Attending Mass

[lm8077]

I attend mass during the week, but never go on Sundays. I don’t like all the people, the noise from the kids and the music. I feel I can get more out of my attendance during the week without all the annoyances at Sunday’s mass.

Sunday mass is filled with people, I feel, only go to be seen, and not because of their love of the mass.

This issue gives me a problem with confession. I know it is a sin not to go to mass on Sundays, but how can I go to confession, knowing I am going to miss mass again on Sunday?

 

[Tantum_ergo]

Don’t you have a Saturday vigil Mass?

Or do you only attend Monday-Friday?

You have the option of asking your bishop, I believe, to allow you to transfer the “Sunday obligation” to a date during the week when you do attend Mass. Usually it has to be for a very good reason, like work schedules.

Are there any other parishes within reasonable driving distance?

P.S. You don’t go to Mass just to “get something out of it”; you also go to “put something INTO it.” Maybe if you concentrated more on what you were putting into the Mass, it would help. (even if it means gritting your teeth and offering up your “annoyance” at your fellow Christians)

 

[Pug]

If you are truly afraid of lots of people in one place, why don’t you look around for a hospital chapel or religious order or some such. They would have a mass on Sunday (and weekdays) and it would be very small and quiet. We used to have a great irish priest nearby in this very way, but he has since passed. (I miss him).

I try to ignore what I think my fellow parishioners are up to. It seems the best path.

 

[space_ghost]

i would attend mass of the air (mass on tv for shut-ins) if i thought it would meet the obligation…

i would be surprised if it were allowed to transfer the obligation only because you don’t like the company and noise (music)?

buck up bub… you can go to mass on Sundays (assuming work dictates otherwise)…

Peace:thumbsup:

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

lm8077:

I attend mass during the week, but never go on Sundays. I don’t like all the people, the noise from the kids and the music. I feel I can get more out of my attendance during the week without all the annoyances at Sunday’s mass.

Sunday mass is filled with people, I feel, only go to be seen, and not because of their love of the mass.

This issue gives me a problem with confession. I know it is a sin not to go to mass on Sundays, but how can I go to confession, knowing I am going to miss mass again on Sunday?

You can’t. Unless you truly intend to try and avoid the sin. So in your case until you decide that the precept of the Church is more important than your own feelings about this the only thing you can do is attend during the week and not receive Holy Communion. Until you decide to change your ways.

 

[Evan]

One of the points of all of us going to mass on Sunday IS the people. This is a COMMUNITY celebration.

We are supposed to be distracted by (ie notice) the humanity around us. That is part of who we are: made in Gods image: Male and Female.

We are people in relationship. Not just with God but with each other. Like the old bluegrass song says: “If you don’t love your neighbour then you don’t love God”.

Learning to love the noise and distractions is part of being human.

And intentionally missing mass on Sunday violates the first commandment: “Love the Lord your God with your whole heart, soul, strength, …” Jesus said it was the most important commandment.

That is part of the sacrifice we make by acknowledging Gods creation : Keep holy the Sabbath, ie one day when we don’t do what we want, but when God wants. And God, speaking through the Church, has designated that day as Sunday (remember church days begin at sunset).

Have to catch a train!!.

 

[otm]

lm8077:

I attend mass during the week, but never go on Sundays. I don’t like all the people, the noise from the kids and the music. I feel I can get more out of my attendance during the week without all the annoyances at Sunday’s mass.

Sunday mass is filled with people, I feel, only go to be seen, and not because of their love of the mass.

This issue gives me a problem with confession. I know it is a sin not to go to mass on Sundays, but how can I go to confession, knowing I am going to miss mass again on Sunday?

If you have agoraphobia (agraphobia? the fear of crowds), then you might try to find a church that has low attendance - such as the chapel at a hospital, mentioned above.

I find your comment about people going to Mass to be seen rather strange, and highly judgemental. Do you have any evidence to back up your claim?

If you truly loved the Mass, and truly understood it, you would not be missing Mass on Sunday, as you would also understand the history of the Church, the history or the Jewish religion, the import, as well as the importance of the commanment to keep holy the Sabbath. At least, you would not unless you have a really serious problem dealing with crowds. That I can’t answer - only you can.

The command is just that; it is not an option or a suggestion. The Church has alwasy held that missing Mass on sunday is a mortal sin. Having a serious psychological problem with crowds may mitigate that.

If the root of the issue is the psychological inablility to deal with crowds, then by all means seek professional help. That is a miserable problem to deal with