“The Mass is the most perfect form of prayer” (Pope St. Paul VI).

The Best Part of the Day

My days at work are structured like most 8-to-5 office workers. I arrive at 8 (ish), I log onto my computer, I say good morning to my friends, we make a trek to the coffee machine and talk about our kids and my new dress (it has pockets!), I dive into my email—and then off I go into tasks and meetings and reports.

It’s hard to fit everything into our week. We get caught up in what’s right in front of us; notifications, meetings, and seemingly constant emails demand our attention. We’ve all heard about the need to set apart some downtime—to find time each week (each day if possible) for ourselves, whether it’s a fitness class, a walk around campus (I work in higher education), lunch, or coffee with friends. I’ve been able to be consistent with this practice at least once a week. On Tuesdays from 11:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., I’m unavailable. Just before noon on Tuesday, you will find me in St. Matthew Chapel in the Stayer Center preparing for Mass. It’s the best part of my day—just me and Jesus for a few minutes before Mass.

Light the candles, find the readings, place the chalice and the paten and the purificator just so. The wine, the water, the bread. Say the prayers. Give thanks to God.

When the world shut down in 2020, I missed everything about my job—the everydayness of my routine, my friends, even the meetings that should have been emails. And I missed daily Mass.

Jesus Is Waiting

In the fall of 2020, when students returned to campus, Mass resumed with restrictions. I was still working from home but jumped at the chance to come to campus once a week to help. Attendance was light, but it was wonderful to have this opportunity to worship with the faculty, staff, and students. It was a small window of normalcy in an upside-down year. Mass was the same. God never changes even when everything else in our life has. The prayers, the words of the Gospel reading, the body of Christ in the Eucharist. The same yesterday, today, tomorrow. Thanks be to God.

I often walk past the chapel, which is near my office. I reset my day by stepping in for just a few moments, and being in that space, saying a prayer or two, is such a blessing in the middle of my day. I often see students kneeling, praying, and taking a quiet break. As the mom of a college-aged child, it makes my heart happy to see students practicing their faith.

When I tell people that I work at the University of Notre Dame, I receive a lot of questions. “Can you get free football tickets?” is usually first, followed by what I like best about working there.

“Well, the place is idyllic,” I respond, “the people are genuinely the best, and I get to practice my faith.”

The celebration of the Mass is the center of my day and my week. I know that I am uniquely blessed to have this opportunity to serve God as a sacristan during my workday. It is an honor. Most people do not have the privilege of working in a building that has its own chapel. I am blessed to have Jesus so close—and it is still difficult to get to Mass most days! But I do know that on the days that I do attend Mass, I feel grounded, enriched, fed. I block it out on my calendar each week; it sounds cliche, but it does help me to set aside the time.

Is there a Mass at a church near where you work? Years ago, an acquaintance told me that she made a practice of going to daily Mass with her children, and they went to a different parish each week. What a beautiful way to be more involved in the Catholic community!

I encourage you to find one time a week to attend daily Mass. Jesus is waiting. May your days be blessed.

Cathi Kennedy is passionate about building relationships. At the University of Notre Dame, she leads recruiting and admissions for the Mendoza College of Business. Her background is in marketing and communications, and she recently received her MBA. Impassioned writer, voracious reader, aspiring knitter. Married to a musician and mom to two amazing sons. Cathi is a convert to Catholicism and seeks to learn something new about her faith every day. Connect with Cathi: LinkedIn • Instagram • Facebook • Blog