Pope Francis: It’s not enough just to ‘be good’. You must go to Mass

A Catholic cannot just do good deeds and miss Mass on Sunday, Pope Francis has said.

It is the Eucharist that provides the spiritual nourishment Christians need to truly live out the Gospel in their everyday lives.

“How can we respond to those who say that there is no need to go to Mass, not even on Sundays, because what is important is to live well, to love our neighbours?” the Pope asked at his general audience.

“It is true that the quality of the Christian life is measured by the capacity to love, but how can we practice the Gospel without drawing the necessary strength to do it, one Sunday after another, from the inexhaustible spring of the Eucharist?”

It is true that Catholics must go to Mass because it is the law of the Church, the Pope added, however this alone is not enough.

“We Christians need to participate in Sunday Mass because only with the grace of Jesus, with his living presence in us and among us, can we put into practice his commandment, and thus be his credible witnesses,” he said.

Without the Eucharist, Christians “are condemned to be dominated by the fatigue of everyday life.”