“I’m a nature person and find God more on a hike than in the church. Why can’t I worship on Sundays the way I feel God’s presence the most?” Questions or remarks like these are some of the most commonly received regarding our Sunday obligation. How do we respond?
Worship in the Highest Form
It is good to feel God’s presence everywhere. We are living in His created world, so it makes sense that we feel a close connection to God in certain places or even around certain people. It would be good, and even encouraged, to frequent these places, to connect to God more. The act of worship at Sunday Mass, however, is a non-negotiable. Our Sunday obligation requires the Church’s highest form of worship - this is the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. There is no more perfect sacrifice we can give to God than the gift of His Son. Mass is like a time warp. When we are present at the Consecration, we are whisked back to the moment of Christ’s sacrifice- to the cross itself in Jesus’ offering. Therefore, attending Mass is not just an act of personal devotion but also the highest offering that we can give to God Himself.
Strength for the Journey
In the United States, we are blessed with the majority of parishes enabling us to go to daily Mass. God only requires one day a week however to go to Mass, Sunday specifically. Our Sundays should also be specially set aside for recreation... re-creating the body and soul, as well as a reconnecting with your family. If we truly believe that who we receive at Sunday Mass is Jesus Himself, Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity - that should truly change us. We cannot help but be renewed if we receive this gift with hearts and souls ready to receive His grace. Taking the time to pause, put all of our focus on God, and be refueled (so to speak) with the grace of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist will give us spiritual strength for the week to come.
Community
Attending Mass also allows us to worship in fellowship with one another. It reminds us that we are not alone and should not live in isolation from one another. We are Christ’s hands and feet and need to reach out to one another, especially members of our family who are hurting and need our help. Together, as a Catholic community, we are members of Christ’s Mystical Body.
Obedience
Going to worship at Sunday Mass is submitting ourselves to the just authority of the Church and its teachings. Being a part of the community in worship, receiving the true Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ, following the third commandment, focusing on the readings of Scripture, and listening to the reflections upon the gospel in the homily, are all valuable parts of our spiritual growth and formation. Peter built our Church, and it was his duty to fill it with all of us. Without our presence, the Sacrifice of the Mass, which is made on our behalf, does not have anyone to witness the miracle it contains.
Witness to Faith
By consistently attending Mass, Catholics bear witness to their faith in God and their commitment to living according to their beliefs. It serves as a public testimony of their relationship with Christ. If we are living the stewardship way of life as missionary disciples, the Mass should change us and, in turn, we become witnesses of faith to change others.
It is true that God is present everywhere, including when we pray to him alone or when two or three of us gather in his name. However, in the Eucharist, there are extraordinary ways that the Lord Jesus is present that transcend the ways he is present outside the liturgy of the Catholic Church.
While there can be valid reasons for missing Mass on occasion (such as illness, caring for the sick, etc.), the Catholic Church emphasizes the importance of making a sincere effort to attend Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation.
Maria Stewart — SFA Theologians Guild Member