Illness and Mass attendance

  • Thread starter Thread starter JoyToTheWhirled
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
J

JoyToTheWhirled

Guest
I’m not Catholic yet, so I’m fairly sure I don’t have an obligation for Mass on Sunday yet either.
I am in the worst way I have been for a long time with some kind of cold virus, with the works, headache, sore throat, trouble breathing and lots of pain. Can’t even pull myself two metres out of bed. Typing this on the smartphone having given up on sleeping more than ten minutes at a time.

Now, I’m not getting to Mass today or tomorrow. I just wanted to double check that this is the kind of thing that should keep you away from Mass?
 
JoyToTheWhirled said:
I’m not Catholic yet, so I’m fairly sure I don’t have an obligation for Mass on Sunday yet either.

I am in the worst way I have been for a long time with some kind of cold virus, with the works, headache, sore throat, trouble breathing and lots of pain. Can’t even pull myself two metres out of bed. Typing this on the smartphone having given up on sleeping more than ten minutes at a time.

Now, I’m not getting to Mass today or tomorrow. I just wanted to double check that this is the kind of thing that should keep you away from Mass?
Click to expand...
Your obligation does not begin until you are actually received into the Church. Sleep in a bit.

If I had a cold or something else that was contagious, I would rightfully stay away so as not to infect others.
 
Last edited:
You are clearly not well - and if you did go could easily pass this on to other people.

As yet you do not have the obligation to attend Mass on Sundays - this only applies AFTER you have formally come into the Church though your desire to be at Mass is commendable.

Stay home - take the usual simple remedies and rest till you are over this
 
You bring up an interesting thought, non Catholics are not tied down by any kind obligation from the Church, and more so are given a pass by the Church if they never become Catholic, Yet if one becomes Catholic and are physically sick, or are phyically prevented for some reason from attending mass they are given a pass and there is no harm or foul, BUT if one is physically exhausted from going to Mass, and is tired of the politics of the Church and wants out, there is no out, and more over the Church punishes and a church militant or even a religious or clergy could personally scorn such a person and insuate that the person is in jeapordy of eternal damnation. It would seem to reason that being physically ill nor old age should be permissible for missing mass and should be treated just the same as everything else as sinful to some degree…

Why split hairs on on being physically ill ? Catholics shake hands during the sign of peace with strangers who may or may not have some weird nasty germ on their hands, and the congregation has the option to drink from a public chalice that is only wiped with a cloth that probably in all likelyhood does not come remotely close to disenfecting said chalice…

But aside from all that Joy the easy answer is one is exempt from Mass if they are under the weather be it any degree, if you are not feeling well due to some kind of illness or physical problem you just go when you are feeling better and dont stress out over it, or just toss it in when you go to reconciliation an leave it at that.

{ disclaimer, this is merely a response to the original poster, to ignore or whatever; not an attack on anyone nore the Church, Freedom of Speech exists, if anyone doesnt like what i have to say, feel free to disagree or cry about it, or even hit the flag button, either way i wont respond to baiting or arguing }
 
From the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

2181 The Sunday Eucharist is the foundation and confirmation of all Christian practice. For this reason the faithful are obliged to participate in the Eucharist on days of obligation, unless excused for a serious reason (for example, illness, the care of infants) or dispensed by their own pastor.

http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P7O.HTM

Here is an answers to the questions when previously asked in Catholic Answers

https://www.catholic.com/magazine/online-edition/when-to-stay-home-from-mass

I hope you are well again soon 🙂
 
One cannot become physically exhausted simply from going to Mass if one is reasonably healthy. If one is not reasonably healthy then they are forgiven the obligation. Tired of the politics in the Church is a pretty poor excuse. Buck up, little soldier, there are a lot more evil things than people disagreeing with each other.

The Church isn’t punishing people for not attending mass. Delighting in other’s sin or scorning them is uncharitable and is its own sin. If a person is missing Mass routinely because they are mad at “politics” then they are in danger of damnation, because they are taking scandal.

You’ve got a real victim-mentality when you openly declare your intention to ignore everyone who argues with you. This is a discussion forum. We are supposed to discuss things.
 
Last edited:
My mum-in-law rarely attends Mass these days, she’s just too infirm and it’s too much effort for her. The Ministers of the Eucharist visit her instead. There are a lot of people who can never get out to Mass, and for the rest of us, a heavy cold or flu-like bug is a good reason not to go - you are just passing it on to all the people around you, which isn’t a kind thing to do.
 
@JoyToTheWhirled you are clearly unwell. The Lord will understand why you can’t be at mass this weekend. Keep warm, well hydrated and rest. I hope you get well soon.

THT
 
“just toss that in when you go to reconciliation”.
???

Really, Is that what you think the sacrament of reconciliation is? A card we get punched without real remorse?
There are so many errors in your thinking it’s hard to read. Confession only “works” if one is repentant, and anyway, she is committing NO SIN. When you speak as if you have some authority and contradict the church it is an attack on the Church. I strongly suspect there is some agenda here. And it’s why you have gotten in hot water here before.

Your disclaimer is a cop-out. Full stop.
You don’t get to bash the church and it’s members (especially on a thread of a sweet woman who is preparing to enter the Church, how terribly unkind and disrespectful).

No one is baiting you, quite the other way around.
Thanks for NOT responding, btw. :roll_eyes:
 
Duesenberg said:
Your obligation does not begin until you are actually received into the Church.
Click to expand...
If a non-Catholic Christian regularly misses their Sunday service/worship without a serious reason, aren’t they also at risk of being in a state of mortal sin? Does the act of not regularly attending only become a sin when one enters the Catholic Church? Seems like the Sunday obligation would apply to all Christians. If not, then non-Catholics would be held to a different standard, which doesn’t seem fair. However, maybe that is the case. Maybe when you join the fullness of the Catholic faith, you are held to a higher standard. I don’t know. Doesn’t seem like our Heavenly Father would be that way, but His Ways are not our ways.
 
I was half an hour away from being at Mass yesterday, when I got a call to say my mum-in-law had been taken to hospital by ambulance (she was assessed and she’s back at her care home now). I was disappointed to miss Mass, but there wasn’t a choice - I had to go where I was needed, which was reassuring my elderly, disabled relative.

If I had gone to Vigil Mass on Saturday or the early Mass yesterday, I wouldn’t have had a problem. But we can’t see into the future!
 
If you are sick and you run the risk of getting others sick or jeopardizing your own recovery, you may stay home. .
 
My thoughts on missing mass due to:

Being ill or physically unable to go - clearly ok. However, if the illness is slight enough that one would go to work, probably not ok.

Being called to the hospital for a relative or close friend - clearly ok.

Having to take care of someone during Mass times - generally ok. However, if it becomes more toward 24/7, should probably find a way to go, similar to finding time to go to the grocery store.

Visiting someone who is sick - maybe ok if the visit can only be during Mass times, but probably not ok if the visit can be before or after Mass. Probably also depends on the severity of the illness.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top