Going back to Mass

[NCC74656]

I’m not sure if this is the right place in the forums to post this but thought I’d try.

I was raised Catholic, was an alter server as a child and went to Mass every week until the age of about 27, when I got married. My husband and I were married in the Catholic Church. After our wedding I’ve been having a hard time going back. We go for Christmas and Easter but haven’t been going every week. I know that’s bad.

How can I start making that commitment again? What do I need to do? I realize I need to go to confession, but other than that I’m not sure.

 

[vjnycguy]

I’m not sure if this is the right place in the forums to post this but thought I’d try.

I was raised Catholic, was an alter server as a child and went to Mass every week until the age of about 27, when I got married. My husband and I were married in the Catholic Church. After our wedding I’ve been having a hard time going back. We go for Christmas and Easter but haven’t been going every week. I know that’s bad.

How can I start making that commitment again? What do I need to do? I realize I need to go to confession, but other than that I’m not sure.

Well first things first. Confession. The most important thing before you go back to Church. You can’t receive the Eucharist if you are in the state of mortal sin. That means that if you committed a sin and knew that you were doing it then you are in mortal sin and should confess it in number (how many times you did it). Next… start making time. Go early in the morning if you have to. Mass times can be hectic to our schedules and we all can make room. Usually my family and I go to the 12:00PM Mass but sometimes we have things to do so we go to the 9:00AM. If you have kids (not sure if you do) then bring them and remember that keeping kids quiet is well respected, haha. If you do have kids and plan on bringing them, watch this awesome video. If you plan on bringing your husband then do it. You have 168 hours in a week and God is asking you to give him 1. God Bless and good luck!

 

[doormouse73]

first off, hello NCC74656

pray to the holy spirit,the same holy spirit that is talking to you about comming back home .

i was under the same thing not so long ago… but you know,im so glad i put my embarrassment and apathy in the bin.

talk to people you know in church, before or after mass,its nice to be nice.

i never thought i would be sat with the old folk after mass having a cup of coffee,talking about allsorts after mass,if you knew how id lived the last twenty years you will understand what im talking about.

rekindle you love for your maker you will not regret it…

ps…dont forget confession,Jesus want you to share himself with you . God bless you and your family…

 

[Prairie_Rose]

*Hi - I’m so glad you are wanting to start attending Mass again.

If you have time during the week, how about just stopping at Church and spending a few minutes of time alone in front of the Blessed Sacrament. Or if you prefer, sit in the back and enjoy some quiet time to pray or reflect. It’s a great way to start feeling more comfortable in Church until you’re able to commit to regular attendance.

Wishing you well in your Journey

~~Prairie Rose *

 

[IronMIke]

See a Priest number one; he can advise next steps.

or

If you want to go to church a few times and not join in communion that is not a bad start either, then when ready see a Priest.

 

[Catholic1954]

I’m not sure if this is the right place in the forums to post this but thought I’d try.

I was raised Catholic, was an alter server as a child and went to Mass every week until the age of about 27, when I got married. My husband and I were married in the Catholic Church. After our wedding I’ve been having a hard time going back. We go for Christmas and Easter but haven’t been going every week. I know that’s bad.

How can I start making that commitment again? What do I need to do? I realize I need to go to confession, but other than that I’m not sure.

Confession is all you need to do, but it would be a good idea to examine the reasons why you started skipping Mass and work on that so your return will be for good.

 

[Lancer]

First a practical recommendation: go to Sunday Vigil Mass on Saturday evening…usually anywhere from 1700-1900 hours…it is really and truly Sunday Mass and just like on Sunday…you can go to the 0800 hrs Mass or the 1030 hrs Mass…so also you can go to the 1700 Sunday Vigil Mass on Saturday evening…you don’t need a special reason or circumstance…and remember that Sunday is still a day or rest in the Lord…all things being normal.

Second, read this excerpt below from a classic by a “long ball hitter” on the Catholic Faith…Karl Adam…he taught at a great German University–Tubingen–that had both a Protestant and a Catholic staff/studies. Pope Benedict also taught at Tubingen (he was the Chair of Dogmatic Theology at Tubingen and Munster at the same time…right after Vatican II). I offer this excerpt to help you cultivate a deeper love for the Mass…focus on the reality of who it is celebrating Mass (Christ) and what he is doing (the Sacrifice at Calvary and the Wedding Feast Banquet in Heaven)…its near impossible to forgo being with someone you fall into love with and also in love with what he has/is doing for you…and then have the opportunity to receive him in great intimacy in Holy Communion

For your consideration.
Pax Christi.

THE SPIRIT OF CATHOLICISM
Father (Dr.) Karl Adam
University Tubingen
1930

Chapter XI: The Sacramental Action of the Church
In the Sacrifice of the Mass we are not merely reminded of the Sacrifice of the Cross in a symbolical form. On the contrary the Sacrifice of Calvary, as a great supra-temporal reality, enters into the immediate present. Space and time are abolished. The same Jesus is here present who died on the Cross. The whole congregation unites itself with His holy sacrificial will, and through Jesus present before it consecrates itself to the heavenly Father as a living oblation. So Holy Mass is a tremendously real experience, the experience of the reality of Golgotha. And a stream of sorrow and repentance, of love and devotion, of heroism and the spirit of sacrifice flows out from the altar and passes through the praying congregation. These are not mere words. From this representation of the Sacrifice of the Cross thousands of Catholics daily draw strength and joy, so that they may face the sacrifices, small or great, of their everyday life. And it was in the shadow of the altar that the Catholic saints—those examples of heroic devotion to Christ and to His brethren—grew to maturity. The Protestant theologian, Niebergall, draws attention to this high value of Holy Mass. “We cannot,” he writes, “set too high a value on the Roman Mass as a spiritual power in the religious life.”[2] And Heiler laments in vigorous terms that the Reformation was not able, while renewing the common worship of God, “to enkindle that intimate and fervent life of prayer which is excited by the Catholic service of Mass.” "I have observed," he says, "the life of prayer in both communions, long and carefully and with complete impartiality, and I have again and again received the impression that—apart from certain limited sects and minor bodies—there is more and more inward prayer in Catholic than in Protestant worship. When I reflect upon my experience, I am continually reminded of Wellhausen’s characteristic saying thatProtestant worship is at bottom Catholic worship . . . with the heart taken out of it."[3] The heart that Wellhausen and Heiler intend is the Catholic’s experience of reality in the great Mystery, his assurance that in it the grace of Christ really and truly enters our world of space and time and touches his soul.

 

[mab23]

I’m not sure if this is the right place in the forums to post this but thought I’d try.

I was raised Catholic, was an alter server as a child and went to Mass every week until the age of about 27, when I got married. My husband and I were married in the Catholic Church. After our wedding I’ve been having a hard time going back. We go for Christmas and Easter but haven’t been going every week. I know that’s bad.

How can I start making that commitment again? What do I need to do? I realize I need to go to confession, but other than that I’m not sure.

Go to confession, find a church you like, go at a certain time. also get more involved in the church and make friends!

easy peasy lemon squeezy

 

[GaryTaylor]

I’m not sure if this is the right place in the forums to post this but thought I’d try.

I was raised Catholic, was an alter server as a child and went to Mass every week until the age of about 27, when I got married. My husband and I were married in the Catholic Church. After our wedding I’ve been having a hard time going back. We go for Christmas and Easter but haven’t been going every week. I know that’s bad.

How can I start making that commitment again? What do I need to do? I realize I need to go to confession, but other than that I’m not sure.

Time management, take time to make time, they’re waiting for you. Sounds like you know the Church so you don’t have to speak with the Father first but I would, monthly confession is a good place to start once you go back. I think from there the Church pretty much becomes a deeper part of you. Definately you’ll come to know the Father, so the transition should also be more personal. Start praying again, thats how the faith grows, “the law of prayer is the law of belief”. Really is no secret Church/Eucharist/Prayer

So both you guys are inline with the Church thinking? You take the initiative.

My prayers are with you

 

[novusCatholic]

…I’ve been having a hard time going back. We go for Christmas and Easter but haven’t been going every week. I know that’s bad.

…How can I start making that commitment again? What do I need to do?

Try to cultivate an appreciation for what Mass is…

When we celebrate Mass, we worship God and give him thanks, we hear His voice as he speaks to us through the Scriptures, we support one another and the world through our prayers and offerings, we show our appreciation for Christ’s sacrifice, and we receive Him in Holy Communion.

Through the Mass, we share a connection with all Christians throughout the centuries who are members of the original and Apostolic Church that Jesus founded.

There is so much truth, history, beauty, and depth in the Catholic Church, and it is on full display in the Mass.

Mass can be a wonderful worship experience when we understand the origins and significance of the words and gestures used. I recommend the book “A Biblical Walk Through The Mass” by Edward Sri. This book helped me to learn a great deal about the Mass. Every moment is by design and is special.

An appreciation for the Euchrist, the Real Presence of Jesus, allows Holy Communion to be an awesome and personal experience! I recommend the book “Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist” by Brant Pitre. This book does a fantastic job of helping us to better understand the Eucharist and the words of Jesus.

I suspect that as you absorb these things, it will become difficult to stay away from Mass!

God bless!

 

[odile53]

You don’t have to answer this question for the benefit of anyone else but yourself: Looking back on the time that you stopped going to Mass consistently, was there any reason you stopped? You might want to get yourself comfortable with a resolution to that question, and if you decide to make an appointment for confession outside of regularly scheduled confession times, discuss that with the priest. Sometimes it’s just a matter of poor time management. Sometimes, deeper problems are involved.

Well, as others have already said, you do need to go to confession before you start receiving the Eucharist again, but I don’t see why you can’t just check out the Mass times at a parish near you and show up at one of those times! At first, you don’t have to “commit” to anything; once you go to confession, you can just keep on going to Mass at whatever Catholic church pleases you, on every Sunday (or Saturday evening vigil Mass,) and continue to do that until you find a parish you like. You can join a parish where you’re comfortable.

Figure out a couple of things: Are you an early riser? Do you like a lot of liturgical music? If you (like me) prefer to get up early, and (like me) aren’t all that fond of church music, you can get up before everyone else and go to the earliest Sunday morning Mass. I like that because it ensures that I do get there regardless of what else is happening the rest of the day. If on the other hand you really enjoy church music and large numbers of people, you might want to get to one of the later Masses, if you have such a choice.

You might, also, want to get any one of a number of excellent books about the Mass, and deepen your understanding of this sacred time in order to get a better appreciation of it. Or, as someone else said, try to find a church which has Eucharistic Adoration, and spend some time there with Our Lord in prayer and meditation. After a little time of doing such things, Mass ceases to be an “obligation” in our minds, and becomes an opportunity to be with Our Lord.

And by the way, welcome back!

 

[poche]

Why not start going next Sunday. And then the next one after that. Make it a habit. Try going during the week if your schedule permits it. When you’re ready make an appointment with the priest and go to confession.You will feel much better after that.