Primary Way to Worship

Individual Catholics belong to parishes, which are local places of worship. Both the daily church and weekly services are called Holy Mass, and they are modeled as reenactments of Holy Thursday (when the Last Supper was celebrated) and Good Friday (when he died to give humankind the means to eternal life).

Attendance to Sunday Mass is required for Catholics. Not attending is considered a grave sin, unless there is a good reason for not going (such as illness or inclement weather). Most Christians attend Sunday services, but most Catholics also have the option of Saturday evening Mass, as well.

This Saturday evening Mass, also called the Vigil Mass, is relatively new in Church history. It was begun in 1983 under the rationale that anytime after sundown is considered to be the next day in Jewish tradition, so a Saturday evening mass fulfills the Sunday obligation.

Sunday is still the preferred day of worship, as a day to go to church and to spend time with the family. The Vigil Mass is no longer restricted to those who must work on Sunday, but is offered to all. The obligation to avoid unnecessary work on Sunday still remains, however, as it's the Day of the Lord for all Christians globally.

The Saturday evening worship is somewhat unique to Catholicism, and also carries over to other Holy days as well. Due to the time issues facing most American families today, most parishes offer Vigil Masses for Holy Days of Obligation and some even offer Masses on the morning of that Holy Day.

Many accuse Catholics of just going through the motions by attending the required Sunday Mass, and it's true that many do. However, Mass involves more than merely being present on Sunday-it requires both body and soul. It is for this reason that Catholic services involve a lot of different postures, standing, sitting, kneeling, bowing, singing, etc., in order to better worship the Lord.

Unfortunately, many Catholics don't fully appreciate God's grace and don't practice what they hear in Mass. There is a recurring joke that the most dangerous places on Earth are parish parking lots immediately after Mass. Some people leave before the Mass is actually over, attempting to "beat the rush." Most Catholics are respectful, however, and leave church at the proper time-after the last hymn and after the priest leaves the sanctuary.