Having a strange pull towards daily mass

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dfp42

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Lately, I’ve been having a strange pull with trying to attend daily mass when I can. For some reason or another, I am having voices of doubt tell me that I’m over doing it and would be better off staying home etc. I am blessed to have very many parishes with different mass times in my city, so I’ve taking advantage of them when I’m able. But something is perhaps telling me I shouldn’t be taking this time out of my day to attend mass. I just don’t know if there really is anything more important then the mass. I currently am laid off work and my confessor advices me to keep attending daily mass. When I don’t go to mass, I end up feeling upset. When I go to mass, even when I don’t feel like going, I feel 100 times better. Anyone ever been in this situation before in life? I understand things in life need attention towards such as my work situation etc but is it ever a bad thing to go to mass too much, as in daily?
 
As a pretty much everyday mass goer, I take your question very seriously. And I think the only way going to mass daily would be less than a wonderful blessing and opportunity for God’s grace would be if it became almost a superstition to you. The Church obligates us to go weekly (Sunday or Saturday Vigil) and encourages us to go as often as we can. But if you start finding yourself thinking you “have” to go daily, or something bad will happen if you don’t, then I would say it is too much.

The facts that your confessor counsels you to go daily, and you feel more energized and at peace when you do go as opposed to when you don’t, seems to me a real sign that you should, indeed, GO! 👍
 
Exactly the same thing has happened with me! I’m currently unemployed, and have been going to more daily masses. Then, in the week after Christmas, I decided to attend every day, for the Octave through to the Solemnity of Mary. Then, this week, I found that there was a reason to go on Monday, Tuesday, and now Wednesday. I am conscious that I have not been attending to my duties in life (study, house chores) as well as I should, and that I should not neglect these for daily mass, and yet I still keep feeling that, while I can, I should go to daily mass, first, and then worry about my lack of diligence in other areas. I feel that for a while God is giving me the grace to attend daily mass, and now it is up to me to discipline myself to find the time for it, and that this might involve cutting back on one or two other things that are licit uses of my time, but which I can’t fit in if I’m going to daily mass.

Tomorrow is often the busiest day of the week. ~Spanish Proverb

St Expeditus, patron saint of procrastinators, pray for us

Thanks for posting!

~ Edmundus
 
Thank you for your comment. To be honest, it’s not that I feel like something “bad” will happen to me if I don’t go. I know it’s not a precept to attend everyday. I just feel like it helps me so much get through all the downs in my life and gives me hope. My confessor knows my situation and advices me to attend daily when I can. I just feel a pull as if he wants me there with him. I’m not saying that I’m neglecting my family life (married for 4 months) but I feel as though Jesus is trying to teach me something. I feel a little guilty however knowing since I am laid off that I have the opportunity to attend daily mass and there are so many out there that don’t. I never felt this way about mass and I’ve been trying to learn more about it. I just have a feeling that the evil one is telling me sometimes that I’m wasting my time with all this mass and that going to adoration isn’t worth the time etc. I must say it is sad to see my parish of 8000 parishioners and only 4 or 5 people attending the holy hour on Tuesday nights at 7pm. It’s as if everyone is too busy with life and perhaps I’m not? Sometimes I’ve been getting discouraged looking at the way of the world thinking is this all that matters and yet I know in my heart there’s much more to it then living a neo pagan lifestyle (which was my past). I’ve been losing a taste towards things I used to be into like video games, tv and stuff on the computer…old me. I’m just wondering if anyone out there ever felt this way or understands what I’m going through. I’m 29 years old and it’s really not easy having people my age or younger be here or at mass.
 
It’s not easy and if I had things my way, I’d still have my job. I just don’t want to ever feel guilty about attending mass.
 
Now that I am retired I am a daily Mass goer.

When my children were small I couldn’t do that too often, but always had the desire to.

It is a great blessing, and over the years I have gotten to know the other daily Mass people at my parish as well. It is nice to see several University students there as well. The college is just about five minutes away.
 
I would strongly suspect that anything in you telling you that you shouldn’t go to Mass so much can’t be from God! While we don’t have an obligation to go to daily Mass, we are certainly encouraged to do so. It’s the Holy Sacrifice, and the Eucharist is Jesus Himself! The Church also recommends daily Communion assuming we are properly disposed to receive Him. (Remember, going to Mass doesn’t have to mean receiving Holy Communion; if you’re in a state of mortal sin and can’t get to confession, go to Mass anyway and don’t receive.)

Daily Mass is a beautiful thing that many people don’t really have available to them. If you can go to daily Mass, do so!
 
Hi, I think I my understand where you are coming from. I have been going to Mass almost daily since around August. I am 26 and unemployed/student. I started going to daily Mass because on one Sunday I went to Mass but was really tired (after a REALLY long night) and just felt distracted the whole time. Afterward, I thought, “Man, I can’t believe that I have to wait another week before I can go again.” Then it just occurred to me that I didn’t have to wait. So I went that Tuesday or Wednesday and went to a couple daily Masses and now I go almost every day (usually the reason I don’t go is because of a class).

Similar (I think) to you, I also feel uplifted and renewed after Mass and I see nothing wrong with this. I do not think you should feel bad about going to Mass. We get to hear the Word of the Lord and receive Him in the Eucharist - pretty good reason to go!

I also have experienced a significant changes in life concerning things like TV, other entertainment, how I want to spend my time, bars, etc. I am no longer interested in these things, and I really believe that it was God, specifically Christ in the Eucharist, that helped re-order my desires to Him.

Also, I have felt those times when “maybe I shouldn’t go” or “it doesn’t matter”, and while I can’t be sure, I have wondered if it is the evil one trying to pull me away. It wouldn’t surprise me if he targets young people who are becoming re-invigorated in their faith.

Sorry for rambling, but your situation sounds so similar to mine that I had to respond. Honestly, I say go while you can (because you may not be able to later, depending on a future job), especially if your priest recommends it.
 
Definitely, keep going! Each Mass you attend can be offered up for a different cause: someone you know who needs prayers (maybe a request you found on CAF), the unborn, priests and so on.

The Mass is the greatest prayer ever!

Refresh yourself! That voice telling you you’re overdoing it - DON’T LISTEN! The enemy NEVER has anything worth listening to!

Pax Christi!
 
My advice is that you should keep going to Daily Mass as often as you can. A number of years ago my husband passed away and I felt very lonely – my three chilren all lived very far away – also my grandchildren. I started going to a retreat house – Vallombrosa – and loved it. One day I made a retreat given by Fr. Ron Rolheiser on the Eucharist – he was unbelievably inspiring – profound – and I made a promise to myself that I would go to Mass each and every day so that I could Jesus in the Eucharist – believe me when I say, this is the only thing that keeps me going. Jesus is with me all the time and I’m constantly talking to Him – if you can possibly go to Mass daily, I recommend it – you’ll never be sorry with your decision.
 
Daily Mass is the best!

I had the idea to go 4 or 5 years ago during Lent, and I know the pull you describe. I could only go 3 days a week when our parish offers it at 6:30 a.m., and the time seemed to take forever between Monday and Thursday.

I was hooked before Lent was over, and have continued. I can go most days before work now, and I can tell the days that I am not able to go. It is a wonderful, wonderful blessing. I know that something - at least one thing - has gone right in my day, and I sometimes say to my fellow Mass-goers on the way out - “Best 25 minutes of the day!” And it is. When I first started going, I felt like I had discovered a well hidden treasure.

Don’t worry about being the youngest. One day, I was there with my 15 year old son. I said, “Well, you were the youngest one there today.” Not missing a beat, he says, “Well, Mom, you were the second-youngest!” I was 45, and he was probably right. After not very long, age won’t matter. Keep going. The old ladies love seeing you there!

If your unemployment is bad, then going to daily Mass is a way to bring good out of bad. Great good.
 
daily participation in the pinnacle of prayer is a great grace. May you enjoy Him every day of your life. He can continue even when you work or travel.

peace
 
Thank you very much for comments so far. I seriously been hearing the voice telling me to forget going daily. I really can’t describe how I feel after receiving the Eucharist. It’s as if nothing else matters at that very moment. All of the troubles I offer to Jesus. Although I must say there is a great battle that seems to be going on with telling me it’s a waste of time. I find myself sometimes saying nah, I’ll just stay home and then I end up driving to mass and I feel so much better doing it. Also, there is struggle I’m noticing over the last few months of my prayer life and study. I find that I want to pray very much and study the faith, then I have a hard time doing it. I order catholic book after catholic book on amazon and sometimes have a problem with where to begin. I have a huge collection excellent material on the faith but realize I won’t know it all in one day, yet alone years to come. I will defiantly pray about this tomorrow during mass.
 
dfp42 said:
Lately, I’ve been having a strange pull with trying to attend daily mass when I can. For some reason or another, I am having voices of doubt tell me that I’m over doing it and would be better off staying home etc. I am blessed to have very many parishes with different mass times in my city, so I’ve taking advantage of them when I’m able. But something is perhaps telling me I shouldn’t be taking this time out of my day to attend mass. I just don’t know if there really is anything more important then the mass. I currently am laid off work and my confessor advices me to keep attending daily mass. When I don’t go to mass, I end up feeling upset. When I go to mass, even when I don’t feel like going, I feel 100 times better. Anyone ever been in this situation before in life? I understand things in life need attention towards such as my work situation etc but is it ever a bad thing to go to mass too much, as in daily?
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Daily Mass is not a bad thing! I have crazy work right now…working all day…and at night! I have to do this every quarter because of federal deadlines! This time I decided…I don’t care how crazy it is…I’m taking the time to take a lunch and go to Mass. It has helped me to remain much calmer and keeps my focus where it should be. Which is probably why you are getting voices of doubt…the enemy does not want you to be focused. Daily Mass also helps to keep me away from sin. It is not a bad thing to go to Mass daily:thumbsup:
 
Go for it! I love daily Mass and I’m so sad that I can’t go right now as I have a baby and a full-time job (you understand that I’m not sad about the job and certainly not about the baby :D, just the lack of opportunity to attend weekday Masses), but before the baby was born I was a near-daily Mass participant (the youngest in the parish)and found it such an amazing grace and blessing in my life. Keep going, it’s beautiful!
 
Daily mass is a priceless gift that everyone should seek to embrace if at all possible! 😃
 
If I stop and think about it, I realize I’m usually the youngest daily Mass goer in my parish and in some of the other parishes I often end up at during the week. But I hardly even notice anymore.

If you feel called to pray more - always a good idea! Start with adding one thing. Maybe the daily Rosary or even just the Chaplet of Divine Mercy or the Morning Offering. You might graduate up to praying a portion of the Liturgy of the Hours. Beautiful.
 
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