Bishop Tobin on Our Reasons for Doing Religious Practices

"So, one evening not too long ago, I was driving along the Wampanoag Trail when I noticed the cars ahead of me, rounding a curve, tapping their brakes and slowing down. I soon knew why. There was a disabled vehicle on the side of the road - but the drivers thought it was a police car, a speed trap.

"The incident got me thinking. Why do people follow the speed limit: Because they don't want to get pulled over, or because it's the safe thing to do, or because in some altruistic way they respect the law? (Although, truth be told, the fact that the drivers slowed down only when they saw the 'cop car,' favors the first explanation, doesn't it?)

"But it leads to a good question: In terms of our religious practice, why do we do the things we do?"

In a recent commentary, Bishop Thomas J. Tobin, of the Diocese of Providence (RI), reflected on why people attend Mass on Sunday and participate in other religious practices..

To access Bishop Tobin's complete essay, please visit:

The Imitation of Christ: It Was Just a Disabled Vehicle (23 MAY 19)