Is it permissible to miss mass if...?

[gracelovefaith]

I work 12 hour night shifts at the hospital and can’t get Sat/Sun off. It’s just the way healthcare works. I could suffer and go, offer it up but I’d truly be a danger on the road. I have been known to pull over and sleep before because I was so tired, yes I commute. Maybe I can commit to every Tuesday or Wednesday morning? Any thoughts on this. This will change eventually, once I get a dayshift and build up seniority!

 

[LilyM]

I’m sure God would rather you didn’t put yourself and other road users in danger through lack of sleep, even in such a worthy cause.

One thing that occurs to me is to organise a lift with fellow parishioners if you can. If you don’t know anyone who lives near you, ask your priest if he does. Put an ad in the bulletin maybe.

 

[gracelovefaith]

Great Idea… The first thought though was (sadly) I had a hard enough time finding a sponsor! (And Godparents for that matter.)

 

[LilyM]

Great Idea… The first thought though was (sadly) I had a hard enough time finding a sponsor! (And Godparents for that matter.)

Sponsors (for RCIA) and godparents are required to make a fairly substantial commitment - basically they’re agreeing to mentor another person in the faith. In the case of someone who is (as I was) godparent to a baby, that means until they’re an adult.

I don’t think giving someone a lift in the car is quite as onerous, somehow

 

[nodito]

You could also check and see if your hospital has a priest chaplain who offers Mass at the hospital for patients/employees during your shift or immedietly after. That way you wouldn’t have to drive anywhere extra to get to Mass, or might even be able to attend on your break.

 

[JRKH]

I work 12 hour night shifts at the hospital and can’t get Sat/Sun off. It’s just the way healthcare works. I could suffer and go, offer it up but I’d truly be a danger on the road. I have been known to pull over and sleep before because I was so tired, yes I commute. Maybe I can commit to every Tuesday or Wednesday morning? Any thoughts on this. This will change eventually, once I get a dayshift and build up seniority!

I would suggest talking it over with your confessor. I would suspect that he would have no problem giving you a dispensation if that is truly the best alternative.
I did this with my confessor do to my wife’s illness. I/We simply cannot always make it to mass sometims. When that happens I/We make every effort to get to mass during the week. (This often works out better anyway since dialy mass is a little less “hectic”.)

Anyway, your idea of committing to mass on Tuesday or Wednesday may work just fine. But as I said, talk to your confessor about it as soon as you can.

Peace
James

 

[Chatter163]

Fear not; you will also adjust to this schedule as times goes on. Those of us who worked night shifts for many years know that there are various levels of adjustment, and each level takes several months to unfold. So what is difficult now in terms of getting to Mass may be less so later on.

Youu may also wish to check schedules of other parishes, which may have Masses that are more convenient to attend on either Saturday evening or Sunday evening. Even a Spanish or other language Mass is better for an English speaker than no Mass at all.

 

[Rome_Always]

My mom also used to work the hospital and they had her working every other weekend. Is is wrong? NO, but do consider the suggestion of the chapel if there is a priest to say mass there.

 

[Catholic_Wife]

You should still make every effort to go to Mass as long as you can safely do so. Maybe look around for a very early Mass???

My husband works 9pm - 7am every other weekend, and I work until 7am some weekends. We are fortunate to have a 7:45 am Mass available to us. It gives us a chance to sit and pray and calm ourselves before Mass. Then we go home and go to sleep – we’re in bed by 10am if we want.

I’ve also gone to the 5pm Saturday Vigil Mass if I knew I would get off work late Sunday morning.

 

[Bookcat]

Try to work it out…hopefully they will not require you to work every Weekend 12 hour shifts…and when need be call your Pastor (it needs to be him…unless your Bishop has delegated this authority to other priests in your diocese…not just a confessor)

and talk with him …he is able to give you a dispensation…but you also need to seek right rest…

and of course…someone can drive you home and to Mass perhaps…or a Bus…

vatican.va/archive/catechism/p3s2c1a3.htm#II

Pope Benedict XVI

very good…especially read 73 and 74

vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/apost_exhortations/documents/hf_ben-xvi_exh_20070222_sacramentum-caritatis_en.html#The_eucharistic_form_of_the_christian_life

and

At the beginning of the fourth century, Christian worship was still forbidden by the imperial authorities. Some Christians in North Africa, who felt bound to celebrate the Lord’s Day, defied the prohibition. They were martyred after declaring that it was not possible for them to live without the Eucharist, the food of the Lord: sine dominico non possumus. (252) May these martyrs of Abitinae, in union with all those saints and beati who made the Eucharist the centre of their lives, intercede for us and teach us to be faithful to our encounter with the risen Christ. We too cannot live without partaking of the sacrament of our salvation; we too desire to be iuxta dominicam viventes, to reflect in our lives what we celebrate on the Lord’s Day. That day is the day of our definitive deliverance.