Preparing to Encounter Our Lord: Why Come to Mass?
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Why Come to Mass?
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Yes, attending Sunday Mass is our religious obligation. But there is a deeper gift in the Mass than that of fulfilling an obligation. Understanding and connecting spiritually to that gift will be what draws us each week, beyond the obligatory "because I have to" into the "because I need to - I can't live my life without it."A quick search on the internet will return a myriad of reasons given for attending Mass. Depending on where we are spiritually, different reasons may resonate, motivate, or inspire us to attend Mass.
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Deacon Joe Harris Reflects...
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"I go to Mass for numerous reasons, but I will focus on just a few, and construct in bullet form, for the sake of brevity.
- To thank God. First and foremost, for the gift of salvation. Like the Samaritan leper, I absolutely MUST go back and thank God for the gift of my healing.
- To celebrate in community. I can’t do it all on my own. Good worship involves praying, singing, and sharing. I say at every Baptism, “It takes a community of God to raise a child of God.”
- For continued reassurance. It is at Mass that I truly feel like I am celebrating the love that the Lord gives me. In the Eucharistic prayer, I am witnessing a reenactment of the Lord’s Last Supper. I’m a “fly on the wall” some two thousand years ago.
- To strengthen my faith. I am filled with doubt, both by human nature and the will of the devil. I go to Mass to increase my faith and diminish my doubt… an ongoing journey."- Deacon Joe Harris
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Something to Learn and Reflect On...
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And if you don’t come to Mass......
Please know that we hold you in prayer, and we hope you know how deeply God desires to meet you wherever you are. If the time comes that you’d like to return to Mass, we pray to offer you a warm welcome and a path forward on your journey!
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