Daily mass

[KarenElissa]

No, of course, and that’s not what I want to do either.
I am not talking about just not feeling like going today.

And I did make it every day last week (except Saturday, because Saturday night I went for Sunday, when I was working). I made it this morning too, on my day off.
But for example tomorrow, I think I may skip it… I am working, and then I am only off on Christmas Eve but still have a lot of things to do and then celebrating with my family, and hopefully be able to go to Midnight Mass (afraid of being tired. but I want to!). Because I am working again on the 25th, the 26th and the 27th.) And just getting over a cold too and feeling run down a bit right now… today was even more stressful than working, running around town… so I thought, tomorrow after work maybe I want to go home and not take the train to the city and go to mass and then maybe not get home until 8pm… and maybe still ahve to wrap up Christmas presents… see what I mean? Is it ok on such a day?

I understand where you are coming from, I’ve had similar conversations with myself. I could technically go almost every day, but I work afternoon/evenings, so I’m not a fan of getting up and moving in the mornings, that is my relaxing time, like most people do in the evenings after work. So do I get up and go? Or is having that down time also important?

So I decided to try and go two times a week, not counting Sunday Mass. I figure that way I have kind of a point where I’m not stressing about whether or not I should go each day and I can also switch around days depending on my schedule. Some weeks I go more often, but at that point, it is more if I feel compelled to go, I don’t stress about it. And last week I only went once due to various issues.

Setting that kind of limit might help you too. So this week for example, you went today and you will go for Christmas, whether on Christmas Eve or Day, so you have made it twice. Beyond that, go if you want, but don’t stress over it.

 

[Randy_Lee]

Greetings from the Big Red Truck… Hi every one im a truck driver and im on the road all but 2 days a month, it’s hard for me to atend Mass on a daily basses but i do listen to Mass on EWTN…I often wander is it enough. what do you all think?

 

[Kathrin]

I understand where you are coming from, I’ve had similar conversations with myself. I could technically go almost every day, but I work afternoon/evenings, so I’m not a fan of getting up and moving in the mornings, that is my relaxing time, like most people do in the evenings after work. So do I get up and go? Or is having that down time also important?

So I decided to try and go two times a week, not counting Sunday Mass. I figure that way I have kind of a point where I’m not stressing about whether or not I should go each day and I can also switch around days depending on my schedule. Some weeks I go more often, but at that point, it is more if I feel compelled to go, I don’t stress about it. And last week I only went once due to various issues.

Setting that kind of limit might help you too. So this week for example, you went today and you will go for Christmas, whether on Christmas Eve or Day, so you have made it twice. Beyond that, go if you want, but don’t stress over it.

Good to know I’m not alone having these conversations with myself!
I want it to be a wonderful thing when I go and not something that becomes a have-to. Which of course, by Catholic law, it isn’t. Maybe it’s because it feels like a step back when I start going less often? But of course life circumstances can change!

Anyway… hey, I feel a lot of love right now, coming from you guys. .

 

[Ad_Gentes]

Maybe it’s because it feels like a step back when I start going less often? But of course life circumstances can change!

I know exactly what you mean. One time I started attending a group at lunch to pray the rosary. I was doing it every day, but as I got busier and busier at work, I found it difficult to take an hour for lunch every day. Eventually, I stopped attending this prayer group. Sometime later, I started praying the rosary on my drive to work. This worked well, except that it wasn’t the same; too many distractions on the road. I still pray the rosary on my car from time to time, but I don’t do it every day (today I did ). I do, however, try to set time aside every day for formal prayer, in addition to talking to God throughout the day. It’s important that we make God a priority in our lives and, from what I can see, you’re doing just that.

 

[Chancellare]

Sorry for the misunderstanding, I thought you were asking me a question on a personal level. I got away from Opus Dei very quickly once I got educated about the organization. After having attended Opus Dei for a few months in Potomac Maryland, I did some research and interviewed a few former members of Opus Dei to get an inside scoop. It raised a lot of red flags and I knew it wasn’t for me.

Sorry to learn about your less than ideal experience you heard from former members. Not to pre-judge your experience, but listening to ‘former members’ is like asking the Protestants (former Catholics) what they thought about the Pope.(And you may have scooped Calvin!)

These are the very people who did not accept St Josemaria’s Way and they are the most influential to others who seek guidance.
Anyway sorry for the divert.

 

[Chancellare]

Greetings from the Big Red Truck… Hi every one im a truck driver and im on the road all but 2 days a month, it’s hard for me to atend Mass on a daily basses but i do listen to Mass on EWTN…I often wander is it enough. what do you all think?

Hi there Randy,
You’re doing fine with EWTN.
A little tip:
Whenever you have time to pass by a Catholic Church along the way, go to the Blessed Sacrament and pray:
3 sets of Our father… Hail Mary…Glory be.
Then:
Spiritual Communion.
I wish, Lord, to receive You with the purity, humility and devotion with which Your most holy Mother received You, with the spirit and fervor of the Saints.
Amen.

 

[Ad_Gentes]

Greetings from the Big Red Truck… Hi every one im a truck driver and im on the road all but 2 days a month, it’s hard for me to atend Mass on a daily basses but i do listen to Mass on EWTN…I often wander is it enough. what do you all think?

Randy, listening to daily mass on the radio is a great way to listen to God’s word while you drive your truck. It’s not, however, a substitute for attending mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation. If you absolutely can’t attend mass on a given Sunday, then I would recommend you listen to mass on the radio or dedicate equal time for prayer. This should not be the norm, though. I also do a lot of traveling because of my job and I try to plan accordingly (e.g. look for nearby parishes, mass schedules, etc.) if I know I’m going to be away from home on a Sunday. There are times, unfortunately, that I can’t make it to mass. When that happens, I read the Readings of that day, spend time on prayer, and attend mass the next available day. Chancellare has some very good advise.

 

[jkiernan56]

Sorry to learn about your less than ideal experience you heard from former members. Not to pre-judge your experience, but listening to ‘former members’ is like asking the Protestants (former Catholics) what they thought about the Pope.(And you may have scooped Calvin!)

These are the very people who did not accept St Josemaria’s Way and they are the most influential to others who seek guidance.
Anyway sorry for the divert.

I came from another “less than ideal” experience with another organization that I belonged to for over 15 years. That is why I was prudent enough to do a little background check. I know that a few former members does not speak for the whole organization. But neither do I discount the bad experiences some members had that were similar to my own within my own organization. I don’t think this is the place to spell out what I learned. No organization is perfect. But when an organization is not even willing to acknowledge any imperfection or wrong doing, that raises again a huge red flag. The founder of Opus Dei I have no doubt was a very holy person since the Church honors him as a Saint. I just have some serious misgivings about some of the practices of the organization he founded and it’s hyper sensitivity to any criticism. In Proverbs one of the verses says “rebuke a fool and he will hate you. Rebuke a wise man and he will love you for it.” Opus Dei would be very wise to validate some of the criticisms of its former members. One of them I personally spoke to had been a member for a very long time and had had a higher than normal profile within the organization (ie - responsibilities).

 

[Chancellare]

I came from another “less than ideal” experience with another organization that I belonged to for over 15 years. That is why I was prudent enough to do a little background check. I know that a few former members does not speak for the whole organization. But neither do I discount the bad experiences some members had that were similar to my own within my own organization. I don’t think this is the place to spell out what I learned. No organization is perfect. But when an organization is not even willing to acknowledge any imperfection or wrong doing, that raises again a huge red flag. The founder of Opus Dei I have no doubt was a very holy person since the Church honors him as a Saint. I just have some serious misgivings about some of the practices of the organization he founded and it’s hyper sensitivity to any criticism. In Proverbs one of the verses says “rebuke a fool and he will hate you. Rebuke a wise man and he will love you for it.” Opus Dei would be very wise to validate some of the criticisms of its former members. One of them I personally spoke to had been a member for a very long time and had had a higher than normal profile within the organization (ie - responsibilities).

Thanks for your openness and candor about your experience. There is a book by John Allen- Opus Dei: The Truth About its Rituals, Secrets and Power. It’s written by an investigative journalist. You might find some of the issues raised by former members and otherwise.

 

[jkiernan56]

Thanks for your openness and candor about your experience. There is a book by John Allen- Opus Dei: The Truth About its Rituals, Secrets and Power. It’s written by an investigative journalist. You might find some of the issues raised by former members and otherwise.

Thank you Chancellare for the information about the book written by John Allen on OD. I’m happy to see there is an attempt by someone to be objective on the subject. In an interview John Allen gave and as reported by Zenit, he raises a very good point:

"There’s a legitimate debate to be had about some aspects of Opus Dei’s internal culture and practice, and in my experience it’s a conversation happening, in the first place, inside Opus Dei itself. The question of how Opus Dei could make itself more transparent without compromising its own identity, for example, is a completely reasonable point to press.”

zenit.org/article-14916?l=english

I appreciate you were willing to be forthcoming and transparent enough to point me to John Allen’s book.

 

[Ahlman]

I am currently an exchange student in Japan. In February, I have the opportunity to go on a ski trip together with the ornithology circle I have joined. This would indeed be a good opportunity to be social with my Japanese friends, get to know them better and with words and deeds give witness to my faith. It would also be an opportunity for me during this year to see more of Japan (for example to bathe in hoth springs), instead of just studying on my room all day.

However, this would also mean that I miss the Mass on Ash Wednesday. This is of course not a holy day of obligation, but it’s still Ash Wednesday. And whether you go to Mass or not that day, it’s still a fasting day, which possibly would mean fasting from doing fun things also?

I use to have the principle that it is worth to sacrifice anything to be able to attend Mass every day, as long as it doesn’t mean skipping lessons at the university or in another way compromising with your duties. But what about a case like the one above? It might be my only chance to do a trip like this in order to see more of Japan’s nature during my year here, and it is a good opportunity to be sociable to my non-Christian friends. Honestly, I would rather stay home in order to be able to attend Mass. But couldn’t that be considered a little un-sociable? Aren’t we lay people supposed to be a leaven by interacting with other people and be Christ for them? Would non-compromizingly going to Mass every day be a hindrance for that?

 

[LilyM]

I am currently an exchange student in Japan. In February, I have the opportunity to go on a ski trip together with the ornithology circle I have joined. This would indeed be a good opportunity to be social with my Japanese friends, get to know them better and with words and deeds give witness to my faith. It would also be an opportunity for me during this year to see more of Japan (for example to bathe in hoth springs), instead of just studying on my room all day.

However, this would also mean that I miss the Mass on Ash Wednesday. This is of course not a holy day of obligation, but it’s still Ash Wednesday. And whether you go to Mass or not that day, it’s still a fasting day, which possibly would mean fasting from doing fun things also?

I use to have the principle that it is worth to sacrifice anything to be able to attend Mass every day, as long as it doesn’t mean skipping lessons at the university or in another way compromising with your duties. But what about a case like the one above? It might be my only chance to do a trip like this in order to see more of Japan’s nature during my year here, and it is a good opportunity to be sociable to my non-Christian friends. Honestly, I would rather stay home in order to be able to attend Mass. But couldn’t that be considered a little un-sociable? Aren’t we lay people supposed to be a leaven by interacting with other people and be Christ for them? Would non-compromizingly going to Mass every day be a hindrance for that?

There’s nothing wrong with travelling on Ash Wednesday, certainly, or having fun! Your only obligation is to fast and abstain - and with all the beautiful seafood and vegetarian food available in Japan I don’t think that’d be terribly difficult.

I remember going to a party one Lenten Friday. I hadn’t planned to, but I did have a good teachable moment when we ordered a banquet and I specified that I would like seafood or vegetarian. So even though I had fun, I still witnessed to my faith! :yup:

 

[Chancellare]

Thank you Chancellare for the information about the book written by John Allen on OD. I’m happy to see there is an attempt by someone to be objective on the subject. In an interview John Allen gave and as reported by Zenit, he raises a very good point:

"There’s a legitimate debate to be had about some aspects of Opus Dei’s internal culture and practice, and in my experience it’s a conversation happening, in the first place, inside Opus Dei itself. The question of how Opus Dei could make itself more transparent without compromising its own identity, for example, is a completely reasonable point to press.”

zenit.org/article-14916?l=english

I appreciate you were willing to be forthcoming and transparent enough to point me to John Allen’s book.

Aside from reading John Allen there are a few testimonies that I find revealing, if not illuminating, especially concerning those who had less than ideal experiences.

This one came from Paul T Thordarson from Boston and I quote him:
“Everyone brings baggage to a relationship. Perhaps many of the dissatisfied former members might have stories that started out similar to mine. How easy it is to have a misunderstanding that is allowed to fester, or to adopt a pattern of reasoning in which concerns are not communicated but are instead added to a list of “well that’s yet another thing wrong with this organization”. Finally, given the immeasurable benefit for me of what was virtually unlimited access to Fr. Sal(his confessor), I wonder how many misunderstandings were due to a shortage of numeraries, especially ones with experience to be able to recognize the signs of some internal misgivings.”
For a complete text, this is the link:
opusdeiblogs.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=130&Itemid=108