Editorial

The obligation to attend Mass on Sundays and holy days

“You shall attend Mass on Sundays and on holy days of obligation and remain free from work or activity that could impede the sanctification of such days.” (First precept of the Church, Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church)

This weekend, we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi).

This year’s Corpus Christi celebration is happening during a three-year revival of devotion to the holy Eucharist endorsed by the Catholic bishops of the United States as a means of helping Catholics in our country find unity and renewal through a personal encounter with Jesus Christ.

This popular feast also takes on special significance because we are only weeks away from the National Eucharistic Congress, which will draw tens of thousands of pilgrims to Indianapolis on July 17–21.

One of the reasons for the National Eucharistic Revival is the significant decline in Sunday Mass attendance throughout our country. According to research published by the Pew Research Center (www.pewresearch.org), “about four-in-ten U.S. Catholics [39%] say they attend religious services at least once a week, and an additional 45% say they do so once or twice a month or a few times a year. Roughly one-in-eight Catholics say they attend religious services less than once a year, and 5% say they never attend Mass.” This is far from the Church’s requirement as described in the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

The first precept (law or commandment) of the Catholic Church is to attend Mass on Sunday and holy days of obligation, and to keep the Lord’s Day holy by avoiding work or other activities that could prevent us from recognizing the sacredness of this time.

The Sunday eucharistic celebration, which may begin with an anticipated Mass on Saturday evening, is at the heart of the Church’s life. Sunday is that special day when we celebrate the Lord’s passion, death and resurrection until he comes again. It is here that we are fed with the bread of life. It is here that we prepare ourselves for discipleship and service during the coming week. If we fail to worship God on the Lord’s Day, we betray our baptismal promises and we neglect our responsibilities as disciples and as stewards of the mysteries of God.

Too many of us have forgotten how serious this obligation is and how important it is to our identity as Catholics.

The precepts of the Church speak to Catholic identity. They provide a framework for answering the question: What is expected of me as a Catholic in good standing? In fact, these precepts are the minimum that is expected of us, and we are called to do much more in order to grow in holiness and live our faith in ways that are truly vibrant. But we have to begin somewhere, and we need some indication or warning sign when our practice of the faith becomes substandard.

As a result, it’s important to ask ourselves: Have we allowed our observance of the Lord’s Day to become just one option among possible weekend activities? Have we forgotten who we are (our Catholic identity) or who we are called to be as faithful disciples of Jesus Christ?

If we answered “yes” and have neglected our Sunday obligation, we have been sorely missed. Let’s return to Mass this Corpus Christi Sunday. Our fellow Catholics need us to help strengthen their/our identity as members of God’s family. They will welcome us back with great joy because our presence helps make the Lord’s Day holy for everyone.

Mass attendance is not the only requirement for being a good Catholic, but it is the first and most basic precept or law of the Church. This first precept makes it clear that attendance at Mass on Sundays and keeping the Lord’s Day holy are not an option or an ideal. They are a basic requirement. If we follow this precept faithfully, God’s blessings will sustain us in our efforts to live our faith more fully.

The National Eucharistic Revival is designed to invite us to a deeper, richer experience of the holy Eucharist. The Church wants us all to move beyond the “obligation” to attend Mass on Sundays and holy days to a fervent desire to participate “fully, consciously and actively” in the Eucharist.

This Corpus Christi, let’s make our obligation to attend the Sunday Eucharist something we do with enthusiasm and great joy.

—Daniel Conway