Why do we go to Mass?

The Third Commandment is to keep holy the day of the Lord. People who work or study need to rest. Rest is a necessity. Jewish people dedicated the Sabbath (Saturday) a day of rest.

But the Jewish people also gave this day of rest a religious meaning: it was the day to thank God and a day of prayer and worship.

As Christians, we follow that custom, but we do it on Sunday, because it is the day of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is the day of the Lord.

Sunday rest is a sign that our time belongs to God and that God is the most important thing in our lives. It is also an affirmation that we believe that we don't live by bread alone. Sunday is a feast day -- a day of rest, joy, liberation, which is why it is a very appropriate day for family fun. The feast of Sunday reminds us that one day we will enjoy the true and definitive feast of life in heaven. Sunday is a participation in the heaven already here on earth.

What does the Sunday precept mean?

The church makes explicit the Third Commandment, "You will keep the day of the Lord holy." This commandment indicates the obligation to abstain from work on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation and to attend Mass.

The best way to keep Sunday holy is to share in the Eucharist. A Sunday without Mass does not feel like Sunday. For those who love God above all things, dedicating some time to God on Sunday at Mass is a natural way to show that love.

Being a Christian, of course, does not only mean going to Mass. Gathering with the community and sharing in the Body and Blood of our Lord is also a very important part of being one. The Second Vatican Council says that the Eucharist is the center of Christian life.

Reasons to go to Mass

We go to Mass to gather with the community, to listen to the Word of God, to encounter Jesus Christ, who is particularly present in the Eucharist. Going to Mass is a sign of the faith that inspires daily life, and at the same time, the Mass encourages us to continue working and to commit to establishing justice and peace around us.

When we go to Mass, God does not want us to be physically present in a passive way, but above all, to actively participate. At Mass we should be attentive to the words and the signs; pray with the heart and the lips; be attentive to what God wants to tell us; be aware of the presence of Jesus and the other members of the community, who are our brothers and sisters; go to Communion; and sing with joy. All these forms of worship give us the nourishment to go out on Monday and carry our faith into daily life.

God Bless You,

Father Tom Hanley

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Last modified: September 18, 2008

"The Cross. . .to reconcile all with God."
Ephesians 2:16