Compelling reasons to go to Sunday Mass regularly

[AmazingCreation]

I have a close friend who does not seem to appreciate the need to go to Mass every Sunday. And, when he goes he does little more than sit, stand & kneel at the appropriate times. He does not receive the Eucharist (as he shouldn’t until he would attend the sacrament of Reconciliation - it’s been a very long time).

I have already tried to explain the beauty and grace of the sacrament. But, he is put off by the fact that “every single solitary week it’s the same thing over and over with the exception of the readings”. Does anyone have any compelling discussion points for me? I know I can’t MAKE him do anything, but I’d like to offer guidance. Your assistance is greatly appreciated.

 

[fellowChristian]

Maybe he needs to know why we do what we do?

Q: Why do we dip our fingers in water at the entrance of every church?

A: To remind us of our baptism, when we were born again, and when we became part of the church Jesus left us.

**Q:**Why do we make the sign of the cross?

A: Because we love God with all our mind,all our heart and with all our strength. and we are tracing a cross upon ourselves as a reminder of His cross.It is also a little prayer.

Q:Why do we kneel before we sit?

A: We are in the presence of our king and “every knee shall bend” before our Lord God.

Q: Why does the priest walk in the entrance like that?

A: As a reminder of when Jesus came into Jerusalem and they sang.
The priest is acting in persona of Christ.

Q:What does “Amen” mean?

A: “I believe”, or “so be it”

Q: Why is it called a “Host”

A: It comes from the Latin “hosteria” which means “Victim”

Q:Why does the priest wash his hands?

**A:**To remind us of when Pontius washed his hands.

Everything has meaning in the Mass.

The Mass is a long prayer.So we are “praying” the Mass".

The word “Mass” comes from the Latin “Missa” it means “Go you are sent”

Do you remember when Jesus was praying and the apostles fell asleep? What did Jesus say?

Mark 14:37
And He came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, "Simon, are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour?

Mass is one hour.

Every Mass is Palm Sunday,Holy Monday,Holy Thursday,Good Friday,Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday all rolled into one hour!

The Third Commandment
from the
Catechism of the Catholic Churchusccb.org/catechism/text/pt3sect2chpt1art3.htm

Sorry I got carried away:blush:

 

[Joannm]

Maybe he needs to know why we do what we do?

Q: Why do we dip our fingers in water at the entrance of every church?

A: To remind us of our baptism, when we were born again, and when we became part of the church Jesus left us.

**Q:**Why do we make the sign of the cross?

A: Because we love God with all our mind,all our heart and with all our strength. and we are tracing a cross upon ourselves as a reminder of His cross.It is also a little prayer.

Q:Why do we kneel before we sit?

A: We are in the presence of our king and “every knee shall bend” before our Lord God.

Q: Why does the priest walk in the entrance like that?

A: As a reminder of when Jesus came into Jerusalem and they sang.
The priest is acting in persona of Christ.

Q:What does “Amen” mean?

A: “I believe”, or “so be it”

Q: Why is it called a “Host”

A: It comes from the Latin “hosteria” which means “Victim”

Q:Why does the priest wash his hands?

**A:**To remind us of when Pontius washed his hands.

Everything has meaning in the Mass.

The Mass is a long prayer.So we are “praying” the Mass".

The word “Mass” comes from the Latin “Missa” it means “Go you are sent”

Do you remember when Jesus was praying and the apostles fell asleep? What did Jesus say?

Mark 14:37
And He came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, "Simon, are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour?

Mass is one hour.

Every Mass is Palm Sunday,Holy Monday,Holy Thursday,Good Friday,Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday all rolled into one hour!

The Third Commandment
from the
Catechism of the Catholic Churchusccb.org/catechism/text/pt3sect2chpt1art3.htm

Sorry I got carried away:blush:

The priest does not wash his hands in imitation of Pilate. He washes his hands because that is a sign of purification, that comes from the ancient Jewish practice of purification before offering the sacrifice. While he washes his hands he says. “Lord wash away my iniquity and cleanse me from my sins.” Pilate did no such thing. Pilate washed his hands of the whole situation with Jesus. There is a BIG difference.

 

[fellowChristian]

This site offers more

renewamerica.us/columns/abbott/060403

 

[PhilotheaZ]

But, he is put off by the fact that “every single solitary week it’s the same thing over and over with the exception of the readings”. Does anyone have any compelling discussion points for me?

The “same thing over and over” to which he refers is the sacrifice of Calvary. When we are at Mass, we are actually present at Calvary when Jesus offers Himself to the Father for our salvation. (This sacrifice does not happen “over and over”; this eternal sacrifice takes place outside time as we know it, and we are present at that one eternal sacrifice.)

We are present because God instructed us to do so: “Remember to keep holy the Lord’s day.” And the way that we keep the Lord’s day holy (as instructed by His Church, to whom Christ gave the authority to make this law) is by attending Mass.

We are present because Jesus instructed us do do so: “Do this in remembrance of Me.” (Luke 22:19)

We are present because the apostles of the early Church instructed us to do so: “We should not stay away from our assembly, as is the custom of some, but encourage one another …” (Hebrews 10:25)

When we are at Mass, we are doing what we will be doing for all eternity in heaven — being in the presence of God, offering Him perfect worship in the company of all the angels and saints. Does your friend think heaven will be boring? I hope he will have the opportunity to find out some day that it is not. It certainly beats the alternative!

If he finds Mass boring, the fault is not with the Mass; it is with himself, for he is not putting himself into it. He should be uniting himself — all that he is, all that he has, all that he has done over the past week and all that he will do over the next week — to the sacrifice of Christ.