I am Catholic and I don't go to mass. However, I like it when..........?

Question

I go to Chapel by myself and sit and pray and ponder. I find mass extremely boring and I feel gulity that I do. Should I attend even though it bores me to tears

Last Mohican - Don't like computer games. Prefer the serious side you know Networking, Data Comms etc, etc you get my drift

Abel - Listen and Listen good. I am a Roman Catholic and people like you get right up my nose. You have obviously looked at the wrong profile - Idiot

Answer 1

My dear friend in Christ...I know Mass can be boring but is it possible that is because you have failed to understand the beauty of the Mass? As posted above; it is a OBLIGATION to attend Mass--you are excused from attending if you are ill or someone in your family is ill or you must work in essential service industry (doctor, etc) or perhaps you do not have a Church nearby.

Frankly you are on a right path, don't stray from it. Doing this exercise I suggest below is better than not going.

If you must miss Mass for a valid reason; you may do what is called Spiritual Communion. My Jesus,
I believe that You
are present in the Most Holy Sacrament.
I love You above all things,
and I desire to receive You into my soul.
Since I cannot at this moment
receive You sacramentally,
come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already there and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You.

Amen.

Or..."attend" Mass and participate via this link with the above prayer...this is an old video--only one I know of but it is beautiful and reverant.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6AOvStZS64

Here's the bottom line: though "emotional highs" and "good times" aren't the purpose of the Sacrifice, you will emotionally take from the Mass what you bring to it, and the more you understand the Mass, its Sacred purpose, its history, and, most of all, the more you pray the Mass, the more you will "get out of it" emotionally. Everyone has bad days - days they are sick, tired, distracted, easily bored, or just not "in the mood" to be at Mass (and that's OK); but it remains true that these challenges are problems with you, not the Mass. And it remains true that the Mass is not about us, but about honoring, glorifying, beseeching, and appeasing God. I imagine our Israelite ancestors didn't find the incessant slaying of lambs and red heifers entertaining after a thousand years or so.

Answer 2

Hi, This is an excessively well query. First, do not fear approximately what different persons suppose. That's God's task. Myself as a Catholic might welcome you. Of path you're correct approximately respecting the church. The simplest factor you're no longer accredited to do might be to obtain Holy Communion /due to the fact that you're no longer Catholic. You would possibly comply with together with the others. If you desire to sit down, stand, or kneel. It's as much as you. Nobody will pass judgement on you for what you do or do not do. It's well that you just consult with every different's church buildings. Sound's like you're a pleasant couple. I desire you the first-rate.

Answer 3

Yes, you should. Mass isn't about being entertained, it is about praying to and praising God with fellow Catholics, and to remember when Jesus gave us His body and blood. Try going again with an open heart. Listen to the Word of God and to the homily. I usually find they apply to me and it still gives me goosebumps. Concentrate on the consecration of the bread and wine. Remember that after they are consecrated, Jesus is really and truly present. You are physically taking Jesus into yourself.

For a really good eye opener, try the book, Eucharistic Miracles. There are some links below.

Also, remember in Hebrews 10:24-25, Paul writes: “And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

Answer 4

Hi, this is a problem especially for young people today but let me try to explain something, we do not go to Mass for what we can get out of it, although in saying that we do share in the graces that are abundant in Mass,
The whole concept of Mass is that Christ is truly present and giving glory,praise and thanksgiving to the Father and we as the body of Christ unite with Him in this special offering.


Think of all the love that the Father has lavished on us and the ingratitude that He receives back, Mass is not an entertainment medium and if we get stuck in this false mindset then we will indeed find it boring.
For Catholics there is nothing greater than the Mass and we would be very selfish and foolish to neglect it.

Answer 5

Yes you should attend. Mass is not for your entertainment...it's one hour a week you can sacrifice to God. You should go to spend time with him...after all he is there for you! How would you feel if the people you loved and sacrificed for didn't even bother to show up to see you?

If you pray and seek him...you might find you'll start to enjoy Mass because your soul will respond to the grace and love of Christ.

Start with Confession so you can receive the Body and Blood of Christ and then live that during each week. Then as you come back to Mass and find yourself involved with God you'll begin to understand the power and miracle of the Eucharist and God's love for you!

Answer 6

Absolutely attend!

Do you remember the Jesus' parable about the two sons?

The father tells one son to go work in his fields. He says, "Yes, fathe:, but neglects his promise.

The father tells his other son to go work in his fields, and he says, "No, father." He later thinks renegs and goes to work in the field.

Which of these two sons did his father's bidding?
The second son of course. He may have done it grudgingly - but he still did it.

Sometimes, that's how it feels when God asks us to dop something. Too many people say, "no" and that's it. We need more people to do God's work - even grudgingly.

I go to mass every Sunday, but I still struggle to pray regularly on my own time. I've learned that I must pray when I feel like it - and it is absolutely necessary for me to pray when I do not feel like it!

The point is; yes, go to mass - especially if you don't feel like it. At no other time during our earthly lives are we closer to God than when we are at mass; in reception of Holy Communion. Mass is, after all, how Catholics fulfill the Commandment to Keep Holy the Sabbath.

Yes, go to mass. Listen to the Bible readings. Listen to your priest's sermon (hopefully he is a good orator. That always helps.)

If you like to read, I recommend the book, "We Worship: A Gide to the Ctholic Mass", by Father oscar lukefahr.

You know what? You mentioned a fondness for simply sitting in a chapel, and feeling a certain closness to God that way. You can do that at any Catholic Church as well. You can go into a Church, even when there is no mass, and just sit.

You can bring a copy of the book I just mentioned and, like going to a library for peace and quiet, go to the Church, sit in the pews, and read.

Eucharistic Adoration - you should attend that. It's a service many Church's do at least once a week. They bring out consecrated bread and win, in a container called a monstrance, and put it on the alter. Now, you are in the Real Presence of Jesus Christ. It usually lasts an hour or so, but you can come and go at the time of your chooseing.

Please start attending mass regularly. And don't beat yourself up if you have trouble paying attention. You can't go from zero to sixty without working your way up to it. Be patient with yourself. If your heart is really invested into the mass, it will come in time.

Mass it one of those things where you get out of it what you put into it. We, as lay Catholics, are not meant to attend mass as mere spectators. We're participants. In time, when you've gained an appreciation for how you participatem, and what participating means, the day will come when you can't imagine not going to mass.

Answer 7

As a Catholic you are required to attend Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation. If you find Mass boring perhaps it is because you do not have a good understanding of what is happening. Try to find out a bit more about it. Remember, Mass is not meant to be entertainment. You can get that anywhere..

Cheers :-)

Answer 8

Doing what God wants is not always what we want. I was given a little mission to attend the Church of my Lutheran Great Grandma from Minnesota though I was baptized Roman Catholic and am a closet Ba'hai. By putting away my vanity I have learned more of the bible than many and know I can pass through many worlds as a compassionate observer and be obedient to the practices of those I am intellectually at odds with if it serves the Balance.
When god is ready for you to circulate you will know.

Answer 9

The Mass itself is essentially a prayer. A prayer that you pray along with the officiating priest and your fellow communicants.

By all means, don't stop sitting by yourself and praying quietly and doing meditative prayer. That's part of the prayer life you have with God. But as a Catholic myself, I ask you to reconsider about going to Mass. I will have to admit that attending Mass is not my favorite way of praying. I like to just sit in front of the Blessed Sacrament by myself and pray directly to God, contemplating His awesomeness and majesty. Sometimes I will recite the Rosary and/or the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. But I still go to Mass anyway because it's important to share with your fellow Catholics in celebrating the sacrifice that Christ made on the cross for us, which is what is re-created in the Mass. We also partake literally of Him when we receive communion (John ch 64). Most of the prayers of the Mass are taken straight from Scripture, and those that aren't are us praying for special intentions like loved ones, peace in the world, etc. Try going to Mass sometime and when you do, offer that Mass up for, and dedicate it to, someone who might need a prayer. That's what I usually do. Even if it may not be our favorite form of prayer, we should still go......

Answer 10

Many people say this, and there is a reason.

We are supposed to go to Mass out of Love for God. We are there to worship our creator from all of our blessings have come.

We are becoming so spoiled in our faith that many think only of themselves and want to know "what is in it for them" if you pay attention to the three scripture readings from the bible (Yes Catholics do have bible readings at mass 1 Old Testament followed by 2 New Testament) and pay attention to the Homily (Sermon) and realize that you are receiving the body of Jesus in the Eucharist, it may have more meaning. There are 168 hours in every week, Mass takes 1, give one hour per week to God.

If you want to be entertained, go to a Concert, if you want to go to heaven for eternity, go to Church.

Peace and God Bless.

P.S. I was not talking to you specifically, but to all people (Including myself) when we start to put ourselves first.