How to Pray the Televised Mass at Home

Making a Spiritual Communion
When you cannot attend Mass and receive Holy Communion, you can reach out to Jesus through prayer in an act of Spiritual Communion. Here is a traditional prayer for spiritual communion by St. Alphonsus Maria de' Liguori:
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My Jesus, I believe that Thou art present in the Blessed Sacrament. I love Thee above all things and I desire Thee in my soul. Since I cannot now receive Thee sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. As though thou wert already there, I embrace Thee and unite myself wholly to Thee; permit not that I should ever be separated from Thee.

Ideas for Praying a Televised Mass in Your Domestic Church
1. Set a prayer table under your TV or streaming device. Set a crucifix or a piece of sacred art in the space.
2. Open your Bible to the Gospel of the day and place it on your table to remind you that the Word of God is among you.
3. Light a candle to symbolize the light that shines in the darkness and to help your home resemble the church, and to remind you of your baptism and our connection to one another in the Paschal Candle.
4. Set up your chairs like a pew to help you engage in the Mass and keep you from passively watching from the couch.
5. Get dressed as you normally would to attend Mass. Keeping this routine is especially helpful for children.
6. If you have holy water at home, bless yourself and your family before starting the Mass.
7. Take a few moments of silence to help you transition from the busyness of your home to the sacredness of the Mass.
8. Fully participate by standing, kneeling, sitting, and responding according to the rubrics of the Mass.
​9. Engage in community by having coffee or breakfast or lunch with with your family, and calling your loved ones to connect. ​