Fr. Dr. Okhueleigbe Osemhantie Amos
Something very instructive happened recently in a parish, and it has refused to leave my mind. During the announcements, the parish priest advised the faithful to make punctuality part of their New Year resolutions. Then he said something that sounded simple, almost casual, yet deeply unsettling. He said: “If you arrive in church after the readings, you did not make the Sign of the Cross, you did not listen to the readings, and yet at the end of Mass you hear, ‘Go in peace, the Mass is ended.’ You stand up. Now I ask you: where are you going?”
That question landed. It was not asked to embarrass anyone; it was asked to provoke reflection. Where exactly is one going, if in truth one was hardly present? The question forces us to examine not merely our movements but our participation, not just our attendance but our worship.
At the close of that Mass, one of the faithful met me and said, quite sincerely: “Fr., if I arrive late for the First Mass and then stay in the Second Mass until after the readings, can’t I go home?” I smiled, because the question was honest and without guile. But my answer was plain and unambiguous: Madam, no. The structure of the Mass does not permit such a cut-and-join approach or a reordering of Holy Communion before the Liturgy of the Word. The Holy Mass is not a garment that can be stitched together from different services according to personal convenience. It is a single sacred action that must be entered into as a whole.
The Mass is ordered. Its structure is received, not invented. It is not arranged by personal schedules or human calculations but by the wisdom of the Church. Although we commonly describe it as having two principal parts, the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist, the Church insists that these are not independent units. The Second Vatican Council teaches that they are so closely bound together that they form one single act of worship (Sacrosanctum Concilium, 56). To isolate one from the other is to weaken the integrity of the celebration and to distort its meaning.
From the very beginning, nothing in the Mass is accidental or decorative. The Sign of the Cross situates the entire celebration within the mystery of the Most Holy Trinity. The liturgical greeting is not a formality; it establishes communion between the priest and the assembled faithful. The Penitential Act reconciles us with God and with one another, disposing the community to stand before God in humility and truth. We do not rush into the sacred mysteries as strangers; we are first gathered, purified, and made one.
Then comes the Gloria on appointed days, the ancient hymn first sung by angels and received by the Church as her solemn song of praise (cf. Lk 2:14). It is not a human composition but a heavenly doxology placed on human lips. This is followed by the Collect, often misunderstood or overlooked. In this prayer, the priest gathers the intentions, hopes, burdens, and silent cries of all who are present, together with those for whom the Mass is offered, living and dead, and presents them to God in one unified supplication. To miss this moment is to miss the Church speaking to God with one heart and one voice (cf. General Instruction of the Roman Missal).
Only after this does the Church move to the Liturgy of the Word proper. This is not a preliminary exercise, nor a waiting room for the Eucharist. The Council reminds us that the Church venerates the Sacred Scriptures just as she venerates the Body of the Lord (Dei Verbum, 21). At every Mass, two tables are prepared for the faithful: the table of the Word and the table of the Eucharist. One enlightens faith; the other strengthens and nourishes it. Neither can be treated as optional without diminishing the whole.
For this reason, listening to the Word of God is not optional. Faith comes by hearing, and without hearing, faith is weakened (cf. Rom 10:17). The obligation of Sunday worship is first an obligation to hear the Word of God and to participate fully in the Eucharistic sacrifice (cf. Code of Canon Law, can. 1247). The General Instruction of the Roman Missal presumes the presence of the faithful from the beginning of Mass, because the celebration unfolds as an organic whole and not as disconnected segments (cf. GIRM, nn. 27–28).
This is why it must be said, gently but clearly, that a person who deliberately misses a substantial part of the Mass on a Sunday or holy day of obligation, without a serious reason such as illness or unavoidable duty, should not present himself or herself for Holy Communion. Communion presupposes attentive listening, interior assent, and conscious participation. The Eucharist is not a stand-alone moment detached from the rest of the liturgy; it is the culmination of a sacred journey that begins with gathering, repentance, praise, prayer, and hearing God speak (cf. Sacrosanctum Concilium, 48).
Therefore, when one arrives halfway into Mass, the more honest and reverent choice, where circumstances permit, is to wait and participate fully in the next Mass. This is not punishment; it is respect for the integrity of the sacred rite. The Mass is not a relay race in which different portions are completed at different times. It is one sacred action in which the Church listens to God, offers sacrifice, receives grace, and is sent forth.
In a culture that is constantly rushing, the Church quietly insists on something profoundly countercultural: give God your time. Punctuality at Mass is not mere rule-keeping; it is a theological posture, a confession that God deserves our first fruits and not our leftovers. To be present from the opening Sign of the Cross to the final dismissal is to allow the liturgy to form us completely, by the Word we hear, the sacrifice we offer, and the peace into which we are sent.
Meanwhile, the Catholic Diocese of Warri has announced the funeral arrangements for the late Most Reverend Dr. John Okeoghene Afareha. The funeral Mass will take place on February 10, 2026, by 10 a.m., at Sacred Heart Catholic Cathedral, Warri, Delta State. The preceding evening, at the same venue by 4 p.m., there will be the Mass of Vigil. Thus, he who was born on March 10, will be interred on February 10, he who transited at the beginning of the annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity will be interred on the feast day of Saint Scholastica. May his rewards be greater than his labours.
Fr. Dr. Okhueleigbe Osemhantie Amos is a priest of the Catholic Diocese of Uromi and a Lecturer at the Catholic Institute of West Africa, Port Harcourt, Nigeria
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