Is not going to Church really so bad?

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Harriet

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Hello.
I am 17 and consider myself a Catholic. It is only recently that I have begun to question my faith in God and the past few months have been really weird. In that time I became a non-believer, then became a believer again, tried to become a secular humanist, read about Buddhism but now I really feel that I do believe in God and I want to be a good Catholic.
Thing is, I’m not from the most religious environment in the world. My Dad is extremely vague saying that there must be something but he’s not quite sure, my Mum believes in God but doesn’t do anything else and my brothers scoff at the idea of going to Church. None of my friends go to Church neither and my best friend thinks I’m “losing it” because I’ve started reading the Bible and reciting the rosary.
I feel guilty a lot for not going to Church, is it so very important? I thought I would start going to Church properly when I go to Uni, then I won’t be able to get teased by my family and friends because I’ll be on my own and independent.

Thankyou for your time.

-Hattie.
 
I know it is so hard to remain faithful to God and your church when you have no real support. But remember Christ told us we would be blessed if we were persecuted because of him.
It is very important to fulfill your Sunday obligation. If you don’t go to mass each week, you are disobeying the commandments and the requirements of being a faithful Catholic. I know when I was younger, there were times I didn’t “feel” like I was getting anything out of it, there were other places I would rather be for sure! But we are so blessed as Catholic to be able to come into the actual presence of Jesus in the most Blessed Sacrament. Don’t let any amount of teasing take you away from that. He is waiting for you, He wants to be bless you and strengthen you. You never know when you are called to be the light for others. Stay strong and keep praying 🙂
Blessings,
D
 
I gotta go with CatholicforLife! That was a good suggestion. Please don’t let your family and friends’ teasing lead you away from The Church! Continue to pray and to attend Mass dutifully, and who knows, maybe they’ll start to come your way and start attending with you! Wouldn’t that be amazing?
 
As Catholics, “going to Church” becomes hugely important when we realize precisely what we are going for – Christ Himself, present “body, blood, soul and divinity” in the Eucharist. The Church teaches that the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass re-presents sacramentally the passion and death of our Lord Jesus Christ. Who among us would say, if given the opportunity to stand before Christ as He hung on the Cross for our sins, “Well, I really don’t feel like going today…”?

Of course, the Mass is available to us with more frequency, which sometimes tends to make us forget that this is truly why we are there, to receive the Grace that Christ earned for us by His death. We should also remember God’s commandment to keep the Sabbath holy. Sunday is the Christian Sabbath. I can think of no better way to keep this day holy than to spend time with God Himself in worship. Remember also Christ’s question to the Apostles on the night He was betrayed. “Could you not spend one hour with me in prayer?”.
 
Hi Hattie. Welcome to the forum. Pretty name!

Church is important. Christ gave us the mass and the Eucharist. It is how we grow to know him and draw closer to him.

How about this for thought - at what point did you start feeling and experiencing your brothers and friends make fun of you - scoff at you? Just about the point when you picked up the rosary and the bible, right?

The devil does not want us to grow in our relationship with God so he will turn up the heat and make it uncomfortable for you to go to church, read the bible and pray without you being mocked out.

Often times, the devil uses the very people we love the most to get under our skin and get us off course. BUT here’s the clincher… YOU, Hattie, have been blessed by the Holy Spirit to realize that this is just a trick ( or you would not be asking the question and be feeling such a pull towards practicing your faith).

One priest always told us that if the devil isn’t bothering you, then you aren’t a threat to him. That probably means you aren’t practicing your faith the way you need to be.

As you said, when you get to university, the pressure may be less, so hang in till then. The path of righteousness is often hard.

I lost a few friends recently because I decided to actually LIVE my faith and whole heartedly practice it. They also thought I was going a bit nutty with my rosary and daily mass. Then He also sent some great Catholic new friends to me.

God is good and will take care of you if you seek Him out and stay close.
 
“Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you” Mt 5:12

Accept the teasing and then ask them to come to mass with you!

As far as going to mass. . . don’t look at it so much as a obligation look at it as the chance you get to be inthe presence of our Lord, Jesus Christ! A privilege to **worship **God and thank Him for the grace of faith He has given you. Remember, God created us to love and worship Him, the mass is exactly that.
 
Mass is an event where the body of Christ, His church gathers to be with Him, to worship Him, and to be nourished by partaking in His flesh and blood. As a baptized person you have received gifts from the Holy Spirit that helps to build up that Body. When you are absent it is like a part of the Body is missing. Read Chapter 6 in the Gospel of John and learn how very important receiving the Eucharist is for your spiritual health and salvation. Sometimes Mass can seem boring and uninteresting, but Jesus is still there every time just waiting for you.
 
two things:

one, anytime we ask ‘is such and such really so bad?’ the answer is, in my experience, always ‘yes’. asking a question this way almost always means ‘i know the answer is yes, but i’m trying to get out of it.’ a similar expression to keep an eye out for is ‘think of all the good you can do…’ if you ever hear that, you’re being talked into something you shouldn’t do.

two, there will ALWAYS be ‘reasons’ not to go to mass. now, it’s ridicule from your family. later it’ll be some important sunday obligation, or pressure from some friend, or homework that must be done right away, or whatever. there’ll always be reasons not to go. that’s why the church, in all its wisdom, has named missing mass a mortal sin. it is so very important that we go. it is so very easy not to.

God bless you as you seek Him in the mass!
 
Hi Hattie, (This my second name:) )

Re: Is not going to Church really so bad?

Would you say a weekly mortal sin against two of the Ten Commandments a serious offence?

#1

I am the Lord your God. You shall have no other gods before me.

#3

Remember to keep holy the Lord’s Day.

Keep praying the rosary Hattie. You are on the right track.👋
 
To me, people who say they believe in “something” but never act on it by showing up in church are mentally passive and sort of anti-social. Often they claim the others who do show up are “hypocrites” but that’s just a defense mechanism. It takes a lot of gumption and dedication to actually go to be with other people, shake their hands and admit you are one of the flock.

Others may make fun of you but I suspect that deep inside they wish they had faith too. Your behavior is a reproach to theirs, and they will get more and more defensive as you show your dedicatation.

Do not try to blend in with them–it’s not worth it. In a few years their opinion will not seem so important to you and you will have wasted time, as I did. The sooner you get on the right path, the better your life will turn out.

And start now because it could get even worse at university when you sense all the unbelievers and hedonism around you. You need fortifying before you encounter all that sophomoric dorm-room philosophizing. 😉
 
Dear Hattie,

The last poster had good advice when it comes to picking out whom to hang out with. But at the age of 17, you still need your parents and your family. I would advise caution how you deal with them without compromising your desire to turn to God and to make him part of your life. We have not been placed with our families at random; God had a purpose with each one of us. It may be your responsibility to convert them, or it may be your responsibility to find God and grab hold of him in spite of your family. When it comes to people lukewarm toward the faith, example and kindness is the best approach. Let them first observe the change in you, (a good change) and refrain from preaching to them about God. Just love them Hattie. But the previous poster had good advice when it comes to the company we choose for ourselves. Life is easier and our walk of faith is more secured in good company rather than in a bad one. God bless.
 
In response to the initial post, Naaaaaa, well, that all depends on how hot you like it. I am going to start an “Afterlife Asbestos Suit” company for Cafeteria Catholics and CINOs. Now accepting advanced orders.
 
When you don’t attend Church your relationship with God weakens. Temptation can grow. You also risk your faith being corrupted. It’s best for you to attend Church.
 
Hattie,

You have received some really good responses.

The important thing to remember is that Mass is for you, not for God. If your faith is on shaky ground, or being shaken by those around you, that is when you need that grace of Mass more than ever.

I will be honest with you, I have struggled to meet my obligation consistently over the past year or so. I have found that praying for desire to go to Mass has helped alot. I find myself appealing to the Blessed Mother on Sunday mornings frequently. She has never let me down yet!

Also don’t forget the power of confession. I have frequently confessed this particular sin and the more I confess, the easier it becomes for me to get to Mass.

Remember the power of prayer, ask for courage, ask for desire, ask to see the glory of the Mass that we so often take for granted. Do not rely on your will power. Cast yourself into the loving arms of God and let him transform you.

You do not need to grit your teeth to go. Just pray, pray, pray.

Peace,
Chad
 
Hi Hattie,

Yes. It is important to go to Mass. The Church insists we attend and participate on Sundays and Holy days of obligation. The Church tells us that the Mass and Eucharist are the centre of every Christians life. At least they should be. The Mass should be the one thing you absolutely have to do each week. We have plenty of opportunity to do private prayer, but the Mass is one of the few opportunities we have to fulfill our obligation to do public prayer. And it’s the greatest prayer we can offer to God. Don’t worry what other people say. Follow your own conscience. All the advice here has been good, but one quote from our Lord to Catholics who don’t make a sincere effort to practise their faith is, " not everyone who cries Lord, Lord wil be saved. But rather those that do the will of my Father will be saved." It’s not enough to believe in Jesus etc . You have to put that faith into action. I will keep you in my prayers.
 
Dear Hattie!

Hello! May I tell you this: I think daily mass is–wait for it–a Godsend! Indeed, it truly is. It’s a bit quieter, and there’s often one in driving distance at 6:45 or 9am or so; most people could probably squeak in to one of those if they were motivated. I have found that daily mass is truly a wonderful way to grow in the Faith. Try going to mass more often–during the week! I try to get to mass during the week at least two or three times. Pope St. Pius X wanted us to communicate more frequently; take it from a saint!

The other thing, be “unfailingly polite” in dealing with people who disbelieve in varying degrees. In religion, people disbelieve almost 100% of the time arguments that differ from their own stance however inchoate; but they observe our behavior at about the same frequency. It counts for so much more.

PS: Arrive early for daily mass, perhaps about 15 minutes. This will give you a period of preparatory contemplation.
 
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bigdaddyfatback:
The important thing to remember is that Mass is for you, not for God.
Click to expand...
Actually, the mass is a sacrificial act to offer atonement to God for sin. But it is, indeed, ‘for us’ as well.
 
Keep on going to your Sunday worship, even if you do not feel like it.Your desire to go is prompted by the Holy Spirit.
Try to study some literature on the meaning and importance of the Eucharistic celebration
Contact the nearest Carmelite Sisters, or pay them a visit, and ask them to pray for you. They are a powerhouse of good.
 
Hattie, Thank you for starting this thread. I am printing it out for my 15 yr. old daughter to read. She says she hates going to Mass. The answers you have received here are better than anything I came up with. Or maybe it’s because I’m her mother and anything I say is not going to be listened to. Thank you everyone!
 
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