What verb do you use to describe going to Mass?

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I usually say “going to Mass” or “attending Mass,” but is there another way to say this?

I’ve also heard “celebrating Mass,” but that’s what the priest does, as far as my knowledge goes. edit: got an answer: the priest presides over the Mass, and we all celebrate (CCC 1140 and 1141)
 
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I say “massing.” Then again I always get made fun of for calling it that.
 
Just for interest: The pre Vatican 2 Chinese terminology translates as “looking” at mass. Some older Chinese Catholics would still use this term.
 
aaa said:
I usually say “going to Mass” or “attending Mass,” but is there another way to say this?

I’ve also heard “celebrating Mass,” but that’s what the priest does, as far as my knowledge goes.
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“take part in the celebration”
 
aaa said:
I’ve also heard “celebrating Mass,” but that’s what the priest does, as far as my knowledge goes.
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Not exactly. That is what we are accustomed to saying, and I had thought so until recently. After Mass, I thanked the priest for celebrating the Mass, and he said that he presides and we all celebrate. In order to be sure that I understood this correctly, I looked it up in the Catechism:
I. WHO CELEBRATES?

[ … ]

The celebrants of the sacramental liturgy

1140 It is the whole community, the Body of Christ united with its Head, that celebrates. "Liturgical services are not private functions but are celebrations of the Church which is ‘the sacrament of unity,’ namely, the holy people united and organized under the authority of the bishops. Therefore, liturgical services pertain to the whole Body of the Church. [ … ]

1141 The celebrating assembly is the community of the baptized who, “by regeneration and the anointing of the Holy Spirit, are consecrated to be a spiritual house and a holy priesthood, that through all the works of Christian men they may offer spiritual sacrifices.” This “common priesthood” is that of Christ the sole priest, in which all his members participate: [ … ]
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Be that as it may, I usually say “attend” Mass.
 
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I generally use attend, but correct me if I’m wrong here, but I believe the correct term is participate. After all, we are all participating in a long prayer giving honor and glory to God.

This is more apparent when one is at a TLM because we all face the same way showing us that we all are worshiping God and the focus is on Him.
 
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The Old School terms from the Baltimore Catechism, are “hearing Mass” and “assisting at Mass”, and as an elderly individual I will still use.
 
I usually just say “going to Mass” and I think that’s pretty common, but sometimes I will say “hear Mass”.
 
I usually use “going to mass”, “attending mass”, and “hearing mass”
 
aaa said:
I usually say “going to Mass” or “attending Mass,” but is there another way to say this?

I’ve also heard “celebrating Mass”…
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I always say “playing.”

The organ. I play the organ.

😄
 
The term “assisting at Mass” is a wonderful and accurate term.
 
On the internet: “assisting/participating at Mass”

In real life: “going to Mass”
 
Mostly going although if I am somewhere unusual it switches to attending.
 
Oh, I totally hear this! In the past four weeks I have been present for exactly one Mass that I didn’t serve in some way. I’m at Mass nearly every day, so that’s one Mass out of 26 or so. This is normal for me (IOW, the past four weeks are par for the course, nothing unusual). As a result, I tend to say I’m serving the Mass.

On those rare non-service days, I go to Mass. 😉
 
Can. 1247 On Sundays and other Holy days of obligation, the faithful are obliged to assist at Mass. They are also to abstain from such work or business that would inhibit the worship to be given to God, the joy proper to the Lord’s Day, or the due relaxation of mind and body.
 
“Going to Church”. That’s what most everyone around here says.
 
DeniseNY said:
“Going to Church”. That’s what most everyone around here says.
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That is what I would say when speaking to non-Catholics. To be a stronger witness, I should be saying “going to Mass”. Desire to not offend those who might be anti-Catholic is not an excuse for softening it.
 
Well considering that I live in a majority Catholic area, (and we say it to each other) I don’t really think that’s the motivation.
 
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