When people find out that I attend mass every day, they always say something like, “You must be really holy!” The problem is they just don’t get it.
I share with them an old saying, “Mass is not a sanctuary for saints, it’s a hospital for sinners, and then I add, and I’m in intensive care!” You see, I attend mass daily because of what it does for me, personally, spiritually, emotionally, and physically. I go to mass because doing so makes my life feel better.
So, why should you consider going to mass more frequently, or every day if you can? Here are a few reasons why I go and what it does for me;
1. Starting my day with mass and communion keeps me in an uplifted mood. And the effects last all day. Imaging coming out of church, ready to tackle the problems of the day with Christ by your side. I am energized by God’s grace! That’s the feeling I get.
2. Frequent reception of the Blessed Sacrament helps to keep me focused on others and not on myself. And, I ask the Lord to put someone in my day that He can help through me. Keeping my antenna up throughout the day for people who need an encouraging word, a shoulder to cry on, or just someone to listen to their life story is possible because of the Blessed Sacrament.
3. Frequent reception of the Eucharist gives me the strength to fight the occasions of sin that day. I feed my body every day (several times for that matter as my weight would attest) why not feed my soul as well?
[pullquote] Holy Communion separates us from sin. The body of Christ we receive in Holy Communion is “given up for us,” and the blood we drink “shed for the many for the forgiveness of sins.” For this reason the Eucharist cannot unite us to Christ without at the same time cleansing us from past sins and preserving us from future sins:
For as often as we eat this bread and drink the cup, we proclaim the death of the Lord. If we proclaim the Lord’s death, we proclaim the forgiveness of sins. If, as often as his blood is poured out, it is poured for the forgiveness of sins, I should always receive it, so that it may always forgive my sins. Because I always sin, I should always have a remedy. CCC 1393[/pullquote]
4. Daily mass gives me an opportunity to show my gratitude every day for the many blessings that God has heaped on me. It gives me a chance to say thank you! Praising God the first thing in the morning with prayer and mass is the most important events on my daily calendar.
5. I am surrounded by people who are also working out their salvation and they inspire me to do more. They too, are energized by God’s amazing grace.
6. It keep me in touch with scripture, hear the readings at mass, and the brief homily reflecting on that days readings, become daily guideposts for the day.
7. Friendships are very important to me, and if Jesus is truly a friend, then I should want to spend some time with Him, hang out with Him, talk with Him, joke with Him, laugh with Him and cry with Him, just like I do with my earthly friends.
Not everyone can attend daily mass. I realize that. Time famine is one of the biggest problems facing most adults today. There just isn’t enough time to fit it all in. Jobs, raising kids, work related travel, and just finding the time is overwhelming. But, if it is possible, take some time, maybe in the middle of the week, to recharge your battery with the electricity of God’s grace. It might be just the mid-week, pick-me-up to help you make it through a tough week. It’s there for the asking. Every day, at mass.