Why do you go to Mass?

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Convert2013 said:
I go because (no particular order)…
  • I have the priviledge of going …its not an obligation to me
  • I get to show Jesus that I remember Him and his sacrifice for me and for all
  • I can experience Heaven on earth and feel the power of the Holy Spirit
  • I can worship with others and sing songs of praise
  • It is peaceful and I feel at home
  • I get to receive the Body & Blood of Jesus Christ to heal my soul
  • I can be in close communion with the Father, Son & Holy Spirit with my family and brothers and sisters in Christ
  • I can relive the day that I had a spiritual awakening about a year ago and it feels wonderful to know that I get that every time I go.
  • I can thank God for taking my life and turning it around and keeping me from despair while in His house separated from the busy world
I could write a lot more but I think you get the idea! 🙂
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My brother saw daily Mass as the “oasis in the middle of the material desert that is Dallas” where he lived.
 
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!
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I was raised Catholic and a sense of obligation used to drive me to Mass.
I am part of a community and receive all the benefits of worshipping with a community. There is strength to be found in those bonds and mutual support. Worshipping together with others is a tremendous experience.
Scripture readings nourish me. They admonish me. And reassure me.
I am drawn out of myself by singing and participating in the prayers.
A sense of ordered peace is found at Mass.
Christ is truly present at Mass in Holy Communion. The sense of awe and wonder is not found anywhere else.

Simply, as I have become converted to Jesus Christ, all of life centers around the reality at Mass. Life makes no sense without it.
 
I used to go because it is an obligation. I did not much like to go.

Then, I was away from the Church for close to 30 years during which time I attended a lot of different churches. None of those various ones seemed like a good fit.

When I returned to attending Mass, I realized that it was the Eucharist that had been missing. Now I go because I truly want to go, but I do not feel that it is an onerous duty.
 
To worship God.

To Be with Jesus.

To gather together with my Brothers and Sisters.
 
I am a new Catholic and LOVE going to Mass!! After learning about what the Mass is and knowing that the Eucharist IS the Lord himself, Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity- WOW, this is a spiritual time in Heaven on earth!!! I can sense His glorious Angels and all our family of Saints in Heaven celebrating with us!! Then to think you are part of this large family of God in Heaven and on earth. It is so wonderful! Next to Mass, I love Adoration. I feel like shouting from the rooftops how grateful I am to have come into the fullness of my Christian faith and am somewhat disappointed that many Catholics themselves don’t seem to have joy. Either they’ve taken it for granted or perhaps haven’t really fully realized this yet…I’m not sure. There is so much out there available to learn about the Catholic faith and it’s so within reach. I think people need encouraged.🙂

mlz
 
I love going to Mass to worship God and receive Our Lord in the Eucharist. But there for a while, I went because of the obligation and I was struggling with my reasons for attending. Then I came across Edward Sri’s book “A Biblical Walk Through the Mass” and it changed my life. I can’t believe what I had been missing even though I had been physically (but not always mentally) present at Mass.

Sri’s book explains the parts of the Mass and talks about the biblical roots of the words and prayers and gestures. Now I attend with a profound appreciation and a greater reverence. It ignited my faith and lead me to a deeper understanding of the Eucharist.

And with looking at the Liturgy through new eyes, I’m also more prayerful throughout the day, go to Confession more often, go to Adoration, increased my charitable giving… so many changes. And it all came from an “ah ha!” moment from studying the Mass in depth.
 
I go because I know through a miracle I will receive the body, blood, soul and divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ every time – not a mere symbol (like my Baptist upbringing). It is all about what happens on the altar, and it alters me every time – it’s the time where the world goes away, and I’m there with others who believe, just like the disciples believed, just like the martyrs belived, just like our Blessed Mother believed, just like all those down through the ages believed, and just like all others believe after I have gone to my reward until Jesus comes again.

I thank God every day for calling me to His Church the one, holy, Catholic and apostolic Church.

A couple of times at the consecration, my heart has jumped almost out of my chest, the way your heart jumps when you are first in love and the one you love enters the room.

For the life of me, I’ll never understand how anyone can take that lightly, or stay away, or actually, just not believe. Wow, what a waste it would be to live a life and never know He comes to us in the Mass to give us grace, to nourish us. What a divine and Heavenly mystery is His love and plan for providing us with what we need.

It’s a precious thing, it’s so overwhelming to know what love and devotion the martyrs had to die for that privilege.

Uh, Father, did that answer your question? 🙂
 
I go to Mass because I am in love with Jesus and I am crazy about Him. Receiving the Eucharist is the most intimate union between my Lord and I. The God who is immense and greater than the entire universe is getting into my body, resting in my soul, and being embraced by me. Could there be anything better than this?

Unless I am away from home, I usually attend more than seven Masses each week. Often times I attend the morning Mass in my own parish and an evening Mass in another parish. They are like parentheses to include my day in between.
 
Hello.

When I was younger I used to miss Mass. Sometimes I’d just drive by the church and because I was so late, say PHOOEY to myself and go back home. And I’d feel awful all week.

So, after a while, so as not to feel so bad, I made sure I always went to Mass.

There’s something about it that puts a peace in life.
 
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...
In the year 2000, God called me home to pray with the community of faithful. I had stopped going to Church on Sunday but still maintained my relationship with God thru prayer. But, I didn’t realize how injured that relationship was until 10 years later, and I went thru my second conversion. My relationship with God and His Church were healed thru the Sacrament of Reconciliation. God’s Holy Spirit led me the entire way and He placed people here on earth and some amazing Saints in Heaven in my path that helped me along my way. St. Pio of Petrelcina and St. Raphael are two of them.

I suppose at first, I returned out of guilt and the feelings of “obligation” but it wasn’t long before I started to “want” to go to be with Jesus in a very special way. God speaks to me at Mass thru the Gospel reading and the homily in a way that I can’t get anyplace else. So I go to receive Jesus in a special way thru His priests. Do you know that poem, The Beautiful Hands of a Priest?

We have to remind people that there is no sin too great that God cannot forgive. He is an ocean of mercy, compassion and love. I also believe that my sin kept me away for 20 years. I also started reading Sacred Scripture and could see the connection between the Sacraments of the Catholic Church, the Mass in Scripture and knew that the Catholic Church was a treasure house and Jesus is that gem!
 
Though not baptised, I maintained my habit of going to Sunday Mass because I truly believe that Jesus is hidden in the shape of bread and wine. The Host is the body of Christ. The ‘wine’ is the Most Precious Blood of Christ. The Holy Mass brings all the faithful to the Calvary. It is the Holy Sacrifice which remits our sins. That’s the one and only one reason I go there.
 
The tangible, manifest presence of God in the Eucharist.

The Glory in the throne room of Heaven couldn’t be anymore intense!😉
 
I only started attending mass in January 2013. For around a year I had been “culturally Catholic” believing in the ideals and values of the Catholic church but firmly on the side of the Atheists.

Only in January did I realise what I was missing out on. I was very nervous about my first mass but I really enjoy the experience.

Part of me goes for comfort and company, but I also go because I seriously believe that only the Catholic church and their teachings can lead to a strong relationship with God.
 
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