Is a marriage better with earlier and more church attendance?

[johnsmith2025]

Hi everyone,

Just wondering about your views on this. Is it possible that a Catholic marriage can be better and/or more fulfilling if you and your spouse attend mass more often and earlier in the morning?

For example, if you’re in your 20’s or 30’s, and if the two of you would like to attend mass at a certain early time ( 6:00 AM ), and a certain number of times per week ( 4 times - Sundays, Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays ), could your choice of early mass time and frequency of attending mass be healthy for the marriage and be something that helps deepen and strengthen a loving Catholic marriage?

Thanks in advance for your answers

 

[phil19034]

Hi everyone,

Just wondering about your views on this. Is it possible that a Catholic marriage can be better and/or more fulfilling if you and your spouse attend mass more often and earlier in the morning?

For example, if you’re in your 20’s or 30’s, and if the two of you would like to attend mass at a certain early time ( 6:00 AM ), and a certain number of times per week ( 4 times - Sundays, Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays ), could your choice of early mass time and frequency of attending mass be healthy for the marriage and be something that helps deepen and strengthen a loving Catholic marriage?

Thanks in advance for your answers

Attending mass more often (including Daily Mass) with spouse can surely help.

But I’m not sure why time of day makes an impact unless you are both very early risers… Attend the time that best works for the two of you.

 

[jmcrae]

Attending mass more often (including Daily Mass) with spouse can surely help.

But I’m not sure why time of day makes an impact unless you are both very early risers… Attend the time that best works for the two of you.

I agree with this - attend Mass as often as you want, and at the time that makes the most sense for both of you, as far as what is available to you.

As long as your other duties are not neglected, I can’t see how this could hurt anything, and it will bring many blessings into your marriage.

 

[grasscutter]

Short answer - yes! And, in my opinion, the earliest Mass that is reasonable for both of you to attend together, gets the day off to the best possible start.

 

[pensmama87]

Short answer - yes! And, in my opinion, the earliest Mass that is reasonable for both of you to attend together, gets the day off to the best possible start.

I’m of the same mind, for the most part, but I am definitely a “morning person.” My husband is not, at all, and that can cause a lot of grief and resentment if he’s not willing to get up but I’m trying to push him out. His preference is late morning, mine is as early as possible (I wish we had a 6am around here, but the earliest I can get on Sunday is 7am.) We actually split for now because we have young kids who act up - I take my 3 year old at 7am (it’s a great time for teaching), and he goes by himself at 11am. When we all go together, we go at 9.

But I can see Mass being like exercise in that way. The only way I will work out is if I do it first thing when I wake up. Even though I know how much better my day goes afterwards, if I put it off, it becomes something to dread and try to put off, or just another item on a ever-lengthening to-do list. Not really a good attitude to have toward exercising, or going to Mass.

We do try hard to have a family ritual on Sundays that involves taking our time with things. After I get home from Mass we’ll have a long breakfast, and we try to avoid doing work around the house. When my husband goes to Mass I’ll get the kids ready for their naps, and while they sleep my husband and I can eat our lunches and have some time to ourselves. Sometimes we go visiting relatives on Sunday afternoons, which is another nice treat.

 

[grasscutter]

Pensmama87 brings up good points. We fulfill our Sunday (and, if possible, daily) Mass in the way that works best for our families. There are many ways of doing this, luckily. Being Catholics, we are fortunate to always have different Masses at our disposal.