Is It Wrong to Miss Mass yet Do Other Things

[GoneAstray]

Because of the flu epidemic, we’ve been asked to not shake hands and are not using the wine during Communion.

I have a cold. Or it may be allergies. I had a low grade fever but I can get that with either. So I made a decision to not go to Mass this afternoon. I thought about how I sit with the elderly people. In fact, I’m not a spring chicken but they’re older. I may or may not be contagious.

I always complain when people come to church sick. Why can’t they stay home?

However, tomorrow I will go grocery shopping because I have to. I may even take a short walk or drive to get some fresh air. The walk will be optional. If I feel like I do now, I won’t do that. But I will force myself to go grocery shopping.

So I question the whole morality of this. The people in church are important. The people at the grocery store can just be exposed to my virus. There are old people there too.

I don’t think it’s a sin to miss Mass. But I wonder if I can take a walk then isn’t going to church more important. I could just tell people I’m sick and sit off alone somewhere if possible. I think I over think things and obsess too much. But I would really feel horrible if I gave one of my older friends a cold. Even though they come to church sick. So far, they haven’t infected me. I picked this up in a doctor’s office.

It’s like the whole flu pandemic has made me paranoid about me and everyone else. I run the other way if someone is coughing. Am I over reacting or should I try to make it to Mass tomorrow? I feel too horrid right now.

 

[Elizium23]

As long as you keep the day holy and spend some time in prayer or pious reading of Holy Scripture, there is no reason you cannot do other essential errands in an effort to keep yourself on track and on schedule. Of course you should consider that if you’re sick and infectious, you may pass your germs in any public place, not just the church. But to me it is a lower likelihood that you will have close contact with a lot of other people in the grocery store. Just don’t touch a lot of fruits and vegetables.

 

[garn9173]

I was running a fever on All Saints Day in November. I avoided Mass that night, sent an e-mail to my Priest and he said no problem…get well soon. You HAVE to eat, I don’t see any issues with going to get groceries tomorrow.

You have to use common sense in these situations and not risk exposing senior citizens who for whatever reason, may have a weak immune system, to anything that may make them sick and if that includes missing Mass, so be it. Watch Mass on EWTN.

 

[Mrs_Sally]

I would probably have gone and sat alone-but not if I felt feverish or lightheaded. Tomorrow you may feel well enough to attend Mass and make a quick run to the grocery store. See how you are doing then.

If this comes up again, make a quick call to your priest if you can ahead of time. Or if you are out and about diong severl things tomorrow but don’t go to Mass, then get to confession before you receive communion again.

The fact that the Precious Blood is not being distributed should not have any bearing on whether you go to Mass or not though.

 

[GoneAstray]

After a very restless night’s sleep where I kept throwing off the covers, I woke up coughing and sneezing. I am so glad I didn’t go to Mass yesterday. Most viruses are spread during the period people are still relatively asymptomatic.

I am still going to the grocery store. Somehow. I have no food. I am debating whether to wear a face mask. I’ve seen people with them on and thought it was for their protection but it may be they were sick.

It occurred to me I could do that at church too. The problem is the masks are only effective for 20 minutes and need to be changed although people don’t do that. I know this from working in home health where I had to visit very ill people and had to wear them.

 

[MSSheBear]

I guess you have already decided to skip Mass and sneak over to the grocery store because you have no food. Please do not go any other place. I have been places and have heard things like “I am so sick, so sick.” Yikes!

But I have other comments to make: some elderly do have fragile immune systems. My 84 year old mother has a wonderful immune system. I don’t feel we need to stay away from Sunday Mass because somebody may have a compromised immune system. We don’t need to sit near them or shake their hands. But if we believe we have something that will make other normal people sick then we should stay home. That said, I wish certain people who are sneezing and coughing would stay home from Daily Mass. And, I have had housemates who announced that their “allergies” were flaring up–only have the rest of us catch it.

 

[GoneAstray]

I guess you have already decided to skip Mass and sneak over to the grocery store because you have no food. Please do not go any other place. I have been places and have heard things like “I am so sick, so sick.” Yikes!

But I have other comments to make: some elderly do have fragile immune systems. My 84 year old mother has a wonderful immune system. I don’t feel we need to stay away from Sunday Mass because somebody may have a compromised immune system. We don’t need to sit near them or shake their hands. But if we believe we have something that will make other normal people sick then we should stay home. That said, I wish certain people who are sneezing and coughing would stay home from Daily Mass. And, I have had housemates who announced that their “allergies” were flaring up–only have the rest of us catch it.

I didn’t make it to the grocery store either. I feel as weak as a kitten. I have some canned chicken noodle soup but no Gator Ade and little bottled water. I was mostly concerned about the water because the tap water is undrinkable even with a filter and I need to stay hydrated. However, this virus is stupid. It makes you too sick to go anywhere and spread it.

 

[Mrs_Sally]

I didn’t make it to the grocery store either. I feel as weak as a kitten. I have some canned chicken noodle soup but no Gator Ade and little bottled water. I was mostly concerned about the water because the tap water is undrinkable even with a filter and I need to stay hydrated. However, this virus is stupid. It makes you too sick to go anywhere and spread it.

I hope you are feeling better tonight and were able to boil water to drink or make tea.

 

[MSSheBear]

I didn’t make it to the grocery store either. I feel as weak as a kitten. I have some canned chicken noodle soup but no Gator Ade and little bottled water. I was mostly concerned about the water because the tap water is undrinkable even with a filter and I need to stay hydrated. However, this virus is stupid. It makes you too sick to go anywhere and spread it.

Oh, I am sorry. You did the right thing by staying home from Mass.:sad_yes: I hope you feel better tomorrow and make it to the grocery store.

 

[zz912]

I don’t think it’s a sin to miss Mass.

Did you just mean in this instance where you might have been sick? Or at any other regular Sunday?

And you were probably right and prudent not to attend if you think you are sick. And as others said, spend some time reading Scripture and time in prayer/reflection. Also though, you should still take it easy and rest as much as possible. Sitting outside and getting some fresh air and sun would be good, but maybe not take a walk. Make a quick trip to the grocery store for necessities only, and then get home.

The worst thing people do is not rest up when they are beginning to feel sickness coming on. Don’t push it, so that you will be healthy by next week.

 

[PJM]

=GoneAstray;10286758]Because of the flu epidemic, we’ve been asked to not shake hands and are not using the wine during Communion.

I have a cold. Or it may be allergies. I had a low grade fever but I can get that with either. So I made a decision to not go to Mass this afternoon. I thought about how I sit with the elderly people. In fact, I’m not a spring chicken but they’re older. I may or may not be contagious.

I always complain when people come to church sick. Why can’t they stay home?

However, tomorrow I will go grocery shopping because I have to. I may even take a short walk or drive to get some fresh air. The walk will be optional. If I feel like I do now, I won’t do that. But I will force myself to go grocery shopping.

So I question the whole morality of this. The people in church are important. The people at the grocery store can just be exposed to my virus. There are old people there too.

I don’t think it’s a sin to miss Mass. But I wonder if I can take a walk then isn’t going to church more important. I could just tell people I’m sick and sit off alone somewhere if possible. I think I over think things and obsess too much. But I would really feel horrible if I gave one of my older friends a cold. Even though they come to church sick. So far, they haven’t infected me. I picked this up in a doctor’s office.

It’s like the whole flu pandemic has made me paranoid about me and everyone else. I run the other way if someone is coughing. Am I over reacting or should I try to make it to Mass tomorrow? I feel too horrid right now.

Using your own words as the basis; you should have gone to church; perhaps not communion and stayed seperated as much as possible. No peace sign either.

That said; your motive may have been sifficient to not make this a mortal sin? However you definetely ought to get to Confession and get Fathers opinion on it ASAP.

Stay well,
God Bless you,

 

[EasterJoy]

If you did something wrong, it was not in staying home from Mass but in failing to stay out of the grocery store, had that been something you could have figured out how to avoid.

My pastor would say (and does, at least annually) that if you have something contagious you ought to stay home from Mass and if you’re out of food, try to think of whether you can get someone to go to the store and pick up a few things for you. Better yet, keep something in your pantry for an emergency such as the roads being impassable or you having an illness that could be very serious or even mortal for an older person. If the illness is less severe, still put yourself out to wash your hands a lot, keep them away from your face, and do what you can to avoid spreading the bug to those who can’t cope. It is not practical to stay home with every sniffle, but giving yourself permission to go out and about when that reasonably might mean giving other people serious illnesses is not charitable.

 

[GoneAstray]

If you did something wrong, it was not in staying home from Mass but in failing to stay out of the grocery store, had that been something you could have figured out how to avoid.

Btw, the grocery store is now using hand wipes with soapy water. I guess it’s the rotavirus that’s pandemic at this point in time. That store was empty. That’s how bad it is here.

My pastor would say (and does, at least annually) that if you have something contagious you ought to stay home from Mass and if you’re out of food, try to think of whether you can get someone to go to the store and pick up a few things for you. Better yet, keep something in your pantry for an emergency such as the roads being impassable or you having an illness that could be very serious or even mortal for an older person. If the illness is less severe, still put yourself out to wash your hands a lot, keep them away from your face, and do what you can to avoid spreading the bug to those who can’t cope. It is not practical to stay home with every sniffle, but giving yourself permission to go out and about when that reasonably might mean giving other people serious illnesses is not charitable.

Hindsight is always 20/20. I shouldn’t have been in a position where I would run out of food. Actually, I was more concerned about having something to drink. I don’t have much of an appetite.and I do have chicken soup.

As I have mentioned, I worked in home health and I was never allowed to work with “every sniffle.” That sniffle could have killed a patient. So I carry that mentality now. I have no idea who I infect when I go to the grocery store. It is safer than church by virtue of being a large open area. Yet, you are still touching things.

Going to the grocery store which I did do yesterday wasn’t some fun activity I looked forward to instead of Mass. I had no one to go for me. I rushed through with a wipe I got at the door and used the U Scan. I had to make another stop at a smaller store and used hand sanitizer and told the clerk to use some because I was sick. She told me to eat hot peppery foods. She said she had been exposed to everything now and it kept her healthy. She didn’t use hand sanitizer.

It was the best I could do under the circumstance but I will continue to not go to church with every little sniffle because there are elderly people with chronic conditions who don’t just get a little sniffle. And yes, they are in the grocery store too so I am guilty of exposing them there, I suppose.

 

[Aran_Houlihan]

As catholic you are expected to go to Sunday mass

Canon 1247
On Sundays and other holy days of obligation the faithful are bound to participate in the Mass; they are also to abstain from those labors and business concerns which impede the worship to be rendered to God, the joy which is proper to the Lord’s Day, or the proper relaxation of mind and body.

Canon 1248

1. The precept of participating in the Mass is satisfied by assistance at a Mass which is celebrated anywhere in a Catholic rite either on the holy day or on the evening of the preceding day.
2. If because of lack of a sacred minister or for other grave cause participation in the celebration of the Eucharist is impossible, it is specially recommended that the faithful take part in the liturgy of the word if it is celebrated in the parish church or in another sacred place according to the prescriptions of the diocesan bishop, or engage in prayer for an appropriate amount of time personally or in a family or, as occasion offers, in groups of families.

Since a “grave cause” is needed to excuse one from this obligation it would be a serious or mortal sin to willfully skip Mass on Sunday or a Holy Day of Obligation, as the Church has always taught. Reasons such as the necessity to work to support one’s family, child care, personal sickness or the care of the sick, necessary travel etc. would excuse a person on a particular occasions. Those who have continuing reason to be excused should consult their parish priest