Dearly Beloved,
"That very day, the first day of the week, two of Jesus' disciples were going to a village seven miles from Jerusalem called Emmaus..." (Lk 24: 13). Let's take some time on this "first day of the week," this third Sunday of Easter, to reflect on the importance and necessity of going to mass every Sunday (if inclement weather or poor health do not impede us). Catholics are expected to attend Mass on all Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation. Why so? What is so special about Sunday? Early Christians received wisdom on the centrality of this day of all days in the week as a day primarily devoted to sacred worship. Pope St. John Paul II wrote of Sunday in the following words: “It is Easter which returns week by week, celebrating Christ's victory over sin and death, the fulfilment in him of the first creation and the dawn of "the new creation" (cf. 2 Cor 5:17). It is the day which recalls in grateful adoration the world's first day and looks forward in active hope to "the last day", when Christ will come in glory (cf. Acts 1:11; 1 Th 4:13-17) and all things will be made new (cf. Rev 21:5)” (Dies Domini, 1).
One of the earliest writings of the Church on early Christian understanding and practice on
Sunday, "the first day of the week," is found in today's Office of Reading (Divine Office, the
official prayer of the Church), St. Justin Martyr's "First Apologia," in which he describes what Christians did on that day:
they assemble, they share the Word of Sacred Scriptures, and they partake in the Holy Eucharist. Here are words from St. Justin's "First Apologia": "We hold our common assembly on Sunday because it is the first day of the week, the day on which God put darkness and chaos to flight and created the world, and because on that same day our savior Jesus Christ rose from the dead."
Sunday is primarily the Lord's Day! It is not sports day (though we can play sports with family), it is not party day( though we can celebrate a party with family and friends), it is not a day to sleep all morning and watch TV (though we can indeed rest more and recreate with family by watching movies or sports on TV together); it is above all the day Christ is revealed sacramentally to the assemble of the faithful in the explanation of the Scriptures and the breaking of bread (see Lk 24:32,35). On the Jewish Sabbath, what did Jesus do? He often went to the temple to worship. As followers of Jesus, we should imitate his spirit by gathering in person on Sunday to glorify and praise God through the liturgies of the Word and the Eucharist.
Attending Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation maintains God's covenant with us and offers him praise and thanksgiving for saving us from sin and death. It is why every Sunday is a mini-Easter, a day of the joyful celebration of the Risen Christ. The Mass on Sunday is preeminently foreshadowing the eternal banquet in heaven that we all look forward
to. Therefore, it would be best if you looked forward to every Mass, especially on Sundays, as a foretaste of heaven, which
is the purpose and destiny of our earthly journey. Always prioritize going to Mass on “the Lord’s Day, the lord of days”
(Dies Domini 2). Imagine missing Mass on Sunday as the equivalent of missing a taste of heaven on earth.
Congratulations to our children who received Holy Communion for the first time on Saturday. I taught them about the importance of attending Mass every Sunday. I told them it is the most excellent source of joy on earth: a meeting with the Real and Living Jesus. I pray they act on my instructions with the help of their parents and godparents. With Pope St. John Paul II, I invite you “to rediscover with new intensity the meaning of Sunday: its ‘mystery’, its celebration, its significance for Christian and human life” (Dies Domini 3). See you next Sunday! And strive to invite someone to mass if you can.
In Christ's Joy,
Fr. Alayode, OP
"That very day, the first day of the week, two of Jesus' disciples were going to a village seven miles from Jerusalem called Emmaus..." (Lk 24: 13). Let's take some time on this "first day of the week," this third Sunday of Easter, to reflect on the importance and necessity of going to mass every Sunday (if inclement weather or poor health do not impede us). Catholics are expected to attend Mass on all Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation. Why so? What is so special about Sunday? Early Christians received wisdom on the centrality of this day of all days in the week as a day primarily devoted to sacred worship. Pope St. John Paul II wrote of Sunday in the following words: “It is Easter which returns week by week, celebrating Christ's victory over sin and death, the fulfilment in him of the first creation and the dawn of "the new creation" (cf. 2 Cor 5:17). It is the day which recalls in grateful adoration the world's first day and looks forward in active hope to "the last day", when Christ will come in glory (cf. Acts 1:11; 1 Th 4:13-17) and all things will be made new (cf. Rev 21:5)” (Dies Domini, 1).
One of the earliest writings of the Church on early Christian understanding and practice on
Sunday, "the first day of the week," is found in today's Office of Reading (Divine Office, the
official prayer of the Church), St. Justin Martyr's "First Apologia," in which he describes what Christians did on that day:
they assemble, they share the Word of Sacred Scriptures, and they partake in the Holy Eucharist. Here are words from St. Justin's "First Apologia": "We hold our common assembly on Sunday because it is the first day of the week, the day on which God put darkness and chaos to flight and created the world, and because on that same day our savior Jesus Christ rose from the dead."
Sunday is primarily the Lord's Day! It is not sports day (though we can play sports with family), it is not party day( though we can celebrate a party with family and friends), it is not a day to sleep all morning and watch TV (though we can indeed rest more and recreate with family by watching movies or sports on TV together); it is above all the day Christ is revealed sacramentally to the assemble of the faithful in the explanation of the Scriptures and the breaking of bread (see Lk 24:32,35). On the Jewish Sabbath, what did Jesus do? He often went to the temple to worship. As followers of Jesus, we should imitate his spirit by gathering in person on Sunday to glorify and praise God through the liturgies of the Word and the Eucharist.
Attending Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation maintains God's covenant with us and offers him praise and thanksgiving for saving us from sin and death. It is why every Sunday is a mini-Easter, a day of the joyful celebration of the Risen Christ. The Mass on Sunday is preeminently foreshadowing the eternal banquet in heaven that we all look forward
to. Therefore, it would be best if you looked forward to every Mass, especially on Sundays, as a foretaste of heaven, which
is the purpose and destiny of our earthly journey. Always prioritize going to Mass on “the Lord’s Day, the lord of days”
(Dies Domini 2). Imagine missing Mass on Sunday as the equivalent of missing a taste of heaven on earth.
Congratulations to our children who received Holy Communion for the first time on Saturday. I taught them about the importance of attending Mass every Sunday. I told them it is the most excellent source of joy on earth: a meeting with the Real and Living Jesus. I pray they act on my instructions with the help of their parents and godparents. With Pope St. John Paul II, I invite you “to rediscover with new intensity the meaning of Sunday: its ‘mystery’, its celebration, its significance for Christian and human life” (Dies Domini 3). See you next Sunday! And strive to invite someone to mass if you can.
In Christ's Joy,
Fr. Alayode, OP
RSS Feed