I’m so sorry you’re ill. Certainly you should not attend Mass if you are ill, and possibly contagious (and you may be contagious for days after you feel better.) Stomach viruses are nasty, and I’m sure you wouldn’t want to take a chance of getting someone else ill. (This happened to us 2 Christmases ago… awful.)
To answer the general question, assuming you’re a relatively sensible but industrious person: would you go to work, as ill as you are? Would you go to school? If no, then obviously you can’t make it to Mass. If yes, then you probably could make it to Mass.
Normally, I would just try to “tough it out”. But this is something else.
Yes, but this could be from too much rich food (sausage, beer, etc) instead of an infection (though my mom is also sick, out cold with a fever and vomiting). Still think I should err on the side of safety?
Yes.
There are a lot of people who go to work even if they’re sick because they know that they will be fired by unreasonable management.
It’s so awful for those of us who have trouble with stairs, or for parents with young children (you don’t dare send young children to a basement bathroom by themselves because of Mr. Stranger Danger).So much
.Yes yes yes!!!
Absolutely agree with this! Using the work/school gauge when it comes to Mass isn’t a good idea for the reasons Cat mentioned.There are a lot of people who go to work even if they’re sick because they know that they will be fired by unreasonable management.
So they tough it out. And in many workplaces, you can stay far away from other people, so it does no harm to anyone except the poor sick worker.
Same for school–a lot of people drag themselves to school because to get behind would mean failing, and this is a major setback (especially if you are paying for the school). Again, it’s possible to go to school (college) and stay far away from others.
But at Mass, especially a feast day Mass like Christmas, it is a guarantee that many people will be present, in close quarters, thus pretty much guaranteeing the spread of viruses and bacteria.
So I personally don’t think the guidelines of “Would you go to work or school?” is really a good way to resolve the issue. I think people should stay home from Mass when they are sick, especially with diarrhea (icky).
And think about how many Catholic churches have the bathrooms in the basement, far away from the nave! I’ve never understood that–in the older churches, it’s obvious that the bathrooms were added much later, and before that, people went to the bathroom before they came to Mass, or they would use the outhouse. But why does my church, built in the 1970s, have the bathroom DOWNSTAIRS?!
JMO. I hope the OP feels better. I work in a hospital, and everyone in the country is sick.
S
Hope you’re feeling better! It’s no fun being sick on Christmas.
I appreciate the sentiment, but God has little or nothing to do with my recovery. Where as my doctor and I have everything to do with it. My Dr said I need to lose weight. I am losing weight. My Dr said to not go back to work for 3 to 4 months. I will not start looking for a new job for 3 months. My Dr said not vacuum the floors or pick up anything more than 10 lbs for the next 4 months. So I am not vacuum the house or picking up 10lbs or more. If you believe in free will, then God allows us to make choices that lead us to him. I had a friend that ignore his Doc after his surgery and while out working in the garage fell over dead. Every once in awhile there are miracles, but all in all its up to you and me to run our daily lives.God wants you to get well.
Praying for your full recovery!
