How often are you late to Mass?
Father David Michael Moses of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston answered a question many Catholics commonly ask: How late can I be to Mass and still fulfill my Sunday obligation?
However, the popular social media priest and musician says we are not asking the right question. He says that while the Catholic Church does not have an official teaching on the matter, we must think about it differently.
He compares it to being late to a movie. He says the creators never write a film intending for the viewer to walk in late and miss the point of the story. Rather, they expect you to watch it in its entirety.
"When you go to see a movie, you don't think, 'How much of this movie could I miss and still be able to say I watched it?' The people who made the movie weren't thinking, 'How late could somebody walk into this and still get the point of the story?'
"Instead, they made it so you could watch the whole thing. They assumed you would watch it from the beginning. God didn't give us the Mass thinking, 'How little of this did they really need to come to?'"
"The Mass–heaven coming to earth– is a gift and God wants you to experience all of it."
Here's Father David Michael's full answer below:
Read the full text of the video below:
"How late can a Catholic get to Mass and still have a count for their Sunday obligation? I've heard lots of theories about this– that maybe if you missed most of the readings but you hear the Gospel, you're okay. Or as long as you get there before the preparation of the altar or the consecration, you're fine.
"But think about it like this: when you go to see a movie, you don't think, 'How much of this movie could I miss and still be able to say I watched it?' The people who made the movie weren't thinking, 'How late could somebody walk into this and still get the point of the story?'
"Instead, they made it so you could watch the whole thing. They assumed you would watch it from the beginning.
"God didn't give us the Mass thinking, 'How little of this did they really need to come to?'
"Do emergencies and unavoidable delays come up? Of course. But generally speaking, it's reasonable to be on time–maybe even a little early. The Church doesn't have an official teaching on how late you can be to Mass and I'm glad because it's the wrong question. The Mass–heaven coming to earth– is a gift and God wants you to experience all of it."
Father David Michael's video generated over 620,000 views, almost 40,000 likes, and more than 600 comments.
Here's how users responded:
One user commented, "You are amazing! This is the best analogy. If we were all devoted to Mass as much as we are to movies, what a different world it would be. WOW!"
Another user said, "Another brilliant analogy by Father David! Thank you and God bless!"
Someone else added, "Best practice: go early if you're church does a rosary before. Or at least enough time to read over the readings and the gospel before Mass starts. I find I participate better that way."
Another user commented, "The Mass, heaven coming to earth, is a gift."