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I am a new writer to Catholic 365. I have been writing on Catholic subjects primarily in our parish bulletin. With the encouragement of others, I found myself wanting to write more. However, with limited space in the bulletin, my longer, more engaging articles suggest I need to find other avenues to share my thoughts.
So, with the help of an associate in our Office, “Thank you, Mary”, I received a link to Catholic 365, and the rest is now history. I knew when I was blessed with the opportunity to write regularly that one of the first subjects I wanted to focus on involved “The Mass”. My first article talked primarily of my love for the Mass. My focus of this writing relates to the loss of so many who used to attend Mass on a regular basis.
How do we keep those young second graders coming back to Mass every week after that special Mass when they receive their First Communion? And how do we engage those second graders, who are now 18, 26, 42, and 55 years old who no longer attend, or attend infrequently? Asking both the current second graders and the older second graders to return to the sacred, holy place where their Catholic faith took form in The Mass, is an effort we, who have continued our devout practice to attend Mass, must focus our efforts and evangelism skills.
As I am part of a parish with a school of more than 900 elementary school children, I continue to pray for ways to keep our children, soon to be young adult Catholics and then older Catholics, involved in the Church. Yes, I pray they want to attend Mass, but also to be what Our Lord expects of all of us, children of God who love Him and live a life looking out for our brothers and sisters as He wants us to. Building a relationship with Jesus is key. Once that relationship is established, then attending Mass won’t need to be a plea by others to attend, but a no-brainer to attend. Hopefully, they will come because they want to, not because they were/are forced to. It has to start early.
What might be different now versus the time when I went to school some 50+ years ago. Has the Catechism changed? Some, but the basic tennants are still in place Do Catholics still believe in Jesus? Yes. I am not here to cite statistics. That may be a reflection for another day. However, belief in God is still popular. So, what has changed? Perhaps a few things…..
Many of the Catholic schools of years gone by had Sisters/Nuns who were profound visual reminders in our schools of our Catholic faith. They were teachers who lived the faith through their teaching and encouraging children to live it daily in class. They instilled the Catholic faith in a profound way. As I said in my first article, the Franciscan Sisters made such a difference in my life. It is unfortunate we don’t have the sisters of the past to teach, care for, and be part of the list of teachers in our elementary and high schools today. Not every teacher in my elementary school was a nun, and the lay teachers I had were good teachers who also played a part in the wonderful education I received. However, looking back, I likely underestimated the value of the nun’s impact on my faith, at the time, and my devout love of the Church and The Mass.
Another important element which contributed to my love of the Mass and Jesus, was the involvement of the pastor/priest at my church/school. My Pastor, Father Danielak (Father Dan), visited our class every week. He sat with us in class and talked with us. Of course, we saw him at Mass every morning. But that wasn’t enough. He was engaged. He was firm when he needed to be. He was kind all the time. And he kept us focused on Jesus, The Church, and attending Mass, among so many other things. Fr. Dan was respected. We rose when he entered the room and when he left. It was always, “Yes, Father”, “No, Father”. He had our respect because we were taught to respect him, to listen to him, and to obey him. Father Dan’s participation in our education of the faith made a difference. Just visually seeing him was a constant reminder of Jesus. I miss that simpler time. In looking back, it was perfect.
At this point, I must interject a thought. It is not lost on me the many horrific acts of the last many years where so many young people had a nightmarish childhood involving the Catholic Church and the clergy. I cannot address this with any personal knowledge, and as a result, I’ll not expand on it in this writing. My focus continues to be on The Mass.
As my article title indicates, attending your First Communion Mass can’t be a “one and done” event where you check it off the list and no longer attend Mass. If that is the case, what was the point? I am confident that Jesus is expecting us back every week….. so says the Fourth Commandment. So, accept it and make Our Lord a focus in your life. He gave you life. He is waiting for you each Sunday to spend a little time with Him.
Parents are clearly the biggest influence on a young person’s life. And as a result, they also likely play the most important role in a young person’s life as a Catholic. Questions involving whether the parents attend Mass, as well as questions involving how the parents encourage Catholic practices in their child’s young life, in developing that long term relationship with Jesus, persist. I am not a parent. I can only talk about how I was raised.
An obvious first question is “Do the parents attend Mass”? If they don’t, then how can we expect the child to attend? If parents send their children to a Catholic school, is it for the education which is likely superior in many cases or is it for the education and the religious teaching they receive? Either way, the parents must be the guiding force for a child’s love of his/her faith and ultimately their respect for the teachings of the Church. Unfortunately, my sense is many parents don’t feel the obligation to go and so goes it with the child.
At this point in this article, I feel myself getting very angry with those who call themselves Catholic who don’t attend Mass. Can you be a good Catholic and not follow the tenants of the Catholic Church? In my opinion, no. What is a good Catholic? Past grievances, modern day opinions about the Church and its rules clearly have a heavy influence on those who call themselves Catholics today.
When I was a child, I feared something would happen to me if I did not attend Mass. Perhaps I’d be struck by lightning or God would strike me dead. Practical thinking would say that is silly. But if God is still someone you rely on for guidance, help, and protection, and you still consider yourself Catholic, then how can you not attend Mass as you were taught? Attendance at Mass is one of the many precepts of the Catholic Church. You can’t have it both ways. If asked, do you proclaim yourself a Catholic even though you don’t attend Mass…why? Does it make you sleep better at night? Picking and choosing what parts of the Catholic faith work for you is not acceptable.
I know, it sounds like sanctimony on my part. No one is perfect, including me. My failings in my years as a Catholic are long. But I continue to try and be closer to Jesus every day. I must believe that Our Lord wants all of us to try and be closer to Him and remember that He must be the center of our life if we want to be with Him in his Kingdom someday. I have my days when I also am saddened when thinking about the times I have failed Jesus. I rely on Him to forgive me my sins, and I continue my promise to keep Him at the center of my life. Because I cannot change the past, I can attempt to make up for my many failings by trying to change the future.
If you believe in the teachings of the Catholic Church and you accept the fact that Jesus died on the cross for your salvation, it can’t be too much to ask that we spend 45 minutes with Him each Sunday?
I have talked with two priests recently about this subject on more than one occasion. And when I have, it feels like they have kind of ‘given up’. They have tried for years to turn things around. They’ve not said it, but I sense they have a feeling of ‘throwing up their hands’. I know and respect both too much to believe that they have given up the effort to “bring ‘em home”. But I hate seeing that defeated look in the eyes of a priest who I know wants to see that the lost are found. I am practical in my thinking that no one person can summon all lapsed or lost Catholics back home. And these two priests are no different. There are times when I feel like I would try anything to turn around the hearts and minds of those who no longer attend. Then I remember I am only a small cog in a wheel too large to even imagine. Or, with the help of others, can we push that flywheel I mentioned in my first article “I love The Mass”, and get the momentum moving?
So, is it too late? Jesus would likely tell me, and others like me, that it starts with just one. I am sure when He began his ministry alone, He had some difficult days as well. But He didn’t give up because He loved us. And that turned out alright in the long run. Aren’t we supposed to look for the lost sheep? Isn’t that what we were taught? If following the tenants of the Church includes looking for that lost sheep just like attending Mass, then we also can’t pick and choose which “rules” in the Church to follow. I hope those priests I’ve talked with and others who have that look of defeat don’t give up. I pray they, and all of us who still attend Mass, continue to try, and bring back the many to Mass until the day Jesus takes us home to be with Him in heaven.
We can do it. Will you be one who tries?
I am not a professional writer. But I love Jesus and I had enjoyed writing articles for our parish bulletin until space became an issue. I now write for me, but would like to continue to share my thoughts with others. A friend and priest has always encouraged me to write and find an avenue to share my thoughts.
