As I've already written here, I have an ingrained tendency to always attend church on Sunday. Over recent years I've gotten "better" about not feeling guilt when I don't make it. However, there are two things I miss when I don't get to mass at my local American National Catholic Church (ANCC) parish.
First, the people. Christians call it fellowship. There is a group of people I've gotten to know who sit around me in the pews every Sunday. Creatures of habit, we have our customary seats, and we talk before and after the mass. One Saturday evening I attended a special 5pm mass rather than attend the following day. I didn't have any of my people. In fact, the seats around me were all empty. It was a strange sensation going through the liturgy without those familiar voices surrounding me.
Second, the liturgy. The mass itself can be very satisfying, with the songs, readings, prayers, and Eucharist. Even when I started attending and felt much more Humanist, I still felt at the end of mass that I had participated in something meaningful. The liturgy is something that for years as a low-church Protestant I didn't really appreciate. Now, it feels as through what Catholics do is much more "worshipful" than the simple songs, prayers, and preaching I participated in for years.
None of this is meant as a judgement. There can be strong fellowship in any church, and many Protestant churches offer immersive worship in their own way. This has just been my experience as I journey with my ANCC siblings.
