iPadre #251 – The Lord’s Day
Why do we go to Mass on Sunday (and Holy Days)? In our current secular culture, many people will say: “I worship God at home,” “God is everywhere, I don’t need to go to church.” In this episode, we’ll look at what Jesus has to say about this.
This week’s Mary Moment has Sarah Reinhard pondering Our Lady at the foot of the cross.
– Music: “Give Me Your Glory” by Dan Ryker
– Pope Benedict XVI’s Lenten Message
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Dear Father Finelli,
I just recently started listening to your podcasts, and I wanted to send some feedback to let you know how this podcast has helped me to feel more connected to my community of Catholic believers. I chose this podcast to comment where you talk about the importance of going to Sunday mass because it brought home to me a message that I sorely needed to hear. I do not live in the US and have been living abroad for more than 15 years. I have regularly missed Sunday mass during this time, although I call myself a practicing Catholic. When I return to the states every year or two, I go to confession and most often this sin is at the top of my list. I always include my excuse that mass is in a language that I dont understand bla bla. During these many years of returning home and going to confession, I have never left the confessional feeling the obligation that I must make it to mass on Sunday when I get back to where I am living. I just continued to repeat this pattern of missing mass and then confessing it when I return to the states. I rested on this excuse that Mass was in a language that I did not understand, and etc etc. Meanwhile I now have a family and I have been more diligent about going to mass but still, if there is a reason to miss it, I dont break my neck to get there, because in the back of my mind I have this rationalising voice telling me things… The fact is I understand Croatian well enough to follow mass, although I still pray in English, I have actually made the leap this year and attempted to go to confession in Croatian. But what I want to tell you is that I have not ever felt that any of the priests (always a different priest so there have been many to whom I have confessed this over 15 years..) have ever made me feel that this was so bad, that it was indeed a mortal sin and a breaking of one of the three most important commandments UNTIL I listened to your podcast. I want to thank you for putting it in no uncertain terms that going to Mass is one of the highest obligations that we have as Catholics. I am struggling to feel a part of this Catholic community where I am living as a foreigner but certainly that cannot change if I am not at mass.
Btw, I really enjoy your podcast as I am hungry to worship in English and this has certainly been one way to satisfy that need. …..(the intro music is a little nerve wracking though!! how about something a little more soothing??!!)
thanks so much for your work,
Elizabeth