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November 2, 2021The short answer is yes. The reason for this is simple: we are bound by a most solemn obligation to attend Mass every Sunday.
The deeper question for this is “why?” To get to this answer, we first must look at the Old Testament. In the Book of Exodus, God gives Moses the Ten Commandments, the third of which is “Remember that thou keep holy the sabbath day.” Moses gives a further explanation as to why in the Book of Deuteronomy: “Remember that thou also didst serve in Egypt, and the Lord thy God brought thee out from thence with a strong hand, and a stretched-out arm. Therefore, hath he commanded thee that thou shouldst observe the sabbath day” (Deuteronomy 5:15).
This is to say that the Jews were solemnly bound to keep the Sabbath in remembrance of what the Lord did for them in Egypt. Similarly, we the Catholic faithful are commanded to keep Sunday as the Sabbath (which was the practice of the Apostles, see Acts 20:7) because on Easter Sunday (remember that every Sunday is a mini-Easter) Our Lord won the victory for us over sin and death.
So, we clearly see why we must keep Sunday as a holy day. But why Mass? Here, we must understand what Mass is. We commonly call Mass “the Holy Sacrifice.” The reason for this is that the one sacrifice of Christ, which He offered on the cross, is presented again in the Eucharist and offered to God the Father. Therefore, Mass is a pure and perfect sacrifice offered to God the Father through Jesus Christ and this is what we “owe” to Him.
The primary reason that we attend Mass is not what we get out of it, but rather what we offer (together with Christ) to God. Therefore, Mass attendance is a matter of justice, which is to say that our attendance at Sunday Mass is what is owed to God.
That said, is it a mortal sin to miss even one Sunday Mass? Can I go to hell for missing Sunday Mass only one time? Again, the simple answer is yes. To miss Sunday Mass, even once, is a serious offense against Almighty God.
Some might ask, “What about those who are seriously ill or are homebound?” Those who find themselves under these circumstances are exempt. For these people, Mass attendance is not possible and therefore they are not morally culpable for not attending.
What must be mentioned, however, are things that do not exempt a person from the Sunday Mass obligation: vacation, work, hunting, fishing, sleeping in, golfing trip with college buddies, etc. Mass needs to be the excuse for which we miss everything else. Furthermore, in this country, Sunday Mass is abundantly available everywhere and easy to access.
Let us always approach the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass with great love for Almighty God with hearts full of gratitude for what He has done for us.
Fr. Greg Luger is pastor at the Churches St. Jerome in Mohall, St. James in Sherwood and St. John in Lansford. If you have a question you were afraid to ask, now is the time to ask it! Simply email your question to [email protected] with the “Question Afraid to Ask” in the subject line.