(A reflection on attending Mass)
Attending Mass is a personal witness to what is most important to us. Simply going to Mass makes us an evangelist to family, friends, neighbors and the community in which we live. Jesus stated that if we stand up for him before the world, he will stand up for us before God the Father.
At Mass God talks to us in a way that happens nowhere else. Through the prayers of the Mass, the scripture readings, and the homily; God is able to help, encourage, and instruct us in a unique and personal way.
Hearing the Scriptures in community is a way of deepening as well as safeguarding the experience of God’s communication. Individualistic and idiosyncratic readings of the Bible have led to some pretty wacky and even destructive interpretations. The Scriptures need to be experienced both alone and in community.
As for the assertion that one can worship God anywhere: when was the last time someone strolled in the woods for an hour worshipping God? Besides, what sort of example would we set for relatives, friends and neighbors, simply strolling in the woods? More significantly, in what woods could a priest be found ready and able to feed us with the Body and Blood of our Lord, Jesus Christ?
The Mass is where we experience sacramentally our destiny as members incorporated into the body of Christ. This is what God wants the world to look like: a community of persons who give of themselves to others in faith, hope and love.
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