Lesson 18
Why Do You Attend Mass?
Why do you attend Mass? I attend Mass to give something to God and to get something from God. What do I give? I give him my time and attention and respect and admiration. I also try to tithe as part of Mass, a beautiful custom from Old Testament times.
What do I get? I hope to get a lot. Grace, strength, perseverance, virtues, joy, deepened friendship, understanding. The List could go on and on.
Did you know that there are four “ends” of the Mass? Just as there are four “ends” of prayer: Petition. Adoration. Reparation. Thanksgiving. PART. That’s a very simple mnemonic to remember.
Petition is asking for things. In the first place we should ask for those things that glorify God, such as Grace in our souls, and peace in the world. In the second place, we can ask for anything else we desire for ourselves and for others: personal holiness, the virtues of faith, hope, charity, prudence, justice, fortitude and temperance; good health, a good job, happiness, a family, a house, fair weather, whatever. If you attend Mass daily, the odds are that your list of intentions will grow by the day. They certainly do at Relevant Radio. We receive a quarter million prayer intentions each month and we pray for them daily during the Holy Mass which is broadcast at noon.
After petition comes adoration, and the supreme moment for adoration is right after the consecration when the priest shows the consecrated host to the people who are on their knees, either with heads bowed, or transfixed in their gaze upon the Holy Eucharist. In their hearts at that moment they might pray the exclamation of St. Thomas the Apostle: “My Lord and my God”, which wins for them indulgences.
Reparation comes from the word “repair” and by reparation we are trying to make up for our sins. Usually our sins are caused by ignoring God and His commandments, so at Mass we can’t possibly be ignoring God because we showed up for Jesus.
Finally, thanksgiving. A spirit of gratitude brings joy to the soul, and I find it helpful to keep a list of all things I am grateful for, each of which is a gift from our good God: thank you Jesus for my life, my health; I can walk; I can talk; I can sing; I can bike; thank you for my friends and my family; thank you for my vocation and your mercy. Thank you for Relevant Radio and the ability to use these means of communication to tell the whole world about You.
So tune in every day of Lent to learn more about your Catholic faith, because if you Learn it, then you can Live it; and if you Live it, you will Love it; and if you Love it, you will never Leave it!
Please feel free to share these lessons with your friends and family, and let them know that it’s easy to sign up to receive these free daily emails. Be assured of my prayers for a fruitful Lenten season!
