Why go to Mass on Sunday instead of another church?

[cc224]

Hi! So this question isn’t so much for me as it is for my good friend. She grew up Catholic and fell away during college, but she always remained Christian. She’s coming back to Catholicism, and she’s so excited about it! However, she doesn’t get why Catholics have to go Mass on Sundays. She absolutely gets that we need to go to church, but since her boyfriend practices another denomination of Christianity, she wants to go to church with him on Sundays instead of Mass.

I’m solid in my understanding of Church teachings and I’ve been able to explain the other questions she’s had, but I’m lost on a logical explanation for this even though I know the importance of going to Mass on Sundays. Can anyone point me to why going to another church doesn’t count in place of Sunday Mass? Thank you so much!

 

[MNathaniel]

Can anyone point me to why going to another church doesn’t count in place of Sunday Mass? Thank you so much!

He’s in the tabernacle and you receive Him during Communion.

 

[HomeschoolDad]

Hi! So this question isn’t so much for me as it is for my good friend. She grew up Catholic and fell away during college, but she always remained Christian. She’s coming back to Catholicism, and she’s so excited about it! However, she doesn’t get why Catholics have to go Mass on Sundays. She absolutely gets that we need to go to church, but since her boyfriend practices another denomination of Christianity, she wants to go to church with him on Sundays instead of Mass.

I’m solid in my understanding of Church teachings and I’ve been able to explain the other questions she’s had, but I’m lost on a logical explanation for this even though I know the importance of going to Mass on Sundays. Can anyone point me to why going to another church doesn’t count in place of Sunday Mass? Thank you so much!

The Catholic Church is the one true Church of Jesus Christ, and the Mass is the unbloody Holy Sacrifice which continues both the Last Supper and Calvary, where the priest confects the Body and Blood of Christ. It is more than just a “church service”. The Third Commandment tells us to keep the Lord’s Day holy, and on top of that, the Church obliges her faithful to assist at Holy Mass on every Sunday and Holy Day, under pain of mortal sin unless there is excusing cause.

So, no, she may not satisfy her Sunday obligation of divine worship by attending a non-Catholic church service.

 

[RolandThompsonGunner]

Why is she returning to Catholicism if she thinks one church is as good as another? What’s the motivation to return if you don’t think something uniquely importance is happening at Mass?

 

[Justin_Mary]

I know the importance of going to Mass on Sundays. Can anyone point me to why going to another church doesn’t count in place of Sunday Mass? Thank you so much!

It’s our Passover. When the Hebrews were told to eat an unblemished lamb & sprinkle it’s blood over their doors it was so the angel of death would pass over them.

So it is with our Mass. You have to listen to all the prayers from the beginning to the end.

It’s our Passover.

 

[PennyinCanada]

The Old Testament has the encounter of Moses with the Burning Bush. This is written for us today, to show us what is really happening when Jesus is present in the tabernacle.
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Did you know that Moses face was glowing with the glory of God when he came down from the mountain?

There is also the scripture of Isaiah 6:7. An image of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist…
Isaiah’s Vision of the Lord in His Glory
…6Then one of the seraphim flew to me, and in his hand was a glowing coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7And with it he touched my mouth and said, “Now that this has touched your lips, your iniquity is removed and your sin is atoned for.”

St John the Baptist point to Jesus and proclaimed “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world!” The Jews understood that the lamb at Passover was to be eaten. All those lambs pointed forward to when Christ would give us His Flesh as true food.

We are washed in baptism, we are washed again when we go to confession, we are cleansed as we receive the Eucharist with proper disposition.

God bless you as you speak of Catholic things to your friend. Ask the archangel Gabriel to help you chose the right words and for her heart to receive them.

 

[cc224]

No, she definitely thinks the Catholic Church holds the fullness of truth vs the other Christian denominations. We’ve had a couple incredibly beautiful conversations about that recently. And she went to daily Mass with me yesterday and today! It’s more of “why doesn’t another day of the week suffice for the Mass obligation and I can go with my boyfriend on Sunday to his church”.

 

[ThomasMT]

Call me crazy but perhaps she can focus on getting him to come to the Catholic church!

 

[TK421]

Hi! So this question isn’t so much for me as it is for my good friend. She grew up Catholic and fell away during college, but she always remained Christian. She’s coming back to Catholicism, and she’s so excited about it! However, she doesn’t get why Catholics have to go Mass on Sundays. She absolutely gets that we need to go to church, but since her boyfriend practices another denomination of Christianity, she wants to go to church with him on Sundays instead of Mass.

I’m solid in my understanding of Church teachings and I’ve been able to explain the other questions she’s had, but I’m lost on a logical explanation for this even though I know the importance of going to Mass on Sundays. Can anyone point me to why going to another church doesn’t count in place of Sunday Mass? Thank you so much!

Sunday has been the Holy Day to gather for Christians since the early Church, which includes the Eucharist. She should invite her boyfriend to Mass and they can go together.

Peace.

 

[MNathaniel]

No, she definitely thinks the Catholic Church holds the fullness of truth vs the other Christian denominations. We’ve had a couple incredibly beautiful conversations about that recently. And she went to daily Mass with me yesterday and today! It’s more of “why doesn’t another day of the week suffice for the Mass obligation and I can go with my boyfriend on Sunday to his church”.

I might go at it another way.

When it comes to obligations we have under God, there will almost always be a moment when we have to choose to obey before understanding why to obey. Think of Eve: She knew God had told her not to eat of the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden (just one specific tree to avoid! She could eat from all the others!) but somehow all the other trees weren’t enough for her, she wanted to have that one too. She didn’t necessarily seek it out… but when the serpent came to tempt her, she had a choice: obey God and decline that fruit (even though the serpent made arguments that appealed to her mind and desires!) or disobey God and eat that fruit.

It might’ve seemed arbitrary to Eve, but it wasn’t arbitrary. There may well have been other reasons (presumably all in accord with Eve’s best interests) that God told Eve not to eat that specific fruit… but even beyond them, no matter what they were, Eve sinned by not trusting that God loved her and had her best interests at heart when He gave her His commands. She should’ve chosen to follow God’s instruction just because He said so, even despite the subtle and clever lies the devil was telling her. She should have clung to the simple instruction of God. Obey first, ask God more about it later.

Hopefully the analogy makes sense here. Please forgive me if it doesn’t.

Beyond that, I might suggest considering together… why does her boyfriend’s church celebrate on Sunday? Why can’t they visit his church on a different day of the week? (I’m assuming it will be because his Church only has services on Sunday). Really explore what it says about the importance of Sunday as a day of Christian worship. Her very boyfriend’s own church’s practice of holding services on Sunday, offers a hint back to the root of why Catholics hold this to be an important day of worship too (so important that it’s the day of official obligation in the Church, whereas Masses on other days are attended but optional).

 

[Vico]

…It’s more of “why doesn’t another day of the week suffice for the Mass obligation and I can go with my boyfriend on Sunday to his church”.

Catechism of the Catholic Church

2181 The Sunday Eucharist is the foundation and confirmation of all Christian practice …

2182 Participation in the communal celebration of the Sunday Eucharist is a testimony of belonging and of being faithful to Christ and to his Church. The faithful give witness by this to their communion in faith and charity. Together they testify to God’s holiness and their hope of salvation. They strengthen one another under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

She absolutely gets that we need to go to church, but since her boyfriend practices another denomination of Christianity, she wants to go to church with him on Sundays instead of Mass.

The Catholic Church expects Catholics to go to Sunday Mass at a Catholic Church, and plainly states that Catholics are required to do so. It’s a Church precept, in other words, a rule.

Non-Catholic churches aren’t substitutes for Catholic Mass with the Real Presence of Jesus.
Non-Catholic churches also don’t have Mass. Even if they call their service “Mass”, it doesn’t qualify as one in the eyes of the Church.

This is very basic. It’s not just a matter of going and worshipping God wherever you feel like it, otherwise we could just stay home and worship God from our easy chair.

It’s more of “why doesn’t another day of the week suffice for the Mass obligation and I can go with my boyfriend on Sunday to his church”.

Tell your friend if she wants to be a true Catholic then she will follow the rules of the Church, not make up her own rules because she’s too lazy to go to Sunday Mass (which takes all of an hour out of her day) and would rather spend time with her boyfriend at his church.

 

[Elf01]

She may be able to find a Saturday evening or Sunday Mass that is at a time that does not conflict with her boyfriends service.

 

[HomeschoolDad]

cc224:

It’s more of “why doesn’t another day of the week suffice for the Mass obligation and I can go with my boyfriend on Sunday to his church”.

Tell your friend if she wants to be a true Catholic then she will follow the rules of the Church, not make up her own rules because she’s too lazy to go to Sunday Mass (which takes all of an hour out of her day) and would rather spend time with her boyfriend at his church.

And I am willing to bet that the boyfriend’s church service lasts longer than an hour.

“Back in the day” (translated: when the “Extraordinary Form” was the “ordinary form” of the Roman Rite), before there came to be this notion of Mass as an inspiring, educational, emotion-evoking “event” (not to say that is a totally bad thing), a Low Mass on Sunday could be far shorter than one hour.

And I have to question whether the “liturgy of the bulletin”, or as some might call it, the “please be seated” thing that comes right after we have received communion (some prefer to use this as a time for quiet prayer and contemplation of the mysteries just received), was as prevalent in those days.

 

[Lucy_1]

However, she doesn’t get why Catholics have to go Mass on Sundays. She absolutely gets that we need to go to church, but since her boyfriend practices another denomination of Christianity, she wants to go to church with him on Sundays instead of Mass.

It’s the first precept of the Church. The Precepts of the Catholic Church are a description of the absolute minimum actions required of Catholics regarding the Church.

" You shall attend Mass on Sundays and on holy days of obligation and rest from servile labor.

We must “sanctify the day commemorating the Resurrection of the Lord” (Sunday), as well as the principal feast days, known as Catholic holy days of obligation. This requires attending Mass, “and by resting from those works and activities which could impede such a sanctification of these days.”"

And a grave sin to deliberately miss.

CCC #2181: The Sunday Eucharist is the foundation and confirmation of all Christian practice. For this reason the faithful are obliged to participate in the Eucharist on days of obligation, unless excused for a serious reason (for example, illness, the care of infants) or dispensed by their own pastor. Those who deliberately fail in this obligation commit a grave sin.

They can probably find a Saturday vigil Mass, otherwise they can attend both services on Sunday. It’s a small thing to show up for Jesus when he’s showing up for us.

 

[Justin_Mary]

It’s more of “why doesn’t another day of the week suffice for the Mass obligation and I can go with my boyfriend on Sunday to his church”.

I do understand this question, & though I know the Church’s teaching on this, it’s not a part of me yet.

I do know daily Mass is different from Sunday Mass. There’s no Gloria, no second reading, the proclamation of the Gospels is rarely said, much less sung in my parish, there’s no profession of faith. Unless a feast is declared during the week, the Mass is very different.

 

[cc224]

Thank you all for your help! I spoke more with her last night about the Eucharistic aspect of Mass and she ended up bringing her boyfriend with her to Mass today! Praise be to God!

 

[MNathaniel]

Thank you all for your help! I spoke more with her last night about the Eucharistic aspect of Mass and she ended up bringing her boyfriend with her to Mass today! Praise be to God!

Praise be to God indeed! That’s wonderful news, @cc224! Thanks for sharing!