Daily Mass Is Truly a Gift

A few weeks ago, I took a vacation day from work. I still got up early that morning, because sleeping late is just a distant memory these days. Does anybody remember the good ol’ days, when if you stayed up until 2 am you would sleep until 10 am? Yeah, fun times. Nowadays, it doesn’t matter when I go to bed. I’ll still wake up at quarter to five — or earlier.

So, on my vacation day, I still went to the YMCA to swim laps. After that, instead of my usual scramble to get to work on time, I basked in the glow of having no pressing engagements. I looked forward to going to a nearby donut shop and enjoying a glass of prune juice and some broccoli. (Just so you know, “prune juice and broccoli” are my code words for coffee and a glazed cruller.)

As I was driving to the donut shop, I realized I was only about five minutes away from a Catholic church, and daily Mass was scheduled to begin in 10 minutes. I started having an animated conversation with my conscience.

“Going to daily Mass wasn’t on my to-do list today,” I explained. My conscience said, “So what? Go anyway.”

“But I was planning on going to the donut shop now,” I said. “Well, go there after Mass. It’ll still be open,” my conscience replied.

I struggled to make a decision. Then I remembered a comment made by one of the keynote speakers at the Connecticut Catholic Men’s Conference back in September. I can’t remember which terrific speaker said this — I’m guessing it was Fr. Larry Richard. Here’s what was said: “If you have the opportunity to go to daily Mass, and you choose not to, you are an idiot!”

Just so you know, this was a boisterous conference with over 500 men in attendance, and the language was far more blunt than you normally would hear during, say, a homily at Sunday Mass. So, none of the guys present were offended by the word “idiot.” It was just the speaker’s way of vividly making a point.

And it is a very good point. Because after all, what is the Mass? Is it merely a ceremony we engage in to remind ourselves that we’re Catholic and to keep our religious traditions alive? 

No, at every Mass Jesus Christ becomes fully present — body, blood, soul, and divinity. The Mass is the closest thing to Heaven on earth. The Lord Himself is truly present at Mass, in a much more powerful way compared to praying or reading Scripture. (Don’t get me wrong. Prayer and Scripture are phenomenal. It’s just that Mass is another level greater than those important spiritual exercises.) The bottom line is this: at Mass we have the opportunity to receive genuine supernatural grace and enter into a mystical, loving relationship with Christ. 

Think of it this way: Imagine if someone had not eaten for two full days, and therefore was feeling really faint. And imagine this person was invited to an all-you-can-eat buffet at no charge. Then imagine this person said, “No, I’m not obligated to go today, so I’ll wait four more days until Sunday.”

Not a very smart decision, right? Well, Mass is like a spiritual buffet for our famished souls. Why wait until Sunday, when we’re “obligated” to go? Why not attend the spiritual feast on a Tuesday or Thursday? 

So, I finally decided to drive past the donut shop and go to daily Mass. It was a surprisingly agonizing decision. (You know how much I like broccoli.)

Well, of course, it was the right choice. Mass was wonderful. I drew much closer to the Lord in prayer, and then when I received the Eucharist I could feel His presence inside me. It turned out to be the highlight of my vacation day.

I’m not going to go so far as to call someone an idiot if he or she has the chance to attend daily Mass but chooses not to. But I at least ask that you prayerfully ponder what Mass is before making your decision.

Oh, and by the way, when Mass concluded, the donut shop, just as my conscience assured me, was still open for business. I arrived about 40 minutes later than planned. And the "prune juice and broccoli" were more tasty than ever.