Why should a Catholic attend Mass on a regular basis? Because God wants us to. The Third Commandment tells us to "keep holy the Sabbath day". One of the ways we do this is by attending church. Second, ever since the dawn of Christianity, Christians have gathered together on Sunday (the day Jesus rose from the dead) to listen to the Scriptures and receive the Body and Blood of Christ. By doing so, we are obeying Jesus' command at the Last Supper. "Do this in memory of me". I think it is pretty safe to say that Jesus wants you and me to join him at our weekly celebration of his Last Supper.
In addition to religious reasons for attending church, there is what we might call a selfish reason, namely, studies are now showing that active participation in church is good, not just for our spiritual well-being, but also, for our mental and physical well-being. A book called, Prayer, Faith and Healing states that studies show that people who attend church regularly and practice what they believe:
Also, couples who attend church are a lot more likely to remain married. This is surely good news and good reason for all of us to be connected to a Eucharistic community.
I realize that some people feel no need for church. Perhaps they pray privately. But, some of you who are non-church goers may want to reconnect with the church, but for various reasons, do not. Some of you may have been hurt by the church or perhaps the church failed you in some way. If this has been the case, I apologize for the hurt and for any way that we failed you. Church families, like all families, are imperfect. We sometimes hurt and fail each other. Even the Apostles failed Jesus in his hour of greatest need. Christians are human like everyone else. We are a community of "forgiven sinners". With God's grace, we can forgive hurts, thereby, restoring peace to our lives and reconnect ourselves with our church family.
Some people stay away from church because they feel that God let them down in some way. For example, God didn't answer a prayer for the healing of a marriage, or for a loved one's health. "Bad things happening to good people" often cause a spiritual crisis. It is okay for us to be angry with God about something, but it is not healthy for us to remain angry with God or with anyone else for that matter. At some stage, for the sake of our spiritual, physical and mental well-being, we have to "bury the hatchet" and let go our anger.
Some people have theological differences with the church and, as a result, think it would be hypocritical to attend. I disagree. Even though doctrines and beliefs are indeed important, disagreements should not be a reason to exclude ourselves from the church's life. The best of Catholics (including some clergy) struggle with and may even disagree with the church's teaching on certain issues. Yet, they continue to come to church regularly and receive Holy Communion. We need the nourishment the Eucharist gives us as we struggle with our human weaknesses, with our theological doubts and our spiritual problems. The Eucharist is not so much a reward for being good, but, a source of strength to help us become good and faithful Christians.
As some wise person has said: "The church is not a museum for saints, rather, it is a hospital for sinners." If, at this time, you have separated yourself from our church family, I encourage you to reconnect. You are here today, the church is still standing, why not return next week? Coming to church regularly not only fulfills the Third Commandment; but, it will most likely, help you to be a better person. If you have any questions on how to reconnect with the church, or have any questions about the church's beliefs and practices, I invite you to call me at 254-1595 ext. 3070 or email me at tobin2@bellsouth.net