Obedient to the commandment of Jesus Christ at the Last Supper to, “do this in memory of Me” (Lk 22:19), Christ’s Holy Catholic Church has always celebrated His Eucharist and urged and obliged Catholic men to receive Him in the Eucharist so every Catholic man might find the true and lasting happiness that Jesus promises.
Every Catholic man’s obligation to the Sacrament of the Eucharist
Every Catholic man has a solemn obligation to give God his best by participating in the Sacrament of the Eucharist at least every Sunday and on all holy days of obligation.
The “Eucharist is the source and summit” of a Catholic man’s life (CCC 1324). 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…Those who deliberately fail in this obligation commit a grave sin” (CCC 2181); the very first Precept of the Church is that, “You shall attend Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation and rest from servile labor” requires the faithful to sanctify the day commemorating the Resurrection of the Lord (CCC 2042).
Husbands and fathers are called to be protectors, providers and leaders of the family; a Catholic man’s greatest responsibility is to lead his spouse and children to meet Christ in the Mass.
Growing in happiness through the Sacrament of the Eucharist
Rather than an empty obligation of a bygone era, the Holy Catholic Church urges every Catholic man to participate in the Sacrament of the Eucharist in the Mass because it is through the Eucharist that a man can find the true and lasting happiness Jesus promises.
Through the Sacrament of the Eucharist in the Mass, every Catholic man:
- Experiences the single greatest event in his life by actually drawing close to the King of Creation and being fed with His real Body and Blood; a mere man becomes super-naturalized by the Eucharist.
- Continually keeps the solemn promise he made to God in his Sacrament of Confirmation; deliberately missing weekly Mass is a grave sin that can put a man into a state of mortal sin; if a man dies in a state of mortal sin, he will lose eternal life and spend eternity in Hell.
- Gives His King praise and thanks (Eucharist means “thanksgiving”) for the many blessings the man enjoys. All a man can give the Eternal Christ is his praise and thanksgiving.
- Is forgiven of venial sins, including for those things he has done and what he has failed to do, by the Mercy of Jesus Christ; a man cannot be forgiven of mortal sin in the Mass, but only in the Sacrament of Penance.
- Receives relief from the stresses of the spiritual battles in his life, guidance and supernatural spiritual nourishment from the King of Creation, and is blessed with growing happiness, peace and joy.
- Is strengthened by the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Joseph, and all the Saints and Angels.
- Brings petitions directly to the Almighty Father, in Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit, for his wife, children, family, friends and for the whole world, knowing his prayers are heard.
- Fulfills the solemn, sacred and unbreakable vows he made in the Sacrament of Matrimony to God and his wife to faithfully attend Sunday Mass and receives abundant blessings to grow deeper in married love.
- Protects his children by bringing them to Christ, better ensuring his children will remain in the faith and be accepted into Heaven.
- Bears witness to other men, building a Catholic Band of Brothers which strengthens all men’s faith.