Is attending Mass at Home Equivalent to Attending in Person?

Since Covid-19, there have been calls at many times and in many places for churchgoing parishioners to "JUST STAY HOME". We are told it's the same thing. God is everywhere isn't he? Why would we have to go to a physical building? Isn't the "Church" the communion of believers? Aren't we united by spirit and not physically?

I want to delve into this subject as there is a ton of confusion and controversy. This is not meant to be an exhaustive theological treatise on the subject, but just some of my own thoughts and ideas from my understanding. I do encourage debate so if you would like to add anything or disagree with me, please feel free to do so in the comments section.

Here is my response to the arguments above. Yes, God is omnipresent. He's not just in a church, obviously. But that is besides the point. God asks that we give special attention to him, not for his sake, but for our own and he designed this attention in a particular way.

How should we know the best way to worship God? There are countless possible ways we could do that, but are they all ways God wants? Not necessarily. God in the person of Jesus Christ instructed us on what to do.

John 6:50

This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that a man may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread[c] which came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live for ever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh.”

Our Lord goes on to say Do this in Memory of Me. Jesus Christ clearly identifies what exactly he would like done in order that we remember him. He intended for us to partake of his body, blood, soul, and divinity in the form of bread and wine. This is the ultimate sacrifice, the perfect sacrifice, from God himself.

The Mass is the greatest prayer to God that the Church offers as it is a re-presentation of the sacrificial death and resurrection of Our Lord in atonement for our sins so that we may be united with him.

Therefore God has told us specifically how we ought to worship him. This does not mean that other forms of worship are bad or wrong. The Church has plenty of other forms of worship such as the Rosary, the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, the Divine Office, meditation, etc. These all have their place, but the Mass is the ultimate.

The Mass must be done in person, so that we can receive the body and blood of Our Lord into our bodies and souls. In Catholic theology, we are not just a spiritual religion. Our faith is also physical. This is opposed to many other religions and other Christians who believe that the physical part of the world is inferior or unimportant. Therefore they diminish or reject sacramentals, paintings, statues, and other such things.

But it's not just the Mass which must take place in person - it's all of the sacraments. Baptism must use water, confession must be done in person with a priest, confirmation involves oil being placed on the head, etc. There are no purely spiritual sacraments. In fact, a sacrament is an outward sign of an inward reality.

God himself became incarnate in the form of a man. He was not satisfied to remain spiritual, but chose to become a physical person in order that we may come ever closer to him. We as human beings were designed with bodies in a physical world. When God created our world while creating the universe, he saw it and said it was good. We disagree with the Manicheans and dualists who believe that the physically created world is evil and that only the spiritual world is good. Christ became incarnate and thus sanctified the entire physical universe.

There is also a practical reason for in-person sacraments and gatherings. We are social beings. Telling each person to remain atomized is contrary to our nature. We need other human beings. At Mass every day we confirm our belief in the "Communion of Saints". Yes, the communion of saints involves those in heaven, but there is also a communal aspect to which we all belong.

Having said all of this, I must of course mention the caveat that we are not absolutely required to attend sacraments in person even if this will put people's lives at risk. As with everything, it's not completely black and white. Yes, we should avoid unnecessary risk, but we must also realize the vital importance the sacraments play in our lives and not be too nonchalant about dismissing them as less than this. I am not here to condemn anyone, who out of love of neighbor and desire to keep people safe, decides to stay home. I am simply emphasizing that our first obligation and duty and purpose is to worship God, and we best do that in the way he taught us.

Have a great day everyone.