One day, I went to visit a parishioner who was housebound, though she is now late (RIP). Before becoming housebound, I came to know her as a very faithful member of the parish because she was always at Mass every morning. She came with her missal and made sure she followed the readings. Even when she was struggling with her mobility, she kept coming to Mass faithfully. That day, which happened to be my last day before she passed, after giving her Holy Communion and being about to leave, she asked me to sit because there was something she wanted to tell me. I sat down to listen to her and, to be frank, what she said to me sounded unbelievable. She said to me, “Father, I don’t think I believe in God. Even if I did, I don’t know how convinced I am about it.” I couldn’t believe my ears. In my usual way, I smiled and then asked her, “But Mary (not her real name), you come to church every day, so why are you saying you don’t believe in God?” She then responded, saying, “Father, the truth is, I have not been coming to church because I believe or am convinced, but I am doing it for the sake of my mum, who made me promise her before she died that I must continue going to church. This is because she was taking me to church every day while I was very young. So, I felt I needed to reveal this to you because it has been a big burden in my heart.” I spent time talking to her about this, and then she asked if she could go to confession. She saw many reasons to believe in God, and at the end of my visit, she felt that burden had been lifted off her shoulders. I left her reflecting deeply on that encounter. It became like a revelation to me that there may be a lot of people coming to Mass every Sunday but may not have any genuine reason for being there. If the reason for going to church is not because I want to grow deeper in my faith and my relationship with God and the Body of Christ, if it is not because I know deep in myself that I go because I need God and also need the worshipping community to grow in my faith in Him, then I need to ask myself that question: “Why am I even going to church?”
When we speak about going to church, we are not simply talking about entering a building. The Church is the family of God, a community of believers gathered in Christ’s name. It is a place where faith is nourished, hope is strengthened, and love is put into action. The Church should be a spiritual house and not a social club. It is not a place I go because I want to meet friends or because I am feeling lonely at home. We go to church because we want to worship God, hear His word, and receive strength for the everyday journey. We go because we need the community of believers. We go because we encounter Christ in the sacraments.
But what happens when we stop going to church? We may not notice the effects immediately when we drift away from church. Over time, prayer may become weaker, faith can become fragile, and our relationship with God can become distant. Just as our bodies need regular nourishment, our souls need spiritual nourishment. Church provides that nourishment through worship, scripture, prayer, fellowship, and the sacraments.
Maybe the question should not be “why do I go to church?” but rather “what kind of person am I becoming because I go to church?” If church is helping us love God more, forgive more readily, serve more generously, and live more faithfully, then it is fulfilling its purpose. Let me know your thoughts about this topic. Shalom.
