From the Bishops Mass Attendance

Jul 22, 2010

The Vatican is currently in the process of finalizing a new translation of the prayers of the Mass. We will learn more about this new translation in the coming weeks. As we await the publication of the new translation, we have the opportunity to reflect upon the richness of God’s love which we celebrate every time we consecrate the bread and wine as Jesus commanded us to do at the Last Supper.

In beginning this ongoing reflection of the Mass, the first issue we should address is the importance of being present at Mass.

Attendance at Mass has declined substantially over the last few decades. In the 1950’s about 75% of Catholics attended Mass every Sunday; today about 30% attend weekly Mass. Every Christian denomination is experiencing a similar decline in church attendance. About 50 years ago a majority of Christians in the United States were in church on Sunday. Today a majority are not.

Another statistic is very striking. About 100 years ago the average American worked 6 days a week, 9 to 10 hours a day. Yet in 1910, even though people worked long hours 6 days a week, most Christians went to church on Sunday. It is remarkable that today, even though we have a 5 day/40 hour work week and more disposable time, we are less likely to go to church than people who had a 6 day/60 hour work week!

There are probably many reasons that could explain this development. The bottom line, however, is that our society has changed from a "Lord’s Day" mentality to a "Weekend" mentality. Allow me to explain what I mean by those terms.

In past decades, people worked during the week, but on the Lord’s Day they paused from work in order to worship God. In contemporary society, we work during the week and then feel that we need a weekend during which we can relax and be entertained. Our mentality has changed from Sunday as being a day to worship God to a mentality of a weekend focused upon ourselves and our desire to relax and be entertained.

The problem with the weekend mentality is that it tells us that, after a week of work, we need time to relax in order so that we can go back to work on Monday and work some more. (Ironically, I know some people who actually look forward to going back to work on Monday because they are exhausted from their weekend!) In effect, however, this mentality tells us that we are only created for work. In the old days, if a farmer had a mule, he would work the mule, but he would also give the mule some time off so that the mule would be ready to work some more. Our weekend mentality tells us that we are merely beasts of burden that need time off for rest and entertainment so that we can then work some more.

The Lord’s Day mentality tells us that we are not just beasts of burden. Instead, we have a God-given dignity. Jesus calls us together on the Lord’s Day so that He may tell us who He is and in doing so to tell us who we are. Jesus tells us who He is whenever we worship at Mass. He tells us that he is Abba’s Son. He tells us that he and the Father have a relationship so strong and deep that He and the Father are One. He tells us that their Spirit reaches out to us to invite us into this Communion, with God and our brothers and sisters, not only here and now, but for all eternity. This is why we exist, not merely to work, but to be a part of the communion of Father, Son, and Spirit.

God knows us better than we know ourselves. He gave us the Ten Commandments for our own good. We know that God meant it seriously when He told us not to steal, lie, kill, or commit adultery. But before God gave us these commandments, He gave us the commandment: "Keep Holy the Sabbath." He meant for us to keep this commandment just as seriously as He meant for us to keep the others.

God knew that if we forgot to worship Him, we would slowly but surely forget who God is and, therefore, who we are. This is what is happening in our modern society. As we increasingly look upon our weekend as a time for relaxation and entertainment, we increasingly drift away from the worship of God.

Sometimes people tell me that they do not go to Mass because it is boring. In effect they are saying that the weekend is meant for their entertainment and, if Mass is not as entertaining as the other options open to them, they will not go to Mass. It is not God’s responsibility to entertain us. It is our responsibility to bend the knee before our God and worship Him. If our worship of God is boring to us, that says more about us than it does about God or the worship God commanded of us at the Last Supper.

Do not get me wrong, I have nothing against being entertained. During the football season, I enjoy watching the Saints on television on Sunday afternoon. However, the worship of God comes first. I also know that some people must work on Sunday, especially those who safeguard our protection, health, and vital services. They, in particular, must seek a way to keep holy the Lord’s Day. But this does not describe most of us. God speaks clearly and for our own good: "Keep Holy the Sabbath." If we do not, the weekend will only be some "down time" before we work some more. We will slowly forget God. We will forget who He is and, in doing so, forget the fundamental dignity that God has given to us in creating us to be a part of the communion of Father, Son, and Spirit, now and for all eternity.