I Don’t Go To Church

I don’t go to church.  I have heard so much in the last months on social media, in the news, on the radio: “I am not into religion”, “I don’t need to go to church to be a good Christian”,  “I read the Bible, why go to church?” and on and on and on.

I don’t go to church.  I belong to a church, the Catholic Church.  I go to a building each day, which could be called a church building, but what I actually do is attend and participate in the sacrifice of the Mass every day, and am blessed to receive Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist.  I go because I love my faith, not because I feel I am obligated to go.  I agree with those who say “I don’t need to go to church to be a good Christian”.  Going to church does not prove anything to anyone.  God knows who we are, that is for sure.

Attending Mass is different than ‘going to church’.  It is something I can hardly wait for each day, whether it is the 7:30 Mass, the 9am Mass or the lunchtime Mass at the Basilica.   I’ve learned that when I participate in the Mass, I am the one who receives the blessing, who receives the grace. I’m not attending Mass in order to please others, or to follow any rule book.  I go because I love the Mass and the fact that I can receive my daily bread there.   I never tire of the prayers, I have been saying them since I was a little girl. I love the celebration of the Eucharist, the celebration of the consecration of the bread and wine.  Not symbolic for me – it truly is Christ, right there in our midst.  Just waiting for us to come and receive his gift.