Every household has a nativity in their window during December, making sure the entire neighborhood knows about their faith this Christmas season. Even though the coming of Christ is a huge celebration, Christmas Eve is not the only time Catholics should make their way into Mass. The music, homilies and decorations are not the reason we receive the Eucharist—it is participating in the most perfect sacrifice of Christ on the altar.

According to catholic.com, only 24% of Catholics are going to Mass each Sunday. In every Mass, every church, the graces Catholics receive from the Eucharist increase the wellspring of Christ within us. The graces in the Eucharist will help transform our lives for the better, but you have to go to Mass to be transformed.

Mass is boring? As a matter of fact, receiving Christ in body, blood, soul and divinity is completely the opposite. If you take time to understand the full beauty and glory in the Sacrament, you’ll want to go to Mass twice a day, not once a year.

A lot of people may wonder why praying at home is not enough; after all, they’re still connecting with Christ. However, the community and Sacrament should be enough to drag us out of our beds on a Sunday morning.

“I will not allow myself to be so absorbed in the whirlwind of work as to forget about God. I will spend all my free moments at the feet of the Master hidden in the Blessed Sacrament,” said St. Faustina.

In scripture, Christ commands us to worship him at all times. So, why not take an hour out of your Sunday to go to Mass. Like most people, I spend more time than that on my phone than that in a day. It’s just a small sacrifice of your time for Christ, which is the least we can do. After all, He sacrificed His entire being on the cross for us; we should give a little bit of our time to the Lord. Saying you don’t have time to make it to Mass on Sunday is taking school, work, friendships or sports and putting these idols above God.

There is a saying outside of ICD’s chapel that says “you are not too bad to stay out, you’re not too good to come in.” You may not know it, but you don’t even need to receive Communion when you go to Mass and shouldn’t if you are in the state of mortal sin. You only have to receive it once a year—but you must participate in the sacrifice on the altar every Sunday.

If you haven’t been to Mass in awhile, get back in there. All over St. Louis, there are Masses at every hour from Saturday to Sunday night. Celebrating the most holy Sacrament of the altar in community should be a priority.

“It would be easier for the world to survive without the sun than to do so without the Holy Mass,” said St. Padre Pio.

Christ is the ONLY sacrifice perfect enough for God’s acceptance. As much as we try, nothing we offer up can reach the perfection of Communion. Everything you’re searching for, whether it is love, healing, community or truth, is found in Christ. If heaven is your goal, it’s time for you to make it to Mass on more than just Christmas Eve.