by Katie Ostgren
Director of Development & Stewardship, Diocese of Lincoln
Around this time every year, I feel like the Ostgrens need to catch our pastor at the end of Mass and clarify something. Usually it’s me, with a bit of nervous laughter, saying something like, “Hey, Father! Long time no see—just wanted to let you know that we didn’t move, or ghost you, or anything like that—haha! We still belong to the parish, and we’re definitely still Catholic! OK—see you in August!”
Can you relate? During the summer, we are on the move! Between vacations, trips to see family, summer outings, and kids’ activities, we can go weeks and even months without “checking in” for a weekend Mass at our home parish. This doesn’t mean we aren’t committed to our parish (or our faith, for that matter). We try to keep up with the bulletin and other forms of communication our parish provides to keep us in the loop.
It’s fun for our kids (who are 8, 7, and 5) to experience Mass at the places we are visiting—whether “home” in another part of our diocese at Mimi and Papa’s in Holdrege, or in our neighboring Archdiocese of Omaha, seeing my parents and family in rural Holt County. It’s also awesome when we are out of the state, because it’s a great “teaching moment” for our kids on the beauty of the universal Church as a great gift from God, and that wherever we are and whatever we’re doing, attending Sunday Mass is always more important. No question.
Sunday Mass takes priority for us for a couple of reasons. For one, my husband Matt and I know we need it. And when I say “it,” I mean all of it—especially the Eucharist and the graces God gives us through the Sacrament, but also the community, the time to slow down, the opportunity to worship… I could go on. We need Mass like we need to breathe—without it, we would be lost and destitute (or perhaps a more accurate way to put that would be “more lost and destitute than we already are”)—and we have come to realize that, through God’s faithful and gentle pursuit of our hearts. We are eternally grateful to Him for revealing this to us!
But we also make it a priority to attend Mass, no matter what, because the Church tells us to. Attending Sunday and Holy Day Mass is one of the five precepts of the Catholic Church.
Mother Church lays out a few simple rules and boundaries for us as her children. These rules (called precepts) aren’t meant to control, bore, or harm us. They are really just like the expectations we set for our children in our home. Any good mother knows that these expectations are set and communicated for the children’s good—because their parents want them to be whole, free, happy people.
When our kids fall short—when they fail to live up to the expectations set for them—I don’t cast them out. I don’t tell them to go find another place to live. They are my children, after all. Not only could they never make it on their own at their ages, I love them. I know they need me. And I want to be with them. So instead, I say, “Let’s try again.”
But I also don’t change the rules. I know that there are certain, perhaps “bare minimum,” expectations that they need to be held to in order that they may live up to their potential, and also because the community of our family needs their unique contributions to flourish.
The universal Church works like a domestic Church in this way. In Her wisdom (and with much more gentleness and compassion than I typically exhibit as a mother), Mother Church establishes rules and boundaries for us as her children—for our good, and the good of society. I love reflecting on the Church’s identity as a Mother, and the Catholic Church’s precepts are a great example of Her living out this identity.
So if attending Mass on Sundays and Holy Days is one of five precepts, what are the other four? You can refer to the Catechism of the Catholic Church 2041-2043 for detailed explanations, but here is the basic list: (1) You shall attend Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation and rest from servile labor. (2) You shall confess your sins at least once a year. (3) You shall receive the sacrament of the Eucharist at least during the Easter season. (4) You shall observe the days of fasting and abstinence established by the Church, and (5) You shall help to provide for the needs of the Church.
I want to make particular mention of the fifth precept in light of the time of year and my now-annual awkward conversation with our pastor about where we have been. When we moved to Wahoo about five years ago, we set up our monthly tithe to the parish to be withdrawn automatically from our account. What’s great about this set-up is that, even when we attend Mass elsewhere in the summer, we are still providing for the needs of the Church that go on even in our absence. That precept is covered, no matter where our travels take us. While we have to be diligent about ensuring we are reviewing and planning the amount we tithe each year, increasing as we are able or, of course, decreasing if the need arises, we are able to give to our parish—where the financial need continues, even when we aren’t present.
Many parishes in our diocese offer local options for online giving. I encourage you to seek out local options for automated tithing at your registered parish. If your parish doesn’t currently offer a mechanism to tithe automatically or online, you can go to lincolndiocese.org and click “Donate” to set up a monthly recurring gift that goes directly to your parish’s general fund. This is a different option than setting up a pledge to a diocesan appeal, like the Charity and Stewardship Appeal, or the Bishop’s Appeal for Vocations, as the diocese keeps 0% and forwards the entire gift to your parish (after paying the small, standard fee to the processing company). If you’d like to do this, but need assistance, you can visit with your pastor or his leadership team, or feel free to call us at the Office of Development & Stewardship.
As always, thank you for giving generously to the Church and its apostolates on many levels. As they say, “there is no mission without money,” and as Catholics we know the mission of the Church is the most important one in the world—as its truly a matter of eternal life and death for all souls. God bless you!
