Why Make It An Obligation?

[Tantum_ergo]

And my point is that that shouldn’t even be an issue. They should want to go to Mass, and genuinely feel bad about missing it (whatever the reason), not worry about whether or not they’re getting their weekly “I’ve been a good girl/boy” check in the box (as so often seems to be the case in CAF posts that begin “Is it a sin if I…”).

Um, let’s be fair. People should want**** to obey God’s will in everything, including not having sex outside of marriage, not lying, not stealing, etc. If we were truly good Christians we would want to do every possible good for Christ. But because we’re human with a fallen nature and can be led astray by others, or even ourselves, God gives us ‘rules’ or obligations to help remind us of what we should be wanting to do. Going to Mass every Sunday and Holy Day is just one of these obligations.****

It’s not an either -or we should want to go OR it should be optional because we shouldn’t be ‘forced.’

It’s a both-and. It is both necessary and fitting and a commandment of the Lord, AND it is our privilege to obey Him.

 

[Juliannarose]

God wants Himself to be first in our life. When we put ourselves before Him on Sunday, His Holy Day, we are denying Him. Hence, mortal sin.

 

[Mrs_Sally]

Mass as an obligation can be helpful to us.

This past Sunday, I did not FEEL like going to Mass. We drove home late from a day trip, and then got stuck in traffic and detoured twice, causing us to arrive home even later. When my alarm went off, I was not excited to jump out of bed, get dressed up, and skip off to Mass. I went out of obligation. I didn’t go begrudgingly, but I went because I’m supposed to. Obligations in our faith protect us from always acting based on our emotions, which often lead us astray. I agree that without the obligation many would just not go. But there is merit in obeying something you do not feel like doing. That is putting the Will of God before the will of myself.

Excellent example!

Another is when we are on vacation. It is easy for protestants to skip services when they go away. Catholics have no excuse. With a little effort you can find a Mass in almost every vacation spot. If we are going to become Saints, we can’t afford to take a vacation from trying!

 

[cjmclark]

Um, let’s be fair. People should want to obey God’s will in everything, including not having sex outside of marriage, not lying, not stealing, etc. If we were truly good Christians we would want to do every possible good for Christ. But because we’re human with a fallen nature and can be led astray by others, or even ourselves, God gives us ‘rules’ or obligations to help remind us of what we should be wanting to do. Going to Mass every Sunday and Holy Day is just one of these obligations.****

I’m not trying to be disingenuous here. The difference is that the highlighted issues (adultery, lying, stealing) are generally and self-evidentially considered “bad” and are widely recognized as things to be avoided (even by those who engage in them). A great many people (Catholics included) simply don’t recognize the beauty and necessity of the Eucharist (due mostly to a failure to understand the concept of the True Presence)…they just see weekly Mass as that check in the box, and then worry that they’ve sinned (without understanding why) if they miss it.

It’s not an either -or we should want to go OR it should be optional because we shouldn’t be ‘forced.’

It’s a both-and. It is both necessary and fitting and a commandment of the Lord, AND it is our privilege to obey Him.

As it happens, I quite agree.

 

[mick321]

Mass as an obligation can be helpful to us.

This past Sunday, I did not FEEL like going to Mass. We drove home late from a day trip, and then got stuck in traffic and detoured twice, causing us to arrive home even later. When my alarm went off, I was not excited to jump out of bed, get dressed up, and skip off to Mass. I went out of obligation. I didn’t go begrudgingly, but I went because I’m supposed to. Obligations in our faith protect us from always acting based on our emotions, which often lead us astray. I agree that without the obligation many would just not go. But there is merit in obeying something you do not feel like doing. That is putting the Will of God before the will of myself.

Would you have gone to Mass this past Sunday if there were no “obligation”?

 

[TimothyH]

What can I say to him?

Maybe try…

“I understand how you feel. I feel that way too sometimes. No matter what, you will always be my friend. Wanna go get a beer?”

…or something like that.

-Tim-

 

[mick321]

God wants Himself to be first in our life. When we put ourselves before Him on Sunday, His Holy Day, we are denying Him. Hence, mortal sin.

Agreed.

In the D-R Bible, the commandment reads “…Remember that thou KEEP HOLY the sabbath day…”

Denying God is a separate issue. No Catholic should deny God, in a Catholic Church, or anywhere else.

 

[mlz]

I have a friend who, although born an raised Catholic, just can not come to terms with alot of what The Church teaches. One reason for this is he does not take the time to learn what and why The Church really teaches what it teaches. We both grow up in the 1950’s and 1960’s and were poorly catechized. My journey has lead me to learn about The Church. And I have used my knowledge to answer some of his questions.

His latest problem with The Church is why does “The Church use a stick to beat people into going to mass on Sunday”. Why did The Church make it a sin not to go to mass on Sunday? He feels that without this “stick” half the Catholic would not go to mass on Sunday. It is only advisable that you should go to church on Sunday in the Protestant churches.

What can I say to him?

Oh my, he is really missing the BLESSINGS God has for him to have this attitude
I am a recent convert and during my “journey” becoming Catholic I did at one point wonder about this but the more I learned about the Mass and the Eucharist the more I wanted to recieve Him, Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity. Too many Catholics don’t understand the Mother Church only cares about her children and want them to have the very best which is the Mass!

My high recommendation is to get him to listen to tapes by Lighthouse Catholic Media (check it out online) especially if he isn’t a reader. Great CD’s on the Eucharist and Mass and teachings of the Catholic Church. BUT…if he does read one of the best books to help you understand the Eucharist and it’s wonder is 7 Secrets of the Eucharist by Vinny Flynn. Also any book by Matthew Kelly especially Rediscovering Catholism.

I will pray. God bless you also for sharing!

In Him and His beautiful Church,
mlz

P.S. I’ve been protestant for years and am so very, very glad God called me into the Catholic Church!

 

[mick321]

The Holy Mass brings the faithful believer face to face with Christ in the Eucharist. These folks will attend Mass as often as possible, regardless of commandment, law, rule, etc.

Those Catholics who do not understand the need to draw closer to Christ in this life need catechesis more than they need to attend Mass and receive the Eucharist cluelessly.

There is no virtue and no grace in attending Mass out of obligation. What is needed is a better explanation as to WHY faithful Catholics should attend Mass. If “avoiding Hell” was all that persuasive, there would be longer lines for confession and more men in the pews on Sunday.

Any takers?

 

[jilly4ski]

The Holy Mass brings the faithful believer face to face with Christ in the Eucharist. These folks will attend Mass as often as possible, regardless of commandment, law, rule, etc.

Those Catholics who do not understand the need to draw closer to Christ in this life need catechesis more than they need to attend Mass and receive the Eucharist cluelessly.

There is no virtue and no grace in attending Mass out of obligation. What is needed is a better explanation as to WHY faithful Catholics should attend Mass. If “avoiding Hell” was all that persuasive, there would be longer lines for confession and more men in the pews on Sunday.

Any takers?

Ever heard of the phrase, “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak?”

Thus an obligation. Even when we know what Mass is about, sometimes we do not feel 100% or Mass is really early in the morning, or our kids are being absolute terrors and taking them to Mass (and them spending the whole thing out in the vestibule) sounds like a special kind of torture, or we just don’t feel like we are getting that special, “I received Jesus” feeling out of Mass.

I am also obligated to be faithful to my husband. I of course love him so it is not that hard of an obligation now. But having that obligation might in the future help me to keep my thoughts and actions chaste towards someone else. Or this obligation now, helps me to reevaluate how I treat my husband and what kind of attention I show him in not putting things ahead of him.

The obligation (as all obligations do) help us overcome our weak flesh. We groan and roll out of bed, even though we would prefer to sleep, but still go to Mass joyfully. Or Bath and dress the screaming children and haul them to Mass, (and then stand in the back for all of Mass) not because it sounds like a good time or will be easy, but because it is an obligation and because we fulfill that obligation and obtain the graces we need. But it would still be easier to stay home and deal with the screaming children there or sleep in (if the children let you). The obligation motivates us to make the effort, and that is a good thing.

 

[maryjk]

And my point is that that shouldn’t even be an issue. They should want to go to Mass, and genuinely feel bad about missing it (whatever the reason), not worry about whether or not they’re getting their weekly “I’ve been a good girl/boy” check in the box (as so often seems to be the case in CAF posts that begin “Is it a sin if I…”).

With that way of thinking, there shouldn’t be ANY Catholics in prison because they should want to follow the law. There shouldn’t be anyone in line at Confession because they shouldn’t sin. None of that should even be an issue.

But we are a fallen people.

 

[mick321]

There is no virtue and no grace in attending Mass out of obligation. What is needed is a better explanation as to WHY faithful Catholics should attend Mass.

Ever heard of the phrase, “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak?”

Thus an obligation. Even when we know what Mass is about, sometimes we do not feel 100% or Mass is really early in the morning, or our kids are being absolute terrors and taking them to Mass (and them spending the whole thing out in the vestibule) sounds like a special kind of torture, or we just don’t feel like we are getting that special, “I received Jesus” feeling out of Mass.

I am also obligated to be faithful to my husband. I of course love him so it is not that hard of an obligation now. But having that obligation might in the future help me to keep my thoughts and actions chaste towards someone else. Or this obligation now, helps me to reevaluate how I treat my husband and what kind of attention I show him in not putting things ahead of him.

The obligation (as all obligations do) help us overcome our weak flesh. We groan and roll out of bed, even though we would prefer to sleep, but still go to Mass joyfully. Or Bath and dress the screaming children and haul them to Mass, (and then stand in the back for all of Mass) not because it sounds like a good time or will be easy, but because it is an obligation and because we fulfill that obligation and obtain the graces we need. But it would still be easier to stay home and deal with the screaming children there or sleep in (if the children let you). The obligation motivates us to make the effort, and that is a good thing.

Do Catholics ever advance in their faith anymore? Do they ever get to the point that they actually accept the Faith in their heart? Is the Christian message, as expressed by the Church, so unconvincing that participation in the EUCHARIST needs to be enforced under penalty of sin? If so, the case for the presence of Christ on our altars has not been made. And if the case for Christ has not been made, the whole “obligation” thing is really worthless.

There is no virtue and no grace in attending Mass out of obligation. What is needed is a better explanation as to WHY faithful Catholics should attend Mass. Christians should be drawn to the Eucharist, not forced at the point of a bayonet. Leave the entry-level theory of “obligation” for the first graders and prison camp inmates.

Any takers?

 

[tee_eff_em]

I am in agreement with Theodore Roosevelt, who said:
I know that one can worship the Creator in a grove of trees, or by a running brook, or in a man’s own house as well as in church. But I also know, as a matter of cold fact, that the average man does not thus worship.
tee

 

[OraLabora]

Not to take away from the value or beauty of the Eucharist, but I think the observance of rules including the rule about Sunday obligation is a poor measure of the depth of someone’s faith.

A far better measure is the depth of one’s transformation of life values, ability to love, ability to forgive and ability to trust God in the face of great adversity. It may come as quite a shock to many but I am quite convinced that there are many non-Catholic saints whom God alone recognizes, and probably more than a few strictly observant Catholics on their way to hell because of failure of love and charity.

 

[TrueLight]

I may be asking a different question from the OP. Of course I believe we should go to mass.

My question is, why do some Catholics not WANT to go to mass? Why does it have to get to the point of an obligation? I think it is very important to understand the answer to that question.

I grew up going to Church. As a teen my mom made me as I make my kids. So by doing that, she taught me that a Christian had to go to Church. Somewhere along the line, I grew to like going to church. No one had to make her go to Church. She wanted to because she learned how to love church from her mom. And when I became an adult, I wanted to go to church as well.

Sure I would miss church if I went on vacation sometimes or if I woke up really exhausted, but 98% of the time, I got up on my own and went to church because I wanted “enter into his courts with thanksgiving in my heart.”

 

[Benay]

I agree with what others have said, if Mass were not an obligation with a penalty attached, many people would not attend regurarly. That’s the nature of humans, we would rather do what we want to do rather than what we are told to do. For most of us, having a penalty attached, is a great deterrent to doing our own thing, like speeding on the highway in excss of the posted limit or other violations of the rules of the road. Many of us would not think twice about stealing something we wanted if it were not for a penalty attached.

We tend to forget that Catholic Christianity is based upon Judaism. The 10 commandments are as basic to our faith as it is to Jews. The first commandment tells us to put God first in our lives. Most people don’t do that. They put themselves first. We are told to keep holy the Sabbath day, which for us is Sunday. How do we do that if we don’t acknowledge the existence of God and give him our thanks and worship? But since most people don’t think about God, one way or another, most of the time, keeping the Sabbath holy is irrelevant for them.

A final thought is that had it not been for Judaism and Christianity we wouldn’t even have one day off a week for rest. This is a basic Judeo-Christian law that all people --slaves and free alike, as well as animals – are to be given one day off a week to rest from work. Pagans did not have this rule. All Christian countries have this rule whether they remember why they have the rule or not. Having the day off allows for the time to worhship God. This is also true of holidays. They began as Holy Days of Obligation (where you had to go to Mass) and so employers gave them the day off to go to Church. Had it not been for Christians, we would not have Christmas and Easter holidays. The idea of days-off work is a judeo-Christian concept that has been secularized into having a day to please yourself.

The God-centered person does not need a stick as a motivater for going to Mass but the self-centered person does.

 

[jilly4ski]

Do Catholics ever advance in their faith anymore? Do they ever get to the point that they actually accept the Faith in their heart? Is the Christian message, as expressed by the Church, so unconvincing that participation in the EUCHARIST needs to be enforced under penalty of sin? If so, the case for the presence of Christ on our altars has not been made. And if the case for Christ has not been made, the whole “obligation” thing is really worthless.

There is no virtue and no grace in attending Mass out of obligation. What is needed is a better explanation as to WHY faithful Catholics should attend Mass. Christians should be drawn to the Eucharist, not forced at the point of a bayonet. Leave the entry-level theory of “obligation” for the first graders and prison camp inmates.

Any takers?

Of course Christians advance in their faith. But it is not a linear line. In some seasons of faith, we are excited to go to Mass and go at every opportunity, but in other seasons of Faith, it is not that easy, regardless of what we know intellectually.

Just because you “accept the Faith in their heart” (whatever that means) doesn’t mean that some things (like attending Mass) are still not difficult sometimes.

This past winter my youngest child was an absolute terror at Mass, and I (also being 4-5 months pregnant) did not always feel very well. I would spend the entire Eucharistic prayer out in the vestibule with a screaming child, hoping I could keep my breakfast. I wanted to go to Mass, but I didn’t want to go and have to take care of this child or get sick in a public place. But knowing that I had an obligation to attend Mass and would have to seriously discern whether my obligation was dispensed, motivated me to go to Mass. It was not the Mass that I did not want to attend, but it was the earthly things that made Mass difficult. (In my case it was a child, and my own body).

Your reasoning falls flat, their is virtue in attending out of obedience and obligation. (or obedience wouldn’t be a virtue). To go to Mass to worship God even when we don’t want to go, is a virtue. Just like when we don’t feel like loving (or being loving to our spouses) but we do it anyways, yes out of obligation and charity. This is a form of love, I choose to love even when I don’t “feel” loving, even when it is hard to love.
You mistakenly equate obligation with fear of hell or mortal sin, but it is not, sometimes it is just the body is weak, though we want to attend Mass and receive graces and worship God. But even if it was true, is not fear of hell or mortal sin a form of love as well? If we are honest about why we fear hell or mortal sin, it is because we fear separation from God. If we fear separation from God, then wouldn’t that mean we Love God?

We are sinful and weak, thus an obligation, just because at one point in our faith journey we don’t or shouldn’t need an obligation, does not mean that that at other times the obligation is useful to us. Besides God commanded us to keep Holy the Lord’s Day, sometimes people need to be told that they are going against God’s commandments, the easiest way to do that is with an obligation.

 

[Brooklyn]

I always find it interesting how some will complain and whine about whatever Church teaching, be it in the realm of faith, morals or anything really. No one, truly, no one is forced to go to Mass, so why complain about the “big bad Church making us do stuff?” I’m not advocating for any Catholic to stop going to Mass, but really, can one really complain about any Church teaching when assent to such teaching is completely one’s own prerogative?

Did I miss something here? You’re right, we as Catholics are not forced to go to Mass. We are not forced to do anything. But we will pay a huge price - total separation from God and eternity in hell. That forces me to do a lot of things I probably would not do otherwise.

It isn’t all or nothing. Just because someone may not understand why Mass attendance is an obligation doesn’t mean that they are trying to avoid Mass. Just if they miss once in a while, why is that a sin?

(Disclaimer: I attend Mass every Sunday and Holy Day. I have missed Mass three times, in the past 12 months. Once I had just, hours before lost my mother, once my father was dying and once I was recovering from surgery.)

If you are a Catholic, you are obligated to obey the Magesterium of the Church. The Catholic Church is not a democracy. We don’t get decide what we like and don’t like, despite the fact that the vast majority of Catholics do exactly that in our present world. You can choose to disobey the Magesterium, but then you are outside of the Catholic Church. That is the price you pay.

The obligation is there for our benefit. It is also a converse rule. Mass is offered every day, but we are NOT obligated to go to daily Mass. So the rule also protects us from overzealousness.

Protect us from overzealousness?? Going to Mass every day is overzealous? Did you really mean to say that? If that were the case, I’m sure the Church would not offer daily Mass.

The rule is there to make sure that we go to Mass at least once a week, not to protect us from “overzealousness.” It would be wonderful if everyone could go every day and receive the great blessings that come from daily Mass.

There is no virtue and no grace in attending Mass out of obligation.

I would really disagree with this. There have never been times when you went to Mass just because you had to, or prayed just because you had to, or avoided sin just because you had to? If that has never been the case in your life, then you are a much better person than I am. My fallen nature is always pulling me in the wrong direction, and I have to fight it constantly. I love our Lord dearly, and thank Him every day for calling me to Him. But if I was to do things only because I wanted to and not out of obligation, I would be one of the worst sinners in the world.

 

[Mrs_Sally]

Protect us from overzealousness?? Going to Mass every day is overzealous? Did you really mean to say that? If that were the case, I’m sure the Church would not offer daily Mass.

The rule is there to make sure that we go to Mass at least once a week, not to protect us from “overzealousness.” It would be wonderful if everyone could go every day and receive the great blessings that come from daily Mass.

There are hundreds of threads on this board about how this that or the other devotion is what all devout, orthodox, faithful Catholics should be doing. And responses from people concerned to the point of distraction because they don’t or can’t do that devotion. Daily Mass is NOT a requirement. Sure it is a blessing, and I strive to attend, but we should not make others feel guilty or lesser in their faith if they can’t or don’t go. That is what I mean by overzealousness - pressure from others.

Here’s an example. Due to changes in my work schedule, I can only attend daily Mass at 6am. I am blessed to have a 6am Mass available! I am also a married woman with children. At 6 in the morning my household is getting up and preparing for their day. My duty (obligation) as a married woman with children is to my family first. So I do not attend daily Mass. I have had people scold me for not attending. However, we need to understand where our duties/obligations really are and order our lives accordingly.

This is somewhat off topic from Sunday Mass, I just wanted to explain the difference.

 

[Brooklyn]

There are hundreds of threads on this board about how this that or the other devotion is what all devout, orthodox, faithful Catholics should be doing. And responses from people concerned to the point of distraction because they don’t or can’t do that devotion. Daily Mass is NOT a requirement. Sure it is a blessing, and I strive to attend, but we should not make others feel guilty or lesser in their faith if they can’t or don’t go. That is what I mean by overzealousness - pressure from others.

Here’s an example. Due to changes in my work schedule, I can only attend daily Mass at 6am. I am blessed to have a 6am Mass available! I am also a married woman with children. At 6 in the morning my household is getting up and preparing for their day. My duty (obligation) as a married woman with children is to my family first. So I do not attend daily Mass. I have had people scold me for not attending. However, we need to understand where our duties/obligations really are and order our lives accordingly.

This is somewhat off topic from Sunday Mass, I just wanted to explain the difference.

Of course daily Mass is not mandatory. I never said it was. And there are certainly people who absolutely cannot attend daily Mass, be it for reasons of distance, a mother with 5 kids, working people whose schedule just doesn’t fit, illness, whatever. And it is not a sin not to go just because you don’t want to go. I am not scolding anyone for not attending and I am sorry you took it that way.

My problem with your original post is that you said the reason for the weekly obligation was to “protect us from overzealousness.” My comment is that going to daily Mass is not being overzealous. The reason for the Sunday obligation is to make sure we go to Mass at least once a week. It is not to stop us from attending daily Mass. But I will state again that if you are able to go, there are many, many blessings for being a daily communicant. Going to daily Mass is not, in any sense of the word, being overzealous.