Attending Mass While Traveling

[TruthSkr]

I read on this web site that if you are on vacation, traveling in an area where there is no Catholic Mass available that it is not a sin to miss Mass on Sunday. I have a question that pertains to situations where things might not be so clear. As an example, I’d like to describe a trip I take once each year to go skiing in Colorado. During one of these trips my group took our rental vehicle to a mountain about a half hour drive from our condo to ski for the day on Sunday. In order to attend Mass that day I had to leave the mountain by myself while my friends continued to ski. I took a bus back to the condo, but was dropped off about a half mile from the condo and had to walk in ski boots, carrying my skis back to the condo. By the time I got there I was soaked with perspiration and exhausted. I took a shower, changed clothes, took a shuttle bus to the main bus station and then got another bus to the church. After Mass I took another bus back to the condo just in time for dinner which had been prepared by my hosts. I was uncomfortable with having left my group early, and especially for putting the entire burden for preparing the meal on the hosts, while the other members of my group helped with meal preparation. My hosts were very gracious about everything, but I felt very uncomfortable for not contributing to meal preparation. All I had to do was walk in the door, sit down and eat, while everyone else did the work. I did offer to help with clean up and meal preparation on subsequent days, but somehow I still felt that I was imposing and taking advantage of my host’s hospitality.

I can imagine other situations similar to this where the decision of whether or not to attend Mass is very gray. Take, for example, the person who is traveling to an area where there is no transportation to Mass other than walking. Assuming the person is in good health and has no mobility issues how far is too far to walk? A mile, five miles, ten? How do you draw the line?

 

[ljubim]

You were right to go to Mass… there are no gray areas. If you are able to get there but are worried about hurting somebody’s feelings, STILL you must go to Mass. If they don’t understand, then they don’t understand. Our Lord would be much more dissapointed in you for purposefully missing Mass than your hosts would be. Plus you’d be betraying yourself by skipping.

As for walking, I expect each person should have an idea how far they can or can’t walk. They can also call a cab, it wouldn’t be anything ridiculously expensive.

 

[that_name]

Next time, stop on your way back to the condo after Mass and buy a nice bottle of wine or a dessert and bring it as a gift to the hosts.

 

[Neithan]

Good for you, you did the right thing. If it didn’t feel right (and feelings are fickle indicators of right or wrong) just think that in an ideal world, your hosts would have gone to Mass too [or an eastern liturgical equivalent]; everyone should, though most might not know it.

Draw the line where it is reasonable: walking and taking the bus involves some more effort than others, but it’s not unreasonable. If you can get to Mass and back within a day without harming your physical health, do it!

 

[bilop]

I read on this web site that if you are on vacation, traveling in an area where there is no Catholic Mass available that it is not a sin to miss Mass on Sunday. I have a question that pertains to situations where things might not be so clear. As an example, I’d like to describe a trip I take once each year to go skiing in Colorado. During one of these trips my group took our rental vehicle to a mountain about a half hour drive from our condo to ski for the day on Sunday. In order to attend Mass that day I had to leave the mountain by myself while my friends continued to ski. I took a bus back to the condo, but was dropped off about a half mile from the condo and had to walk in ski boots, carrying my skis back to the condo. By the time I got there I was soaked with perspiration and exhausted. I took a shower, changed clothes, took a shuttle bus to the main bus station and then got another bus to the church. After Mass I took another bus back to the condo just in time for dinner which had been prepared by my hosts. I was uncomfortable with having left my group early, and especially for putting the entire burden for preparing the meal on the hosts, while the other members of my group helped with meal preparation. My hosts were very gracious about everything, but I felt very uncomfortable for not contributing to meal preparation. All I had to do was walk in the door, sit down and eat, while everyone else did the work. I did offer to help with clean up and meal preparation on subsequent days, but somehow I still felt that I was imposing and taking advantage of my host’s hospitality.

I can imagine other situations similar to this where the decision of whether or not to attend Mass is very gray. Take, for example, the person who is traveling to an area where there is no transportation to Mass other than walking. Assuming the person is in good health and has no mobility issues how far is too far to walk? A mile, five miles, ten? How do you draw the line?

No, you did the right thing and must do so again. Better to disappoint your hosts than disappoint God. Christ went throught a lot more incovenience for us.

To make things easier, plan ahead. Use masstimes.org to find the nearest Mass.

I, for one, would not plan a vacation somewhere where Mass was unavailable, but that is a personal decision not a firm Church teaching.

God Bless

 

[milkbar]

Could you go out of your way to not be in that position? Get your own rental or at least make sure there’s another car?