Getting to Mass on Sundays feels optional to many families. After all, if we don’t show up for work, we may lose our job; if our children miss school, they’ll have make-up work; skipping a practice means you don’t play in a game. But missing Mass? Will anyone even notice? Is there a consequence?
Since the very early years of our church, Christians have gathered on the Lord’s day, Sunday (which early on was a workday), to praise God. Attending was never optional; members were expected to be there, but they also wanted to be there, to have the privilege of participating that Baptism gave them.
Today the church teaches that attending Mass is so important that we look upon it as an obligation for Catholics, barring a grave cause for absence (illness, for example).
But why? Shouldn’t we go to church because we want to, not because we have to? Continue reading
Filed under: Family spirituality, Handing on the faith | Tagged: families and Mass, Why go to Mass | 1 Comment »