Church Attendance

To recall the Catholic Church’s teaching: it obliges members to attend mass weekly unless one is sickly or physically unable. Missing mass shows disrespect and contempt for God and His laws. Many people question why this practice is so important. Many claim that if they find a quiet place of their own, they can explore God for themselves in a peaceful way. However, many important aspects of the Catholic mass can strengthen and encourage God in one’s everyday life.

Attending mass is a proclamation to the world around us claiming we are indeed a practicing Catholics. It is a way of saying, “Yes! I do love Jesus!” Together, we are sharing our trust and excitement with a community of believers and worshipers. In this formal setting, it is a time to thank God for our graces- such as your personal possessions, family, friends, occupation, and so on. It is a time to devote to God, because He is the reason in which we are living, breathing, and thriving. He is the one who carries us through in times of struggle. For these reasons, it only seems necessary and fair to devote a small portion of our weeks to His admiration and worship.

"Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you.... My flesh is true food and My blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in Me and I in him.... who feeds on me will have life because of Me." (John.6:53, 55-57). These are the accurate and profound teachings of Jesus Christ in which the mass is centered around. By receiving the body and blood of Jesus Christ, we are consuming a part of Jesus himself. Mass is the only time in which we can literally participate in these very important rituals.

The word Catholic literally means “universal.” In order to practice one’s Catholic faith, we must engage in a form of this universal behavior. Although one’s own spirituality and time with God is a very important aspect of this faith, spending time with believers who share in the same values of God is essential. Together, we can encourage a unity of faith world-wide.

Lastly, as William J. Bradley, a devoted man of the Catholic Church, said, “Jesus is always welcoming and if you put yourself in his hands, He will find a way to bring you home.”

Sources used:

The Holy Bible
http://www.catholicmissionleaflets.org/sunday.htm