TWELFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, JUNE 21, 2026
When I was a young boy in Wampum, PA, our pastor at the beginning of summer used to remind us from the pulpit and in the bulletin that everyone should remember to attend Sunday Mass during vacations. My parents were good Catholics and when we traveled they always found a Catholic Church and we attended Sunday Mass.
I remember that it was particularly interesting and enjoyable to attend Mass in churches that were not our parish church. Catholics should feel that they belong to a universal Catholic church and not just their parish church. I have met Catholics who are active in their parishes, but not in the Catholic Church beyond their parish. The word "catholic" means universal and to be Catholic means to belong to the worldwide Catholic Church.
I occasionally speak to Catholics who explain that they missed Mass because they were traveling. Overall, this is not a valid excuse. There are Catholic Churches nearly everywhere and a Catholic is at home wherever there is a Catholic Church. These days, the Sunday congregation at Saint John's is more than 50% tourists and visitors. I am impressed each week to see so many people who are far from home for family visits, conventions, vacation or business but who make it a priority to attend Mass. One of our major ministries at Saint John's is to provide Mass and a Catholic community for visitors.
Attendance as Sunday Mass is a serious obligation for a Catholic and we should not excuse ourselves without a grave reason. Of course, there are times when it is not possible to attend Sunday Mass, but these should be grave reasons like sickness, infirmity or truly impossible time conflicts. Parishes now have Saturday Vigil Masses and early and late Sunday Masses so time conflicts should be rare. In 1998, Saint Pope John Paul II issued a document on Sunday, Dies Domini, the Lord's Day. It is worth reading. Here is a quote from that document about the importance of the Sunday Mass obligation. "Since the Eucharist is the very heart of Sunday, it is clear why, from the earliest centuries, the Pastors of the Church have not ceased to remind the faithful of the need to take part in the liturgical assembly. "Leave everything on the Lord's Day" urges the third century text known as the Didascalia, "and run diligently to your assembly, because it is your praise of God. Otherwise, what excuse will they make to God, those who do not come together on the Lord's Day to hear the word of life and feed on the divine nourishment which lasts forever?"
We welcome and enjoy our visitors. Their faith builds up our faith and our faith builds up theirs. We are one Catholic family.
When you travel, do you make Sunday Mass a priority? We are entering summer vacation season. If you plan to travel this summer, make time for Sunday Mass.
