Bible Study or Go to Mass?

[Augustine3]

I have recently joined a bible study group during my work lunch hour. It’s a very informal group where we gather together at the local café. The leader is an Anglican, however she has requested we all (including herself) set our Church teachings aside and focus on the two common denominators 1) our love for Jesus 2) our love for the bible.

I have my internal guard up against any heretical teachings but so far so good; we are discussing salvation history. This is not the issue. The issue is the group runs three times a week and so I miss out on going to midday mass (it’s the only time I go as I have a wife and two kids and not much time for anything else ).

We agreed that I only attend the group once a week so I could go to mass on the two other days but I’m still feeling guilty, especially at this lenten time of increased mortification, penance and prayers. What shall I do? Although either paths are profitable, I feel I should stop going to the bible study and attend mass to be nourished by the Eucharist especially at this time round where I’m feeling great temptations to sin.

 

[Trad_Catholic27]

You should stop going to the Bible study and instead go to the Mass I am sure that you can find a Faithful Catholic Bible study at your parish or create one if there isn’t one at your parish

 

[Confiteor_Deo]

You should hear Mass instead of going to the Bible study. You will benefit a lot more from the graces derived from the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass & the reception of Holy Communion than you would from a non-Catholic Bible study.

 

[Anglewannabe]

I miss out on going to midday mass (it’s the only time I go as I have a wife and two kids and not much time for anything else ).

First off I am concerned. Are you saying you don’t get to Sunday mass? That is the first place you should start going.

Second, the deeper I become in my journey with Christ, the more I just can NOT put the fact that I am Catholic aside. I would not attend that bible study either

 

[tawny]

Mass or Bible Study; Mass should be the priority. Also, Sunday Mass above all is most important & you should arrange your schedule for its’ attendance.

 

[WJeffrey]

I disagree with the other posters. I would advise 4 lunch Masses and 1 Bible study. You will get a lot more out of Mass if you actually know what is in the Bible. I know plenty of regular Mass attendees who do not know the first thing about what is in the Bible or Christianity. How can you be a good Catholic if you have no idea what the word of God is?

If you are not reading the Bible on a daily or at least regular basis, you need to be in a Bible study to force you to start doing it. You do a disservice to your children if you are unable to answer their religious questions as they age. If you do not know what is in the Bible you can not answer their questions factually. You are letting them down as a Catholic Father.

Worrying about the growth of your family takes priority over receiving communion on Wednesday.

Now, you should be looking for a Catholic Bible study, but if this study is nondenominational, it is a good starting point.

 

[tawny]

Reading the Bible does not replace Sunday Mass attendance.

 

[WJeffrey]

Reading the Bible does not replace Sunday Mass attendance.

I never said it did. Is it more important to know what is actually in the Bible and attend 4 weekday Masses or go to 5 weekday Masses and have no idea what the word of God is?

If you are single, it doesn’t really affect other people if you have no idea what it means to be a Christian. Ignorance is bliss until your judgement. If you have children and other people are depending on you for proper formation so one day they may go to heaven, you better know what the word of God is. Going to Mass might give the individual the Eucharist, but it doesn’t do anything for his children.

Four weekday masses and being able to minister to your family vocation is more important than five weekday masses and shirking your vocation.

Sunday Mass is a separate discussion for another day.

 

[tawny]

I never said it did. Is it more important to know what is actually in the Bible and attend 4 weekday Masses or go to 5 weekday Masses and have no idea what the word of God is?

If you are single, it doesn’t really affect other people if you have no idea what it means to be a Christian. Ignorance is bliss until your judgement. If you have children and other people are depending on you for proper formation so one day they may go to heaven, you better know what the word of God is. Going to Mass might give the individual the Eucharist, but it doesn’t do anything for his children.

Four weekday masses and being able to minister to your family vocation is more important than five weekday masses and shirking your vocation.

Sunday Mass is a separate discussion for another day.

The topic was Mass vs Bible Study. Bible Study does not replace Mass. I believe the OP indicates there is no attendance at Sunday Mass. If you want to talk about ministering to your family vocation; the attendance at Sunday Mass sets the Catholic example, not Bible Study. One will learn about the Bible from attendance at Mass. If one is not attending Sunday Mass, one is not a practicing Catholic no matter how many Bible Study programs are attended. Not even going to go there about the example/message it sends to the children.

 

[WJeffrey]

The topic was Mass vs Bible Study. Bible Study does not replace Mass. I believe the OP indicates there is no attendance at Sunday Mass. If you want to talk about ministering to your family vocation; the attendance at Sunday Mass sets the Catholic example, not Bible Study. One will learn about the Bible from attendance at Mass. If one is not attending Sunday Mass, one is not a practicing Catholic no matter how many Bible Study programs are attended. Not even going to go there about the example/message it sends to the children.

Attending Sunday Mass would be relevant if it was the question asked. It wasn’t. His question was if he should go to 5 weekday Masses or 4 and one Bible study. Of course he should be going to Sunday Mass. Everyone should. That is an ancillary issue. It has nothing to do with his question. OP understands this, or he desperately needs a Daily Bible Study.

He admits lacking a foundation in scripture common to many daily Mass attendees who do not read the Bible outside of Mass. You can attend Mass every day for 50 years and not understand the word of God. A blurb from the OT, PS and the Gospels is at best a substitute for sitting down reading and studying the Bible. Both are necessary to be a good Catholic.

I know plenty of daily Mass attendees with outstanding prayer lives who can not answer a basic question about significant about details in scripture. As a Catholic who recently returned home, I asked them these questions as they occurred to me in my daily study, and they just get mad defensive and tell you that your question is not important. Their program are strong in areas, because they have gone to daily Mass for 60 years. Tragically, they can’t answer 2/3s of the questions posed on Catholic Answers.

That ignorance is ok if you’re worried about your own salvation. It is between you and God. When you are judged, God will decide if you lived life imperfectly because you adopted bits and pieces of scripture creating your own interpretation of the word of God.

It is not acceptable if you accept having a family vocation. A father’s vocation is to build a foundation in your children giving them the best chance to go to heaven and to spread the word of God. Your ability to evangelize is deficient if you don’t understand the Bible.

OP admitted he has years of Mass attendance, but needs Bible instruction. An extra day of the Host is good for dad’s soul. However, it selfishly does not help his children if they can not go to their father with basic questions.

Dad would not have sought out the Bible study if he did not realize that there was something lacking in his spiritual life.

Should he attend Mass daily Monday through Friday or if he should attend Mass four days and spend one day in group study. To participate in the study requires reading the Bible in between which he has not been doing. Forcing Bible study will have a greater salvific impact on his children. It will make him a better father and husband.

Not studying the Bible regularly is neglecting your children. You can lead a selfish spiritual life if you are a widower without children like me. You shouldn’t be selfish with a wife and kids.

 

[Josie33]

I feel I should stop going to the bible study and attend mass to be nourished by the Eucharist especially at this time round where I’m feeling great temptations to sin.

I think you should follow your conscience and skip the Bible Study and instead attend Mass. The Eucharist is our strength, especially when suffering great temptations to sin.

Jesus said to St. Faustina: “In the host is your power; It will defend you.” (Diary, 616)

And St. Faustina herself wrote, “Every morning during meditation, I prepare myself for the whole day’s struggle. Holy Communion assures me that I will win the victory; and so it is. I fear the day when I do not receive Holy Communion. This Bread of the Strong gives me all the strength I need to carry on my mission and the courage to do whatever the Lord asks of me. The courage and strength that are in me are not of me, but of Him who lives in me – it is the Eucharist.” (Diary, 91)

If you need additional words of encouragement take it from St. Padre Pio: “If we only knew how God regards this Sacrifice, we would risk our lives to be present at a single Mass.”

You can read more about the Power of the Mass here.

God bless,

Josie

 

[WJeffrey]

I think you should follow your conscience and skip the Bible Study and instead attend Mass. The Eucharist is our strength, especially when suffering great temptations to sin.

Jesus said to St. Faustina: “In the host is your power; It will defend you.” (Diary, 616)

And St. Faustina herself wrote, “Every morning during meditation, I prepare myself for the whole day’s struggle. Holy Communion assures me that I will win the victory; and so it is. I fear the day when I do not receive Holy Communion. This Bread of the Strong gives me all the strength I need to carry on my mission and the courage to do whatever the Lord asks of me. The courage and strength that are in me are not of me, but of Him who lives in me – it is the Eucharist.” (Diary, 91)

If you need additional words of encouragement take it from St. Padre Pio: “If we only knew how God regards this Sacrifice, we would risk our lives to be present at a single Mass.”

You can read more about the Power of the Mass here.

God bless,

Josie

I suppose you have a point. It is far more important for the OP to worry about his own soul than nourishing the souls of his wife and children. I guess I missed the part of the Bible that said the central message of Catholicism is every man for himself.

 

[Maximilan_Kolbe]

I think we are conflating arguments about skipping a daily mass versus our weekly obligation.

I don’t think the latter needs to be opined on, as we don’t get a vote.

If we are all talking about 5 daily masses versus 4 daily masses and a bible study, opinions may vary, though I would always choose daily mass myself.

Great St. Faustina quotes, btw.