Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

Can one be a Christian without going to Mass?

Introduction

In my previous article, What to do when you are interested in Catholicism?, in the Second step part, I talked about what seems to me to be obvious, but which apparently is not obvious to all people claiming to be Christian, obvious which is the observance of rest and Sunday mass.

So I will explain to you in detail, with Biblical quotes and Canonical references to support it, why this is not an option for any self-respecting Christian, especially a Catholic!

A feast of obligatory worship... What's that?

A holy day of obligation, from the Latin Praeceptum, order, is a day on which it is obligatory for every Christian to attend Mass and rest from work; this day must be entirely devoted to the Lord, as so rightly stipulated in the third Commandment, given by God to Moses, cited several times in the Bible:

Book of Exodus

“ Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy .” Exodus 20:8-11

Book of Deuteronomy:

“ Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, according to the commandment of the Lord your God. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your ox, your donkey or any of your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. Your male and female servants shall rest, as you do. Remember that you were slaves in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the Lord your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day. ” Deuteronomy 5:12-15

If the word of God himself is not enough for you, the Code of Canon Law, in article 1246, stipulates that:

" The Sunday on which, according to apostolic tradition, the Paschal Mystery is celebrated must be observed throughout the Church as the principal holy day of obligation. And likewise must be observed the days of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, of the Epiphany, of the Ascension and of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, the day of Mary Mother of God, of her Immaculate Conception and of her Assumption, of Saint Joseph, of the holy Apostles Peter and Paul and finally of all the Saints ."

But not just on Sundays then?

As you can see, Sunday is not the only day of obligation, where rest and participation in Mass is mandatory; there are others which all have the rank of Solemnities, the highest degree of importance in the liturgical calendar.

There are 10 of them:

• December 8: Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
• December 25: Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord (Christmas)
• January 1st: Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God
• January 6: Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord
• March 19: Solemnity of Saint Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary
• Thursday of the sixth week of Easter: Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord
• Thursday after Trinity Sunday: Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Feast of Corpus Christi)
• June 29: Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles
• August 15: Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
• November 1st: Solemnity of All Saints

However, the same article 1246 of the Code of Canon Law specifies:

" However, the Conference of Bishops may, with the prior approval of the Holy See, abolish certain holy days of obligation or postpone them to Sunday. "

In France, the days of obligation (rest + mandatory mass) are Christmas, Ascension, Assumption and All Saints' Day.

As regards other solemnities, other than Sundays, insofar as they are not public holidays, only the obligation to participate in Mass is maintained, not the observance of rest.

Conclusion

I have therefore demonstrated to you, by the commandments of God, by the Bible where this obligation is specified, and by the code of canon law, that on Sunday it is not encouraged, it is not advised, but it is OBLIGATORY for every Christian to go to Mass. If, despite this demonstration, you refuse to do so, then you are not a Christian, you are something else, but stop making a business of belonging to this wonderful family, which is Christendom.

I hope this article has put the church back at the center of the village.

See you next time for the next article.

Jouanne Clément

Stella Christi - religious items, rosaries, crosses, icons and Christian gifts
Committed to the faith, Devotion for all