Full, active and conscious participation in the liturgy…
The Sacrosanctum Concilium (1963)  the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy picked up on the call by Pope Pius XII to set forth principle goals of the liturgy for full, active and conscious participation of all people. 
 
As a result, the priest  celebrated Mass face to face with the people, and the liturgy was simplified and streamlined…the goal  was to make the liturgy accessible to all and celebrated in such a way that everyone who attends can understand and participate in the liturgy.  While this is not a mandate, the intention was to encourage all people to participate by singing, stand, responding and kneeling.  There may be times when you don;t feel like doing any of that, yet it is an inspiration to allow the liturgy to ‘lift you up’ and allow the voices of your brothers and sisters in Christ to sing for you – respond for you -- and rely on the rest of the Body of Christ to do the work of the liturgy.


The Liturgy of Hours...
From ancient times the Church has had the custom of celebrating each day the liturgy of the hours.  In this way the Church fulfills the Lord’s precept to pray without ceasing. Public and common prayer by the people of God is rightly considered to be among the primary duties of the church.
 
The Second Vatican Council was concerned about the need to restore this liturgy of prayer so that priests and other members of the Church might celebrate it better and more effectively.  When prayed as a community, it follows that the example and precept of our Lord and the apostles in regard to constant and persevering prayer…which belongs to the very essence of the Church itself.  For more information on ‘how to pray the liturgy of the hours’ go to -
http://divineoffice.org/liturgy-of-the-hours/how-to-pray-the-liturgy-of-the-hours/


Lord, hear our prayer...
What has been known as the Prayer of the Faithful now is also referred to as the Universal Prayer.  Like the Creed, the Universal Prayer is seen as part of the assembly’s response to the Word of God. Moreover, this prayer is seen as an exercise of our baptismal Priesthood when we act as intercessors by offering prayers and spiritual sacrifices for the salvation of the world.
 
The format for enacting the Universal Prayer is that the Priest Celebrant presides over this prayer. A specific format is to be followed insofar as these are ‘ritual prayers.’  Generally, the sequence of intentions is to follow a structure of categories by praying first for the Church; followed by petitions for the world and/or public authorities, then for those who are in any kind of difficulty.
 
We are to respond to each petition with the words, LORD, HEAR OUR PRAYER.  Because we are praying these petitions as the Body of Christ, and not as individuals, we are not to say Lord, hear our PRAYERS.
 
And with the conclusion of the Universal Prayer, the Liturgy of the Word comes to a close.


Periods of "sacred silence"…
"Sacred silence also, as part of the celebration, is to be observed at the designated times during Mass.  Even before the celebration itself, it is a praiseworthy practice for silence to be observed in the church, in the sacristy, in the vesting rooms, and in adjacent areas so that all may dispose themselves to carry out the sacred celebration in a devout and fitting manner."--General Instruction of the Roman Missal #45
 
"The Liturgy of the Word is to be celebrated in such a way as to favor meditation...In the course of it, brief periods of silence are also appropriate, accommodated to the assembled congregation; by means of these, under the action of the Holy Spirit, the Word of God may be grasped by the heart and a response through prayer may be prepared. It may be appropriate to observe such periods of silence, for example, before the Liturgy of the Word itself begins, after the First and Second Reading, and lastly at the conclusion of the Homily."--General Instruction of the Roman Missal #56