Posted on 01/07/2013 4:07:39 PM PST by NYer
Simply put ... to worship God!
Simply put ... to worship God!
I am not a catholic so I do not attend mass. But I do attend services in my church and I go to Bible study for the reason that was best stated in Proverbs 27:17:
“As iron sharpens iron, so one person man sharpens another.”
We become better Christians by holding ourselves accountable one to another and we become better Christians by gaining wisdom one from another. For myself this best happens in church or at Bible study and for catholics it happens for them at mass.
I am not a catholic so I do not attend mass. But I do attend services in my church and I go to Bible study for the reason that was best stated in Proverbs 27:17:
“As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.”
We become better Christians by holding ourselves accountable one to another and we become better Christians by gaining wisdom one from another. For myself this best happens in church or at Bible study and for catholics it happens for them at mass.
“To worship God”
Well, yes... But I can do that from anywhere.
For me, I find it very peacefuller and personalty rewarding to sit for an hour reflecting on matters religion, going over in my mind how I’ve acted and reacted to my fellow man (and woman) and seeking Christ’s support in areas where I have been weak.
Last time I went to mass, admittedly a long time ago, it was a three ring circus with everyone talking and children moving around like screaming banchees. I could not even hear the usual tired montone of the scripture reader and Priest. Fortunately, I could read what they were trying to impart.
Pray? Nope. I did some chanting as it was all I could conjure: “Father, forgive us.” I must has “prayed” that a thousand times before I finally exited stage right.
Quote from the author.
This is pretty much the reason I go too, and I'd submit, for anyone to go.
Mass, along with other good works of the Church, are viewed by some as "requirements" without a reason, a good reason (like the one above), as if they are a checklist of some sort to get into heaven. Even some Catholics sadly believe this. But even this "checklist" rationale is not a good enough reason to go, after all there's always Confession if one misses a checkmark now and then.
There must be a reason *now* that benefits *us* now, or else even the most die hard rules follower will stumble now and then, and for no reason other than they are a flawed human. So this (the quote above) is the claim all must consider, and all must *expect* with true adherence to the Sunday obligation.
That is, it's quite simple, the Christian claim: Jesus is alive, today, and He wants to help you live a truly human life, now, in every way possible, sparing nothing, denying nothing. The only church to not only offer me this but actually give me this is the Catholic Church, in my experience. As I've said before, I don't know how other "churches" can fulfill such a promise, since the presence of Christ in other churches is at best, a broken presence, only recently "rediscovered" at some point in history where a direct break from the Church was observed, if not an indirect (break from a denomination that broke away from the Church).
But, who am I to argue with another's experience? I can't. If someone reading this who is not a Catholic can honestly say their life has been just as transformed as the authors' and/or mine, and credits this transformation not to their own effort but can honestly say the transformation can only have come from God, then more power to them. I would respectfully submit however, this is not the case, as it's all too easy to convince oneself of anything spiritual; only through careful, rational, reasoned examination of oneself and one's circumstances, can one know for certain a change was due to Christ, and not due to a self-imposed fantasy. And I don't say that to be a wet blanket on anyone's "faith"; merely as a word of both caution and celebration.
Caution, borne of a concern for my fellow man, so that he may not waste his time on this earth chasing after fantasies and empty promises. Celebration, borne of a knowledge that no matter how much time may be wasted, there's always an opportunity to "return home", and come to know the fruits of the "100 fold blessing" right now, here on earth, as the author and I both testify.
Don't believe me? "Come and see" (cf John 1). This is often overlooked I fear in debates about Catholicism. The simplest claim about Christianity is paradoxically the most powerful. And indeed, because we are human beings, it's the only thing that is going to really convince anyone: one's OWN, personal experience. Not an experience shadowed by sarcasm, devoid of reason, or perhaps worst of all, tainted by the evil acts of a few in the Church, but an objectively true experience, in every sense of the word "objective". (and yes, even personal experiences can be "objective").
Jesus, being the great Teacher He is, knew this, knew humanity's need for personal experience so completely and without hesitation, that every act he took interacting with humanity was meant to show who He was (and is) through their personal experience 2,000 years ago (and ours today). Consider this for a moment: He, being God, could have just flipped a switch of some sort and declared, "Everyone is saved, goodbye I'm going back to Heaven now". And that would be it. But He didn't.
Ask yourself "why", and then re-read John 1 again, also asking, "Does this phrase, 'come and see' mean something more? Does it only mean what it plainly reads, a simple request from Jesus to a few Apostles 2,000 years ago, or does it also have a deeper meaning about my relationship with Jesus today?"
Because they made me go to mass. No smart 4th grader is going to mess with a Nun with a serious 5 O’clock shadow. Not when they will pick you up by the ankles and shake you upside down. Didn’t hurt but wasn’t necessary.
The Eucharist!! ....duh
generally i agree, but it isn’t a substitute for publicly worshipping God with other fellow Christians and actually being in a place of relative peace with other believers. if the church you go to isn’t very correct and substantive in its preaching, the problem isn’t going to church, it’s that particular church.
again, it’s not going to church that sounds like the problem, maybe it’s that paticular church.
The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass lets me bask in God’s wondrous presence.
But I like his idea of transformation. I can identify with that.
I loved this article and it made me think. I go to Mass to receive the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, to pray, and to learn.
If I stop learning I will be six feet under! LOL! I’m always learning something new about the Scriptures and Holy Tradition as well as the Church.
When Catholics go to Church they are indeed, in the presence of the Body and Blood of Christ himself. Yes, a quiet time at home is wonderful, but there is nothing like falling on your knees during Mass, and saying, “My Lord and my God” three times at the Consecration of both the bread and the wine.
Non-Catholics miss out on this real presence of the Lord through the miracle of transubstantiation.
Definition:
Trans — transfer
Substantiation — substance
The substance of bread changes to the Body of Christ.
The substance of wine is chaned to the Blood of Christ.
Some doubt this miracle, but numerous Eucharistic miracles have proven it to be absolutely true.
Look up the word “Lanciano.”
Meagan, you would make a wonderful Catholic.
**“Father, forgive us.**
I very often do this for the people who are talking and trying to make Mass time into fellowship time.
LOL
That brought back some memories for me. I was a particularly ornery boy and was beaten quite a bit by the sisters. The one that beat me the most always prefaced the beating with "God help you, child!" One time, after she hit me I asked her, "How is beating me helping God or me?" She smacked me so hard that time she knocked me down and loosened a tooth.
I go to Mass (almost daily) because I love the Mass. It is that simple. I cannot understand any Catholic not loving the Mass. Anyone who has to push themselves to Mass out of obligation needs to reevaluate their faith to find out what is missing. It should take wild horses to keep you from the Mass, not drag you to it.
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