Advantages of shrinking mass attendance?

[MarcoPolo]

Those interested, please join me in a thought exercise. If, according to a few news articles out there, attendance at mass is shrinking, can there be some “pros” to that phenomenon? For instance:

• If there are some who either went to mass sparingly, and lived lives that included mortal sins, and they leave for whatever reason (e.g. abuse scandals, new translation, Bishops’ teaching on contraception, etc…), then might this not amount to a reduction in the profanation of the Eucharist if some of these persons had hardened their hearts against the Church all the while they sometimes attended?
• And if there were some whose roots were shallow enough in the Church that a scandal or boring music or whatever was enough to get them to leave the Church, might this not result in a lessening of the scandalization of other faithful? For instance, if everyone remaining in the Church was very faithful and attended mass regularly and practiced the faith, would this not be a purgation of sorts, strengthening the witness of the Body of Christ?

Yes, there can be some cons, too, (if some want to discuss that, feel free) but I would be interested in seeing discussion from this different angle.

 

[bmullins]

I think the shrinking mass attendance is less about a new profound honesty that makes people avoid it because they never really believed, and more about a movement in our society to be anti-social. With the popularity of systems such as texting, Facebook, etc people are doing less and less face to face social gatherings, and more textual interacting. I’ve noticed that many of the teenagers who text their friends, very rarely actually pick up the phone and speak to them.

That coupled with the movement that I hear more and more often, “I can just do church at home.” “My relationship is just me and God, it doesn’t involve anyone else.” There is a detachment from the actual Presence of God. I even encountered a woman just recently who had been told by one of her Facebook friends that she should avoid going to church, and only tune in on TV. That it was better for her soul.

Paul addressed that early on, telling us not to give up gathering with others, but to continue to exhort others to come out. That’s something I don’t think we do enough. How many of us go to our neighbors when they quit going to church and say “hey, haven’t seen you at mass in a while, you wanna ride with us next week?” Or even just drop in and see them when they begin to drift away?

Are there advantages? I’m not sure. I’m sure that some of the people who are drifting away are indeed people who need to improve their walk with God, and need to grow more (or rightly they wouldn’t be falling away.) But the difference I have found with Catholicism and other denominations is that Catholicism acknowledges our humanity. It realizes that we aren’t perfect. That those who seem perfect need the grace of the Eucharist, just as much as those who seem to be furthest away.

The major disadvantage I see from it, is that people aren’t going to stop identify themselves with being Catholic just because they quit going to church. Imagine how much their lives are going to change without the infusion of grace received in the Body of Christ? If they are imperfect now, how much more so will they be later? Then when someone finds out that they still call themselves Catholic, but are acting in an ever increasing sinful way, it’s going to be that much more damaging.

That is why I have hope that programs like “Awakening Faith” and “Living the Eucharist” will help to waken people up, and bring them back to receiving that grace as often as possible. I know this summer when I went to mass every single day, even though I could not receive the host, I still received an amazing blessing just seeing it every day. I miss that, and hope that soon I will be able to take that back up.

 

[MarcoPolo]

The major disadvantage I see from it, is that people aren’t going to stop identify themselves with being Catholic just because they quit going to church. Imagine how much their lives are going to change without the infusion of grace received in the Body of Christ?

I would agree – if they continue going around calling themselves Catholic, that remains a disadvantage, a scandal to others on what it means to be Catholic. As to your second sentence here, what I was saying is that there were some people who were not getting grace because they were receiving the Eucharist in mortal sin, actually causing greater sin, so I was considering them not receiving the Eucharist in their condition a pro.

 

[bmullins]

I would agree – if they continue going around calling themselves Catholic, that remains a disadvantage, a scandal to others on what it means to be Catholic. As to your second sentence here, what I was saying is that there were some people who were not getting grace because they were receiving the Eucharist in mortal sin, actually causing greater sin, so I was considering them not receiving the Eucharist in their condition a pro.

Ahh, see in my opinion anyone who knows they are in mortal sin, also know what receiving the Eucharist while in mortal sin means. It won’t be an accident, and if they are doing it it would be on purpose. So I doubt those who purposely were taking it in mortal sin would benefit either way. In fact, even though they would not receive the graces, being in the presence of the Eucharist is bound to have a profound affect on someone in mortal sin. (Maybe, maybe not.)

It’s hard for me to imagine someone who knows what mortal sin is, knows they’ve committed it, and yet still takes the Eucharist; I just can’t imagine that in my head.