WHY DO I HAVE GO TO MASS?

Why do I have to go to Mass? I know it is an odd question to lead off with, as I am addressing the 7:00 a.m. daily Mass faithful. But we’ve heard the mantras from so many others who don’t attend Mass regularly. "Mass is boring." "I don't get anything out of Mass." "Why can't I just pray alone?" Now there is a new mantra, “Live-streamed Mass is working great for our family, it’s a pandemic blessing.” These are common feelings, especially among young people, but also among many adults as well. How should we respond?

The great Bishop Fulton Sheen, when conducting a retreat for teenagers, once gave a talk on the meaning of the Mass. He said, "If you don't get anything out of Mass, it's because you don't bring the right expectations to it."

In the Gospel reading we hear Jesus and his disciples going up on a mountain, then realizing “a large crowd was coming to him … about 5,000 in number.” Why did they follow Jesus? As the story goes, it was the miracles. But the multiplication of loaves and fish, recounted in all four Gospels, is more, it has important eucharistic overtones. Yes, Jesus was concerned about people’s physical hunger, and he wants us to look beyond their stomachs, as this event is a sign foreshadowing Jesus’ feeding them and us with bread from heaven.

Why do we have to go to Mass every week? I think the best perspective is not so much why we have to go but rather how fortunate we are to be able to go weekly, even daily, with the ever-increasing priest shortages. When we truly understand what the Mass is, in faith, we’ll never want to miss! “For if this endeavor … this activity is of human origin, it will destroy itself. But if it comes from God, [no one] will be able to destroy [it, nor us]; they may even find themselves fighting against God.” (Acts 5:38-39)

When we approach the Mass with a deep faith and understanding of the great mystery we encounter, we are left with a longing and desire for more. When we receive Holy Communion, in faith, with an open heart, we enter into communion with the risen Jesus. He truly enters in, gives us Himself, as our sustenance for life and transforms the hardships and struggles of life into joys. The Mass, this bread from heaven, the body and blood of our risen Lord, has an unlimited amount of power to change us and draw us closer to God, to help us become all that God intends us to be. In the Mass we are made one with Christ so that we can say with St. Paul, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me” (Gal 2:20)

During the pandemic many found themselves fasting from and starving for the Bread of Life because the churches were closed, and some are still now fearful of infection. May we learn from this difficult experience to be ever grateful for the food of this Eucharistic table, may we never neglect the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, and may we never forget those who are unable to regularly receive, because of health or shortage of priest, the bread that sustains us for all eternity.