Why do I need to go to Mass?

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dizzy_dave

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How do I explain to fallen away Catholics why they need to go to Mass. I get comments like I don’t need to go to church to be a good person, or I don’t think it’s a mortal sin not to go to Mass, or it’s boring I don’t get anything out of it. It’s like talking to a brick wall sometimes, I try to explain it to them but they seem to “know” better than me what’s good for them. How do I convince them to go?
 
Some people do not have the ears to hear, they would rather live in their sin than repent and make amendment.
 
Well in the past I have just told people that say that, that their argument is poor because they really don’t know what the Mass is. Its not the best responce but it has gotten some people talking for me.

If they knew what it was, they would at least know the importance of it. For ex., that it is not the same as all other forms of prayer and that the type of prayer that Mass is can only be done … well, at Mass.

jegow
 
i don’t think there’s any way to talk people into it. the only thing i’ve seen that makes any difference is going consistently myself, and inviting them whenever it’s convenient. otherwise, i think it’s a matter of priority.
 
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dizzy_dave:
How do I explain to fallen away Catholics why they need to go to Mass. I get comments like I don’t need to go to church to be a good person, or I don’t think it’s a mortal sin not to go to Mass, or it’s boring I don’t get anything out of it. It’s like talking to a brick wall sometimes, I try to explain it to them but they seem to “know” better than me what’s good for them. How do I convince them to go?
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Stress the Eucharist. How could someone not want such a physical and spiritual communion with our Lord?

Perhaps you might need to find out whether or not they believe in the Real Presence. Not to go off on a tangent, but nothing boils my blood more than “Catholics” who do not believe in the Real Presence…ugh…

mtr/taking deep breaths
 
You might want to remind them that God asked us to keep holy the Sabbath. How can you keep it holy if you don’t worship Him and spend some time with Him?

Some think that you can just have your own personal time with God on Sunday, which is fine and good, but we are all part of the Body of Christ. Jesus meant for us to gather together to worship, give thanks, ask forgiveness, pray for each other and especially to receive Him in the Holy Eucharist.

Going to Mass is not about what we get out of it; it’s about making God a priority in our lives and giving a mere one hour of our week to Him in this special celebration. After all He’s done for us, is that too much to ask?

He invites us to His table – just as He said before He instituted the Eucharist at the Last Supper “I have greatly desired to have this meal with you.” Ask your friends if they really want to turn down Jesus’ invitation…
 
“We must consider how to rouse each other to love and good deeds. We should not absent ourselves from the assembly, as some do, but encourage one another; and this all the more because you see that the Day draws near.” Heb 10:24-25

And, of course, we are obliged to keep holy the Lord’s day. Nothing a single person can do could achieve this end in even a fractional degree of what is realized by our united celebration of the Eucharist.
 
John 6:53 “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you.”
 
Father John Corapi said in his Catechism series that we feed our physical body at least multiple times a day, the LEAST we can do is feed our Spiritual selves once a week.

Now obviously this make a lot more sense if one understands the real presence and what exactly happens at Mass.
 
St. Monica was told that she seemed to spend a lot of time telling St. Augustine about Jesus. Her confessor thought she should spend more time telling Jesus about Augustine.👍

In Patrick Madrid’s book, Search and Rescue, he makes a comment about how those of us who are closest to the fallen away family member or friend are probably not the ones to convert them directly.

Maybe your witness of how Mass has helped you or how Eucharistic Adoration is so amazing for your relationship with Jesus will be the key to interesting them in the Mass again.

Heck, my Bible study group is supposed to be Catholic and I know there are members who have no idea why Eucharistic Adoration is good and haven’t been to confession in years – like decades. I just have to live my life and say how the sacraments mean so much to me. Beyond that, I have no bearing on their misguided souls. :yup:
 
I’m an ex-Protestant who came into the Church on April 10, 2004.

To me, going to Mass is a chance to be with Jesus for Real, in both the Word and the Eucharist, but mainly the Eucharist.

Yes, of course because He’s God, He’s omnipresent. He’s at my house and in the woods and out on the golf course or anywhere you are. We can never be away from Him.

But at Mass, He’s really there in Person. I can actually see and hold him, the same Jesus that Mary held in the stable, the same Jesus who taught and healed and eventually died and then rose from the dead. And of course, I can take His precious Body and Blood into me.

I long for this. I think I have longed for it all my life, to be WITH Jesus. Being Catholic rocks!

I don’t know if this will apply to your friend or not, but maybe some will understand. I happen to be a woman who always has a crush on some actor or celebrity! I’ve always been this way, since I was a little girl. At the moment, I’ve been sighing over a certain actor for almost three years now. He’s a great guy, a family man, a Catholic!, and not such a big star that he ignores his fans. And he’s a good actor, too.

Anyway, I’ve never met him in person, but others have, and they say he’s very nice and will actually spend hours with fans taking them to lunch, talking with them, etc.

So if I DID have the opportunity to see him in person, you bet I’d be there! I wouldn’t just stay home and say, “I can see him anytime I like on the DVDs, or I can just write him a letter on his website.”

I’d LOVE to sit in front of him, to go up to meet him, to get a hug from him (he’s a real hugger, big bear hugs!).

That’s kind of the way that I am about meeting Jesus in the Mass. Sure, I can read talk to Him anytime in prayer. But the chance to see Him in PERSON–I can’t pass that up!
 
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dizzy_dave:
How do I explain to fallen away Catholics why they need to go to Mass. I get comments like I don’t need to go to church to be a good person, or I don’t think it’s a mortal sin not to go to Mass, or it’s boring I don’t get anything out of it. It’s like talking to a brick wall sometimes, I try to explain it to them but they seem to “know” better than me what’s good for them. How do I convince them to go?
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Did you try bribery? Perhaps offer to go with them and then take them out for a nice breakfast?

Alan
 
to Cat: Welcome!

My pastor says that the reason we go to church on Sunday is to love, honor and praise our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
The BEST way is to be in full communion with Him in the Eucharist.

As someone said eariler in this thread…just keep offering the person to go with you. After a while, I am sure the non-attending Catholic will see how much better your life is and will start to ponder this in their heart.
(Just asking the other person to go with you will plant seeds…then let your prayer for their conversion back to the Church begin.)

go with God!
Edwin
 
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