Why Should We Attend Mass As Often As We Can?

by Rev. Fr. Peter F. Sfeir

Should not every true Catholic strive to attend Mass as often as possible? The answer is found in a remarkable and inspiring little book written by a holy man about 500 years ago, Thomas A. Kempis, in his well-known work The Imitation of Christ: "When a Priest celebrates Mass, he honours God, he rejoices the Angels, he edifies the Church, he helps the living, he obtains rest for the departed, and makes himself partaker of all good things" (Book IV, Ch. V). Such marvellous effects are also attained by the attentive hearing of the Holy Mass.

On this subject a striking illustration has been given by a modern author, Rev. C. C. Smyth, who says: "What would we say of the man who went to prison for debt with a gold mine at his door? What would we say of the drowning man who did not raise his hand to grasp at the saving beam floating above him? What would we say of the man who starved to death with the Bread of Life in sight? Unless he were totally, absolutely blind, we would certainly call him a fool. In the Mass, the Church offers to every man a mine of limitless wealth, the infinite merits of Our Lord Jesus Christ, wherewith to pay his debt to Divine Justice; to the man engulfed in a sea of trials and temptations, she extends the saving beam of the Cross; before him who hungers unto death with unfulfilled desire, she places the Living Bread from Heaven. Truly in the Mass, Heaven may be had for the asking; yet every Priest is forced to admit, after but a short exercise of his ministry, that the greater number of Catholics neither understand nor love the Mass as they should, and consequently fail to realise its immense treasure of spiritual knowledge and grace. Knowledge is the road to love and service. If Catholics did but know the deep lessons of the various symbols and liturgical ceremonies of the Mass, they would soon hold faster to its graces and lead lives more practically (and truly) Catholic".

As an inspiring conclusion, we quote the words of two prominent authors:

"One who knows how to profit from the Holy Mass will obtain the forgiveness of his sins and the abundance of heavenly graces, just as if he had been favoured by being present and assisting at all of the holy mysteries of the life of Christ."

Sanchez

"Thus, we who have the opportunity of hearing Mass may deem ourselves equally fortunate with the contemporaries of Our Lord, nay, more fortunate than they, since they could only hear and see one Mass, and that a very long one; whereas we may hear more than one every day and at small cost to ourselves, share in the fruits of Christ's life and Passion."

Explanation of the Mass by Rev. Fr. Martin von Cochem.