July 3, 2024

By Father William Muench
NCC columnist

Personally, I don’t think they know why we, Catholics, go to Mass on Sunday. I believe this is why many Catholics do not attend Mass on Sunday. I believe that our many young people do not attend Sunday Mass because they do not know why we go to Mass each week. So, you see, this is why we have to get of word out – especially to our young people – about why we believe it is so important for us, Catholics, to attend Mass each Sunday.

I would like to share a story with you. This is about an older, retired sea captain. Now he captains a ferry boat; let’s say it’s the ferry from Prince Edward Island to the Iles de Madelaine – up north in Canada. It is a sizable trip. This captain likes to take a moment as he begins each voyage to say a prayer over the public address speakers for all to hear. On one voyage, the ship ran into a rather heavy storm, but they got through it okay. As the people were leaving the boat, one of them asked the captain whether he said lots of prayers on this voyage. He answered, “I pray when it is calm; when it is rough, I attend to the ship”

I like to think that he prays for a strong faith during those calm times. Then he is ready when it is a rough voyage. As a pastor, I have stood with many families or individuals experiencing terrible situations. Often, I have been amazed at just how difficult the situation was and how they were ever able to deal with it all. And often they would tell me, “Father, if I didn’t have my faith, I would not have gotten through it at all.”

I want everyone, especially our young people, to know that we can accomplish so much when we have a strong faith in our Lord. I want them all to know that we, Catholics, attend Sunday Mass to make our faith in Our God strong and alive now. We take the time to pray and celebrate the Holy Eucharist to continue to strengthen our faith because this could be the week.

We, Catholics, believe that celebrating our Sunday Mass helps keep us faith filled disciples of the Lord and ready to face whatever this week brings. This could be that I will not miss the chance to help someone who will need me. This could be the week that I will have faith enough to say the right thing to someone – maybe in my own family. You never know. This could be the week when I will be ready to truly do something magnificent. And, by the way, for us older people, this could be the week.

Some may have the question, “do I need this Sunday Mass every week?” My answer is that each Holy Mass is a powerful event, a necessary experience whenever and wherever I celebrate it. Again, the concern for each of us is simply that this could be the week. Could this be the week when my faith will be tested.

Recently, the Gospel at the Sunday Mass was that story of Jesus calming the wind and the sea while on a boat trip with the apostles. Even though Jesus was with the apostles in that boat, the storm still struck. So, just because a storm strikes, it doesn’t mean that God has abandoned us. If we have faith, we will not doubt that Jesus is with us, and we should turn to him in prayer knowing that he will help us.