Going to Sunday Mass

[doubtThomas]

Why is it that some people say “It’s better to be a good person and NOT go to mass than to GO to mass and pretend to be good?” I know a person who doesn’t go to church and claims she doesn’t need it because she is a good person. What are your feelings about going to mass?

 

[corsair]

Folks that think that way more than likely do not understand their Catholic Faith. I have not missed a Sunday Mass or Holy Day in years. And, God willing, I’ll not miss one until after my Requiem.

 

[bilop]

Why is it that some people say “It’s better to be a good person and NOT go to mass than to GO to mass and pretend to be good?” I know a person who doesn’t go to church and claims she doesn’t need it because she is a good person. What are your feelings about going to mass?

That person commits two sins 1) missing their Sunday obligation, and 2) Pride, in declaring themselves “good”. We are all sinners, all in need of God’s mercy and grace.

The idea that you can save yourself by being “good” is a heresy, Pelagianism.

God Bless

 

[vames]

“It’s better to be a good person and NOT go to mass than to GO to mass and pretend to be good” is correct. This is the parable of the Pharisee, after all. But saying that she doesn’t need to go to mass **because **she is a good person is exactly the pride of the Pharisee. I like a lot this thought from Francois Mauriac: “Right after he beats his breast for being a tax collector, he becomes a Pharisee, for today the Pharisee is the one who prides himself in being a tax collector”.

 

[R_C]

Why is it that some people say “It’s better to be a good person and NOT go to mass than to GO to mass and pretend to be good?” I know a person who doesn’t go to church and claims she doesn’t need it because she is a good person. What are your feelings about going to mass?

That person does not know what Holy Mass is. She will only understand in the next life, unless the good Lord grants her the necessary light.

Besides, if that person is Catholic, that person is acting in disobedience to Holy Church, since in Her wisdom that comes from above, She commanded by precept that we attend Sunday Mass every week. This is not good. Our protestant brothers have the same identical attitude towards the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Atheists have the same attitude towards religion as a whole.

This whole speech is permeated with pride. First of all, in judging others and saying that they “pretend to be good”. That is very uncharitable to say, and clearly ignores the Lord’s address in Mt 7:3-5:

Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

Second, I cannot conceive a good person saying he’s a good person: “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.” (1 John 1:8)

Pray a lot for her, and for all the people that think this way., blinded by pride and vanity. They do not understand that the only thing in this universe that allows them to be good is the eternal sacrifice of Christ, for “nobody is good except God alone”, and all goodness comes through Him, whether people acknowledge it or not:

Per ipsum, et cum ipso, et in ipso, est tibi Deo Patri omnipotenti, in unitate Spiritus Sancti, omnis honor et gloria. Per omnia saecula saeculorum.

When St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, to whom the Lord entrusted the revelation of the Sacred Heart, asked the Lord what could she ever do to properly thank Him for all the blessings He had bestowed upon her throughout her life, the Lord replied: “Attend one Mass.”

 

[dshix]

That person commits two sins 1) missing their Sunday obligation, and 2) Pride, in declaring themselves “good”. We are all sinners, all in need of God’s mercy and grace.

The idea that you can save yourself by being “good” is a heresy, Pelagianism.

God Bless

^ This.

The idea that you are “too good” to go to Mass is precisely the reason why you should go. You are sinning by saying you are too good to sin! No one is so holy that they cannot benefit from the Mass.

 

[TheRealJuliane]

Why is it that some people say “It’s better to be a good person and NOT go to mass than to GO to mass and pretend to be good?” I know a person who doesn’t go to church and claims she doesn’t need it because she is a good person. What are your feelings about going to mass?

My feelings about going to Mass are irrelevant (although in my case, I love going) because we as Catholics are OBLIGATED to go every Sunday and obligation day. But many Catholics don’t understand their obligation or they disagree with the Church’s requirement. They either justify their dissension by saying “But I’m a good person, so I don’t need to go,” or, perhaps they don’t even believe that sin exists or that they personally commit any sins. So, no need for confession, they can receive whenever they actually get to Mass, it’s all no big deal.

Jesus didn’t die on that cross just for bad people, but for “good people” (in their own minds) too. We’re all sinners in one way or another. I sin without even recognizing it until after I commit the sin! Always grateful for Jesus’ sacrifice, without which I would surely go to Hell…When I was fully immersed in my sin, and bound for Hell, I would have told you sincerely that “I am a good person.”

 

[Regina_Love]

“Do not forsake the gathering together of the assembly.” We need the sacraments. We need to challenge each other, because most often we do not see our own sin. God designed us to love, and grow in our Church family. Jesus left us the Church. Refusing to accept it or use it, is like leaving millions of dollars in the bank, while you, and your neighbors starve to death.

 

[Delaine75]

I’ve found that most people who think this way and say things like that are simply too lazy to go to Mass and spend that hour with our Lord. What a shame, too!

 

[WingsOfEagles]

“Keep holy the Sabbath Day”.This can’t really be done outside of a church. You might have the rare scenario where someone was in the middle of nowhere and reading the Bible, but not attending Church, but most people who argue “I’m a good person. I don’t need to.” are doing their own thing on Sunday.

 

[iloveangels]

Why is it that some people say “It’s better to be a good person and NOT go to mass than to GO to mass and pretend to be good?” I know a person who doesn’t go to church and claims she doesn’t need it because she is a good person. What are your feelings about going to mass?

Baloney. This is not an either/or thing. It’s a mortal sin to miss Sunday mass.

 

[Threep]

You have to go, simple as that.

I thought this was a good video on the topic. Also, this article is a good explanation on why Sunday mass is so important. We should perhaps focus on the positives of going to Mass, rather than the negatives of missing it (though they are still important, of course).

 

[mexolic]

Many catholics will still find excuses to avoid Sunday Mass. To look at the faults of other Catholics who attend Sunday Mass and then come to the conclusion that it’s better to be good and not attend Sunday Mass is so absurd. Don’t base your decision not to celebrate the sacraments because someone has their own negative views about.

 

[fred_conty]

Why is it that some people say “It’s better to be a good person and NOT go to mass than to GO to mass and pretend to be good?” I know a person who doesn’t go to church and claims she doesn’t need it because she is a good person. What are your feelings about going to mass?

I think we should all go to that person’s house and start worshipping them.

Just a thought.