mind, our Living the Word group provides parishioners with a valuable opportunity to learn more about the weekly Scripture passages before coming to the weekend Mass.

As Deacon Michael Tateishi points out, the more we can prepare ourselves for the celebration of Mass, the more meaningful our experience of the liturgy becomes.

“We know that the Mass sometimes becomes perfunctory, and people come because they have to,” Deacon Michael says. “Even myself from time to time, after I receive Communion I’ll realize, ‘Oh my goodness, I just did that but wasn’t thinking about it.’ We want people to come to Mass prepared for it, thinking about the Word. I think Living the Word helps them in that way. Then the homily prepares us for receiving Communion, and after that, we are sent off to live the Gospel.”

Parishioners Jeff and Rachel Holmes and their daughter, Jordan, have enjoyed participating in Living the Word for about two years. As a family, they spend a little time between Monday and Wednesday looking at that week’s Scripture in anticipation of the group discussion with Living the Word on Thursday evening. By the time Sunday Mass rolls around, they have become very familiar with the historic background and various interpretations of all the readings.

“When we go to Mass, we get much more out of it,” Jeff says. “We’re not having to read along. We can just sit there and listen to what Father is saying about the reading — and that is often different than what he shares at Living the Word. It helps me become more in touch with things because I’m getting the message multiple times a week.”

Jeff ’s participation in Living the Word not only provides him with a more profound experience of the Mass, but it has also helped lead to his decision to join the Catholic Church. Through this Scripture study group, he got to know other parishioners of Our Lady of the Assumption well, and also forged friendships with Fr. Eduino Silveira, Deacon Michael Tateishi, and Deacon Paul Friedrich. Having made this personal connection with our faith community, Jeff found that becoming a member of the Catholic Church last spring was even more meaningful.

Like her father, Jordan is also thankful for the relationships she has cultivated with our clergy and fellow parishioners through Living the Word.

“I’ve always belonged to this parish, but Living the Word has really connected me,” she says. “I’m on the Pastoral Council now, and that has come from my participation in Living the Word. I’ve made a lot of friends through Living the Word and the Pastoral Council that I wouldn’t have met otherwise. It definitely helps with community building, and you really get to know each other over the course of the time that you’re meeting.”

Living the Word participants represent a wide range of ages and backgrounds, all coming together to share a unique perspective on the Scripture being discussed.

“It’s a really interesting group because we have people who are deeply spiritual and then some who are deeply intellectual,” Jordan says. “Everyone is able to bring their gifts and their perspective into the meetings, and that leads to some really good insights and discussions.”

Due to the COVID-19 restrictions on group meetings, Living the Word now meets via Zoom every Thursday evening. On the fourth Thursday of each month, the regular reading and discussion format of the meeting is replaced by a livestreamed Taize prayer service and Lectio Divina (a contemplative reading of the Scripture passages for the upcoming Sunday Mass).

Our parish’s Living the Word group is a true blessing to all participants. By delving into the Word of God well before each Sunday Mass, we better prepare ourselves to enter fully into the celebration of the Liturgy.

“I’ve always felt that in coming to Mass, you don’t just come,” Deacon Michael says. “It’s about how we prepare so that when we come, it’s a very prayerful, meditative and provocative experience.”

Are you interested in diving into God’s Word in anticipation of the weekend Mass? Living the Word meets on Thursday evenings at 7 p.m. via the Zoom conferencing app. Zoom links with the dates and times are provided in advance to everyone registered with Flocknote. On the fourth Thursday of each month, the regular meeting is replaced with a Taize prayer service and Lectio Divina Scripture meditation. For more information, please contact Deacon Michael Tateishi at 916-486-9485 or deacon@olaparish.net.