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Make the Commitment to Attend Daily Mass in 2021
There is something undeniably exciting about the hope and optimism that come with the beginning of a new year. Following the season of preparation during Advent and the joyous celebration of the birth of Christ, we are invited to pause once more and reflect upon our goals and dreams for the coming year. In addition to the secular resolutions we may be making to lose weight, read more, or consume less social media, January also provides us with a wonderful opportunity to begin making positive changes in our spiritual lives.
We are especially blessed in the Catholic Church to have so many special devotions available to us for deepening our relationship with Christ. This year, some parishioners may choose to begin spending time in Eucharistic Adoration, add a daily or weekly Rosary to their prayers, or learn more about the life of a particular saint. Another spiritual practice sure to enrich one’s faith life is the attendance of daily Mass.
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Parishioner Cathy Carpenter has been attending daily Mass at St. Anthony since she and her husband moved to Quincy in 1997.
“I figure it helps me get the day started right,” Cathy says. “You haven’t started the day yet and you are spending some time in prayer. When I’m at Mass, I try to immerse myself. I do the daily Mass readings all the time. It gives me stuff to think about, and I just feel like this is the best way to start the day.”
While many of the daily Mass attendees are in their retirement years, Cathy has noticed that more young families have recently started coming to our weekday Masses. She is happy to see parents bringing their kids to Mass before starting the school day, as this is a great way to form children in the faith.
Of course, there are some days and schedules that simply don’t allow for daily Mass attendance. However, this does not have to prevent the faithful from making a commitment to spend time in relationship with the Lord each and every day.
“If you can’t get to Mass, having a quiet time in the morning is a good way to get started, as well,” Cathy says. “You come down when everyone else is asleep, you have a read from the Bible or another spiritually oriented book and think about what you’ve read. The important thing is making a connection at some point during the day. Maybe for some people evening is better, or another time of day when they can separate from the business and have that quiet time. But actually being at Mass, where the Lord is — I really feel that is the best. I really think that when you have a chance, you should go.”
Knowing well the abundant blessings that come from a devotion to daily Mass, Cathy certainly missed being able to begin her day this way when churches were temporarily closed last spring. Although she was thankful for the opportunity to watch the Masses online, she missed the physical act of worshiping together with others and receiving Christ in the Eucharist.
“Somehow it just wasn’t the same watching on the Internet,” says Cathy of that time of church closure. “Being there with people in the physical space and knowing we are all there for the same purpose — that is important to me. It was really great when we were able to get back together again.”
The offering of daily Mass is a gift unique to the Catholic Church, and one that can be truly life-changing. As we continue to be affected by a global pandemic, some parishioners may feel more comfortable coming to a Mass during the week that has less attendees than a regular weekend Mass. For anyone, making the commitment to attend daily Mass — whether it is once or twice a week or every day — is a New Year’s commitment sure to bring many spiritual rewards!
