What do you go to Divine Liturgy/Mass for?

Onesimus

So, what do you go to Mass for? You often hear people say ''I don't go to Mass because I don't really get anything out of it''. But isn't the very reason we don't get anything out of Mass is because we are there precisely for that reason? to get something? What about giving? isn't it in giving that we receive?

So . . . how would you sum up the reasons 1) why you go to Mass and 2) why you rarely if ever go to Mass?

Heres Your Future

I don't go to mass, there are many reasons why i choose not to go to mass, but primarily it is because i believe that 'if' god exists (and thats a big if) then why would he want us to spend us precious time (our lives are but the flicker of a butterflies wings in the garden of time) worshipping him and giving him praise, surely we can do that when we are dead. I also dont believe in the church as in institution depsite the good it has done

Onesimus

Hello HYF. We were created to know and love God here and now. To spend time with him here and now and remain committed to him and persevere in his favour until the end. When I met my wife, had I of told her ''I'm not ready to love you until 20 years time when I'm old and grey'' she would not have dated me for very long.

Heres Your Future

yes i understand your viewpoint and it's obviously one that is shared by many people, priests and nuns devote their entire lives here on earth to God.

I just don't happen to agree with that viewpoint, it doesn't 'make sense' to me. why would god make a vast, vast universe and stick us here on an insignificant planet, lost on a rock in the vastness of space to spend our lives giving him praise?
why would he create a human reality where evil is prevalent and some unfortunate people suffer so much? and before you say it is because of free will, if God is all good and God created everything that exists, then there should be no evil.

i also think that many people go to mass 'just because its what they have always done' the amount of people who say that they don't agree with the structure and indeed, many of the teachings of the church, yet still go to mass seems high

anyway i dont mean to hijack your thread, like you i would be interested to hear others reasons for going/not going to mass

Heres Your Future

oh i should have said above from a catholic viewpoint i dont believe in transubstantiation or the real presence either. a communion wafer is still a communion wafer whether a priest blesses it or not

philologos

You could have broadened this thread out and asked "What do you go to church for"? I don't know if that was your broad intention, or are you only interested in discussing with Roman Catholics on this?

Onesimus

HYF, thanks for your multitude of questions and I have no doubt you are sincere. I could take the time to tick each box for you and give you an answer but I'm simply too busy for that kind of thing.

There is a great site called Catholic answers forum ( just google it ) and you can sign up and ask many well informed Catholics there. I'm sure you would enjoy the discussions they have.

Your in my prayers and may God bless you.

Onesimus

Onesimus

philologos wrote: »

You could have broadened this thread out and asked "What do you go to church for"? I don't know if that was your broad intention, or are you only interested in discussing with Roman Catholics on this?

I could have Philologos but I guess you're right, I was looking for the Catholic perspective on this, and that includes Greek Catholics, Roman Catholics, Coptic Catholics, Melkite Catholics, Maronite Catholics, Armenian Catholics and the list goes on, theres so much diversity in the Church and in expression of theology it would be unfair to include the universal Church.

Onesimus

but forgive me if you want to give us reasons why you like to go to your Church and why you don't go please let any Christian feel free to reply.

lmaopml

I go to Mass to see, taste, hear, live and even smell the Gospels Onesimus, the Good News, the New Covenant. To me, the Divine Liturgy at our thanksgiving Mass is a gift from God to the faithful, it's like in those moments that Heaven touches Earth in a never ending Communion, a marriage feast, and all the Angels and Saints are singing, Holy, Holy, Holy to the Lamb of God, our King our Savior. I absolutely love going to praise and worship him.

scidive

Heres Your Future wrote: »

yes i understand your viewpoint and it's obviously one that is shared by many people, priests and nuns devote their entire lives here on earth to God.

I just don't happen to agree with that viewpoint, it doesn't 'make sense' to me. why would god make a vast, vast universe and stick us here on an insignificant planet, lost on a rock in the vastness of space to spend our lives giving him praise?
why would he create a human reality where evil is prevalent and some unfortunate people suffer so much? and before you say it is because of free will, if God is all good and God created everything that exists, then there should be no evil.

i also think that many people go to mass 'just because its what they have always done' the amount of people who say that they don't agree with the structure and indeed, many of the teachings of the church, yet still go to mass seems high

anyway i dont mean to hijack your thread, like you i would be interested to hear others reasons for going/not going to mass

My own understanding of why there's good and evil, pain and joy on earth is because it prepares us for the next life hopefully in heaven were there is no evil, pain or death.

Life on earth shows us the consequences of evil and the misery it causes and the fruits of doing good and the benefits that result, life tests us, teaches us and hopefully improves us as we meet the various challenges that life throws at us.

The church is our signpost through life that we on the right track doing the right thing it is also there to help us were many graces can be obtained. Life also tests our faith and the mass is an expression of our faith in our creator our highest form of prayer.

scidive

lmaopml wrote: »

I go to Mass to see, taste, hear, live and even smell the Gospels Onesimus, the Good News, the New Covenant. To me, the Divine Liturgy at our thanksgiving Mass is a gift from God to the faithful, it's like in those moments that Heaven touches Earth in a never ending Communion, a marriage feast, and all the Angels and Saints are singing, Holy, Holy, Holy to the Lamb of God, our King our Savior. I absolutely love going to praise and worship him.

Hi Imaopml

That is what mass should be all about one long thank giving prayer. I'm not sure how others fell about the priests sermon but it does not feel right to me. I have being at mass's were the sermon can go on for 10-15mins. It puts the sermon at center stage and takes from the most important part of the mass the holy sacrifice. The sermon should be kept very short and more time spent on prayer and thanks giving. It would be interesting to know was the priest sermon introduced in vatican two or did it exist in the old mass.

Gumbi

Because I had to.

I did go on my own of my own accord as I got older, though, and in my own. Probably missed less than half a dozen Sundays in 18 years. I can't say for sure whether it was out of habit by that stage, or because I had something else driving me to go.

That's my honest answer

lmaopml

scidive wrote: »

Hi Imaopml

That is what mass should be all about one long thank giving prayer. I'm not sure how others fell about the priests sermon but it does not feel right to me. I have being at mass's were the sermon can go on for 10-15mins. It puts the sermon at center stage and takes from the most important part of the mass the holy sacrifice. The sermon should be kept very short and more time spent on prayer and thanks giving. It would be interesting to know was the priest sermon introduced in vatican two or did it exist in the old mass.

I think the homily was always part of the structure of Mass tbh. I don't mind it...even if the Priest is monotone..lol....the effectiveness is not so much about the time spent, or even the Priest, I think the effectiveness comes from within at Mass.

It's straight after the Liturgy of the Word and just before the Liturgy of the Eucharist - so it's a 'pause' before each Sacrament. I love the part when we're asked to 'Lift up your Hearts' and we 'raise them up to the Lord' - it's then that you put on the eyes of Faith and a door opens in Heaven, and we really do taste and see that the Lord is good, and we worship the Lamb - beautiful, just beautiful, every single Mass. It's such a privilege to know the lamp is burning for God's presence...

What I do find odd however is when we gather just before Mass, that in some Parishes some adults speaking very loud about all sorts of stuff..lol...and don't acknowledge the presence a little quieter to prepare. That's the bugbear I have experienced..:)

robman60

If I'm completely honest, one of the main reasons I go is because I believe the values of Christianity are something anyone can aspire to. If I were to write this in a regular forum here, I'd probably be ridiculed and told "What values, assaulting children"?

But that was never something caused by God, rather by the earthly mistakes of imperfect men. I really wish more people could separate Christian values from the bad aspects of the Church's past.

totus tuus

robman60 wrote: »

If I'm completely honest, one of the main reasons I go is because I believe the values of Christianity are something anyone can aspire to. If I were to write this in a regular forum here, I'd probably be ridiculed and told "What values, assaulting children"?

But that was never something caused by God, rather by the earthly mistakes of imperfect men. I really wish more people could separate Christian values from the bad aspects of the Church's past.

One of my favourite quotes from Bl. Fulton J. Sheen.

Judge not the Church by those who barely live by it's spirit, but by those who live closest to it.

I go to Mass because the Eucharist is central to our faith. It's the source of life for Catholics, we experience God physically present among us. To praise God, and Bless Him, Adore Him and Glorify Him, to beseech Him and and thank Him.

It is easier for the earth to exist without the sun than without the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. (St. Padre Pio)

totus tuus

Vesting for Mass and what it means.

homer911

Praise, Worship, Teaching, Fellowship, Prayer, Mutual encouragement