Why Do We Have To Go To Mass ?

Every week our Faith Formation volunteers work hard to help our children understand the importance of attending Mass. We've answer the above question countless times. Since we truly want our children to grow in faith and accept Jesus as their Lord and personal Savior, we want to make sure our parents also know why we SHOULD be there and UNDERSTAND what's happens during EVERY Mass.

Here are the TOP 9 reasons to go to Mass:

#1 The Eucharist
The Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ is available to us! It is the pinnacle of our life as Christians. There's no better way to follow Jesus than to receive Him in the Eucharist! The teaching on the Eucharist may be hard for us to understand. It was hard for His followers too - read John 6.

#2 Grace
Grace, like Gatorade for the soul, is God's life help given to us to live a better life in Him. We receive grace through the sacraments. Mass is loaded with grace - ready for us to receive.

#3 The Third Commandment - Keep holy the Sabbath.
Simple words, simple meaning. "So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it; because on it God rested from all his work." (Genesis 2:2) We, too, must keep it a special and holy day. The Church teaches that Mass is the most important way to do just that. It is our obligation as People of God.

#4 Community
We are the Church, the Family of God. At Mass we join with Him and those around us for prayer and friendship. It is a mystical connection with all our brothers and sisters around the world, in heaven and purgatory. Through Christ we become a community unlike any we know on earth.

#5 Prayer and the Our Father
The Mass is the ultimate prayer. There is singing, psalms, prayers of thanksgiving, prayers seeking forgiveness, prayers of worship and praise, the Lord's prayer and more. When we pray the Our Father, we use the words Jesus gave us. Remember - it is the "Our" Father, not the "My" Father. Jesus wants us to pray together!

#6 The Bible
Every time Mass is celebrated we hear the Word of God. We hear from the Old Testament and from the New Testament. In the Gospel we learn about Jesus from Matthew, Mark, Luke or John. You hear more scripture at a Catholic Mass than at any other type of Sunday service! Mass is a time to get a better understanding of the Word of God.

#7 Making time with God
Do you have at least one hour a week to set aside for God. Imagine Jesus hanging on the cross, dying for YOU - and all He asks is that you join Him on Sunday for an hour or so, "Do this in remembrance of Me" (Luke 22:19) Can you do it? Yes. The question is - will you do it, for Him?

#8 Suffering souls in purgatory
The souls in purgatory need our prayers. Special intentions are offered at Mass for those who have died. It is important not to assume that anyone who died is automatically in heaven - we must pray for them!

#9 It's what Jesus wants us to do.
Period. That's it. "We must consider how to rouse on another to love and good works. We should not stay away from our assembly, as is the custom os some, but encourage one another" Hebrews 10:24-25.