Feeling guilty for not attending daily Mass

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I am a teacher and have been on summer vacation since the end of June. In that time I have attended Mass nearly every single weekday (in addition to Sundays). The only two days I did not go were when I completely lost track of time.

Today, I have a ton of work to do. I am in the process of interviewing for a new job that I am feeling optimistic I will get, so I am updating information to bring with me to my second interview this Wednesday. I am also a grad student, and I have multiple assignments due by the end of the week. I’d rather finish them by today or tomorrow so they aren’t hanging over my head.

In light of all this, I chose not to go to Mass today. This is the first time in over a month I have voluntarily not attended Mass when I really could have, and I am feeling very guilty.

Does anyone have any words of wisdom for this situation? I feel kind of silly even posting about it. I know that it is unreasonable – it’s not like I skipped Sunday Mass – but I can’t shake what I’m feeling. :confused:
 
It’s a good thing that you have started attending daily Mass to be nourished by the word of God and maybe the Eucharist. It doesn’t matter that you didn’t attend daily Mass and it doesn’t mean your putting your work before God.

However you must still pray every day whether joining in praying the most perfect prayer, The Mass or your own personal prayer. But do not let your work commitments prevent you from having time for personal prayer.

If you feel really guilty why don’t you watch a TV Mass on EWTN or here.

We are not obliged to attend Daily Mass but I think we should always make time for God in prayer every day.
“Pray as though everything depended on God. Work as though everything depended on you.”
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Saint Augustine

God Bless

FAH
 
As you know, Mass is only required on Sunday. Any other day is a bonus. If you miss a day or two, it’s no big deal. You are doing better that a lot of other people. There are so many Catholics that do not even go on Sunday. I think if you are going most weekdays, you are doing GREAT! Do not sweat the occasional missed daily Mass.

If you still feel the guilt, if your parish or one nearby has adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, spend an hour there sometime after each Mass you miss, you will be golden.
 
It is very good to go to daily Mass, but when you have other responsibilities on a specific day, it is also good to take care of them peacefully, without stress, and without feeling guilt for not having gone to Mass.
 
You might consider reading up on scrupulosity if it is really bothering you. It is not a sin to skip daily mass. It is a great devotion, but it is not required.

I can assure you that God still loves you and that he is not going to be angry at you, you haven’t done anything wrong. You don’t have anything to feel guilty about.

God understands that you are working hard to accomplish things, which more than likely, he called you to in the first place. 👍

Being in grad school myself, I feel inclined to ask whether you are a perfectionist. I know many, many grad students who are. That could very well be the cause of your problem(I’ve been there, done that).

Don’t fret it. You didn’t do anything wrong.
 
I know exactly how you feel. I started going to Mass during Lent. I was a high school senior at the time, and my HS was 2 blocks from Church. I would go to 6:30 AM Mass, leave at 7, then drive to school, and I LOVED It. so much grace…I continued into the summer after graduation. but, I started to be busy, and I wasn’t sleeping because there was just too much to do…I had to stop. It’s addicting, Daily Mass. Once you start, you want to keep going. It makes you passionate. but it is not required, and God knows that we have other responsibilities to our jobs, our families and friends, and to take care of ourselves. Do your responsibilities with love, go to Mass on Sundays and whenever else you can, and know that God is smiling on you, because He loves you and He loves that you love recieving His Son in the Eucharist every day.

-Jeanne
 
I was given the grace of daily communion for more than two years. accepting the withdrawal of grace, as if from His hand, has been part of my journey. I would not change a thing. Thank You Jesus.

peace
 
If you were skipping daily Mass because you wanted to sleep in for that 10th hour or felt like playing and extra hour of Nintendo, then you might have a problem. It sounds like that is not your situations, though.

It is definitely a great grace to go to daily Mass whenever you can, but it is not always possible. And you don’t have to be burning-the-candle-at-both-ends busy in order to miss it.
 
I too feel guilty right now as I’m overwhelmed with work…I usually go during my lunch hour but have had to forgoe those right now. Especially when I read one saint who said that those who say that they are too busy for daily Mass just have a problem with time managment…that being said…I do have a problem…how to create more time right now…

So…I’m in the same boat…feeling guilty too…don’t know what to do:shrug:
 
Annabelle_Marie said:
I too feel guilty right now as I’m overwhelmed with work…I usually go during my lunch hour but have had to forgoe those right now. Especially when I read one saint who said that those who say that they are too busy for daily Mass just have a problem with time managment…that being said…I do have a problem…how to create more time right now…

So…I’m in the same boat…feeling guilty too…don’t know what to do:shrug:
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But you have to consider, in which year did that Saint say that? The methods of successful time management have changed throughout the years. Did that he/she have a full-time job? If carrying out the duties of your job does not allow you to take the time to go to daily Mass, you are not responsible for the inability to attend. If you are like most of us, you can not quit your job to be able to attend. I would to attend daily Mass, but it is at 8.00am, I start work at 7.00am. If your parish or a nearby parish has adoration maybe you could find the time to visit the Blessed Sacrament and pray about it. I believe that will help alleviate the guilt.
 
I am very blessed to be able to attend daily Mass right now. I hope I can do so for the rest of my life. One of the reasons I won’t be able to attend during weekdays is when I am traveling. I love daily Mass that’s why I try my best to go everyday. But if I can’t, I try not to stress too much over it.

Although I do wonder if it’s a sin to miss daily Mass if I just didn’t feel like doing so ( not in the mood, feeling lazy)? After all, it’s optional.
 
We are not bound to do all the good we ‘could do’.

If you were not going out of an attitude of “the Mass is not worth my going” etc then one would have a problem…but you are not saying such. Rather in your case you are doing another good…

Though of course daily Mass is a great grace as you have experienced.

But do not feel “guilty” about if one does not go…

One could think too gee I could go pray at Church for two hours instead of going to see a great movie for recreation. It is a sin to choose the movie? No --not in itself.
 
I’d even go so far as to apply the principles to the scrupulous. If you’re feeling so guilty about something that is clearly not a sin, continue doing it. Perhaps you should actually cut down on daily Mass.

This is not in a mean-spirited way, but the one remedy for the scrupulous is to keep up the behaviour after having been counseled that there is no sin.

Of course as always, do nothing without consulting a good confessor or spiritual director.
 
I had been in a position where I was able to get to daily Mass for a few months, along with about forty five minutes of Adoration preceding the Mass. Then life had a way of happening, and I got swamped with family responsibilities, including caring for an ill elderly mother, necessary household repairs (a hole in the roof!,) as well as professional responsibilities (the sudden resignation of another physical therapist, effectively increasing my workload by 25 %.) Now I’m very fortunate if I can get to a weekday Mass three times a week.

I know that we are not obligated to attend daily Mass, but when I can get to a weekday Mass, it is one of the high points of my week. However, God Himself tells me to honor my sick and elderly mother, to care for those who are entrusted to my care, and to glorify Him in my daily work, including prayer, and yes, the Mass, when possible.

I found myself actually feeling resentful and deprived if I didn’t get to daily Mass. Then one day, at Adoration, I found myself focusing on the figure of Christ crucified directly behind the monstrance. His outstretched arms seemed to embrace the whole world. I recalled that there were many demands from many needy people throughout His public ministry, and He always gave them a gracious and generous response. And yes, He did withdraw to pray, in the desert, or in a lonely spot. I looked harder at that crucifix: It’s vertical axis seemed to represent the prayer and adoration ascending from an individual to God Himself. The horizontal beam seemed to radiate this love extending outward to enfold my fellows on this planet earth, to extend to them the love of God. I realized that *for me, *a faith without love for one’s fellow human beings was a sham, like one of those cut-out towns you see on a movie set in Hollywood. For one called to the married vocation, Christ’s love has to radiate out toward others. I don’t think Our Lord wants me to feel resentful if I can’t participate in daily Mass, that’s kind of missing the whole point. Rather He wants me to try my level best to get there as well as attend to my responsibilities, because those duties are a part of His call to me.

I still get to daily Mass when I can reasonably do so without neglecting the people He has placed in my life. It’s a balancing act, and sometimes crises happen, and I’m called to offer up missing what is truly the happiest time of my life in a spirit of sacrifice to Him and those He has surrounded me with.

Just my thoughts, but this helped me over the hump of guilt and resentment.

And when I get there a couple of times a week, Mass is even more special to me.
 
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