THE CHURCH OBLIGES US TO ATTEND MASS EVERY SUNDAY. WE MUST ALSO ATTEND MASS DURING DAYS OF OBLIGATION SUCH AS IMPORTANT FEAST DAYS LIKE CHRISTMAS. TO NOT ATTEND MASS ON SUNDAYS AND OTHER DAYS OF OBLIGATION IS A GRAVE SIN.
BUT BESIDES THE FACT THAT THE CHURCH OBLIGES US, THERE ARE ALSO OTHER REASONS WHY IT IS SO IMPORTANT TO GO TO CHURCH ON SUNDAYS. YOU SEE DURING THE WHOLE WEEK WE ARE SO OFTEN CONCERNED ABOUT OUR OWN WORLDLY AFFAIRS. WE FOCUS ON OUR JOBS, OUR HOUSEHOLD CHORES, SHOPPING, ENTERTAINMENT, FAMILY, ETC. BUT HOW MUCH TIME DO WE DEVOTE TO GOD, WHO CREATED US AND LOVES US? IN THE END ALL THESE OTHER THINGS WILL PASS AWAY. ULTIMATELY IT IS GOD WHO WE WILL HAVE TO ANSWER TO. OUR SALVATION DEPENDS ON HIM. CAN WE NOT DEVOTE AT LEAST ONE HOUR A WEEK ON SUNDAY'S TO GO TO CHURCH AND WORSHIP HIM? IS THAT TOO MUCH? DEFINATELY NOT!
YET THESE DAYS MANY CATHOLICS DO NOT ATTEND CHURCH REGULARLY ON SUNDAYS. MANY OF THEN ONLY GO TO CHURCH TWICE A YEAR ON CHRISTMAS AND EASTER. THIS IS TRULY A SHAME BECAUSE WE NEED TO HAVE A STRONGER RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LORD THAN THAT.
GOING TO CHURCH REGULARLY HELPS US IN MANY WAYS. WE GROW IN OUR FAITH BY LISTENING TO THE READINGS AND THE GOSPEL. WE RECEIVE GUIDANCE IN HOW TO LIVE GOOD AND HOLY LIVES BY HEARING THE SERMONS THAT A PRIEST GIVES US. WE ALSO ARE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE EUCHARISTIC CELEBRATION AND RECEIVE THE BODY AND BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST IN THE EUCHARIST. ALL OF THESE HELP US GROW IN OUR FAITH AND OUR LOVE FOR GOD.
OUR FAITH IS SO RICH AND FILLED WITH MANY WONDERFUL MYSTERIES. BUT IF WE DO NOT GO TO CHURCH WE DO NOT GET TO KNOW THE RICHNESS OF OUR FAITH. WE ARE ALSO NOT ABLE TO DRAW STRENGTH FROM ONE ANOTHER AS A FAITH COMMUNITY AS WE WORSHIP THE LORD ALL TOGETHER, IF WE DON'T GO TO CHURCH. WE ALSO BEGIN TO SEPERATE OURSELVES FROM THE CHURCH BY NOT ATTENDING MASS.
GOING TO CHURCH EVERY SUNDAY IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF CATHOLIC LIFE. WHEN CHRIST CAME INTO THE WORLD HE DID NOT LEAVE UNTIL HE HAD ESTABLISHED HIS CHURCH SO THAT EVEN THOUGH HE IS NOT VISIBLY PRESENT, HE CONTINUES TO SPEAK TO US AND GUIDE US THROUGH THE AUTHORITY OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH. BUT FOR US TO TRULY BELONG TO THE CATHOLIC CHURCH WE MUST RECEIVE THE SACRAMENTS AND PARTICIPATE IN THEM. WE MUST ALSO ATTEND MASS EVERY SUNDAY.
NOW SOME GOOD AND DEVOTED PEOPLE GO TO CHURCH NOT ONLY ON SUNDAYS BUT EVERY DAY AS WELL. THIS IS TRULY WONDERFUL FOR THEY WILL SURELY GAIN AND LOT OF GRACES FROM GOD AND THEIR FAITH AND KNOWLEDGE OF GOD WILL GROW WONDERFULLY. BUT EVEN IF MANY OF US MAY NOT ALWAYS HAVE THE CHANCE TO GO FOR DAILY MASS, WE MUST AT LEAST GO ON SUNDAY'S.
ONLY THEN CAN WE RECEIVE THE FAITH, KNOWLEDGE AND GRACE TO GO FORTH AND SPREAD GOD'S WORD TO OTHERS. THEN EVEN IF SOMETIMES IN OUR LIVES WE MIGHT EXPERIENCE DOUBTS, DESPAIR OR A TURNING AWAY FROM GOD, WHAT WE HAVE GAINED FROM GOING TO CHURCH REGULARLY WILL ALWAYS STAY WITH US AND IT WILL QUICKLY LEAD US BACK TO THE TRUTH - BACK TO OUR LORD.