Did I commit a mortal sin?

[clarkest]

normally i go to Mass almost everyday. just love it and it’s such a joy to go. not long ago i was very very busy on a saturday, and so i was tired and forgot to set my alarm clock for Sunday morning. i had just moved into a new house, so i wasn’t sure how long it’d take me to walk to any of the parishes near me. anyways, i woke up ten or so minutes before Mass starts at the three parishes around me (all start at 10am) and so i threw on some clothes, put on my parka and boots and went outside. i got my phone and contacted a very knowledgable Catholic who lives in my city asking her where to go. i was at the end of my driveway ready to run to wherever she told me to go (no car, buses don’t run very often on Sundays around here). she said that it would take too long to walk to any of the parishes, and that i was pretty much screwed for Mass that day. something inside me told me to try and walk to one anyways but i just went inside and missed Mass that day. i missed Mass on a Sunday!

and it turns out that i would have been able to walk to two of the parishes and made it, would have been a little late but only like ten minutes late.

note, it was about -25 celcius outside and windy. and i did look at the archdiocese’s website to see Mass times and where they are, but they are small old parishes so they didn’t have good information. said the same priest was celebrating Mass at both parishes at the same time lol.

anyways, i just feel so bad for missing Mass. my friend told me i was screwed, but something in me told me to go and i just went inside! and i could have made it! i’m not blaming my friend, she doesn’t know how tortured i am about this, it’s just what happened.

help!

 

[Peggy_in_Burien]

I don’t think you committed a mortal sin, because your intention was to go to Mass.

But, you sound very worried, so I suggest you talk to your priest, or go to confession to get some advice about this.

Now, you know for next time how long it will take to get to Mass.

 

[Elizium23]

There is no way you committed a mortal sin. Mortal sin requires full consent of the will. You intended to go to Mass and you even made a good-faith effort to travel there. You have nothing to confess.

 

[odile53]

Just go to confession and explain the schedule mess-up to the priest. I’m betting that he will tell you it wasn’t a mortal sin in this case, since you made a good faith attempt at getting there. I live in the US, so I had to look up the celsius to fahrenheit conversion which came up to -13 degrees. It is dangerous to be out for ten minutes in those kinds of temperatures depending on how adequately you’re clothed, how bad the wind is, etc, etc, and from what you’ve posted here it sounds like there were mitigating factors. Ten minutes in those conditions for a young, healthy person who is adequately clothed and walking with minimal wind and clean sidewalks is one thing. Ten minutes for an elderly person with some exposed skin walking in high winds or deep snow could be fatal.

Our pastor each winter posts the following disclaimer in the bulletin:

“In case of unusually severe weather, please do not endanger yourself to attempt to come to Mass on the weekend, particularly if you are elderly. You are dispensed from the obligation to attend. The parish has hired people to remove snow, but sometimes it accumulates faster than it can be shoveled. If you are able-bodied and see that snow has accumulated, please take a shovel from the narthex and clean off some snow.”

Just to review: A mortal sin has to meet three conditions

Grave matter: Mass attendance is grave matter
Full knowledge: You weren’t sure of either the schedule or the time it would take to get there
Full consent: You made an attempt to get there.

But I have to comment–maybe a more reliable alarm clock, and better time management skills might be areas to consider for improvement!

 

[LilyPearls]

Maybe you’re cutting yourself up over this because “something inside you” told you to start walking but you didn’t. That is where you see your consent in committing mortal sin. But, imo, that is still not full consent. And for it to be mortal sin you must give full consent. You seem to have genuinely wanted to go, you were ready to go, had you woken ipod ten minutes earlier you would have gone and this wouldn’t be an issue. You were not fully consenting. It’s not like you chose to do something else like shop or watch tv instead of Mass. I don’t think yout committed mortal sin, however I’m not a priest. Maybe it’d be good to bring it up in confession.