There are certain days that Catholics are obliged by church law to attend Mass. These days are called “holy days of obligation”. Every Sunday of the year is a holy day of obligation. In addition, Catholics in Australia are obliged to attend Mass on the Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary (15th August) and Christmas Day. Failing to attend Mass on Sunday or another holy day of obligation is considered a serious sin.

The Church does not oblige us to attend Mass because She wants to make our life difficult. Rather, the Church’s concern is for our salvation. Like a good parent, the Church wants what is best for us. And what is best for us is to give our love to God by participating in the sacrifice of Christ on at least a weekly basis.

Of course, there are lots of Catholics who attend Mass on other days of the week as well. In our parish, public Mass is available every day of the week except Mondays.

If we value the Mass, we will make it a priority to arrive on time and stay for the duration. We should not make a habit of arriving late to Mass or leaving Mass early. The Mass should not just be something we “fit in” around other things. Rather, it should be the first and most important thing in our weekly schedule, the thing around which we fit other things. Sometimes this will mean having to miss out on, leave early, or arrive late to other events.

In order to fulfill our obligation to attend Mass, we need to participate in the whole Mass. Nevertheless, there are rare occasions where we find ourselves arriving late, having to leave early, or having to duck out briefly for serious reasons. These things happen. If our attendance is affected by just, serious reasons, we have not failed in our obligation.

In Holy Communion, we don’t receive mere bread: we receive the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ.

In Holy Communion, Jesus feeds and nourishes the life of God in our soul. Receiving Holy Communion is the privilege of Catholics who are in a state of grace. The ‘state of grace’ means that the life of God, first received in Baptism, is present in our soul. We lose this gift of God’s life through mortal sin. If we are aware of having committed serious sin, we need to refrain from receiving Holy Communion until we have been forgiven in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Receiving Holy Communion when we are not in a state of grace is a sacrilege that is harmful to our faith.

In addition to being in a state of grace, the Church requires us to fast from food and drink for one hour before receiving Holy Communion. If we have not been able to observe the fast, we should not receive Holy Communion.

If you are not able to receive Holy Communion for whatever reason, you may simply remain in your seat at Communion time, or you may come forward to receive a blessing. You can indicate that you want to receive a blessing by coming forward with your arms crossed over your chest.

The Church allows us to receive Holy Communion in two ways: directly on the tongue, or in the hand. As we approach to receive Holy Communion, the minister will state: “The Body of Christ.” The recipient responds: “Amen.” Then, if you are receiving on your tongue, simply tilt your head back slightly, open your mouth, and slightly extend your tongue. The minister will place the Sacred Host directly on to your tongue. On the other hand, if you are receiving in your hand, cup raise your hands (left on top of right) at chest height and, with your right hand, immediately place the Sacred Host into your mouth. Under no circumstances should we walk away with the host in our hands.

Once we have received Holy Communion, we should focus on praying and thanking God for uniting Himself to us in this unique way.

Attending Mass with little children can be challenging. The first thing to remember is that we are glad to have many families with little people in our parish. You and your family are welcome! We understand that children will make noise from time to time.

At the same time, parents should be mindful of the other people attending Mass. It is good for parents to set clear expectations with their children about behaviour in church. This helps children learn that the church is a unique and special place where God is present. If children become unsettled for a prolonged period, parents are encouraged to take their children from the church until they are settled again.

As a parent it can be frustrating if you feel you are not able to focus on the Mass because of your child’s behaviour. In these situations, your presence is itself a prayer. Teaching and disciplining your child is an important part of fulfilling your God-given vocation, even if that means you are not able to be as focussed on the Mass as you would like.

The words of the prayers and readings at Mass are printed in a book called ‘The Missal’. The Sunday Missal and Weekday Missal are published by St Pauls Press and are available for purchase from our piety stalls.

You can purchase the Sunday Missal here.

You can purchase the Weekday Missal here.