Reasons why Catholics don't go to Mass

I'm really interested in knowing why so many Catholics say to hell with going to Mass... please let me know in the comments.  

In the mean-time, Fr. Z takes us to CatholicHotDish (gotta love that name) where there's a list of reasons Catholics avoid (or overcome or deal with) hell and decide to go to Mass:

Catholics come to Mass because we desire:

1. To respond to God’s love.

2. To encounter Christ in the most profound way possible.

3. To gather and pray with our parish family.

4. To strengthen our particular family.

5. To witness to our faith and provide a living legacy to our children and grandchildren.

6. To be transformed by Christ’s grace.

7. To participate in Jesus’ victory over death and the salvation of the world.

8. A foretaste of heaven.

9. To follow God’s loving guidance and to commit to deepening our relationship with 
God.

I can lay claim to numbers 2, 4, 6 and 9 but I really want to know from you Catholics why it is you're deciding to skip out.

You know who you are... leave it in the comments.

Comments

[Dan Kurt]

re: Reasons why Catholics don't go to Mass

Raised a Catholic and went to Catholic grade school and high school. Parents were devote and attended daily mass most of their lives.

I can say one reason Catholics don't go to mass is because Vatican II vitiated the mass. The Latin mass was dropped and being a Catholic was made "easy" as being a Protestant. Once easier it became easy to just stop.

I suggest you look up the Society of Pius the X. Members of that group attend traditional Catholic mass in increasing numbers.

Dan Kurt

[Dolly]

Two words: Music and preaching.

But even so-so preaching can be lived with.

It's the music, the general air of sloppiness with which it is written, selected and performed. I go to mass every Sunday, but I admit, sometimes I just don't go. I can't bring myself to listen to one more mass of wobbly-voiced amateurs singing awful music and then accepting applause at the end of mass. I go to confession when I miss, but it really is that bad. I know someone who goes to daily mass, every single day, but refuses to go to Sunday mass because the music drives him batsh*t crazy

[Ann Barnhardt]

1. Protestantized Liturgy
2. Insipid stupidity in preaching, music and liturgy.
3. Effete EVERYTHING. Effete priest, effete preaching, effete liturgy, effete music.
4. "Eucharist? Huh? What's a Eucharist? Why should I go to church for a piece of bread?" (See points 1-3 for explanation of this.)

[Leslie]

I wonder if the Holy Spirit works with various goals at different points in society making people more drawn to the Eucharist at some times than others...I confess to be Protestant.

Psalm 118:19-25

[Dynan]

Television!

[Anya]

What I am seeing in these responses is that the Mass as entertainment often does not meet our standards. Dynan sums it up honestly with his/her response. But the sacrifice of the Mass is not about our entertainment or aesthetic sensibilities.
A Mass offered in the tackiest of surroundings by a painfully boring Priest and accompanied by the most awful music one can imagine, still contains the most glorious and wonderful thing of Heaven and Earth in the Consecration of the Eucharist. If you can imagine the choirs of Angels that,regardless of these inferior trappings, gather each and every time this takes place, in joyful adoration and make the slightest effort to join them in their pure worship, you may begin to understand the real magnificence of the Sacrifice of the Mass.

[Cegzz.blogspot.com]

a common one that I hear... Oh God is all around, I don't need to go to Mass, it is boring. And "I don't have time".

[CV1]

Selfishness sometimes keeps me away. Occassionally, I'd rather sleep in or do something else on my day off.

[Bernie]

The Holy Sacrifice of The Mass is the greatest prayer on earth. It was the liberal Bishops and Priests after Vatican ll that turned the Holy Mass into some stand up show for Priests. The lack of the true meaning of The Eucharist and the lack of disciplines on the Mass. Vatican ll turn the Catholic Mass into a protestant side show. From clown masses to homosexual masses the Catholic Mass has been turned to the favor of the month in Churches. My wife who was Pentecostal went to a Novus Ordo mass and then to a Latin Mass and she stated that the Latin Mass was more mystical, reverent and Holy. She study and became a Roman Catholic before we got married. People want a feel good church today. They want priests with jokes and talk show skills. The Holy Mass is a prayer and if people realized that countless of Angels bow down and cover there heads with their wings at the consecration would show them the greatest gift God has given us - His Son. Missing Mass is a mortal sin and this is not being told to Catholics.

[Tim Chesterton]

I once heard Marva Dawn tell a story about a young man who spoke to her after a service at her (Lutheran) church. "I didn't get anything out of that service". "Good!" she replied; "We weren't worshipping you!"

Seriously, I'm not a Roman Catholic, just a rather ordinary Anglican priest, but all the reasons you give seem to make perfect sense to me, Rick. Indeed, I think the post could easily have been entitled 'Reasons Why Christians Don't Go to Communion'.

Incidentally, almost all of the reasons you give would also apply to why I pray the Daily Office.

[Terry Duffy]

Either you are a Catholic or your not. It is OK to not be a Catholic but if you don't go to mass or confession and have no intention to go, your not a Catholic and you should not be counted as a Catholic.
With 50% of those who say they are Catholic not going to mass, the number of Catholic in the US is not correct.
I also don't see how you can vote for a pro abortion political canidate and say you are a Catholic. If Catholics did not vote for pro abortion canidates, abortion would not be legal. This is just my opinion and I'll let God be the judge.

[Guest]

http://www.wordonfire.org/WOF-TV/Commentaries-New/Fr-Barron-comments-on-Why-Catholics-Leave-the.aspx