Why do I go to Mass? At one point in time it was probably because I had to - either because my parents or aunt or grandmother said so or because the Church said so. But now I go because I want to, because it is important for me to do so.
It is important for me to do so for a number of reasons, and I offer them in no particular order. In a real sense after the consecration, I am in the very presence of God Himself, just as the angels and saints are. At the same time, I am also present in a special way at Calvary as Jesus is offering Himself for me and for each of the other people throughout the world - present, past, and future. It is a time (especially after I receive Him in Holy Communion) to spend "quality time" with Him. It is a time to praise Him in a special way and to thank Him for all of His many blessings for me, for family and friends, and for people throughout the world. It is also a time to place the day, and (on Sunday) the upcoming week, in His hands and asking His blessing and guidance for the of all the various things that will be happening and for all of my interactions with anyone I come in contact with. It is a time to listen to what He wants to tell me, whether through one of the readings, through the homily, or through an inspiration He may send me.
On a related note, many years ago I taught CCD classes at St. Agnes Parish in Providence. I started when the pastor was Father Anthony Robinson, and continued when a pastoral team (Fathers William McCaffrey and Raymond Theroux) took over. One evening I was assisting Father McCaffrey with a Confirmation class, and Father talked about participating in Mass. Father mentioned how many people talk about getting something out of Mass as in "That was a good Mass, I really got somthing out of it,." or "That Mass was so boring." However, Father continued, what really counts, what really makes it a good Mass is what we put into it.
This is probably the first time I ever stopped to think about participating in Mass from that perspective. I had previously tried to be an active participant, but I don't think I previously thought about it from the point of view of getting something out of it. I guess I figured the appropriate blessings would come. But, over the years, I have heard many people comment on a Mass they had just attended or participated in (as the case may be), and many times the comments were were about what they got out of the Mass.
Others have written about the importance of going to Mass, including participating in this Holy Sacrifice. The following are just a few of many, many examples.
In a reflection published in Youth Update (which is published by St. Anthony Messenger Press) and aimed primarily at young people (with most of the points equally valid for adults), Jim Auer offers several reasons for going to Mass (Mr. Auer, who lives in Cincinnati, Ohio, is a retired high school religion and English teacher and the author of sixteen books, as well as several hundred articles and pamphlets, most of which are aimed at teenagers and young adults.):
It is important for me to do so for a number of reasons, and I offer them in no particular order. In a real sense after the consecration, I am in the very presence of God Himself, just as the angels and saints are. At the same time, I am also present in a special way at Calvary as Jesus is offering Himself for me and for each of the other people throughout the world - present, past, and future. It is a time (especially after I receive Him in Holy Communion) to spend "quality time" with Him. It is a time to praise Him in a special way and to thank Him for all of His many blessings for me, for family and friends, and for people throughout the world. It is also a time to place the day, and (on Sunday) the upcoming week, in His hands and asking His blessing and guidance for the of all the various things that will be happening and for all of my interactions with anyone I come in contact with. It is a time to listen to what He wants to tell me, whether through one of the readings, through the homily, or through an inspiration He may send me.
On a related note, many years ago I taught CCD classes at St. Agnes Parish in Providence. I started when the pastor was Father Anthony Robinson, and continued when a pastoral team (Fathers William McCaffrey and Raymond Theroux) took over. One evening I was assisting Father McCaffrey with a Confirmation class, and Father talked about participating in Mass. Father mentioned how many people talk about getting something out of Mass as in "That was a good Mass, I really got somthing out of it,." or "That Mass was so boring." However, Father continued, what really counts, what really makes it a good Mass is what we put into it.
This is probably the first time I ever stopped to think about participating in Mass from that perspective. I had previously tried to be an active participant, but I don't think I previously thought about it from the point of view of getting something out of it. I guess I figured the appropriate blessings would come. But, over the years, I have heard many people comment on a Mass they had just attended or participated in (as the case may be), and many times the comments were were about what they got out of the Mass.
Others have written about the importance of going to Mass, including participating in this Holy Sacrifice. The following are just a few of many, many examples.
In a reflection published in Youth Update (which is published by St. Anthony Messenger Press) and aimed primarily at young people (with most of the points equally valid for adults), Jim Auer offers several reasons for going to Mass (Mr. Auer, who lives in Cincinnati, Ohio, is a retired high school religion and English teacher and the author of sixteen books, as well as several hundred articles and pamphlets, most of which are aimed at teenagers and young adults.):
Jim Auer: Top Ten Reasons for Going to Mass
In an essay for Holy Spirit Interactive (which is is a Catholic apostolate under the authority of the Vicariate Apostolic of Arabi), Steve Hemler also addresses this question (Mr. Hemler has been involved in youth ministry, pro-life political activism and religious educatio, and he has written for several publications, including America, Liguorian, Church, Modern Liturgy, and Liturgical Catechesis):
Steve Hemler: Why Go To Mass?In an essay for Holy Spirit Interactive (which is is a Catholic apostolate under the authority of the Vicariate Apostolic of Arabi), Steve Hemler also addresses this question (Mr. Hemler has been involved in youth ministry, pro-life political activism and religious educatio, and he has written for several publications, including America, Liguorian, Church, Modern Liturgy, and Liturgical Catechesis):
In an essay for parents reprinted by the Catholic Education Resource Center, Thomas Lickona gives several reasons for young people and adults to particpate in the Mass (Dr. Lickona is a developmental psychologist and professor of education at the State University of New York at Cortland, and, a past president of the Association for Moral Education, he is a frequent consultant to schools on character education and a frequent speaker at conferences for teachers, parents, religious educators, and other groups concerned about the moral development of young people.):
Dr. Thomas Lickona: 8 Reasons to Go to Mass
The Catechism of the Catholic Church addresses this issue by explaining what the liturgy is all about:
Catechism: The Sacramental Celebration of the Paschal Mystery
and
Catechism: The Sacrament of the Eucharist
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