How sick must one be, before they miss Mass?

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dumspirospero

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This is a question that I am pondering in my head, because I am sick right now and I would like to remain in the bed this morning…yet I know it is a mortal sin to miss Mass, and I don’t like missing Mass anyway…I enjoy being able to go to Mass. Granted, I am not close to the point of hospitalization, but I am infact sick. How sick must one be before they are excused from their Sunday obligation.
 
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dumspirospero:
This is a question that I am pondering in my head, because I am sick right now and I would like to remain in the bed this morning…yet I know it is a mortal sin to miss Mass, and I don’t like missing Mass anyway…I enjoy being able to go to Mass. Granted, I am not close to the point of hospitalization, but I am infact sick. How sick must one be before they are excused from their Sunday obligation.
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I think you’re asking people a question you should be asking Jesus. Remember He suffered and died on the cross for you. How sick do you think He would understand? If it is impossible for you to attend, your conscience would be clear wouldn’t it? If you would do yourself or others harm by attending, please stay home.
 
if its something contageous, stay home…even if you only feel a little not well.
 
I keep my germs at home when sick. Some people have seriously compromised immune systems and “a little cold” can have tragic consequences.

I also get distracted and upset when those who are obviously ill and contagious come to church, especially when they are coughing so much that they remove themselves to the cry room so as not to disturb worship! Thanks for sharing your germs with my kids!

God Bless,
Maria
 
If it were a work day and you were equally sick, would you stay home? That’s the rule of thumb I was taught to judge ‘sick enough/not sick enough’. If you believe you’re still in the contagious phase, it’s better to stay home even if less ill (though unfortunately, one is almost always contagious before showing symptoms–which is why these things spread so well in the first place).
 
posted by Melissa
If it were a work day and you were equally sick, would you stay home? That’s the rule of thumb I was taught to judge ‘sick enough/not sick enough’. If you believe you’re still in the contagious phase, it’s better to stay home even if less ill (though unfortunately, one is almost always contagious before showing symptoms–which is why these things spread so well in the first place).
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Only if you are not one of those who go to work when they think they have the flu! I know people who go to work, or send there kids to school when they are running a fever or when they have strep because they can’t afford to miss work. One kid in the school, their mom kept sending him to school with strep after less than 24hours on antibiotics. In other words, when he was still contagious!

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Melissa,

I use the same rule of thumb. You have to look at circumstances, of course. This last New Years, we were in Colombia. Our family was in various stages of flu and flu recovery. I was the least sick, but still sick. I would not have missed work in that condition but we did not go to Mass the 2nd of January. It was the height of flu season, the parish was one with enforced hugging and kissing for the sign of peace and we would be walking to Mass - no way to dip out to the car if one of the kids couldn’t make it. Our situation and the possibiliy of infecting others made our decision.
 
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dumspirospero:
This is a question that I am pondering in my head, because I am sick right now and I would like to remain in the bed this morning…yet I know it is a mortal sin to miss Mass, and I don’t like missing Mass anyway…I enjoy being able to go to Mass. Granted, I am not close to the point of hospitalization, but I am infact sick. How sick must one be before they are excused from their Sunday obligation.
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If your sick enough not to go anywhere else today. Then your sick enough to miss Mass.
 
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dumspirospero:
This is a question that I am pondering in my head, because I am sick right now and I would like to remain in the bed this morning…yet I know it is a mortal sin to miss Mass, and I don’t like missing Mass anyway…I enjoy being able to go to Mass. Granted, I am not close to the point of hospitalization, but I am infact sick. How sick must one be before they are excused from their Sunday obligation.
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If there is anything else you feel could possibly be done while ill that expends the same energy and calls for the same effort achieving, then you could substitute Mass in it’s place.

Andy
 
WEll…I ended up going to Mass today…I felt like I was not sick enough to stay home…much to my surprise…there was a countless number of people who were also sick with the same thing…so I sat with them…it was like we were quarantined LOL
 
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CanonAlberic:
All I know is that a hangover doesn’t count!
Peace.
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It doesn’t?!!! Oh-oh!

Just kidding. Seriously, every priest I have ever spoken to on the subject all said the same thing. There are a variety of valid reasons one may miss Mass (working OT isn’t one of them!).
What makes missing Mass a sin is in the refusal to go.
You may have a sick child and be unable to attend. You yourself may be ill or have another physical malady that would require you to stay home. You may be camping in the mountains and not be near a church. There could be other catastropies: accidents, earthquakes, fires, floods, etc.
Ask yourself this: Am I WILLING to go or do I REFUSE to go?
Therein lies the sin.

“Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ” - St. Jerome
 
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elvisman:
It doesn’t?!!! Oh-oh!

Just kidding. Seriously, every priest I have ever spoken to on the subject all said the same thing. There are a variety of valid reasons one may miss Mass (working OT isn’t one of them!).
What makes missing Mass a sin is in the refusal to go.
You may have a sick child and be unable to attend. You yourself may be ill or have another physical malady that would require you to stay home. You may be camping in the mountains and not be near a church. There could be other catastropies: accidents, earthquakes, fires, floods, etc.
Ask yourself this: Am I WILLING to go or do I REFUSE to go?
Therein lies the sin.

Excellent points!
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It doesn’t?!!! Oh-oh!

Just kidding. Seriously, every priest I have ever spoken to on the subject all said the same thing. There are a variety of valid reasons one may miss Mass (working OT isn’t one of them!).
What makes missing Mass a sin is in the refusal to go.
You may have a sick child and be unable to attend. You yourself may be ill or have another physical malady that would require you to stay home. You may be camping in the mountains and not be near a church. There could be other catastropies: accidents, earthquakes, fires, floods, etc.
Ask yourself this: Am I WILLING to go or do I REFUSE to go?
*Therein lies the sin. *

Excellent point, dude! (Man, the “quote” thing seems to have screwed up on this one. Oh well…)
Peace,
 
First of all I don’t want to spread around what might be making me sick in the first place; and second of all I have been in situations when it was impossible to attend a Mass (weeks at sea on various fishingboats, tugboats, sailing across the Atlantic or being up in the Arctic, etc.). So hopefully being physically too sick to attend a Mass might be equated with being physically prevented from attending a Mass.
 
There are all kinds of illness that can interfere with Mass.

I have asthma, and the symptom is coughing. I can’t give anyone asthma but please be reassured that the dirty looks I get when I dare to cough are my special cross to bear. I may have asthma because of the perfume of others, outdoor allergies or no discernable reason at all. It may strike unpredictably.

That and sadly, the asthma makes me vulnerable to anyone’s illness. I am now a virtual shut in during flu season–only very short trips to the grocery store (bathed in sanitizer) and Mass. For three years I went to Mass, and the fourth, I did not. No illness all winter.

And, yes, Maria G, I tried to accommodate others in the cry room–but contagion works both ways. I am more likely to get it from kids (and did so almost constantly when I worked with children) than they are likely to get anything from me. I miss them, too.

I will be contacting my priest to ask for suggestions around this–perhaps I can visit him during the week. I hate to bother him, but I really hate to miss Mass, too and he is a very compassionate man.

Anyway, just wanted to let people know that sometimes the story behind people may not be what you think it is… I am not whining, just noting that we all have opportunities for make sacrifices in St. Therese’s “the little way”.
 
MariaG said:
I keep my germs at home when sick. Some people have seriously compromised immune systems and “a little cold” can have tragic consequences.

I also get distracted and upset when those who are obviously ill and contagious come to church, especially when they are coughing so much that they remove themselves to the cry room so as not to disturb worship! Thanks for sharing your germs with my kids!

God Bless,
Maria
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I have a grown daughter who survived cancer and whose immune system ha been compromised by the treatment/cure. She catches almost every ill that comes around. I second Maria’s plea,“If it is possibly contagious, stay home.”👍
 
Yes, I am a cancer survivor too.

Doesn’t sounds like anyone would disagree with staying home while contagious. I’m not–I only look like it.

I ran it by my priest and he wants me to come, and he will handle the complaints if fellow parishioners find my asthma attacks offensive. That seems to be the only solution to the problem.

Sometimes I think I will have a t-shirt made up:

"It’s asthma–you can’t catch it.

That child is autistic–you can’t catch it.

I’m not ignoring you , I really am deaf."

Too bad there are so many things that are not what they appear and so many ways that we can obtain social disapproval and shunning unintentionally.

I really got to thinking about this because I worked with autistic kids for many years. I read yesterday that there was a parish in MN who forbade a family from Mass because they had an autistic kid who, as some do, acted out inappropriately. If anyone needed the comfort of His Presence, certainly it was this child and his family. If anyone needed the prayers of others, this family did.

I’d rather have my “viewing experience” spoiled by such a child anytime than have him banned from the House of God.

Thank goodness there are many parishes today who have special services for special needs people. Hope they get one here soon. I can cough and maybe share a little special moment with a child who is “disruptive”.

Those who are disturbed by the illnesses of others need not attend.

And yes–it IS my issue and He has given it to me for my lesson in His Wisdom. :o
 
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