Daily mass

[Kathrin]

What do you think about the morality of not going to daily mass ebcause you’re tired, it’s a bad time and far away, etc?

I have started going to daily mass almost every day about 3 months ago or so. Sometimes in the morning, sometimes in the evening, sometimes in the middle of the day.

Now I have started working and I wonder if it is ok to sometimes just tell myself, I am too tired tonight to go all the way to the city for daily mass and get home so late? Or to tell myself, I really don’t want to get up early today?

I know we’re not obliged to go to daily mass.
I have just gotten kind of used to it. I don’t want it to become compulsive though. but then, how can I even THINK that, I mean, could there be such a thing as overdoing it here??

Kathrin

 

[Chancellare]

What do you think about the morality of not going to daily mass ebcause you’re tired, it’s a bad time and far away, etc?

I have started going to daily mass almost every day about 3 months ago or so. Sometimes in the morning, sometimes in the evening, sometimes in the middle of the day.

Now I have started working and I wonder if it is ok to sometimes just tell myself, I am too tired tonight to go all the way to the city for daily mass and get home so late? Or to tell myself, I really don’t want to get up early today?

I know we’re not obliged to go to daily mass.
I have just gotten kind of used to it. I don’t want it to become compulsive though. but then, how can I even THINK that, I mean, could there be such a thing as overdoing it here??

Kathrin

When you love somebody so much, daily meetings cease to be obligations and seem not enough. Where there is no love, even monthly is too often.

 

[LilyM]

When you love somebody so much, daily meetings cease to be obligations and seem not enough. Where there is no love, even monthly is too often.

Having said that, even the most loving couple can take the occasional break from each other without it meaning they love each other the less - the saying is ‘absence makes the heart grow fonder’. And God, to be sure, is not only with us at Mass either, so we are not out of communication or unable to ‘meet’ him if we don’t attend daily Mass.

I know one of the saints - I think it was either St Francis de Sales or St Jane de Chantal - stated that laypeople should attend to their daily duties and obligations (work, household and family) as a priority, and that while attending daily Mass was good they shouldn’t do so if it took too much away from these other duties, which are given to us by God as well.

 

[Chancellare]

Having said that, even the most loving couple can take the occasional break from each other without it meaning they love each other the less - the saying is ‘absence makes the heart grow fonder’.

I still have to hear a couple who are deeply in love say “we should have stayed away from each other more often”.

I know one of the saints - I think it was either St Francis de Sales or St Jane de Chantal - stated that laypeople should attend to their daily duties and obligations (work, household and family) as a priority, and that while attending daily Mass was good they shouldn’t do so if it took too much away from these other duties, which are given to us by God as well.

One first has to reach a point where work becomes prayer. When this is reached then one’s entire daily schedule becomes prayer in action. Then God provides the time for each activity…including daily Mass.

 

[LilyM]

I still have to hear a couple who are deeply in love say “we should have stayed away from each other more often”.

Staying away from Mass does not equal staying away from God though. And remember for reasons of necessary work, care of children and so on we don’t even have to go to Sunday Mass let alone weekday Masses.

One first has to reach a point where work becomes prayer. When this is reached then one’s entire daily schedule becomes prayer in action. Then God provides the time for each activity…including daily Mass.

That’s the total opposite of what the good Saint said, so if you don’t mind I’ll take his or her advice and not your opinion

 

[Holly3278]

There is no sin in not going to daily Mass. However, there exists grave sin in missing Mass on holy days of obligation and on Sundays or Saturday vigil Masses.

The Sunday obligation

2180 The precept of the Church specifies the law of the Lord more precisely: "On Sundays and other holy days of obligation the faithful are bound to participate in the Mass."117 "The precept of participating in the Mass is satisfied by assistance at a Mass which is celebrated anywhere in a Catholic rite either on the holy day or on the evening of the preceding day."118

2181 The Sunday Eucharist is the foundation and confirmation of all Christian practice. For this reason the faithful are obliged to participate in the Eucharist on days of obligation, unless excused for a serious reason (for example, illness, the care of infants) or dispensed by their own pastor.119 Those who deliberately fail in this obligation commit a grave sin.

2182 Participation in the communal celebration of the Sunday Eucharist is a testimony of belonging and of being faithful to Christ and to his Church. The faithful give witness by this to their communion in faith and charity. Together they testify to God’s holiness and their hope of salvation. They strengthen one another under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

2183 "If because of lack of a sacred minister or for other grave cause participation in the celebration of the Eucharist is impossible, it is specially recommended that the faithful take part in the Liturgy of the Word if it is celebrated in the parish church or in another sacred place according to the prescriptions of the diocesan bishop, or engage in prayer for an appropriate amount of time personally or in a family or, as occasion offers, in groups of families."120

117 CIC, can. 1247.
118 CIC, can. 1248 § 1.
119 Cf. CIC, can. 1245.
120 CIC, can. 1248 § 2.

 

[Kathrin]

I didn’t want to give the impression that I don’t love God.

I pray, I talk to God throughout the day, I try to live according to His Word with acts of love and charity.

I also struggle with scrupulosity.
So sometimes I am afraid I MAY do something out of a feeling of guilt rather than love. I guess that’s what I mean by “overdoing” it - going on days when it causes me to maybe get behind with something else or not get enough rest.
And sometimes it is hard to differentiate. I want to do things out of love!

This whole thing leads to struggles sometimes.

For example, I have been saying the rosary daily. If I suddenly feel it may become too much of just a ritual and not something I enjoy anymore and I start getting very distracted while saying it, is it ok to take a break or choose to pray differently, in a less structured way?

Or, I have been going to daily mass. If I work now and want to rest more on the days that I am off, or don’t want to get home so late every day (when I was not working I could go to afternoon services in retirement homes and stuff like that) because I want to spend some time with my parents (who live in the same house) and do my e-mail and stuff, does that mean I don’t love God enough?? On most days I don’t find a daily mass close by where I live at all.

Kathrin

 

[Kathrin]

2183 "If because of lack of a sacred minister or for other grave cause participation in the celebration of the Eucharist is impossible, it is specially recommended that the faithful take part in the Liturgy of the Word if it is celebrated in the parish church or in another sacred place according to the prescriptions of the diocesan bishop, or engage in prayer for an appropriate amount of time personally or in a family or, as occasion offers, in groups of families."120

This is something I still wonder too sometimes:
When my town only has a Litrugy of the Word service on a Sunday because the priest is absent, is it better to participate in that communal service or to go to a different town where there is a Eucharist.
And is there any church law that says that if we have the opportunity, we should go to another town?

 

[LilyM]

This is something I still wonder too sometimes:
When my town only has a Litrugy of the Word service on a Sunday because the priest is absent, is it better to participate in that communal service or to go to a different town where there is a Eucharist.
And is there any church law that says that if we have the opportunity, we should go to another town?

The obligation is to go to Mass if we can. So if you are able, you should go to the other town.

Mass is always and in every event preferable to a Communion Service.

 

[Chancellare]

That’s the total opposite of what the good Saint said, so if you don’t mind I’ll take his or her advice and not your opinion

There might even be more Saints who recommend daily Masses. And no, it’s not my opinion, God forbid! Read St. Josemaria Escriva as starters.

 

[LilyM]

There might even be more Saints who recommend daily Masses. And no, it’s not my opinion, God forbid! Read St. Josemaria Escriva as starters.

With all possible respect to St Josemaria - he was a priest. For him there would never have been a conflict between other God-given obligations and Mass attendance - to say Mass WAS his God-given obligation (or the most significant part of it anyway).

Nor would he have had to work to other people’s Mass schedules - all he needed was a spare altar and he could say Mass for himself pretty much any time. Even if he was a parish priest, he was the one who set the schedule for Masses at his convenience.

Fact is, for every St Josemaria (who I doubt would ever advocate letting business or family obligations suffer in favour of daily Mass) you’d find a St Francis of Assisi, who radically for his time, dispensed his brothers from any requirement even for daily Liturgy of the Hours, let alone daily Mass. He certainly didn’t think their work with and for the poor should be shoved to one side in favour of Mass or Liturgy.

And I have to question the logic of some of your previous post. God provides? Indeed He does. God provides us with our work and our family obligations which are so important that, for reasons of necessary work and looking after children we are dispensed from any obligation at all to attend even Sunday Mass.

He also provides us with churches that aren’t always around the corner adn which schedule Masses at hours that are inconvenient many folks for different reasons. Hey, if my church had Mass-on-demand I’d be there every day. But they don’t and never will.

God provides, yes. He provided for my parents (devout Catholics who I’m sure would have loved to go to daily Mass) that when they lived and worked in a place that had daily Mass, at the same time they had five children under ten and both worked full time so that they couldn’t go. Do you think they were in any way less than very faithful servants of His because they didn’t go to daily Mass?

Now that they are semi-retired, he has provided for them that they live an hour and a half from the nearest town and STILL can’t go to daily Mass. Again, they are very faithful servants of His, albeit they live in an out-of-the-way area (as did the great St Simeon the Stylite - I wonder how many daily Masses he was able to get to during those 12 years he spent as a hermit on top of his pillar?)

 

[puzzleannie]

What do you think about the morality of not going to daily mass ebcause you’re tired, it’s a bad time and far away, etc?

Irin

there is no obligation to attend daily Mass, so I have no thoughts on the morality of missing it for any reason, good, lame or otherwise. If it helps you and you have the means and can get there, do it. If it just doesn’t work out with your schedule, don’t. Spend the effort planning to make sure you get to Mass on Sundays and Holy Days, and to confession when necessary.

 

[m134e5]

I am not sure it is a sin to not go to daily Mass when you have the opportunity, but I think it is ungrateful.

 

[rpp]

Kathrin, my friend, do not worry. Be at peace.

I used to go to Mass everyday. Unfortunately, now that I care for my elderly mother, it s nearly impossible for me to get to bed early enough to go and I miss it terribly.

While I miss the spiritual nourishment and support this gives me, I am not committing some kind of sin.

Are you still in the USA or have you gone back home?

 

[Dorothy]

Perhaps you can go to two daily masses a week instead of trying to go every day.

It is also loving God to get everything done that you need to do, and to spend quality time with your parents. Don’t fall into the anxiety trap that you aren’t loving God enough if you don’t manage to get to Mass every day.

 

[Chancellare]

Fact is, for every St Josemaria (who I doubt would ever advocate letting business or family obligations suffer in favour of daily Mass) you’d find a St Francis of Assisi, who radically for his time, dispensed his brothers from any requirement even for daily Liturgy of the Hours, let alone daily Mass. He certainly didn’t think their work with and for the poor should be shoved to one side in favour of Mass or Liturgy.

I understand you are not recommending daily Masses for reasons that it will cause business and family obligations to suffer. I’m sorry for such irresponsible suggestion.

 

[Kathrin]

Are you still in the USA or have you gone back home?

back home

 

[Kathrin]

The other daily mass dilemma that has come up is this:
If for example I have to work on Sundays (it is at a care home, so work on Sundays is necessary too), I go to the vigil mass on Saturday. Usually I don’t go to another mass on Saturday then, especially when I am working (getting up even earlier might be possible but I have to think of getting rest too!).
So some weeks I end up going to church on every day BUT Sunday (even though of course, the Saturday vigil mass IS FOR Sunday). Which feels kind of weird in a way?

Ummm… and then, today. I am off. There is a amss at night. But there are workers in my apartment today and I will have to vacuum and clean up after them. Plus I have a cold. I am really debating whether I should go tonight or not, as again, it is a bit of a trip there.

I am really not sure if I am just being scrupulous here. I mean, daily mass IS and SHOULD BE something beautiful. Is it ok to just say “today it would be too much trouble”? Too much trouble for GOD!?? How can I even think that?
How far do I ahve to go with these thoughts? Is it ok to even think these thoughts?? Do they mean I am not grateful enough, or just that I am a normal person and on some days daily mass may be too much??

Kathrin

 

[Dorothy]

You must not neglect your health or get yourself into a tizzy about attending daily Mass. It is not wrong to cut back on how often you go if it is difficult to do so without endangering your peacefulness.

Remember that offering up all your work and living in the Presence of our Lord is what He wants us to do.

May His Peace be with you!

 

[Kathrin]

Thank you, Dorothy.

I may actually be able to make it tonight.

So this might be one of those weeks when the only day I am NOT going is Sunday (actually I am not going for Saturday, since I am going Saturday night for Sunday.)

I hope that doesn’t somehow make Sunday less special.

Kathrin

p.s. But Sunday IS special, as is every day!