Crazy Sunday = Missed Mass. Confession needed?

[rigofamily]

What a crazy Sunday my family had! My wife and I had all the kids ready and out the door for 11:00 a.m. Mass when we discovered the keys to our mini van were missing. Our littlest one, age 16 months decided to hide the keys from us.

Well, we turned the house inside-out looking for the keys (we only have one set - getting another set made this week) and they didn’t turn up until about 1:30 - well after the last mass in our parish. I remembered that another parish offered a 7:00 p.m. mass, so we decided to go then.

After doing groceries, dropping and breaking the milk jug when I got home , scrambling to have dinner and then get off to church again, we drove 20 minutes to the other church for the evening mass only to find that they no longer offer it!

Was my attempt to get to church enough? I could have driven our other car, but it’s not big enough for our entire family (myself + wife + 4 kids). Should I have just taken a couple kids in my car and left my wife at home with the two little ones? Was missing mass a mortal sin? Do I need to go to confession before next Sunday???

 

[Lux_et_Tenebrae]

Hi,

I feel that you made a good attempt, and were present when you had reason to believe there would be a Mass celebrated, so therefore no sin was committed.

If you are concerned, ask you priest, but I personally would not miss Holy Communion if I didn’t get to confession in your circumstance.

Lux

 

[baltobetsy]

You did everything you could to get to Mass and were prevented by circumstances. I see no sin there at all. Congratulations on your heroic attempts.

Betsy

 

[PhilipCal]

Wow!! Some Sunday!! As noted, you made the attempt. It could even be described as going above and beyond the call of duty. No sin my friend, you DID make the effort.

 

[rbasia]

It sounds like a typical Sunday for me. I’m married with 3 children, 10 , 3, and 17 month old baby. I just do my best.

 

[Sir_Knight]

I had these “type” of things happen to my family from time to time and while I have always confessed it, the priest has always told me that there was no sin on our part.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

What a crazy Sunday my family had! My wife and I had all the kids ready and out the door for 11:00 a.m. Mass when we discovered the keys to our mini van were missing. Our littlest one, age 16 months decided to hide the keys from us.

Well, we turned the house inside-out looking for the keys (we only have one set - getting another set made this week) and they didn’t turn up until about 1:30 - well after the last mass in our parish. I remembered that another parish offered a 7:00 p.m. mass, so we decided to go then.

After doing groceries, dropping and breaking the milk jug when I got home , scrambling to have dinner and then get off to church again, we drove 20 minutes to the other church for the evening mass only to find that they no longer offer it!

Was my attempt to get to church enough? I could have driven our other car, but it’s not big enough for our entire family (myself + wife + 4 kids). Should I have just taken a couple kids in my car and left my wife at home with the two little ones? Was missing mass a mortal sin? Do I need to go to confession before next Sunday???

Be reasonable here. Do you really theink this qualifies as you deciding you just didn’t want to go to Mass? Or had something better to do!

 

[Donna_Mc]

It sounds like to me that you made a honest attempt to get to
Mass!

 

[puzzleannie]

DD went through a similar scenario, finally found the keys in the garbage can, where the 2 yr old put them, but only because the 4 yr old dumped the can out looking for a toy, which had also been tossed, they found a lot of other missing stuff, including the remote. you gave it your best shot, anyone with toddlers should have amnesty in this regard (also should not be criticized for bringing kids to church in bizarre outfits, no shoes, mom looking like a train wreck etc.).

 

[lak611]

You tried your best to get to Mass on Sunday, in spite of the difficulties. God knows that your heart was in the right place. You have not committed a sin.

 

[Kinderteach]

I agree–you did your best. God knows it was not your fault. I was taught that if it was not your fault and you tried then there is no sin.

 

[lak611]

I agree–you did your best. God knows it was not your fault. I was taught that if it was not your fault and you tried then there is no sin.

The same thing happened to me a couple years ago. I was going to go to Mass as the church that my mother went to as a child. She had not been there in many years(over 35 years actually). The diocesan newspaper mentioned that this parish had a Holy Hour after the 12 p.m. Mass. We showed up at 11:30 a.m., only to find out that the 12 p.m. Mass was only held every two weeks, and the week we came was not one of them. We had no time to go to another Mass that Sunday, since the latest ones were 12 p.m., and we did not find out until 11:50 a.m. We intended to go to Mass and arrived 1/2 hour prior to when we thought Mass was offered. We were disappointed that we were unable to assist at Mass, but we took the effort to be on time when we thought Mass was offered, so we did not consider ourselves to have broken God’s commandments.

 

[Revert07]

Everyone is correct - you are fine. I would add what my priest told me under a similar situation when we missed Mass and I was worried about it.

He said it wasn’t a sin under the circumstances described to him because the intent to attend Mass was there and steps had been taken to get to Mass but we were otherwise prevented from actually attending. Still, he said, it was a good thing that it bothered me and suggested that, whenever it happens again, we should take the time to go over and meditate on the day’s readings and make a spiritual communion. You may already do this but others may find it useful.