Per Christum Catholic Blog

You cannot pray at home as at church, where there is a great multitude, where exclamations are cried out to God as from one great heart, and where there is something more: the union of minds, the accord of souls, the bond of charity, the prayers of the priests. ~St. John Chrysostom, De incomprehensibili

The Early Show informed its viewers today that 5% of Catholics polled do not attend church at all. For those of you who may not be familiar with the Catholic Church, we believe Mass attendance is essential to the growth of our faith (please see the quick review at the end of this post).

With this in mind, I ask my question to the 5%: If you do not desire the Mass, the Eucharist, why do you desire to be known as Catholic? Please, do not misunderstand me. I am genuinely curious. During my time away from the Catholic Church, I would have emphatically told anyone in earshot that I was NOT Catholic, and never wanted to be considered Catholic. And I didn’t care what the Church taught on the Sacraments, much to my mother’s dismay, but that’s another story.

Being Catholic is not inherited. There is no DNA sequence that sets us apart from the “rest” of the world. For example, I took genetics classes in college but I would not consider myself to be a geneticist. I would not even consider myself remotely capable to understand what it means to do genetic work on a day to day basis. David has made a similar point previously. This is why I ask. So why classify yourself as a Catholic? Is it traditions in your home that define being Catholic to you? Or maybe it is flakiness that keeps you away from your church?

As a Catholic who goes to Mass and sees the value of it in my everyday life, I would like to extend an invitation to lapsed Catholics to come back to the Eucharistic feast. We would love to have you home again. But if its not for you, we won’t hold it against you. Nonetheless, I am still wondering, why claim to be Catholic when you don’t participate in the rituals that make one Catholic?

A Quick Catechism Review:

1384 The Lord addresses an invitation to us, urging us to receive him in the sacrament of the Eucharist: “Truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. (John 6:53)”

1389 The Church obliges the faithful “to take part in the Divine Liturgy on Sundays and feast days” and, prepared by the sacrament of Reconciliation, to receive the Eucharist at least once a year, if possible during the Easter season (221). But the Church strongly encourages the faithful to receive the holy Eucharist on Sundays and feast days, or more often still, even daily.
….
The Sunday obligation

2180 The precept of the Church specifies the law of the Lord more precisely: “On Sundays and other holy days of obligation the faithful are bound to participate in the Mass.” (117) “The precept of participating in the Mass is satisfied by assistance at a Mass which is celebrated anywhere in a Catholic rite either on the holy day or on the evening of the preceding day.”(118)

2181 The Sunday Eucharist is the foundation and confirmation of all Christian practice. For this reason the faithful are obliged to participate in the Eucharist on days of obligation, unless excused for a serious reason (for example, illness, the care of infants) or dispensed by their own pastor. (119) Those who deliberately fail in this obligation commit a grave sin.

2182 Participation in the communal celebration of the Sunday Eucharist is a testimony of belonging and of being faithful to Christ and to his Church. the faithful give witness by this to their communion in faith and charity. Together they testify to God’s holiness and their hope of salvation. They strengthen one another under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

From the Catechism of the Catholic Church:
The Paschal Banquet
The Lord’s Day