OnegirlinChrist thanks for such a great response. You know one of the things that bugs me is that while Im taking this time to think about the faith the church says im in mortal sin if I dont attend mass. Thats one rule I really dont like. Its like we dont have the liberty that Christ died for. Lately, I havent felt much like going to church and yes im thinking a lot about it and scared of hell. But it does seem to me that the Catholics are much more unified for longer than protestants.
You are so welcome! Well, wondering if this might help per the mortal sin and missing mass concept…
Keep in mind that for something to be a mortal sin, the sin has to be done with full knowledge and full consent. In other words, a person’s attitude has to be, “I know this is seriously sinful, but I don’t care and I’m doing it anyway.”
The term “mortal sin” can start to sound legalistic and scary. We might be tempted to reject that concept because it sounds mean spirited and technical. Remember, mortal sin is ultimately a term invented to help us grasp a concept: total rejection of God. That’s what mortal sin is: “God, you said something was sacred and off limits, but I don’t care and so from the depths of my heart I will desecrate that thing because I choose my way over your way.”
The fact that you are thinking about missing mass is a sign to me that you don’t have “full knowledge” about the importance of the mass. The mass is the moment when Heaven and Earth are united and Jesus comes into our presence. We offer up the Body and Blood of our Lord to atone for the sins of the world, and are nourished by his own Body and Blood, grafting us to him physically and spiritually. He’s asked us to be there because we are members of His Mystical Body and He died to give us the Eucharist to eat. He wants to nourish His church and get us ready for our wedding day in Heaven. We, the Church, are his Bride!!
If you really process that, I don’t think you’ll want to miss the mass! You wouldn’t want to miss out on the opportunity to physically be in the presence of Jesus Christ, would you? At a Protestant service, they sing songs about Jesus and hear sermons about Him. At a Catholic Mass, Jesus really and actually comes! And you consume the Body and Blood of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in obedience to His own commandment. There is just no way any Christian would want to miss out on that, if they actually understood that’s what is happening.
Until you understand that, the “no missing mass” thing is just a rule. It doesn’t mean anything. And so if you don’t go to mass, it’s probably because you don’t understand why it’s so important. You think it’s just a rule. You’re not fully converted. And because you’re not fully converted, you may not be sinning with full knowledge and it may not be a mortal sin at all.
Mortal sins don’t just happen in a, “whoops! I didn’t follow a rule” kind of way.
Mortal sins occur when the heart, from it’s depths, rejects something that God has said is sacred and essential.
If you believe in Hell at all and that it’s possible to go there for bad conduct, you have to believe that mortal sins are possible. Because that’s who Hell is for: people who reject God definitely.
Jesus indeed came to free us from Hell and sin, but not so that we could sin without accountability. He came to give us all the graces we need to become Holy.
No one is going to Hell for merely breaking a rule. People go to Hell because they reject God, they have contempt for what is holy, and they refuse to serve God. The church teaches about “mortal sin” to give us a way of thinking and talking about serious sin. Never reduce it to a term in a simplistic way, remember that it describes a concept: serious concept for God.
I hope that helps a little?? I remember having similar questions before, too. It’s great that you are being honest with yourself about addressing your concerns. That is the only way to grow in the spiritual life.
Thanks again for your wisdom and encouragement! blessings.