Can I Miss Mass Tomorrow?

[SuS33]

I have not missed a Sunday Mass in 8 months and I don’t wanna start doing it now. Yesterday I woke up with strong muscle aches. Especially arms and shoulders. I did not have fever. I took Advil and got better though when I went to work (which involves being very active) the ache was back. I’m thinking of calling in sick today. I guess I’m getting a flu or something. If I stayed like this tomorrow, could I miss Mass? I know I can at least make it an hour, even if am still in pain. But I don’t want my case to get worse and not being able to work on Monday. Plus as much as I LOVE Mass, I’d really hate to leave my bed while in such pain.

So If I missed Mass tomorrow would that be a mortal sin?

Thank you

 

[John_Martin]

I have not missed a Sunday Mass in 8 months and I don’t wanna start doing it now. Yesterday I woke up with strong muscle aches. Especially arms and shoulders. I did not have fever. I took Advil and got better though when I went to work (which involves being very active) the ache was back. I’m thinking of calling in sick today. I guess I’m getting a flu or something. If I stayed like this tomorrow, could I miss Mass? I know I can at least make it an hour, even if am still in pain. But I don’t want my case to get worse and not being able to work on Monday. Plus as much as I LOVE Mass, I’d really hate to leave my bed while in such pain.

So If I missed Mass tomorrow would that be a mortal sin?

Thank you

At the gates of Paradise on Judgment Day, are you going to ask the Judge to ask John Martin (or any of us on this forum) whether you should be granted admittance?

I have missed Mass in the past, sometimes due to illness, sometimes due to “not really wanting to go today”, and even due to anger, but it is my own conscience that knows whether I sin, not someone else’s. Do we go to Mass in “obedience” or because we like to go? Do we stay away in “incapacity” or because we don’t feel like it today? Search your soul, not ours - we have to do the same.

 

[Catholic1954]

I have not missed a Sunday Mass in 8 months and I don’t wanna start doing it now. Yesterday I woke up with strong muscle aches. Especially arms and shoulders. I did not have fever. I took Advil and got better though when I went to work (which involves being very active) the ache was back. I’m thinking of calling in sick today. I guess I’m getting a flu or something. If I stayed like this tomorrow, could I miss Mass? I know I can at least make it an hour, even if am still in pain. But I don’t want my case to get worse and not being able to work on Monday. Plus as much as I LOVE Mass, I’d really hate to leave my bed while in such pain.

So If I missed Mass tomorrow would that be a mortal sin?

Thank you

If you don’t have the flu and the pain is eased by the Advil then you should be good for an hour to get to Mass. Of course if you are really sick or you go to the doctor and he advises you to stay in bed because there is a medical problem, then it would be ok to miss.

 

[St_Francis]

If you don’t have the flu and the pain is eased by the Advil then you should be good for an hour to get to Mass. Of course if you are really sick or you go to the doctor and he advises you to stay in bed because there is a medical problem, then it would be ok to miss.

OTOH, if you have a ling drive and the driving will aggravate your problem, maybe it would be ok to miss Mass. You called in sick to work because of this, so it might be ok.

The best person to ask would be you priest, but some priests are distinctly unhelpful about this topic, or at least some of the ones I have had. One of mine seemed reluctant about my missing Mass because I have a long drive on highways and my brakes were bad :???: but a couple others would only say if it was impossible, then it was impossible–not helpful!

 

[Tigg]

At the gates of Paradise on Judgment Day, are you going to ask the Judge to ask John Martin (or any of us on this forum) whether you should be granted admittance?

I have missed Mass in the past, sometimes due to illness, sometimes due to “not really wanting to go today”, and even due to anger, but it is my own conscience that knows whether I sin, not someone else’s. Do we go to Mass in “obedience” or because we like to go? Do we stay away in “incapacity” or because we don’t feel like it today? Search your soul, not ours - we have to do the same.

BEST answer!

 

[johnnyt3000]

Offer up those pains and aches to the Lord and meditate on His passion. Get to mass, ask and pray for the strength to get there, pray to Our Lady to help you.

 

[revert_jen]

If there is a possibility that you are contagious, you definitely should not go. There are usually a lot of elderly and children at Mass (at least where I am), and you should not risk making them sick.

If there’s no possibility that you’re contagious, I’d pray about whether you are ill enough to miss Mass. Ask God to help you figure it out!

–Jen

 

[SuS33]

Thank you all for your replies. Just wanted to say that I would never miss Mass cuz I didn’t feel like it. I’ve made a commitment and even when I’m having a bad Sunday I’d go anyway and live with it. I wasn’t looking for an excuse to skip Mass, I LOVE Mass and Love meeting our Lord. But it’s because of the pain I don’t feel like walking out of bed. I did offer up my pain.
I also prayed about it and decided to go anyways. Yes I am contagious, looks like I do have a bit of high temperature. But I won’t shake anyones hand and I’ll try to pick a not-so-crowded-row, which I’m sure it’s gonna be in the very front

Peace

 

[revert_jen]

Yes I am contagious, looks like I do have a bit of high temperature. But I won’t shake anyones hand and I’ll try to pick a not-so-crowded-row, which I’m sure it’s gonna be in the very front

Peace

You won’t shake anyone’s hand, you will just breathe on people for an hour. If you go up to communion, you can breathe on the priest too, and maybe on the Hosts.

If you are contagious, please do not go. It is not right to place everyone else at Mass at risk.

–Jen

 

[Nanotwerp]

Thank you all for your replies. Just wanted to say that I would never miss Mass cuz I didn’t feel like it. I’ve made a commitment and even when I’m having a bad Sunday I’d go anyway and live with it. I wasn’t looking for an excuse to skip Mass, I LOVE Mass and Love meeting our Lord. But it’s because of the pain I don’t feel like walking out of bed. I did offer up my pain.
I also prayed about it and decided to go anyways. Yes I am contagious, looks like I do have a bit of high temperature. But I won’t shake anyones hand and I’ll try to pick a not-so-crowded-row, which I’m sure it’s gonna be in the very front

Peace

That isn’t right–at all. You have the chance of getting people sick just to go to Mass one extra day.
You can go to Mass when you feel better, and it is rather insensitive to take the chance of getting someone else sick for that.

 

[porthos11]

Yes I am contagious, looks like I do have a bit of high temperature. But I won’t shake anyones hand and I’ll try to pick a not-so-crowded-row, which I’m sure it’s gonna be in the very front

Peace

Then for crying out loud, and out of charity for your fellow church goers, do not go! Shaking hands, crowded row, your personal commitment, that’s all irrelevant. You will be breathing out the virus and spreading it around.

If you have the flu and you’re contagious, where’s the love of neighbour by still going to Mass even though the Church is clear that the obligation no longer binds? You owe it to others, if not to yourself to stay home. Don’t be a hero.

 

[CB_Catholic]

Thank you all for your replies. Just wanted to say that I would never miss Mass cuz I didn’t feel like it. I’ve made a commitment and even when I’m having a bad Sunday I’d go anyway and live with it. I wasn’t looking for an excuse to skip Mass, I LOVE Mass and Love meeting our Lord. But it’s because of the pain I don’t feel like walking out of bed. I did offer up my pain.
I also prayed about it and decided to go anyways. Yes I am contagious, looks like I do have a bit of high temperature. But I won’t shake anyones hand and I’ll try to pick a not-so-crowded-row, which I’m sure it’s gonna be in the very front

Peace

Please do your fellow Christians, esp. the elderly and young a favor and stay home. It is irresponsible to even risk others being exposed to your symptoms.

And if you do go, how are you going to prevent touching anything–like your pew, hymnbook, offering envelope, doors, etc. It’s not just a matter of not shaking hands and a not-so-crowded row. It is a matter of you educating yourself about disease transmission and not assuming you will not pass it on.

It is no sin to miss Mass if you are sick. God does not want you to risk making others ill. There is no virtue in going to Mass when you are contagious.

 

[Emily2014]

Offer up those pains and aches to the Lord and meditate on His passion. Get to mass, ask and pray for the strength to get there, pray to Our Lady to help you.

Until you know that you are NOT infectious - it is surely wrong to go anywhere where you risk causing illness to anyone else, especially the elderly, very young or those who have depressed immune deficiency.
Strongly suggest that if you aren’t well enough to go to work, you should be guided by your own body and stay in bed until you are better. Jesus is all love and all compassion - Do you truly think He would want you to possibly exacerbate whatever ails you. Our Priest would say NOT.
God bless you and I hope you soon feel much better.

 

[Ignatius]

I have not missed a Sunday Mass in 8 months and I don’t wanna start doing it now. Yesterday I woke up with strong muscle aches. Especially arms and shoulders. I did not have fever. I took Advil and got better though when I went to work (which involves being very active) the ache was back. I’m thinking of calling in sick today. I guess I’m getting a flu or something. If I stayed like this tomorrow, could I miss Mass? I know I can at least make it an hour, even if am still in pain. But I don’t want my case to get worse and not being able to work on Monday. Plus as much as I LOVE Mass, I’d really hate to leave my bed while in such pain.

So If I missed Mass tomorrow would that be a mortal sin?

Thank you

I don’t go even if I have a cold because I don’t want to share the germs. You are fine, you clearly love The Holy Sacrifice of The Mass and God knows it.

God Bless you.

 

[SuS33]

WOW! First people say go and endure your pain. Then they say don’t go! Some replies seems to be attacking me somehow, and all I did was ask a question and needed an advice!!!

Anyways, I’ll just stay home. Thank you all.

 

[CB_Catholic]

WOW! First people say go and endure your pain. Then they say don’t go! Some replies seems to be attacking me somehow, and all I did was ask a question and needed an advice!!!

Anyways, I’ll just stay home. Thank you all.

At first you didn’t say you were contagious. Then you did, and that is when the advice changed. People are not attacking you personally, but telling you that your previous decision to go to Mass anyway was wrong, and why.

If you feel attacked, I apologize for myself, but I still think you need to brush up on disease transmission, and you are not alone in this. Sometimes we just don’t realize how our illness can affect others.

Especially this year with the Enterovirus H-68 spreading throughout the country and killing and paralyzing children. While most will only have mild respiratory symptoms, one never knows if that “cold” is the common cold or this particular virus that can be so deadly. And the flu can be deadly for the elderly and babies. We just have to be careful.

 

[brigid12]

One can get the flu by just standing less than 6ft away from a person that has it. You’ve stayed home from work and that’s a good measuring stick for the future too.

Transmission of many things doesn’t take even a fever to be contagious. Even a simple severe cold can turn into pneumonia for the young and the old. Go ahead and be charitable to those more vulnerable than you. It is good to be worshiping the Lord, but it isn’t what he wants to spread a sign of our fallen nature on others.

Sorry to be harping on this.