Why do you go to Mass?

  • Thread starter Thread starter FrStevenJones
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
FrStevenJones said:
Some people go because the Church requires it every weekend, some go because they find peace there, some go primarily to receive Holy Communion, etc.

What is your reason for going? This curious priest would like to know!
Click to expand...
The reason I go every week is because it is an obligation imposed on me by Holy Mother Church.

The reason I travel, as often as budget allows, to someplace with a reverent Mass (either OF or EF), is to participate in the re-presentation of the Paschal Sacrifice as it was once presented on Calvary and is currently being accomplished in Heaven. To be able to join my intentions and sufferings to that sacrifice.

The ability to be nourished by the Bread of Heaven is a plus, but is not hardly the reason (I do so even when impeded from receiving for whatever reason).

I make the differentiation between the two because of my own lack of spirituality. While I recognize both types are valid, my own insufficiencies often preclude my ability to see heaven joining earth at the “happy clappy” Masses that characterize the parishes in my immediate area. At least not in the same way I see when the Mass is celebrated worthily.

I pray that God gives me the grace to see beyond the banal. But I’m just not there yet.
 
gracepoole said:
I usually go because I feel better for having done so. Not because of guilt – because witnessing and participating in the Mass makes me feel good. It’s grace giving in action.

And holy cow, LaSainte, can I relate! Most Sundays I’m lucky if I can catch a small portion of the homily. Breakfast out after makes things more bearable. Mildly.
Click to expand...
Doesn’t it? I LOVE breakfast after mass!
 
I go because the Holy Spirit has brought me there each week, despite myself.

Recently, if I have a personal motivation, it might be because I want to make it easier for certain other people around me to go. I seem basically dead inside and I know God is feeding me somehow, though I can’t perceive it, so I go because otherwise I will truly die. I go because I hope. I still hope and there at mass I see the angels and all in worship in heaven, and there is hope. Lastly, Jesus is the only real person, the only real base in life, and though I have lost emotional contact with that, I still realize this on some intellectual level and he is there, so I go.
 
Going to Mass - be it anglican for me is a way of worshipping God in Church with others though the with others can be a bug bear at times but that shows that there is a community that is alive - ps for anglicans it is not as obligatory as Catholics view it. We are there because we really want to be there and if we miss a week then that is okay for us to. I don’t go to any of the said services now for different reasons. But am also too very aware that the only service at our church is Mass. He does morning and evening prayer but at the neighbouring church and yes we can go. If other services were to be put on, would I go? I don’t know because he taught me how to reach God in my life outside the church which is as important as inside the church to me. I go because I love God. I go because I want to go and the church is of an extended family. I go because I love God and it is one way of worshipping God with others.
 
I go because of Holy Communion and due to the obligation. I don’t have as good of a following week without the Eucharist. It’s Him!
 
I can pray alone, or say the rosary or the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, or read Holy Scripture, and it is all wonderful, but I really love is sharing in the Sacrifice of the Mass and receiving Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist.
 
It’s really edifying to read all your responses to this. So rich, so varied, so faithful. I will save this thread – your words are homily fodder … such faith!
 
Haven’t been to mass since I went on a pilgrimage to the Divine Mercy Shrine in Stockbridge, MA last autumn. I did try to observe Lent this year. I prayed deeply and fasted most of the season. This has somewhat continued. I have lost 35#'s since then. I wrote my pastor a couple weeks ago but received no response. Most likely wont try again.
 
There are so many reasons. I go to offer myself. I go to receive Jesus. I go for the unity of communion with all of the members of the Body of Christ. Its the ultimate in getting away from the “just Jesus and me alone” individualistic attitude that surrounds me in the Protestant culture where I reside.
 
This is sort of hard to explain but when I go to Mass I receive my greatest spiritual growth and it comes in surprising ways. When sitting at home, meditating, praying or reading scripture I am only able to see all of these things and interpret them through my own lens, or perspective if you will. But at Mass, when listening to the songs the choir director chose for that week, listening to how the readers read the first two readings, listening to how the deacon reads the gospel, listening to the priest’s homily, and looking around at how my brothers and sisters are reacting to and interacting with the Mass…it makes me spiritually grow out…that is I become more than I was before attending, I understand God not just from my limited perspective but am able to start growing to know God through other people’s perspectives as well. Mass takes me outside of myself and beyond myself and makes God ever more Mighty and Rich in my mind. If any of that made any sense :confused:
 
Pablopedro said:
This is sort of hard to explain but when I go to Mass I receive my greatest spiritual growth and it comes in surprising ways. When sitting at home, meditating, praying or reading scripture I am only able to see all of these things and interpret them through my own lens, or perspective if you will. But at Mass, when listening to the songs the choir director chose for that week, listening to how the readers read the first two readings, listening to how the deacon reads the gospel, listening to the priest’s homily, and looking around at how my brothers and sisters are reacting to and interacting with the Mass…it makes me spiritually grow out…that is I become more than I was before attending, I understand God not just from my limited perspective but am able to start growing to know God through other people’s perspectives as well. Mass takes me outside of myself and beyond myself and makes God ever more Mighty and Rich in my mind. If any of that made any sense :confused:
Click to expand...
Yes that made total sense and thank you for taking the time to articulate it! You’re not alone in what you experience! 👍
 
Other than the fact that it’s required:
hamandcheese said:
I go to Mass every week because I believe its what God wants us to do. With all the things God has given me in this life how could I not set aside one hour a week for Him?
Click to expand...
  1. Something like this. It’s my one hour a week to give God, and to step away from other things in my life and the rest of the world.
  2. I can “stand up and be counted” as a Catholic who publicly expresses his faith as part of a community.
  3. Attending Mass keeps me connected with my Church and keeps me closer to its teachings so I’ll be less likely to accept contrary teachings.
 
We come together as a community because we need to be reminded that I am not the only Christian in the world. As different as we all are, we are all searching for the same God. The community reminds us of that. And when we come to Mass, we hope and pray that we glimpse the presence of God in this place – in the scripture, in the Eucharist, and in one another.
 
I go because of the real presence. I look on it as my time to draw close and deepen my relationship with Jesus. I have had some very difficult times recently and the Eucharist has given me strengh to carry on and to understand that Christ walks before us. No point in trying to reject suffering, The Eucharist helps me make sense of the cross. (Sorry that sounds really glum ) but through the mass I have found acceptance of circumstances that I cant prevent and in my mass offering I can just offer everything to him. It really helps and I am starting to feel the joy of living again and draw on the strength of the parish comminity, Jesus present in others(Mystical Body) since my husband died I try to go every day .
It’s not my only reason for going, I do have a lot to be thankful for and many family intentions to pray for! When I am stronger i will contribute more but at present I think I am just leaning on Him
🙂
 
Samson01 said:
Haven’t been to mass since I went on a pilgrimage to the Divine Mercy Shrine in Stockbridge, MA last autumn. I did try to observe Lent this year. I prayed deeply and fasted most of the season. This has somewhat continued. I have lost 35#'s since then. I wrote my pastor a couple weeks ago but received no response. Most likely wont try again.
Click to expand...
Hope you find a way of going to Mass and after 25 years in the same church i find I don’t go because of what the priest says and does or don’t say or don’t do and have very little to do with me on a personal kind of level until this new priest of whom has helped and helped me to spiritually grow. It a shame that he made no contact with you but is it possible he is away? Sometimes they have extended leave or simply are very busy or even not got the message depending on various secretaries. Can you give him a chance until you met him and got to know him a little bit more though it tempting to walk away isn’t it. Go to a church service and meet him there. Hope you will find your way to a Mass/confession or confession/Mass since you guys do one before the other… Then you be at greater peace about whatever is stopping you… peace.
 
englishredrose said:
Hope you find a way of going to Mass and after 25 years in the same church i find I don’t go because of what the priest says and does or don’t say or don’t do and have very little to do with me on a personal kind of level until this new priest of whom has helped and helped me to spiritually grow. It a shame that he made no contact with you but is it possible he is away? Sometimes they have extended leave or simply are very busy or even not got the message depending on various secretaries. Can you give him a chance until you met him and got to know him a little bit more though it tempting to walk away isn’t it. Go to a church service and meet him there. Hope you will find your way to a Mass/confession or confession/Mass since you guys do one before the other… Then you be at greater peace about whatever is stopping you… peace.
Click to expand...
Thank you englishredrose for your kind response. I will consider it. It seems to me that during important and pivotal times in my life I have not been able to count on the church. These have not been light matters in the least. Times like baptisms, deaths, my own near death and fight with cancer, and now my pending divorce. It is a logical conclusion and evident that “you will know them by their fruit”.
 
Qoheleth said:
I Go because I am a CATHOLIC, right to the very core of who I am !
Thanks be to GOD !!!:extrahappy:
Click to expand...
It was told to me by one of my liturgy professors that the late Aidan Kavanaugh, a wonderful Benedictine liturgical theologian, said, “We don’t go to Mass because we are Catholic, we are Catholic because we go to Mass.” It sort of takes what you said to a deeper level.
 
Joannm said:
It was told to me by one of my liturgy professors that the late Aidan Kavanaugh, a wonderful Benedictine liturgical theologian, said, “We don’t go to Mass because we are Catholic, we are Catholic because we go to Mass.” It sort of takes what you said to a deeper level.
Click to expand...
Wow, that is a beautiful insight, thank you!
 
Before I married my non-Catholic, non-believing husband, I told him that I always feel sorry for all the married women who go to Mass by themselves. My then-fiance told me that, even though he doesn’t believe a word of it, he would attend Mass with me on Sunday as a token of family unity. Well, he has kept his word for all these years. He is up, dressed, and ready to go every Sunday morning long before I am. Even if the Church had no Sunday obligation, I would still feel obligated to DH to go.
 
FrStevenJones said:
Some people go because the Church requires it every weekend, some go because they find peace there, some go primarily to receive Holy Communion, etc.

What is your reason for going? This curious priest would like to know!
Click to expand...
“Because it’s there.” Because I have gone to Church every Sunday morning of my whole life, and I have no idea what else I would do on a Sunday morning.

I go because I like the smell - it smells like God’s people.

I like the kids yelling and running around before and after Mass, I like saying “Hello” to people, especially when they aren’t expecting it. I like the priests, even the ones who rush through the Liturgy like their pants are on fire, and the ones who can’t preach to save their own lives - but then they always smile and say something funny when they greet you in the Narthex.

I like saying “Wow, you look so pretty today,” and “Hey, how did you do with that sports thing you were in?”

It’s hard to reduce it to words. I just like going to Church. 🙂
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top