Importance of the Mass

Ever since the beginning of the Church in the first century, the faithful have been gathering together on the “first day of the week” to celebrate the Holy Eucharist and fulfill the third commandment of “keeping holy the Sabbath day,” which for early Christians was on Sunday to commemorate the day that Jesus rose from the dead.  In Jewish tradition, their Sabbath began at sunset the day before (Friday) and continued until sunset on Saturday, which is why even today, Catholic churches offer vigil masses the evening before a Holy Day of Obligation, which includes Sundays.

Yes, you read that right.  Attending Mass every Sunday is considered a Holy Day of Obligation in which all believing Catholics are required to physically attend Sunday Mass. The reason for this requirement is not just to fulfill an obligation to keep the Sabbath holy, but also an opportunity to participate in a heavenly encounter, where God, the angels, and saints come down to join us on earth during the consecration.  The Mass is a source of spiritual nourishment through our communal prayers and presence, and physical nourishment through the reception of the Holy Eucharist, which is the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ.

Fr. Ray Ryland gives a good explanation of why the Church, from the time of the apostles, view attending the celebration of the Eucharist (Mass) as the most important gathering, even if it meant risking their lives: https://www.catholic.com/magazine/print-edition/why-is-it-a-mortal-sin-to-miss-mass.  Fr. William Saunders (from the Diocese of Arlington) also gives a good explanation here: https://catholicstraightanswers.com/is-missing-mass-on-sunday-a-mortal-sin.

However, the Catholic Church recognizes that there are extenuating circumstances in which a person might not fall into mortal sin by being unable to attend Mass in-person on Sundays: “The Sunday Eucharist is the foundation and confirmation of all Christian practice. For this reason, the faithful are obliged to participate in the Eucharist on days of obligation, unless excused for a serious reason (for example, illness, the care of infants) … Those who deliberately fail in this obligation commit a grave sin” (Catechism of the Catholic Church No. 2181).  The reason to miss Mass on any Holy Days of Obligation (including Sunday) must be serious – it doesn’t count if you just wanted to sleep in, or watch/attend a sports or social event, or were on vacation even though you were near a Catholic Church, or want to spend the day shopping, etc.  In these cases, that person allows something else to take the place of worshipping God, thereby breaking the First and Third Commandment.

On the other hand, serious illness, lack of transportation, or other insurmountable difficulties are acceptable, depending on each person’s situation.  Below are some examples, but if you have any doubts, it is always best to speak with a priest about your reason, and even go to confession the next time you are able to do so, just to be safe.

• You have a serious or chronic illness, where you need to be in a hospital, nursing home, other health-care facilities, or homebound
• You have a temporary serious illness, especially one that can be spread to others (such as the flu, strep throat, Covid, and other highly-contagious illnesses)
• You need to provide care for an infant or someone else who cannot be left alone, and there is no one else to provide that care
• You have no ability to get to a church for Mass – this is especially true for the elderly who may live alone and not have any transportation
• There are weather events that may prevent you from getting safely to church, such as during or after a blizzard
• You work a 24-hour shift (such as emergency responders, nurses and doctors) where there are no masses available outside of those hours
• You are in a location where there is no priest available to offer the sacrifice of the Mass (especially in some foreign countries)

If you happen to be in a situation where you cannot attend Mass in-person, then as Fr. Saunders stated, you have several options to keep the Sabbath holy.  You can take time to pray, read the prayers and readings of the Mass in the Missal, or watch the Mass online and participate in spirit, saying a Spiritual Communion prayer when the time comes for distributing the Eucharist.  If this is a long-term situation, such as staying in a nursing home/health-care facility or being homebound, you can also call your local parish or the facility’s chaplaincy office to ask for a priest to bring you Holy Communion, so you can physically receive Jesus.