Is it a sin to look forward to Mass to be over?

[cjcapta]

Sometimes Mass can seem boring to me, but I still attend Mass every week. Is it a sin to have thoughts during the Mass of looking forward for it to be over? By that, I mean thinking like, “Okay, it’s halfway done.” And if so, is it a mortal sin or a venial sin?

 

[catherine126]

I’m not sure whether or not it’s sinful, but if we are not engaged in Mass, we have a problem. A very normal and predictable problem, but still a problem.

This may be a great opportunity to grow in understanding, patience, and love.

I just found a great website about growing in faith when faced with this issue of Mass being boring: sites.google.com/a/stpaulcatholic.net/parish/sacraments/eucharist-liturgy-of-he-eucharist/questions-about-the-liturgy-of-the-eucharist-holy-mass/why-do-some-people-say-mass-is-boring

 

[DexUK]

It might pay for you to examine the history of the Mass so that you can become more actively involved in it, at least in your mind.

For example, when I was young, I always enjoyed the Gospel because I was hearing stories about the ‘main character’, the ‘star’ of the show. The stories about Jesus are often exciting, inspiring and they relate to why it is that we’re there.

The Old Testament readings though tended to be more opaque. It often wasn’t apparent what the connections were or why we were hearing them. Furthermore, as a little boy, the ‘green season’ seemed to stretch on forever. Sunday Mass seemed the same. And then there were the responsorial psalms. I thought they were really boring. I never saw the point.

And then I came to understand the complex tapestry that is the Mass. Over time it became apparent where the elements of the Mass came from. I learned more about the Psalms and their context in the history of Judaism and how they were a living thread of worship stretching back to pre-Christian times… a thread we share with the Jews.

The Mass became richer in meaning. The Old Testament readings came alive as they illustrated the prophecies of the Messiah to come or the themes that run through Jesus’ teachings… They illustrate how it is that the People of God were prompted to expect the arrival of someone amazing who would change everything.

And for me the Mass became something living. An unbroken link to the past. Something that by being involved with I become connected to and unified with all those who have gone before me. And then there’s Communion, which unifies me in spirit with all those who attend Mass with me. A joining together, a making of a family bound in the common and shared reception of the one Eucharist.

How could Mass be boring after that. It’s simply too wonderful to be boring. Too amazing.

Yes, the priest might not be a good homilist. He may drone on or even lapse into error from time to time. But the Mass lives on. And it’s far too good to miss.

 

[CountrySinger]

Sometimes Mass can seem boring to me, but I still attend Mass every week. Is it a sin to have thoughts during the Mass of looking forward for it to be over? By that, I mean thinking like, “Okay, it’s halfway done.” And if so, is it a mortal sin or a venial sin?

I hope it’s not a sin! I look forward to it being over even before it begins! It just seems to be the longest hour and a half EVER.

Mass makes very uncomfortable, like I’m going to be sick. I usually get these really bad migraines while I’m there. So Mass over= head pain gone.

But the weird thing is that once I leave, I’m good. I only get uncomfortable in religious places.

 

[catholicjames29]

It might pay for you to examine the history of the Mass so that you can become more actively involved in it, at least in your mind.

For example, when I was young, I always enjoyed the Gospel because I was hearing stories about the ‘main character’, the ‘star’ of the show. The stories about Jesus are often exciting, inspiring and they relate to why it is that we’re there.

The Old Testament readings though tended to be more opaque. It often wasn’t apparent what the connections were or why we were hearing them. Furthermore, as a little boy, the ‘green season’ seemed to stretch on forever. Sunday Mass seemed the same. And then there were the responsorial psalms. I thought they were really boring. I never saw the point.

And then I came to understand the complex tapestry that is the Mass. Over time it became apparent where the elements of the Mass came from. I learned more about the Psalms and their context in the history of Judaism and how they were a living thread of worship stretching back to pre-Christian times… a thread we share with the Jews.

The Mass became richer in meaning. The Old Testament readings came alive as they illustrated the prophecies of the Messiah to come or the themes that run through Jesus’ teachings… They illustrate how it is that the People of God were prompted to expect the arrival of someone amazing who would change everything.

And for me the Mass became something living. An unbroken link to the past. Something that by being involved with I become connected to and unified with all those who have gone before me. And then there’s Communion, which unifies me in spirit with all those who attend Mass with me. A joining together, a making of a family bound in the common and shared reception of the one Eucharist.

How could Mass be boring after that. It’s simply too wonderful to be boring. Too amazing.

Yes, the priest might not be a good homilist. He may drone on or even lapse into error from time to time. But the Mass lives on. And it’s far too good to miss.

Any good book recommendations for the history of the mass?

 

[Edward_H]

Good question.

Look for Fr. Larry Richard’s “The mass explained” audio. Very good

And even shorter

Fr John Wauck on the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, here; 3 minutes or so.

opusdei.us/art.php?p=38802

Saint Josemaria once said something to effect of “you think mass is too long, maybe your love is too short”.

Put more into undertstanding of the what is really going on at Mass.

 

[teachccd]

Jesus hung on the Cross three hours for you. He did this because of His immense love for you. The Mass is where we can be with Him during the Last Supper which is where Jesus gave us a way to stand at the foot of the Cross until He comes again. I was where you are until I really studied the Mass. Now I know that there is no greater treasure; no greater gift.

If you find Mass boring you are in good company. Many feel the same as you but when they research and give Jesus the time to reveal this tremendous gift then things change. Now I cannot wait to go to Mass. I go every day that I can, The beauty of the Mass is second to none.

I would have to say that it is not a sin to look forward to Mass being over if you have not reached the point of a good understanding of the Mass. And when you do you will find that Mass is boring in a different way: it bores its way into your soul…teachccd

 

[catholicjames29]

Good question.

Look for Fr. Larry Richard’s “The mass explained” audio. Very good

And even shorter

Fr John Wauck on the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, here; 3 minutes or so.

opusdei.us/art.php?p=38802

Saint Josemaria once said something to effect of “you think mass is too long, maybe your love is too short”.

Put more into undertstanding of the what is really going on at Mass.

Awsome! I just listened to his series on reconciliation just the other day, hes really awesome!! Thanks

 

[Edward_H]

Mass defenders,

Well said. And what’s neat, these postings are done from the very love we get out of the Mass itself. Why not keep the great secret and treasure to myself/ourself? Instead, we’re going out of our way to help others discover / uncover the great and gentle secret of the real and present gift of God Himself.

I can’t wait for the next Mass. I just had surgery and it’s thrown my sleeping and living schedule into disarray…now my morning Mass routine is all a mess. My lovely wife and I went to Spanish mass last week on Tuesday evening. Couldn’t get most of it…but we had our missal. It was great.

 

[Crash001]

Sometimes Mass can seem boring to me, but I still attend Mass every week. Is it a sin to have thoughts during the Mass of looking forward for it to be over? By that, I mean thinking like, “Okay, it’s halfway done.” And if so, is it a mortal sin or a venial sin?

To answer your question about whether wanting mass to end is a sin or not, from my experience, no, but I would say you need to start digging a little deeper.

It sounds like you’ve stagnated in your faith and need to energize it. I’ve been catholic my whole life and have had my ups and downs in regards to boredom in mass, but a few years ago, that feeling completely went away. A lot of my boredom was because a lack of appreciation and understanding the gift that I’ve been given and really what is happening at the mass. I also started to not associate being catholic with ONLY going to mass on Sundays. I started to live out my faith.

Here’s my simple thoughts for you…Pray more (spend more time reflecting/focusing before during, after mass, etc.), Learn more about your faith (read books, conversion stories, the power, gift, authority, history of the Church and her teachings), become united with some other Catholics/Christians in your love for God and serving and sacrificing for the glory of God - Charity work, get involved with a ministry, etc., and take part and promote the Sacraments whenever possible.

Take it slow, but mean it and I think you’ll have a change of heart on that boredom thing.

 

[porthos11]

As for me, I will merely kneel in gratitude for the goodness of our Savior who in his great mercy suffered for three hours the most intense pain for me and my salvation for upon that Cross.

I thank him for not even stopping there, but for giving us the Holy Mass where that sacrifice is made present through time and space for us to witness and participate in, that we may stand on Calvary with our Lady, St. John, and the holy women.

And I thank him that he made himself even more vulnerable for us in the Holy Eucharist, where in his love for us, he feeds us his own Self under the form of bread.

If you’re bored at Mass, then remember: you are at Calvary. Not “as of” or symbolically, but really, truly. Recognize that, and see if you will ever be bored again.

 

[teachccd]

Sometimes Mass can seem boring to me, but I still attend Mass every week. Is it a sin to have thoughts during the Mass of looking forward for it to be over? By that, I mean thinking like, “Okay, it’s halfway done.” And if so, is it a mortal sin or a venial sin?

You received a lot of good stuff on this thread… Did you read any of it?

 

[onmyknees]

To answer your question about whether wanting mass to end is a sin or not, from my experience, no, but I would say you need to start digging a little deeper.

cjcapta, This is really good advice! I used to think mass was boring until I did all the things that Crash has suggested.

I would also suggest that you read some of the lives of the saints which are so inspiring! And when you receive the Eucharist make sure you really take that time to talk to Jesus with your whole heart. He loves you so much and wants to hear from you. If you can, go once a week to an adoration chapel and be with Him for a while. Last, I would suggest that you study the liturgy of the mass. It will help you to know what is happening at each part so you can fully participate. For example when the gifts are being brought to the altar we are offering up all of our sorrows and sufferings to God as Jesus, the Lamb of God, is being literally offered up on the cross to God for all of us!

If you do all of these things I think that your life will change drastically and you will want to run to the mass! God bless

 

[markomalley]

Sometimes Mass can seem boring to me, but I still attend Mass every week. Is it a sin to have thoughts during the Mass of looking forward for it to be over? By that, I mean thinking like, “Okay, it’s halfway done.” And if so, is it a mortal sin or a venial sin?

I wouldn’t say that it is a sin in of itself, but it is a really serious defect.

I can appreciate that it is difficult to elevate your spirit to heaven in the midst of a liturgy that is celebrated in a lackadaisical fashion, a celebrant who ad libs the lines, music that is best used as a natural source of saccharin, a homily that is uninspiring (at best) and heretical (at worst), a congregation that is in competition with each other on who can dress the sloppiest / skimpiest, sitting next to a mother who believes it is her job to feed her seven year old child cheerios…and so on. All very understandable and legitimate distractions. In those circumstances, it is fully understandable that one would want to leave the situation as soon as possible (and for me, that would include leaving in disgust)

But none of those reasons is why we are there.

We are there to participate in the heavenly liturgy. To give true worship to God. To participate in the re-presentation of the eternal passover sacrifice that occurred on calvary and to offer the Victim to God in reparation for our sins and the sins of the world.

Mass is significant (in a cosmic sense as well as being important for your soul).

A book recommendation is The Lamb’s Supper by Scott Hahn. Though I’m not the biggest Scott Hahn fan in the world, this book really lays out the spiritual significance of the Mass with full scriptural references.

Once you have been able to understand the theology behind what is happening at the Mass, try to find a reverently celebrated Mass. If you are anywhere near the DC area (your location says Maryland, so you should be), try to go to a noon Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception on the campus of CUA. It is a whole lot easier to put yourself in the proper spiritual position when you are participating in the Mass in a glorious place with glorious music and with a liturgy celebrated well. (Assumption is just two Sundays from now…that would provide a good opportunity to try this)

Once you realize that the same thing, on a spiritual basis, is happening in your local parish with its cheesy music, lousy preaching, and horrible adherence to the rubrics, (along with parishioners who don’t seem to care)…it is a whole lot easier to filter that junk out and elevate your spirit to the heavens and offer yourself as a living sacrifice (Rom 12:1) with Christ and to worship God in spirit and in truth (John 4:24), regardless of the distractions that may be trying to pull you away from that.

If, on the other hand, your understanding of the liturgy and/or the lousy quality of the liturgy in your parish is not the cause of your problem, then you may need to simply do a lot of prayer during the week…that God may enlighten your eyes of understanding (Eph 1:18).

 

[DaveBj]

I don’t necessarily look forward for Mass to be over, but I was ready for last Sunday’s homily to end. Fr. Patrick (a retired army colonel) is usually an exciting homilist, but last Sunday instead of an exposition of the readings or an exhortation on how to live, we got a financial report. Next week we’re going to get a report on the financial status of the school. I think I’m going to bring a book to read.

DaveBj

 

[Neil_Anthony]

I hope it’s not a sin! I look forward to it being over even before it begins! It just seems to be the longest hour and a half EVER.

Mass makes very uncomfortable, like I’m going to be sick. I usually get these really bad migraines while I’m there. So Mass over= head pain gone.

But the weird thing is that once I leave, I’m good. I only get uncomfortable in religious places.

Maybe you should try a different parish. I used to feel like that but then I switched parishes and realized that the old parish had bad air quality and bad lighting that made me feel tired and gave me a headache. It wasn’t the mass’s fault after all.

 

[CountrySinger]

Maybe you should try a different parish. I used to feel like that but then I switched parishes and realized that the old parish had bad air quality and bad lighting that made me feel tired and gave me a headache. It wasn’t the mass’s fault after all.

It happens in any church. I tried to go last Saturday night, but the thought of it just gave me a bad headache (like I had to sit in a dark room in order to not be in excruciating pain, so light and music is OUT, and I had about 10 Advil). So I didn’t go and just went to bed. And I didn’t feel better until Sunday night.

 

[Luke_K]

As others have said, you need to learn to appreciate the significance of everything that’s going on. The mass is heaven on earth for crying out loud! If anyone wonders what heaven is like, just tell them that it is a Catholic mass. We reflect on the entirety of salvation history, we praise God with the angels and saints, we are present at the Last Supper with Jesus, we consume the body of Jesus, God, and he makes his dwelling within us just as he will in heaven.

When you walk up to receive the Eucharist and the minister says “The body of Christ,” what he is saying is that “This, right here in my hand, is the body of Christ given up for you personally, on account of your many sins and His love for you.” Look around at all the other people who are receiving the Eucharist and are being told the same thing. When you sit down after receiving the Eucharist, reflect on how you are now in communion with all the other Catholics around the world and through history whom Christ has made his real, physical dwelling within. When you realize the significance and reality of that, mass can never be boring again.

If you’re up to it, try reading through the whole Bible, starting from the beginning. There is SO much in there that when you get to mass you’ll be like “Hey! This is just like when Melchizedek offered bread and wine to God with Abraham…Oh, this reminds me of the Levite priests offering sacrifices in the desert…Wow, the Israelites viewed Solomon’s temple with such awe and wonder, and here we are becoming living temples with God’s physical presence in us!…Cool, the Holy, holy, holy is what the angels praise God with in Isaiah and Revelations!..Oh yeah, 'Lord I am not worthy to receive you” is what the Roman soldier told Jesus!..Hey, I remember reading this psalm!.." And so very much more.

 

[roveau]

I find that the Mass is over too quickly. I follow the Mass with a mini Missal so that keeps me focused but I find that before I know it its time to receive Holy Communion and five minutes later we’re walking out the door.

 

[Adam1986]

Sometimes Mass can seem boring to me, but I still attend Mass every week. Is it a sin to have thoughts during the Mass of looking forward for it to be over? By that, I mean thinking like, “Okay, it’s halfway done.” And if so, is it a mortal sin or a venial sin?

In my opinion, it’s not a sin. BUT it is also NOT the attitude we should be having on a regular basis during Mass. If it’s only happened a few times or if it’s only happened on a busy day when you’re preoccupied, I wouldn’t think ANYTHING of it. But if it’s happening all the time, I would ask myself why do I feel this way? And go from there.