Is missing Mass really a Mortal Sin?

[Vico]

Im a revert of two years now and just recently ive started to miss mass. Alot has changed for my family over the last to years for the better since returning BUT Ive missed a few masses lately and my husband whos new to the faith has missed over a month and I really dont think its a mortal sin. We try as parents to show our child what is right and we go regularly now to mass. But I cant believe its a mortal sin to miss mass and be denied communion for that.

Do you know the teaching?

The *Code of Canon Law *(Can. 1246) proscribes, “Sunday is the day on which the paschal mystery is celebrated in light of the apostolic tradition and is to be observed as the foremost holy day of obligation in the universal Church.” and, “On Sundays and other holy days of obligation, the faithful are bound to participate in the Mass…” ( Can. 1247). The *Catechism *states, “Those who deliberately fail in this obligation commit grave sin” (CCC 2181), and grave sin is objectively a mortal sin. Recently, our Holy Father, PopeJohn Paul II, repeated this precept in his apostolic letter *Dies Domini *(*Observing and Celebrating the Day of the Lord, *#47, 1998).

Of course it must be with consent, knowledge of the Church teaching, and when no mitigating situation removes the obligation.

 

[shepherd_girl]

Please understand, those who are pointing out the grave nature of missing Mass are not doing this to be mean or judgmental. The Church teaches - see Ezechiel Ch. 3 - that we as the community of Christ are obligated to let our fellow Christians know when they are going against God’s Commandments. In fact, this obligation is so strong that those who fail to do so are in the same dangerous boat as the sinner.
It’s not me or the other posters who are saying missing Mass habitually for no good reason is a mortal sin - this is Catholic doctrine. It seems to me that those who are questioning this obligation as “acceptable” are merely trying to rationalize the behavior to make themselves feel okay about it. As was said, at some point you need to figure out whether you want to be a full practicing Catholic or not.
I know I get lazy and many times wish I didn’t have to attend. But that’s what sacrifice is all about.

 

[lisahiku]

If you only have to go once a year, you must be a living Saint. I have enough for a good Confession just about every Saturday.

If you have “enough” for a good confession EVERY saturday…how hard are you trying
to NOT sin?

 

[Vico]

If you have “enough” for a good confession EVERY saturday…how hard are you trying
to NOT sin?

Venial sins are confessed too, and it is recommended, but not required.

 

[virbots]

I suspect the main issue for Catholics who miss mass for invalid reasons is that they don’t really want to go. If such people were to educate themselves on what the mass really is and pray for the desire to go, I think God would answer that prayer.

Something as simple as “Lord, I don’t really want to go to mass. Help me to want it.” A prayer similar to that worked wonders in my life.

But if God doesn’t answer that prayer, does that excuse you? Nope. We are often called to do things we don’t really want to do; and I think doing it anyway would be very pleasing to God because we are subjugating our will for his.

 

[lisahiku]

I suspect the main issue for Catholics who miss mass for invalid reasons is that they don’t really want to go. If such people were to educate themselves on what the mass really is and pray for the desire to go, I think God would answer that prayer.

Something as simple as “Lord, I don’t really want to go to mass. Help me to want it.” A prayer similar to that worked wonders in my life.

But if God doesn’t answer that prayer, does that excuse you? Nope. We are often called to do things we don’t really want to do; and I think doing it anyway would be very pleasing to God because we are subjugating our will for his.

I think you raised a very good point. But I find it SAD, that sometimes I don’t WANT to go to mass.

 

[Lapey]

I think you raised a very good point. But I find it SAD, that sometimes I don’t WANT to go to mass.

This is true for almost all of us at some point in our life; I know it has been for me. The thing that changed the whole ball game for me was making the decision to look for the truth, and committing to it once I found it.

Going to mass every Sunday and Holy Days is the goal; the process of reaching it is mindset. We each must make that conscience decision to do it. It doesn’t come any other way, you must make a decision to no longer miss mass and make it the priority of your week. I can’t live without it, not live in Christ that is.

I don’t always make daily mass, this morning I needed Him, so I went. We need Him.

St. Francis de Sales has a quote that I try to live by, “everyone needs at least a half hour of prayer each day, except when you are busy…then you need an hour!”

I can honestly say that I have missed two Sundays and one holy day of obligation in the last 5 years, all because of work.

I still went to confession over these issues, but I was not always yearning the Sunday Liturgy as I do now; as a young married man I missed mass often.

I hope we can encourage you to look deeper, to ask Him to show you the truth. But please know, it is your choice, He offers and we have the option to accept or reject. I rejected many years.

 

[Tantum_ergo]

Confession is a personal thing not something you have to do every year… and maybe thats not what the church teaches but I will go when I feel the need to go and have a priest to trust and if one misses mass every now and then it can happen and dosnt make it a mortal sin …we are all different in our faith journeys and should be treated as such.

You only ‘have to’ go to confession when you are in a state of mortal sin, so if you have not sinned mortally all year long God bless you… . but excuse me, if you are a Catholic you DO have to follow the Church’s teachings, not what you personally decide ‘works for you.’ And that includes the Easter duty which is indeed confession at least once a year.

The Church does not have one rule for “Rosebud” and another one for everybody else. Your ‘faith journey’ is individual, true, but that doesn’t mean that you get special privileges. We’re in this together.

I’m sorry if you don’t care to hear this but it’s the truth. If you were taught in RCIA differently, then whoever gave you the wrong information is culpable for steering you wrong, but now that you are in a position to hear and see the correct teachings (and apparently you have but want to disregard some), then even if you were taught it was ‘all right’ before, now that you know differently, you WOULD BE CULPABLE if you did not follow the Church’s teachings.

And that is not ‘me’ judging you, or setting myself over you. It’s a simple statement of fact. You happen to be wrong in this case and people are trying to help you to do the right thing–which is pretty praiseworthy and Christlike, don’t you think? If YOU saw somebody about to microwave a baby bottle, say (which could cause the baby to be severely burned if he drank it), wouldn’t you SAY something in order to keep a terrible accident from happening?

Well, for you to continue to flout Church teachings is as dangerous for YOUR immortal soul as the microwaved fluid in the baby bottle is to the innocent baby. . .so yeah, people are going to speak up to help you.

 

[JoeKraus22]

I don have a licence, So I haven’t been to church in a while, I really feel the need to go, because I feel that I am blessed, and would love to get to chuch and praise the Lord. I do Pray evernight and sometimes in the morning. I have quite often tried to arange rides, but nobody wants to go with me. bther goes to a community church, which is I believe just a generic Christian Mass. There is a pastor and Guitar singing, but to me that is not church to me what inspires me about church is the organ and hyms and It just feels like a holy experience. Plus I feel that Priests are way better than Pastors. I could go with him, but I don’t feel right. When I was in Rehab, I was forced to go to a Methodist mass every Sunday, and did not feel at all like I was at Church. To me in this modern day with work it is really hard just to get off for church ( although they have to by federal law). Although the 3rd commandment says keep holy the Sabbath, So what I try to do is Give extra thanks and praise to the Lord. Plus there is always mass on TV

 

[Tantum_ergo]

I don have a licence, So I haven’t been to church in a while, I really feel the need to go, because I feel that I am blessed, and would love to get to chuch and praise the Lord. I do Pray evernight and sometimes in the morning. I have quite often tried to arange rides, but nobody wants to go with me. bther goes to a community church, which is I believe just a generic Christian Mass. There is a pastor and Guitar singing, but to me that is not church to me what inspires me about church is the organ and hyms and It just feels like a holy experience. Plus I feel that Priests are way better than Pastors. I could go with him, but I don’t feel right. When I was in Rehab, I was forced to go to a Methodist mass every Sunday, and did not feel at all like I was at Church. To me in this modern day with work it is really hard just to get off for church ( although they have to by federal law). Although the 3rd commandment says keep holy the Sabbath, So what I try to do is Give extra thanks and praise to the Lord. Plus there is always mass on TV

Dear Joe, if it is too far for you to walk, and you cannot get a ride (have you tried contacting the pastor and not just individuals, though?) then you cannot physically make it and you are not in mortal sin. Though again I stress, please call and talk to the PRIEST; he can put this in the bulletin and he knows a lot more people to ask.

Remember that while “Mass on TV” might be nice to watch, it does NOT substitute or take the place of your presence at your parish church. IOW, if you’ve tried to get to church but cannot get there, you can watch for your personal enjoyment, but you do not HAVE to watch since it is not a substitute. It is of course very nice for people who CANNOT get to Mass to least be able to ‘watch’ a Mass and to see and hear a Mass even if they can’t be present–but it is not something which you would do ‘instead of’ going to Mass of course.

I do hope you can find somebody–or a few somebodies–who will help you with the transportation problem which I think that you are certainly doing the best you can with now. God bless.

 

[shepherd_girl]

To Joe,. I bet there are people in your parish who would be happy to give you a ride to church. I’d suggest calling the office and putting out the word. Especially since it sounds like you really want to go. There is always a way.
As for sometimes not feeling like you want to go, heck, even EWTN’s Mother Angelica and the future saint Mother Teresa admitted as much, and Mother Teresa even confessing she had, as some low points doubted God’s very existence. No one can feel that passion all the time. It’s how we act at these moments that shows our love for God and our acceptance to his will. Like St Terese, the Little Flower put it, every day is filled with little sufferings, and God will be pleased and reward you for giving it up to HIM.

 

[lisahiku]

and God will be pleased and reward you for giving it up to HIM.

uh-huh

 

[Tantum_ergo]

uh-huh

I hope that’s a heartful uh-huh of agreement that God is pleased when we offer our sufferings to Him in union with the sacrifice of Christ on the cross, such as St. Paul speaks of when he says that he is offering what was ‘lacking’ in suffering. It isn’t that Christ’s suffering wasn’t ENOUGH (it was), it is that we MUST also, if WE suffer, suffer with Him, lest the suffering be for ‘nothing’.

And we will suffer. We all must carry our cross sometime, there is simply no escaping it. We can carry it grudgingly and grumblingly and make ourselves and those around us miserable (we all know ‘martyrs’ who make it clear how righteous they are and cause everyone to suffer with them whether they want to or not). . .or we can carry it prayerfully, offering up our pain with Christ, cheerfully and obediently.

 

[nickybr38]

I work 12 hour days, 6 days a week. Sunday is the only day I have off AND the only day I could potentially sleep in. I get so tired at Mass that I even fell asleep WHILE PLAYING PIANO with the music team.

I still go.

Only two things have stopped me from going: A baptism at a different church and a confirmation at a different church. Both times I spoke to my priest first to make sure it would be okay for me to miss Mass for these occasions.

I understand the desire to get more rest. I understand feeling too tired to go. Trust me, I DO… but at Mass I am in the physical presence of my God and NOTHING beats that. Absolutely nothing. So I will go and I will struggle to stay awake. I might even fall asleep here or there… but I will go every week no matter how tired I am.

I encourage you to do the same.

 

[Joan_M]

And you are who?

On various aspects you shout about here…Here in ireland the percentage of abuse was 76% and there is little real penitence. Nowhere is the percentage of priests who abuse(d) children anywhere like 305, much like 76%. This is not true.

Trust is vital - period , and posts like this arouse nothing that is good. I and others need to know that our priest is liviing the faith fully. This would, of course, be good, but it has absolutely no effect on the validity of the sacraments.

And yes, there has been abuse here.

And what you say re radio and internet is rather negative and I for one wil take no heed of you here.These can be vital connections for so many…** Quite simply, Mass over the radio, TV or Internet can be edifying to listen to or to watch, but it does not fulfill the obligation to go to Mass. This is not my opinion, or the opinion of any other person. It is the pronouncement of the Church.**

I am sure you do not mean to sound pharisaical but that is hiow you come across

And you are who?

**
This is extremely rude!

Regardless of your feelings, what the Church tells us is correct. Your feelings in this matter are not correct.

To believe that the sacraments would not be valid because the priest is in a state of mortal sin is a heresy!
**

 

[lisahiku]

I work 12 hour days, 6 days a week. Sunday is the only day I have off AND the only day I could potentially sleep in. I get so tired at Mass that I even fell asleep WHILE PLAYING PIANO with the music team.

I still go.

If you fell asleep while playing the piano, I sure hope you were NOT driving to or from mass!
You could cause a potential accident to yourself and others if you are that exhausted!

 

[BigFellaMick]

@hopemercy

Ireland has really felt the scandal moreso than the united states and many parts of europe, I certainly won’t deny that. But look at things from a different perspective. Ireland has ALWAYS been known as a devout Catholic country. It was the only place His Holiness was said to have wanted to flee to during world war 2 should he be in any danger from the nazi’s or their allies. Satan has done a number on the Catholic Church. Why? Because the Catholic Church is the One True Church created by Christ Himself. You know this yourself or you wouldn’t be a part of it, so I’m not trying to sound like I’m lecturing you. But as someone who is hoping very much to move to Ireland (I’m of Irish descent but live in america at the moment), I must say it pains me (though I fully understand) to see such distrust amongst the faithful. It’s hard enough when you have an oppressive government turning Ireland into a borderline police state with the attack on religion over the scandal. Satan has won countless souls with people who were hurt by this scandal and instead of turning to God to seek healing they simply walk away from the Church or flat out lose faith in God altogether. I think everyone in the Vatican admits it now that they had no idea the scandal was as widespread as it was, and Lord knows they weren’t prepared for it. But take comfort in the fact that the Church itself is infallible, Christ Himself promised us that the gates of hell would NEVER prevail against the Catholic Church. Ireland needs time to heal from the horrors that have happened to many undeserving and innocent children, but please do not let this get in the way from you trusting Priests. I am a staunch believer that europes success as being Catholic will be because of Ireland. Ireland was a beacon of faith long ago and I trust in my people to find the strength to carry the will of Christ through this darkness. Get to know your Priest if you are that worried. Speak with them, voice your concerns. Just remember what Priests give up and sacrifice to serve all of us. They want what is best for us and I can just about guarantee that for every bad priest there is probably twenty or more good solid God-fearing Priests. I continue to pray for the healing of the world over this scandal but especially so in Ireland and I pray my people come back to the Church and continue this fight against all that is Holy in this world. Secularization and Islam are two predominantly urgent threats. God Bless!

 

[nickybr38]

If you fell asleep while playing the piano, I sure hope you were NOT driving to or from mass!
You could cause a potential accident to yourself and others if you are that exhausted!

No worries. I live just down the street. I walk to and from for this very reason.

 

[jmcrae]

If you have “enough” for a good confession EVERY saturday…how hard are you trying
to NOT sin?

Hard enough to be fully aware and fully conscious of it, when I sin.

 

[lisahiku]

Again how hard are you trying? I think people (myself included) commit the same sins over and over because we can always confess them. We are supposed to go and sin no more.

But I know we all falter. But maybe we need to examine how strong are EFFORTS are.