The people are called to “active participation”. What does this mean? We can pay attention more to each part of the Mass (the Order of the Mass), the meaning of these parts and how the parts connect as a whole. “…the Order of Mass should be revised in such a way that the purpose proper to its individual parts, as also the connection between them, may be more clearly evident, and that devout and active participation by the faithful may be facilitated.”[i]
As Catholics, we have a right to the Mass and therefore we should fully participate with both body and mind. (GIRM 18) “…the entire celebration is arranged in such a way that it leads to a conscious, active, and full participation of the faithful, namely in body and in mind, a participation fervent with faith, hope, and charity, of the sort which is desired by the Church and which is required by the very nature of the celebration and to which the Christian people have a right and duty in virtue of their Baptism.
What should be our focus while at Mass? (GIRM 95) In the celebration of Mass the faithful form a holy people, a people of God’s own possession and a royal Priesthood, so that they may give thanks to God and offer the unblemished sacrificial Victim not only by means of the hands of the Priest but also together with him and so that they may learn to offer their very selves. They should, moreover, take care to show this by their deep religious sense and their charity toward brothers and sisters who participate with them in the same celebration. They are consequently to avoid any appearance of singularity or division, keeping in mind that they have only one Father in heaven and that hence are all brothers or sisters one to the other. (GIRM 96) Moreover, they are to form one body, whether in hearing the Word of God, or in taking part in the prayers and in the singing, or above all by the common offering of the Sacrifice and by participating together at the Lord’s table. This unity is beautifully apparent from the gestures and bodily postures observed together by the faithful.
What is our intention at Mass? “Assisting at holy Mass you should have fourfold intention of Adoration, by which we acknowledge our dependence of God as the Ruler over life and death; of Praise and Thanksgiving for the benefits conferred on us; of Reparation for our sins and negligences; of Impetration, to implore of Him the grace necessary for our salvation. If you desire to implore other benefits from God through the holy Sacrifice of the Mass, very well, but do not forget the main intention. You can offer the Mass in union with the priest for some particular end; for instance, to obtain the grace to practice a particular virtue, overcome a temptation, or obtain any other favor either for yourself or your neighbor.”[ii] Another way to remember these intentions is the word ACTS. [A]doration, [C]ontrition or Reparation, [T]hanksgiving and [S]uplication or Impetration.
What parts of the Mass are most useful for the faithful to express their participation as a whole? (GIRM 36) Other parts, most useful for expressing and fostering the active participation of the faithful, and which are assigned to the whole gathering, include especially the Penitential Act, the Profession of Faith, the Universal Prayer, and the Lord’s Prayer.
When should the people stand? (GIRM 43) The faithful should stand from the beginning of the Entrance Chant, or while the Priest approaches the altar, until the end of the Collect; for the Alleluia Chant before the Gospel; while the Gospel itself is proclaimed; during the Profession of Faith and the Universal Prayer; and from the invitation, Orate, fratres (Pray, brethren), before the Prayer over the Offerings until the end of Mass, except at the places indicated here below.
When should the people sit? (GIRM 43) The faithful should sit, on the other hand, during the readings before the Gospel and the Responsorial Psalm and for the Homily and during the Preparation of the Gifts at the Offertory; and, if appropriate, they may sit or kneel during the period of sacred silence after Communion.
When should the people kneel? (GIRM 43) In the dioceses of the United States of America, they should kneel beginning after the singing or recitation of the Sanctus (Holy, Holy, Holy) until after the Amen of the Eucharistic Prayer, except when prevented on occasion by ill health, or for reasons of lack of space, of the large number of people present, or for another reasonable cause. However, those who do not kneel ought to make a profound bow when the Priest genuflects after the Consecration. The faithful kneel after the Agnus Dei (Lamb of God) unless the Diocesan Bishop determines otherwise.
[i] Sacrosanctum Concilium, no. 50
[ii] Roman Catholic Daily Missal (1962)