Why do you go to church?

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I go because it is where I can receive Jesus in the Eucharist. True, I can encounter Jesus wherever I go and in everyone I meet, but as he tells us in the 6th chapter of St. John’s Gospel, “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. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day.” (Jn 6:53-54) By attending Mass, I am attending the eternal Feast of the Lamb, I am worshipping and celebrating with Holy Mother Church on earth and in Heaven. How could I miss out on that?

I attend every Sunday and Holy Day unless illness prevents it. I’m not going to get anything for myself, rather I am going to give my worship to God because really, that is all that we can give back, everything we have pales in comparison to what he has given us. I find that I always do end up getting joy and strength out of it. 🙂

I do participate in parish activities as time allows. Again, it is my way of giving to God and to the parish community that supports me, plus it allows me to meet people in my community and have fun. Currently I do not have the time to participate in my usual activities of choir and St. Vincent de Paul conference. I hope that my class schedule will lighten up a bit next semester and allow me to resume my participation. I do still serve as an occasional cantor at Masses and will continue to do that.
 
samamiantha said:
Why do you go to mass? How frequently? I’m interested in what motivates you (each individual) to attend church services. What do you personally get out of it, or feel it does for you or others? Do you also participate in other events or activities organized by your church? Again, why?

I am a non-catholic doing research on Catholic culture and beliefs for an anthropology-class project. I appreciate, and look forward to learning, any insights you have to offer.
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I go to Mass because I was created in God’s image and at the Mass God molds me and shapes me to be more like Him. I also go to Mass because it feeds my soul. A good analogy I once heard is a story about burning charcoal. Charcoal burns long and hot, but if you remove one piece of coal and set it aside by itself, then the fire will go out.

Personally, I get different things at different times depending on what I’m going through. The Mass, however, is more about giving than about getting. The best thing I get is that I get to give back to God the time, talent, and treasures that he has so richly blessed me with.

I participate in so many things at my parish, why? Because I believe in the mission of the church and the propogation of the faith.

Peace!
<>
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Over many years I have done research on health settings (mainly) and I have found that it is quite eazy to relate to what we see hear and respond, or react to.
This study you are doing will not give you any fulfillment at all until you have Jseus inside you. This way of living we have is one of giving oneself to another not in the worldly way, but in the spirit.

Unless you are a christian this study cannot sustain your spiritual need. as Jesus said "unless you are born of the spirit you cannot enter the gates of heaven. The information you seek is one that even the greatest professor would be the same as the teachers Jesus told were only using “head knowledge”.

Please I may seem straight to the point but I wish the best for yo. Having studied psychology for 7 years and sociology anthropology. The life is in the “word of God” and we cannot understand that, unless we accept Jesus into us and accept the Holy Spirit of God.

I hope that if yo havent acfepeted Jesus thenyou have peace.
 
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wcknight:
… it would be a lot more convenient IF it did.
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Man, that’d be sweet.

I suppose we can watch on TV and make Spiritual communions until then 😛
 
I wonder how much I would really know or love Jesus if I had Him come to me. I don’t think He would be much of a God if He had to come to me to have me praise Him. It seems the reverse of how it should be.

I remember in older days when the norm seemed to be that the adults (male) anyhow went to mass, and then out to the races or golf. So the idea seemed to me that they were out to get it over with so they could get on with their lives.
Don’t think I’d like a God like that myself.
 
samamiantha said:
Why do you go to mass? How frequently? I’m interested in what motivates you (each individual) to attend church services. What do you personally get out of it, or feel it does for you or others? Do you also participate in other events or activities organized by your church? Again, why?

I am a non-catholic doing research on Catholic culture and beliefs for an anthropology-class project. I appreciate, and look forward to learning, any insights you have to offer.
Click to expand...
To hear the Word and to receive Jesus in the Eucharist, I go as often as I can. I am fortunate to work two blocks from a beautiful old (built in 1850’s) church with a marvelous pastor, Fr. Mike, with a weekday 7 AM Mass which I try to attend every day I am at my office. Also on Sunday (or Saturday vigil Mass), of course.

The Eucharist makes me stronger in my faith and helps me to persevere in prayer and in trying to follow His commandments. It also brings us together, in that we all receive Him and thus are with Him in a special way for those few minutes after Communion.

I started attending daily Mass right after I was received into the Church last year, at the age of 51. As one of the other posts said, knowing He is just down the street waiting for me, I find it very difficult to justify not being there! If I can’t go at 7 AM I try to go at the other daily Mass at noon.

I participate in RCIA as a member of the teaching team and also in charitable and service projects through the Knights of Columbus, in which I am a Fourth Degree Knight and a Council officer. I do these things because I feel called to use all the talents God gave me to help others and to spread the Gospel.
 
Peace be with you,
Sounds like a cool project.👍

Why I go to Mass:
  1. God decreed to Moses “I am the Lord your God, you shall have no other strange gods before me.” along with “Keep holy the Sabbath day.” God has commanded all His followers to do so and that is my primary reason.
  2. I enjoy the experience. There’s something about ‘recharging’ my spiritual batteries every week that drives me and gives me something to look foward to as a beacon of calm and love in this tumultuous world. At Mass I feel unconditionally loved. Not only by the God of the Universe, but by the other parishoners present.
 
I go to Mass daily.
I go daily because I know what it’s like to miss a day.
I go because I love Our Lord, and I told Him I would go every day.
I go because I need to.
I go because to miss a day is to lose an untold number of graces that otherwise would have been obtained.

I go because He’s worth it.
 
Mordocai said:
I go to Mass daily.
I go daily because I know what it’s like to miss a day.
I go because I love Our Lord, and I told Him I would go every day.
I go because I need to.
I go because to miss a day is to lose an untold number of graces that otherwise would have been obtained.

I go because He’s worth it.
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:amen:
 
Celtic_FC said:
To me this question is a no brainer.
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Well, the OP is non catholic. 🙂

Btw, one more reason why I go to mass daily. It’s because I feel so blessed that it’s so convenient to go to mass here, there are mass in the morning, afternoon and evening daily. On Sunday, most churches here have 5-6 masses.

I’ve been to places where there is only 1 mass every month as there is no priest available. So I really have to thank God that I’m living in a country where I could go mass conveniently.
 
*I’ve been to places where there is only 1 mass every month as there is no priest
available. So I really have to thank God that I’m living in a country where I
could go mass conveniently. *🙂 :clapping:

Yes I agree how blessed we are. :bowdown2: Mass at least two times per day in the vicinity of 2 Kls.
 
I try to go to the mass every day to receive His Body and Blood for my soul. I also like to learn the daily scripture from the priest so that, with the Holy Spirit’s guidiance, the Mercy of Jesus, the love of Virgin Mary, I will live my life according to the teaching of Christ. I also like to ask for His forgivness of sins.

I also come the Mass to pray for the conversion of sinners, for the holy souls in purgatory, for unity of all Christians, etc.

Currently, I participate in Bible class, Legion of Mary, Praise and Worship, and choir groups.

I am just a part of the Church body. I can’t leave without the other parts.
 
I go to Mass so to fully participate in the Holy Sacrifice as a member of the Body of Christ. I go because of the Eucharist and the love of my mother, Mary, both of whom called me to come back home.

I am part of the RCIA team and I participate in as many other activities as I can…I went on pilgrimage this past summer to the Holy Land, Assisi and Rome with my parish and it was WONDERFUL.
 
samamiantha said:
Why do you go to mass? How frequently? I’m interested in what motivates you (each individual) to attend church services. What do you personally get out of it, or feel it does for you or others?
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Here is a common problem that I put down to Western consumerism. People always want to GET something. Even religion is now becoming like fashion accessory, which people pick and choose according to how it fits their personal beliefs and lifestyles.

We don’t go to Mass primarily to get anything out of it, though we may pray for God’s graces. Going to Mass is primarily an act of remembrance, worship and thanksgiving. We have much to be thankful for, more than we are aware of and will ever know during this lifetime.
 
Thank you again for all your responses! I’ve been “out in the field” for the past month or so and I have to say that that, along with your (name removed by moderator)ut, has really given me a new perspective on Catholicism. I’m beginning to understand going to mass (my first time going to 7am mass, I was terrified the whole way there that no one else would be there because I could not imagine getting out of bed that early to attend church before going to school/work). It really is pretty cool to go in while it’s still dark out and then come out and the rest of the neighborhood is just waking up.

Has anybody done the RCIA? If so, what was that like for you? Why did you choose to do that–how’d you get interested in Catholicism and what about it drew you in?

Again, thank-you.
 
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