"How Did We Get Here?"

Dear Parishioners,

I recently heard our Coadjutor Bishop, Joseph A. Williams, speak about how he would attend daily Mass with his father. His father is a physician with a family of nine children, yet found time not only to attend Mass each Sunday but each and every day. God bless him!

Over the years I have heard hundreds, if not thousands, of the confessions of children whether it was in the Catholic school or in the religious education programs. I regularly try to put the children at ease and try to help them realize that God is a forgiving God, if only we request His mercy. I tell them that there is no sin God can’t forgive, if we are truly sorry. My emphasis is on how merciful God is to all of us. I want this sacrament to be one in which children will never be afraid and will continue to keep a positive attitude toward it as they mature into adulthood.

Without going very long I usually begin hearing from the young children how they are “too busy” to go to Sunday Mass, that they “have sports on Sunday,” that their family “usually goes to Mass for Christmas and Easter” but not necessarily each week, and a whole bunch of similar comments. All this is unfortunately telling me that going to Mass each Sunday is far from a priority in many, many families. I dare not even mention Holy Days of Obligation—like the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven (August 15), All Saints Day, (November 1), or the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary (December 8). Holy Days of Obligation are treated with an attitude of optional at best, similar to the overwhelming number of Catholics who think in similar manner about Sunday Mass attendance each week.

Let me answer a few questions directly. Do Catholics still have an obligation to attend Mass each week? Yes  Has this requirement changed over the years? No 

"Sunday . . . is to be observed as the foremost holy day of obligation in the universal Church." "On Sundays and other holy days of obligation the faithful are bound to participate in the Mass." (2192, CCC)  

[Please refer to the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) under the section on The Ten Commandments for a complete explanation.]  

So what is a pastor like me to do? I certainly have an obligation and accountability before God for the spiritual well-being of my people. I care about them. I love them. I pray for them each day.  

1) Maybe I can pretend that there is no problem. Just be silent and not bring up the topic. I will only alienate people further.  (How much worse can it get?  About four-fifths of the average parish is missing each Sunday already!?)  

2) Maybe I can gently urge and try warmly to invite people.  (Realistically, I have been attempting to do this almost every day of my priestly life. The results, unfortunately, have not been overwhelming.)  

3) Should I preach hell, fire and damnation like the good, old days? (While I think that the Fear of the Lord is a much needed virtue for our times, most of society does not want to be told what to do—rarely, if ever.)  

4) Should I go on trying to live and lead by example? Will my striving for personal holiness and my desire for conversion of life became contagious and lead people to Christ? (I can only hope and pray!)

Growing up as a child in the 60’s and 70’s was, in my humble opinion, a very crazy time.  Free-love, the drug culture, Vietnam, the Cold War, unrest on college campuses, racial tension, etc. all seemed overwhelming to me as a kid. Yet, somehow God was present to me in the midst of it all. Despite the many adversities, I mysteriously heard the call to be Jesus’ disciple. God could truly penetrate even the most difficult of situations—then and now. Just look at the cross. Didn’t this, too, seem to be the worst of all situations? When I ask myself today “How did we get here?” as a culture and as a Church, I know deep down I must continue to trust that God is still in charge and in His plan for salvation good will ultimately triumph.

Please come to Mass each week.  I will never stop asking (begging). I care about your eternal salvation much too much.                                                                                                                           

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor