Although everyone knows they need to brush their teeth regularly – twice a day and for two minutes according to most dentists – not everyone takes care of this fundamental oral hygiene duty. Many of us grew up being told by mom and dad how vital it was to brush our teeth before going to bed, but we tried the tactic of wetting the toothbrush bristles in hopes it would fool them. At the time, we couldn’t see the long-term benefit of brushing nor understand the expected negative outcome if we created excuses and lies so we could forego regular cleaning.
There is another necessary, basic duty that many of us should be doing on a regular, reoccurring basis, but we often make excuses to forego it and find reasons to lie to ourselves about carrying it out – attending Mass each Sunday.
God expects us to keep holy the Sabbath, which is why the Catholic Church has as a precept: “You shall attend Mass on Sundays and on holy days of obligation.” A precept is a minimum requirement for a baptized Catholic to fulfill to be able to truly consider oneself a Catholic. (Other precepts include the minimum requirements to go to Confession and receiving Eucharist at least once a year and observing certain days of fasting and abstinence.)
Similar to making excuses for not brushing our teeth routinely and for the minimal amount of time required for clean, cavity-free teeth, we often make excuses for not attending Mass the minimal amount of time required for a clean, mortal-sin-free soul. How many of these excuses for not brushing one’s teeth – which can be considered interchangeable with similar excuses for not attending Mass – have you made or heard one of your kids make?
Top 10 Excuses for Not Brushing Your Teeth…AKA…Not Attending Sunday Mass
1. I got bored brushing my teeth so I quit doing it.
2. It’s not important that I brush the recommended number of times, but simply that I have good intentions and brush when I can fit it in or remember.
3. I was forced to brush my teeth as a child, and told myself then that when I grew up I wouldn’t brush.
4. I have an extremely busy schedule that doesn’t allow me time to brush.
5. Since there are so many different kinds of toothpaste, I can’t decide which one is the right one for me.
6. I only feel like brushing my teeth on special occasions such as Christmas and Easter.
7. None of my friends brush their teeth that much.
8. I’m still young; when I get older and my teeth get dirtier I’ll start brushing then.
9. I work hard all week and am too tired to brush my teeth on the weekend.
10. The first time I brushed my teeth I didn’t like it, so I haven’t tried it since.
Wise parents don’t make teeth-brushing an option for their kids. Successful parents aren’t content with their child choosing which family rules they will follow and which ones they will ignore, especially when the rule is a fundamental one. “Our family goes to Mass weekly” needs to be one family directive that is as vital as “our family brushes our teeth daily.”
A child follows the instructions and commands of mom and dad because older, wiser parents know best. A Christian follows the instructions and commands of our Father in heaven because our omniscient Father knows best. Get to Mass every Sunday.
A PRINCIPAL'S PRINCIPLES FOR PARENTING 
What a dynamite example – to use oral hygiene as a relevant comparison to attending Holy Mass. That’s creative thinking and a premise that hits one right between the eyes (or between the molars).
Mass offers a unique opportunity to encounter God that is not available anywhere else. Instinctively, those who believe in God know that they owe him worship. Imagine if people truly understood that Jesus was “making an appearance on Earth” (at every mass) they would line up for miles to be in His presence. They would lay prostrate before His body, soul, and divinity in sincere suplication.
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