is attending a Sunday/Saturday MASS mandatory?

[Saoirse]

if you attend MASS six days a week, I fail to understand what would be so horrible about being expected to attend on that seventh day… unless a person was specifically trying to be disobedient, in which case might they not be harboring the sin of pride?

also, accusing the Church of being more interested in money than in correctly teaching its followers does seem to be a bit… against the Authority and trustability of the Church.

The only reason I asked the question is because I am new to the faith, and the person who told me no way is it a sin to miss MASS (because he does it all the time) is a cradle-Catholic… I was unsure if maybe I had mis-understood somewhere.

Personally, Saturday is my favourite day of the week because of evening MASS. I just wish I felt comfortable, as a non-Catholic, attending week-day MASS - or, perhaps even more so, that I could get to Adoration more often…

I have a further question, however…

assuming that missing MASS is a mortal sin, is it also a sin to recieve communion in a state of mortal sin?

meaning that a person who misses MASS without just cause should go to confession, and truly repent of missing MASS (meaning, no more missing MASS for them) if they wish to recieve communion again?

and if they cannot get to confession before the following Sunday or Holy Day of Obligation, should they still go to MASS but not recieve?

I am asking questions that I think would be correctly answered with a simple ‘yes’, but again, being relatively new to everything, I am not sure enough about these issues to stand my ground when faced with disagreement - unless I can find back-up in Church documents…

love,
Saoirse

 

[LilyM]

I have a further question, however…

assuming that missing MASS is a mortal sin, is it also a sin to recieve communion in a state of mortal sin?

meaning that a person who misses MASS without just cause should go to confession, and truly repent of missing MASS (meaning, no more missing MASS for them) if they wish to recieve communion again?

and if they cannot get to confession before the following Sunday or Holy Day of Obligation, should they still go to MASS but not recieve?

I am asking questions that I think would be correctly answered with a simple ‘yes’, but again, being relatively new to everything, I am not sure enough about these issues to stand my ground when faced with disagreement - unless I can find back-up in Church documents…

love,
Saoirse

Indeed, since missing Mass on Sunday is a grave and possibly mortal sin, one should not receive Communion after having done so without

 

[decn2b]

if you attend MASS six days a week, I fail to understand what would be so horrible about being expected to attend on that seventh day. Saoirse

I am not quite sure why a person would go to mass 6 days a week and then Not go on Sunday. If they have to work or are sick then they are free from the obligation. But in reality the situation is nonsense because if one goes to Mass on Saturday…they should just go in the evening to the vigil mass. Then they meet the Sunday obligation. If someone is missing mass on Sunday becuase it is the only day they can be with their kids…I wonder why the heck they are not taking their kids to Mass. If they are free to take their children to Mass but choose not to they have yet another grave matter on their hands. If there is a domestic situation that “prevents” taking the kids to mass…such as divorce then there may be a chance of dispensation from the obligation. However if the individual lives in a large city with many masses…the reason for missing mass begins to diminish.

.

The only reason I asked the question is because I am new to the faith, and the person who told me no way is it a sin to miss MASS (because he does it all the time) is a cradle-Catholic… I was unsure if maybe I had mis-understood somewhere.

You cannot miss Mass without good reason on Sunday.
If you seek what the Catholic Church teaches as dogma…Then you look no further than the 1st of the 5 Church precepts. (interestingly that it is placed as the #1 precept)

If you want one of the 6 billion different opinions on the matter then you can listen to individuals who DENY Church authority on the first precept and create their own set of criteria determining which of the precepts and dogmas they want to believe. These individuals are called relativists by the Church. Relativism can transform and shape any truth into an untruth and any untruth into a truth. If GOD didn’t exist then relativism would demonstrate that there would be as many truths in our world as there are people. Fortunately since there is a God we don’t have to worry about everyone being a relativist.

Personally, Saturday is my favourite day of the week because of evening MASS. I just wish I felt comfortable, as a non-Catholic, attending week-day MASS - or, perhaps even more so, that I could get to Adoration more often…

Saturday evening mass fulfills the Sunday Obligation. Good for you on the adoration attendance.

I have a further question, however…

assuming that missing MASS is a mortal sin, is it also a sin to recieve communion in a state of mortal sin?

meaning that a person who misses MASS without just cause should go to confession, and truly repent of missing MASS (meaning, no more missing MASS for them) if they wish to recieve communion again? …

A far too common situation, Unfortunately many people are unwittingly victims of relativist theologians and have not been properly informed. Ever notice how long the communion line is and how short the confession line is?

and if they cannot get to confession before the following Sunday or Holy Day of Obligation, should they still go to MASS but not recieve?

Yes, even the priest is NOT to self communicate if he is in a state of Mortal sin. But he has to celebrate the Mass. The only situations that allow for missing mass are Illness (you someone you care for) Work or the inavailibility of Mass.

Saoirse

 

[baltobetsy]

Yes, even the priest is NOT to self communicate if he is in a state of Mortal sin. But he has to celebrate the Mass.

Just to clarify - when the priest celebrates Mass, he must receive Communion.

Betsy

 

[MariaG]

and if they cannot get to confession before the following Sunday or Holy Day of Obligation, should they still go to MASS but not recieve?

I am asking questions that I think would be correctly answered with a simple ‘yes’, but again, being relatively new to everything, I am not sure enough about these issues to stand my ground when faced with disagreement - unless I can find back-up in Church documents…

love,
Saoirse

I did not see this one answered? Yes, you should still go to Mass but not recieve.

You say you need Church documents?

Will this help or do you need more?

Why Is It a Mortal Sin to Miss Mass?
By Fr. Ray Ryland

 

[patg]

The Churches job is to teach everyone that GOD has declared to missing the Sabbath is a mortal sin, comparable to murder.

God did not define which day the sabbath was or what was to be done to keep it holy.

So what you are saying is, Do you honestly believe God would torture a person for eternity for killing just a few people?

No, God would not do this for any number of reasons - Self-defense, accidents, participation in a war, etc. The commandment is relative to the situation, just as the first commandment could be.

God was the one who puts keeping the Sabbath Holy on the same level as Murder. The Church is just trying to make sure that relativism does not make light of it and understands the gravity of missing Mass is the same as killing someone.

And we interpret the killing commandment relative to the situation.

 

[decn2b]

Just to clarify - when the priest celebrates Mass, he must receive Communion.

Betsy

Interesting I just had this conversation with a Canon lawyer 2 days ago. He told me that a priest should abstain. Forgive me I am guilty of shooting from the hip on that statement. I believe the canon lawyer perhaps was too. Thanks for the correction betsy. I believe that this is an instance where perfect contrition comes into play for the priest. It is correct to say a priest who celebrates Mass guilty of Motal sin commits sacrilige unless perfect contrition comes into play? I am sure I read that somewhere. The more I think about it the more I realize how incorrect my original statement sounds. For the priest is indeed acting in the person of christ so I guess they do have to consume. Fotgive me.

 

[MariaG]

God did not define which day the sabbath was or what was to be done to keep it holy.

But God did give the Church the authority to do so. And Jesus came and showed us what is pleasing to Him. One can eat, heal and take care of oneself and others. One can even travel. And Jesus went to the Temple.

No, God would not do this for any number of reasons - Self-defense, accidents, participation in a war, etc. The commandment is relative to the situation, just as the first commandment could be.

And we interpret the killing commandment relative to the situation

The first commandment IS relative. What are you talking about? The Church does not declare across the board that if you miss Mass on Sunday you are going to hell. There ARE good reasons to miss Mass and the Church teaches this.

Your comment below with the use of the word “skipping” mass does not imply a good reason but selfish reasons.

On the other hand, do you honestly believe that God would torture a person for all eternity if they attended mass six days a week most of their lives but skipped a few Sundays? Is this the loving “Father” image Jesus would have us believe in?

Without good reason to “skip” mass, without reasons of self defense, war etc., murdering someone is on the same level as choosing not to go to Mass.

They were put on the same level by God. Not sure how “skipping” Mass can be keeping the Sabbath Holy by anyone’s definition.

 

[decn2b]

And we interpret the killing commandment relative to the situation.

No pat the church interprets the killing commandment in relation to situations. Just like it does with the topic of Sunday obligation.

Denying ONE Catholic doctrine is like pulling the pin on the handgrenade of deconstructionism.

 

[rayne89]

I have wondered why the church made Mass attendance on Sunday, obligatory?

I mean, for those who have faith, not going to Mass as often as possible, is unthinkable.

Jim

For those who have faith sinning at all should be unthinkable and yet we do.

 

[decn2b]

I have found this thread interesting. The OPs question was answered. To be quite honest with you all I have engaged in this type of discussion before with and all due respect I suggest some of us should take a introductory course on philosophy and pay attention to the study of truth. There are two types of people when it comes to the Truth. Relativists and Abosolutists. Relativists are on an arcing spiral outwards which travels further and further away from its starting point. As the relativist travels on its spiraling path its starting point gets dimmer and dimmer. Absolutists are on the same spiral but travling the opposite direction which will come to its end only when death occurs. But the more the absolutist travels, the closer the point of origin becomes… as the absolutist travels the point of origin (or destination) the destination becomes clearer and clearer…that destination the absolutist callsHome.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

Jim,

The orginal poster who started this thread came to see what the churches teaching on Sunday obligation is. Not Jims opinion.

Well we come in to share opinions here. I’m sharing mine.

Could you explain to me how in the world can you say that you believe in the church’s Authority but have it in your opinion that the church is in error on an issue. An issue so important that it is listed as the FIRST PRECEPT of the the faith.

As I pointed out in an earlier post, the Church at one time, had 34 days of obligation, where in which, a Catholic who did not attend Mass on those days, committed a mortal sin. The Church has since removed most of those days.

Did the Church have the authority to make those days, days of obligation? Yes they did. Were they wrong in doing so? In my opinion, yes they were.

Does this help?

Jim

 

[JimR-OCDS]

Respectfully Jim, this mandate wasn’t placed on they people by the Church, but by God.

Now, in my opinion, you CAN argue (although I won’t agree with you ) whether or not the Church was in error to place ADDITIONAL holy Days of Obligation on people.

But God was the originator of the Sabbath obligation. Right there next to murder. Big stuff that the Church does not have the right to declare invalid.

God Bless,
Maria

The sabbath commandment is that we keep the day holy. That doesn’t necessarily mean that we must attend Mass.

The ten commandments never mentions anything about other days in which the Church added as days of obligation, but later removed. How can it at one time be a mortal sin to miss Mass on these days, but now it is not? Fact is, the Church used these days as a means of collecting revenue.

Remember what Jesus said, the sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath. I think that the church violated the spirit of what Jesus said in this verse, by mandating days of obligation with the threat of committing mortal sin.

Jim

 

[JimR-OCDS]

Something I think is missing is the stress on obedience that came from the apolostic times - obedience to God, his commandments, and his Church. You may not like something or even agree with something, but one is called to be obedient.

Exactly. I obey the teaching of the Church, even when I don’t agree with them.

As far as the obligation to attend Mass on Sundays and Holy days, well, it’s not a difficult thing for me, because I love going to Mass and attend as often as I can, anyway.

I just don’t understand the mandate with the threat of committing mortal sin, which the Church has placed on it.

Jim

 

[jmcrae]

The sabbath commandment is that we keep the day holy. That doesn’t necessarily mean that we must attend Mass.

What does “keeping the day holy” mean, to you? To the early Jews, it meant gathering together around an altar with a priest, and offering their first-fruits to God - meaning, to the priest, who after sacrificing them, would then would eat them and use them to feed his family. My old pastor used to remark how interesting it was that God only ever required the inedible portion of the sacrifice to be consumed by fire, and the edible portion was to be consumed by the priest himself, with whatever was left to be given to his family.

The ten commandments never mentions anything about other days in which the Church added as days of obligation, but later removed. How can it at one time be a mortal sin to miss Mass on these days, but now it is not? Fact is, the Church used these days as a means of collecting revenue.

In the first place, it’s not a bad thing for the Church to be supported by her members, and secondly, I don’t know of any requirement to give money every time we go to Mass, on Sundays or otherwise.

Remember what Jesus said, the sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath. I think that the church violated the spirit of what Jesus said in this verse, by mandating days of obligation with the threat of committing mortal sin.

Well, just be glad that we’re not early Jews, who would have received an actual death penalty for not going up to the altar and offering firstfruits for sacrifice, and not merely a warning that they were committing a mortal sin by not attending.

 

[MariaG]

The sabbath commandment is that we keep the day holy. That doesn’t necessarily mean that we must attend Mass.

Well, your opinion disagrees with the current teaching of the Church and the historical church and how the Jews interpreted it, and how Jesus practiced it.

The ten commandments never mentions anything about other days in which the Church added as days of obligation, but later removed. How can it at one time be a mortal sin to miss Mass on these days, but now it is not? Fact is, the Church used these days as a means of collecting revenue.

Again, separate issue from the Sabbath.

But to answer your question, how can it be a mortal sin at one time and not now? Because the Catholic Church was given the right to “make and change” the rules. Making new Holy Days and removing them would fall under that.

Remember what Jesus said, the sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath. I think that the church violated the spirit of what Jesus said in this verse, by mandating days of obligation with the threat of committing mortal sin.

Jim

Now, as I said previously, I believe you CAN argue that the Church violated the spirit of what Jesus taught by adding additional days. But this is a separate issue from the obligation of Sunday Mass and informing people that it is a mortal sin to miss Mass as has been historically taught in all of Judeo-Christian history.

God Bless,
Maria

 

[lak611]

Fact is, the Church used these days as a means of collecting revenue.

Remember what Jesus said, the sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath. I think that the church violated the spirit of what Jesus said in this verse, by mandating days of obligation with the threat of committing mortal sin.

Jim

It is defiinitely not about money. I used to volunteer at my former parish (the one I attended as a child). I helped out with sorting the envelopes. People who could not afford to make any contributions were told to put in their envelopes and just mark “present”. That way the church knew which families were attending in terms of sacraments for the children, etc. They never denied sacraments or anything else as long as the family practiced their faith. Also, it was a good way to find families who needed help from St. Vincent DePaul Society, meals for Christmas, etc.

 

[decn2b]

.

Remember what Jesus said, the sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath. I think that the church violated the spirit of what Jesus said in this verse, by mandating days of obligation with the threat of committing mortal sin.

Jim

Jim satan quoted scripture too. With that in mind I look at your post total and see that you have made 666 posts in this forum…“twilight zone theme” (in the background)

 

[Digitonomy]

For a monetary offering on these days was also mandated.

Can you provide a cite? (unless I missed it in a later post).

JimR-OCDS:

As I’ve said before, a person of faith will go to Mass as often as possible, and the mandate by the Church is almost meaningless to them.JimJim

I’m surprised nobody has mentioned this, but one of the essential reasons for weekly mass on Sunday is communal worship, as St Paul said, building up the Body of Christ. It’s not just “Me & the Eucharist”. Someone who went to mass as often as possible (say 80% of days for example), but didn’t make a special effort to attend on Sunday, would be ignoring that command.

 

[CheeseHead1]

There is a nice detailed discussion on this topic, with references to church documents available from Catholics United for the Faith at this link:
cuf.org/Faithfacts/details_view.asp?ffID=164

God bless!