I can't keep the Sunday obligation...advice?

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IdiNaPut

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Thanks to my work (I work in retail, which means that working Sundays is pretty normal) I have quickly realised that keeping the obligation to attend Mass would be pretty much impossible for me to do on a permanent weekly basis.

Asking for Sunday off isn’t an option due to the way my contract works, and even if I could ask my manager for an allowance to have a Sunday off, this is in no way guaranteed as it isnt unheard of that I can be called in to work at short notice (it’s been the case in the past that I’ve done an 8 hour shift at 30min notice) or for other reasons.

So what do I do?
 
Could you go to a Saturday Vigil Mass? That would meet the obligation. If there is no possible way to meet the obligation than it is required of you to spend an hour on Sunday (or on Saturday at 4:00 P.M. or past) in prayer and scriptural reading.
 
IdiNaPut said:
Thanks to my work (I work in retail, which means that working Sundays is pretty normal) I have quickly realised that keeping the obligation to attend Mass would be pretty much impossible for me to do on a permanent weekly basis.

Asking for Sunday off isn’t an option due to the way my contract works, and even if I could ask my manager for an allowance to have a Sunday off, this is in no way guaranteed as it isnt unheard of that I can be called in to work at short notice (it’s been the case in the past that I’ve done an 8 hour shift at 30min notice) or for other reasons.

So what do I do?
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You don’t have ANY days off? If you do, maybe ask to switch one for Sunday. Also, don’t forget about attending the vigil. The Church gives you plenty of time to fulfill your Sunday obligation. From the vigil to afternoon Sunday Masses. I’m sure you aren’t working 24hr shifts.

Not to minimize retail, I LOVE shopping. I need stores to do so, but there are jobs where people’s shifts are for DAYS. That’s not typical in retail here in the states.
 
it’s not that I don’t have any time off, but my shifts are variable from week to week and are subject to change in any case. I can’t guarantee having any one day off.
 
This is a matter to discuss with your pastor.
It comes up now and then. He’ll advise you!
God bless.
 
:hug1:
I feel your pain. Every time I’ve made plans for Mass they schedule me right over it. 😦
 
I used to work as a waitress in high school. The big-money nights were Saturdays and Sundays. My mom wouldn’t let me work on Sundays, period. So when I applied for jobs, I said, “I can’t work Sundays for religious reasons. If I was hired, is that something you could work around?” Some employers flat-out said no. Other employers were okay. I hired on with managers who were okay with my religious obligations. When they tried to schedule me for Sundays, I would point it out, and they would rework the schedule.

Not all fields are so flexible. Like, say, you were in aerospace, and you had to work Mission Control for an EVA on Sunday. Or you were stationed on a submarine. Or an offshore oil rig. 😛

But if I was in a field that made it difficult for me to practice my faith, I’d have to look and see if I could transition elsewhere. If I had worked hard for a specialization in a certain field, that would be one thing. If I was highly compensated for long hours and short notice and erratic schedules, that would be one thing. But it doesn’t sound like your current position has much to counterbalance the intrusion on the rest of your life.
 
Check around. See if there are any places around that are offering odd Mass times that will be good for you. Colleges often have late evening Masses on Sunday; some parishes have early Sunday Masses at 7-8 AM and earlier; or you might be able to go to a Byzantine Catholic or Maronite Catholic Mass. You don’t necessarily have to go to your own parish, after all.

It would also be reasonable to mention this to your boss. (Preferably after doing some research on Mass times.)

If you really can’t go because of work, you are dispensed from the obligation. But you have to make a good try. 🙂
 
pianistclare said:
This is a matter to discuss with your pastor.
It comes up now and then. He’ll advise you!
God bless.
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Do this!

I believe your pastor can give a dispensation according to your work pattern; if so he may tell you that you can go to Mass according to the available days you have during the week.
 
IdiNaPut said:
Thanks to my work (I work in retail, which means that working Sundays is pretty normal) I have quickly realised that keeping the obligation to attend Mass would be pretty much impossible for me to do on a permanent weekly basis.

Asking for Sunday off isn’t an option due to the way my contract works, and even if I could ask my manager for an allowance to have a Sunday off, this is in no way guaranteed as it isnt unheard of that I can be called in to work at short notice (it’s been the case in the past that I’ve done an 8 hour shift at 30min notice) or for other reasons.

So what do I do?
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I worked retail for years, including weekends. It was very rare that I couldn’t make either the Saturday evening vigil, or the earliest Mass on Sunday morning. Have you checked the schedules for any and all nearby churches?
 
Also, if you have colleges or universities nearby, they will have late evening Masses on Saturdays or Sundays.
 
IdiNaPut said:
Thanks to my work (I work in retail, which means that working Sundays is pretty normal) I have quickly realised that keeping the obligation to attend Mass would be pretty much impossible for me to do on a permanent weekly basis.

Asking for Sunday off isn’t an option due to the way my contract works, and even if I could ask my manager for an allowance to have a Sunday off, this is in no way guaranteed as it isnt unheard of that I can be called in to work at short notice (it’s been the case in the past that I’ve done an 8 hour shift at 30min notice) or for other reasons.

So what do I do?
Click to expand...
If you cannot be there on the day of the Sunday or other holy day of obligation, then go on the eve of it. If neither is morally possible then you will not be remiss. I have been called at Church on Sunday and had to leave to begin working.
 
Retail is hard. Especially weekends! They want you to be available at all times in case someone else might call off.

Discussing it with your pastor is the best option for you. 🙂
 
thank you everyone! I’ve actually found in addition to the two churches closest to me, which have only Saturday night/Sunday morning Mass, there’s a church near to my work where there’s a 6pm service. So I can go straight from work! 👍
 
IdiNaPut said:
thank you everyone! I’ve actually found in addition to the two churches closest to me, which have only Saturday night/Sunday morning Mass, there’s a church near to my work where there’s a 6pm service. So I can go straight from work! 👍
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Yay! 🙂
 
=IdiNaPut;12898981]Thanks to my work (I work in retail, which means that working Sundays is pretty normal) I have quickly realised that keeping the obligation to attend Mass would be pretty much impossible for me to do on a permanent weekly basis.
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Asking for Sunday off isn’t an option due to the way my contract works, and even if I could ask my manager for an allowance to have a Sunday off, this is in no way guaranteed as it isnt unheard of that I can be called in to work at short notice (it’s been the case in the past that I’ve done an 8 hour shift at 30min notice) or for other reasons.
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So what do I do?
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As a retired Retail Store Manager abd at different times also a Buyer, I am quite familiar with your problem.😦

Every parish I am aware of offers Mass to accommodate these real needs. From Very early on Sunday, to Saturday night Masses, IF one REALLY want to go; its usually possible. IF you truly can’t then attend a WEEKDAY Mass to make up for your missed Sunday Obligation.👍

God Bless you,

Patrick
 
PJM said:
As a retired Retail Store Manager abd at different times also a Buyer, I am quite familiar with your problem.😦

Every parish I am aware of offers Mass to accommodate these real needs. From Very early on Sunday, to Saturday night Masses, IF one REALLY want to go; its usually possible. IF you truly can’t then attend a WEEKDAY Mass to make up for your missed Sunday Obligation.👍

God Bless you,

Patrick
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I’m sure that I’m not going to be the only one in any church who has this problem. I’m hoping that once I’m more familiar with the churches around here and their Mass times, it’ll become a little easier to plan ahead and find a time to go. It helps I drive too, so really early/late Mass isn’t too much of a deal. 👍
 
Dorothy said:
Do this!
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I don’t know why everyone doesn’t do this before coming here to ask strangers what the Church teaches. The laity have absolutely no right to interpret Church Law and Doctrine, so why not take your questions to those who do? Or maybe OP already asked a priest and got ask answer that he didn’t want… God comes first, and He is our provider, not some corporation (fiction of man’s law)
 
Sirious said:
I don’t know why everyone doesn’t do this before coming here to ask strangers what the Church teaches. The laity have absolutely no right to interpret Church Law and Doctrine, so why not take your questions to those who do? Or maybe OP already asked a priest and got ask answer that he didn’t want… God comes first, and He is our provider, not some corporation (fiction of man’s law)
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Because we don’t all have access or the ability to contact our priests on things that can be easily answered by knowledgeable people elsewhere. Priests are spread pretty thin; we have an abundance of priests in our particular parish, but they are still quite busy, and wouldn’t be able to answer the volume of questions that are similarly asked here, unless they did nothing else.

With these answers, the OP was able to work on her own situation, and has found a solution, hasn’t she? We helped her to look outside the box, find the correct answers, etc. It was highly recommended that she ask her priest, but other solutions were soon offered. And with the volume of ‘citizens’ on this site, chances are the correct answer will be given, and reinforced; if someone gives a wrong answer, it’s quickly corrected. If a problem can be easily resolved, why not?

Going by your comments, perhaps we should not even have a forum, but a big webpage that says ‘ASK YOUR PRIEST’.

Welcome to CAF.
 
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