THE CHURCH IS A COMMUNITY OF BELIEVERS

We have all heard people say I don’t need to attend Mass, because I pray to God at home every day.

If the only reason for going to church were to talk to God this may be true. Prayer is not something limited to a physical place or even a holy place. If the sole purpose of the church was prayer, it would be a narrow purpose indeed. The Church is a community of believers, formed by “our Lord, one faith, one Baptism.” It is an outward sign of our faith in God. The purpose of the Church is to give us grace, that is, a share in God’s life.

Coming to Mass is not really for God’s sake, but for ours. If we believe that Jesus is truly present in the Holy Eucharist, then we will want to be in his presence. We will want to be fed by him. Our daily prayer and good works are strengthened by our authentic encounter with our Lord. For Catholics, it is at Mass that we celebrate the source and summit of our faith.

During this time when we have been deprived of attending Mass we have discovered that a big part of our lives is missing. Church is not just a place of prayer but it is also where a community gathers; a community of love and friendship. We have all missed this part of our parish and hope and pray we can be together soon.