Five Benefits of Daily Mass

I got up this morning ready for a day’s work, but due to a human resources hiccup I won’t be starting back at the office until after Christmas- which means one more week of vacation (smile) and more importantly one more week of daily Mass!  When I started attending Mass regularly late last month I didn’t realize what a difference it would make so quickly.  Here are five benefits I have noticed.

1. It’s the best way to start my day!  During this period of unemployment I had a great reason to get out of bed each morning, I had God waiting for me in such a personal way.  Sometimes the blankets called my name, but the encounter with God and my community motivated me get out of bed and to keep a positive attitude throughout the day.
2. Tangible and spiritual nourishment!  I love the Eucharist and receiving it every day was better than when Popeye popped open a can of spinach.  I’ve heard of saints living solely on the Eucharist and I totally believe it because I have experienced the supernatural strength of Jesus.  There was a time (when I first came back to the church) when I looked forward to getting fed every Sunday, and I felt like a car running out of gas by the following Saturday.  By attending daily my gas tank is always on full (smile).
3. Overcoming Sin- I have my favorite sins and by favorite I mean the ones that have the greatest hold on me.  However, my desire to be able receive the Eucharist daily motivated me to stay clear of my sinful passions.  This was perhaps one of the greatest discoveries because I have been working on a particular sin and I had felt like it would be impossible to gain control, yet this past month I haven’t even been tempted!
4. It’s a great way to learn about the saints, each day we celebrate the life of one or more saints and during the homily Father usually gives us a quick bio on one saint.  These short biographies are great introductions and inspiration into further study.
5. Genuine encounter with Jesus, he’s waiting for us at all times.  When we love someone we want to always be in their presence, the same must be true in our relationship with God.  He waits for us every day to come to him and when we leave his presence, it will be full of gifts to help us in our daily lives.

I work east coast hours which means that I normally can’t start my day with Mass, so these weeks that I have been able to do so has been the greatest gift.  In less than a month I have seen such great benefits that I hope when I return to work (next week) I will continue to try to add more services to my week. Change happens gradually so taking baby steps will aid in obtaining success.   My recommendation is adding one more service each week for a few months and once that becomes routine add another and so forth until one day you become a daily Mass goer (smile).