hey this is Jackie and Bobby angel with
ascension presents today we're going to
talk about what to do when you don't
feel like going to Mass
[Music]
so we got a question recently about what
to do when you don't feel like going to
mass you're just not in the mood you're
not looking forward to it and I'd say
that's part of the human experience is
that we don't always feel excited about
doing the things that are going to be
life-giving for us whether that's
exercise going to work and even going to
mass anything that requires a discipline
not always a fun thing and especially
since this whole quarantine thing since
we've been able to watch mass in our
pajamas or what do you know just like
we're like at home it's super easy the
thought of going back to mass and
especially if you have kids like oh boy
we totally understand we get it it's a
human thing going to mass can sometimes
seem like a chore now this is where
again this is where we go deeper in the
faith that our faith isn't just about
feelings and in fact I think sometimes
God is more proud of us when we don't
feel like going but we go anyways I
think he's like it's just like a being a
parent like I'm proud of my children
when they're asked to do something and
they don't want to do it but they do it
because out of love so beyond just it's
good for me it's transformative on the
other end it's really the Eucharist
that's the source and summit of our
faith it's Jesus Christ body and blood
soul and divinity and the Catholic
writer Flannery O'Connor yep said that
when when approached if the Eucharist is
just a symbol if it's just a symbolic
piece of bread she said if it's just a
symbol then to hell with it
yeah then why why should I bother
leaving my house why should I bother you
know going through kind of the measures
of the quarantine like you know it's
cumbersome right now and we get it like
it's not exciting to think I have to
again register to go to Mass or I have
to wear all this protective equipment
but if that it really is Jesus you know
it's it's worth taking that those steps
to get there and again with respect to
whatever your health concerns may be or
you don't want to chance getting another
person sick and your family like we get
it like everyone's got to discern where
they're at right now in this very
strange time but if it is Jesus Christ
you know that's a risk worth worth
taking the truth is if if my Sunday
experience of we're
shipping God is just about the the talk
the preaching and the music I can really
go down the street to the evangelical
church that has better preaching better
music okay I mean that's that's just the
truth but we go to Mass because of the
Eucharist because Jesus the one thing
Jesus said he said do this in memory of
me now all these other forms of Prayer
are beautiful I'm I'm a musician I love
singing to God I love reading scripture
I love you know having silent time
praying the rosary at Divine Mercy
chaplet but the one thing that Jesus
said is to do this in memory of him
which is the sacrifice of the Eucharist
that's the one thing God asked us to do
and it's not always gonna be pleasant
especially if your appearance it is it
is not fun going with screaming children
toddlers you know it's it's not but it's
about going because of the Eucharist so
I have to remind myself of that
sometimes when I don't feel like going
you know it wouldn't be much easier just
to stay at home and this baller quote
from Saint John Chrysostom says you
cannot pray at home as at church where
there is a great multitude where
exclamations are cried out to God as
from one great heart and where there is
something more the union of minds the
Accord of souls the bond of charity the
prayers of the priests and and we are
literally we are the body of Christ we
receive the body of Christ together as
the body of Christ when we go to Mass
now the sunday obligation it is in all
not now this whole Kovach time the
obligation has been lifted there's been
dispensation but it says even in to 181
in the Catechism it says the faithful
are obliged to participate in the
Eucharist on days of obligation which
every Sunday is an obligation and less
excuse for a serious reason for example
illness or the care of infants etc etc
or dispensed by their own pastor and
we've been dispensed by the bishops for
a long time but again you guys we
totally get it if you don't feel like
going that's just being human I
personally I am lazy I don't want to get
no I haven't stayed in my pajamas for
three months you know I just had a
newborn I had a baby for Sh
I was pregnant I'm sitting around my
pajamas all day just even put on pants
this is not a fun experience I just
don't want to do it you know I don't
want to leave the house but again for
the Eucharist
I have to remind myself like I need I
need to go to Mass and receipt I want to
receive Jesus that's why we're Catholic
is because of the Eucharist the source
and summit of our faith so that's the
Holy Spirit to convict you if if you are
really not wanting to go to Mass if
you're able to now maybe in small
numbers even the daily Mass like you
know some parishes are gonna resume
daily Mass and you're able to go and
that's a much smaller crowd and ask the
Holy Spirit's like give me the desire to
go to Mass they want me to fall more in
love with you Jesus then I would I would
want to step out the door and make an
effort here in my own prayer when
thinking about this message I really
well kept coming up was was come back to
me come back to me what what God is
constantly saying to the people Israel
throughout the Old Testament come back
to me again there's so many excuses we
can have right now and it's time of this
global koban situation to stay away from
mass to not go but the longer we stay
away the easier it is to just stay away
for good the easier it is to just slide
into not thinking I need to go to mass
anymore not thinking I need to really
pray not really thinking I need to
uphold the Sabbath which again from the
time of ancient Israel is an important
precept of God for our own rest and
rejuvenation and to give God right
worship the longer we stay in that mode
the more it takes a toll on us it takes
a toll on our ability to be generous to
be charitable to speak good to each
other especially on the internet but it
gets a lot easier to just stop going
yeah it happened and I think not
receiving the Eucharist frequently is
taking a toll on for myself for sure but
I think on many of us were it's the
thing we can't really put to words it's
we start to notice like the Eucharist is
not just symbolic it really is
life-giving transformative food this is
the body blood soul and divinity of
Christ and I just I feel like God is
really saying come back to me come back
to me to the extent you feel able to and
you feel can't appropriate and safe to
do so
come back to me amen we'll be praying
for you guys pray for us as well from
all of us at ascension presents god
bless we'll see you next time
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