"Sundays we go to Church" has been a common line throughout history, distinguishing the Christian from the non-Christian. But do we really need to go to Church?

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Even if we don't feel like going to Mass, it is a Church requirement that we do so on Sundays. It is a requirement of the Catholic faith to attend Mass every Sunday (unless you are physically unable to do so). God gives us this request, and it is one of the only major things He asks of us each week - to sacrifice one hour of our time and give it to the Lord. The Lord deserves so much more from us, but all He asks is that we dedicate Sundays to Him. 

It would be like if you have a very, very generous parent who sacrificed everything to give you what you needed when you lived independently, and all they asked was to call them once a week for 30 minutes... well it's like saying that you're too busy throughout the whole week to have a 30 minute conversation with the person who loves you most in the world. 

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Mass can seem boring at times, and sometimes even for me, the words just pass over my head, and can feel like I got nothing out of going to Mass, however we go to Mass not to be entertained, but to worship the Lord. Also, fun fact; going to Mass gives us grace; grace that gives us the strength to battle through our daily lives, and the grace that makes it easier to pay attention and focus when you do go to Mass. We basically do everything we are commanded to do by God Himself at the Mass: rest from work, worship, proclaim the Word of God, partake in the Body and Blood of our Lord, and build community with other believers. All of that in just one hour, incredible! Even though we are only required to do so on Sundays, it is important to dedicate our time and everything that we do for the Lord as frequently as possible.

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The Church declares that missing Mass without a valid reason is a mortal sin. That can be a big call for us - is it really that serious? However, it actually makes a lot of sense. God has made it clear throughout Scripture that He wants us to stop working one day a week and worship Him. Looking at the ten commandments, the third commandment is to keep Holy the Sabbath Day - the Lord's Day. Christians celebrate the Lord's day on Sunday, which corresponds to Jesus Christ's resurrection. If God commands us to do something and we don't do it, we are committing a mortal sin against the Lord. 

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Other than Sundays, there are other days in the Church calendar that have been declared Holy Days of Obligation. Some of these can fall on week days, but even so, it is important to attend Mass on those days.

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Reading all of this can put us off a bit, it can make anyone view Catholics as just having to obey a bunch of rules. But if you think of it more, it's more than just being obedient to rules. Anyone would know that in any relationship there are a set of expectations. If you are a child or even a teenager living with your parent's house, maybe an expectation would be if you left to go out, you would tell your parents when you will be back so they can prepare whatever is needed for your return. Or if you were in a marriage there would be many expectations and roles that would show your love to each other. Relationships do have expectations, and requirements. Even being in friendship with someone, we commit our time and sometimes our things to that person. It's the same with God. When we were baptised, we were brought in the covenant family of God. A covenant is a binding between you and the Lord (like a marriage). Our relationship with God is a two way street. 

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