Is this a valid reason to not go to mass?

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child_of_God85

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The city that I live in has had quite a few cases of swine flue (or whatever their calling it now) come up. I have multiple health problems, including a heart condition, and I have a very weak immune system, I’m always the first one in the family to come down with a cold or flue. My mom is worried about me coming down with swine flue during Sunday Mass, so she wants us to go to mass during the wee instead when there are only about a handful of people there. Would this be forgivable do you think?
We’re pretty much avoiding any social activity on the weekends, just doing movies or whatever during the week when people are at work or school.
 
If you have serious health problems that might make you at risk for swine flu, it might be prudent to curtail all activities that put you in crowds, whether it be going to Mass OR the movies, pro tem.

But if you go to the movies, you can go to Sunday mass.
 
Cluny said:
If you have serious health problems that might make you at risk for swine flu, it might be prudent to curtail all activities that put you in crowds, whether it be going to Mass OR the movies, pro tem.

But if you go to the movies, you can go to Sunday mass.
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I said we go to movies and mass during the week when there are no crowds. Last time we saw a movie was tuesday, we were literally the only people in the theater. Last time we went to mass was last night and there were maybe 10 people there. we’re planning on staying home this weekend.
I didn’t say we were seeing movies instead, so please read my enitre post.
 
child_of_God85 said:
I didn’t say we were seeing movies instead, so please read my enitre post.
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I never said you did.

But the people at a movie, regardless of the size of the audience, will be just as random for swine flu as at a daily mass.
 
child_of_God85 said:
The city that I live in has had quite a few cases of swine flue (or whatever their calling it now) come up. I have multiple health problems, including a heart condition, and I have a very weak immune system, I’m always the first one in the family to come down with a cold or flue. My mom is worried about me coming down with swine flue during Sunday Mass, so she wants us to go to mass during the wee instead when there are only about a handful of people there. Would this be forgivable do you think?
We’re pretty much avoiding any social activity on the weekends, just doing movies or whatever during the week when people are at work or school.
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I think you need to talk to a priest about this…you can pick up germs anywhere, and so it might not make any difference…if you are attending school you are just as liable to pick up a bug there as you are at church

What any of us has to say about this doesn’t really count, it is what you are told by your priest that you should be concerned with…He will give you the best answer
 
child_of_God85 said:
The city that I live in has had quite a few cases of swine flue (or whatever their calling it now) come up. I have multiple health problems, including a heart condition, and I have a very weak immune system, I’m always the first one in the family to come down with a cold or flue. My mom is worried about me coming down with swine flue during Sunday Mass, so she wants us to go to mass during the week instead when there are only about a handful of people there. Would this be forgivable do you think?
We’re pretty much avoiding any social activity on the weekends, just doing movies or whatever during the week when people are at work or school.
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You tell your mother that it would be your pleasure to get the porkchop flu in the service of Christ. You could up the ante to something like… I would gladly have a piano fall out of the sky and land on my head if it gives glory to God and helps souls enter into the Beatific Vision.

The phrase “Beatific Vision” is the kicker. It would probably throw dear old mom for a loop. You do need to be sensitive to your mom, but I think this is a clear example of hysterius americanus domesticus caused by too much 6-o’clock news.

If that doesn’t work… Get an exorcist to the house pronto.

Theologically speaking Sunday is the 1st and 8th day of the week in the Divine Economy. You see, time has basically come to a completion with Christ’s resurrection. Sunday exists outside of time, but operates within it. Days during the week have a distinct and different purpose. That’s how God created it. For example: Wednesday anticipates how we betray Christ. Friday is the day we jab nails into Him on the Cross.

Nope. You gotta’ go to Mass on Sunday as be there for Creation and the Resurrection
 
Jimzz12 said:
You tell your mother that it would be your pleasure to get the porkchop flu in the service of Christ. You could up the ante to something like… I would gladly have a piano fall out of the sky and land on my head if it gives glory to God and helps souls enter into the Beatific Vision.

The phrase “Beatific Vision” is the kicker. It would probably throw dear old mom for a loop. You do need to be sensitive to your mom, but I think this is a clear example of hysterius americanus domesticus caused by too much 6-o’clock news.

If that doesn’t work… Get an exorcist to the house pronto.

Theologically speaking Sunday is the 1st and 8th day of the week in the Divine Economy. You see, time has basically come to a completion with Christ’s resurrection. Sunday exists outside of time, but operates within it. Days during the week have a distinct and different purpose. That’s how God created it. For example: Wednesday anticipates how we betray Christ. Friday is the day we jab nails into Him on the Cross.

Nope. You gotta’ go to Mass on Sunday as be there for Creation and the Resurrection
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In cases like this, the Sunday obligation can be excusable. Those with serious health problems and the elderly are not required to go to Mass if it will be a risk to their lives.

The swine flu is a pandemic and some Catholic churches in Mexico even closed down for Sunday Masses as a precautionary step. God doesn’t want unnecessary “martyrs”.
Catechism of the Catholic Church
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**2181 **The Sunday Eucharist is the foundation and confirmation of all Christian practice. For this reason the faithful are obliged to participate in the Eucharist on days of obligation, unless excused for a serious reason (for example, illness, the care of infants) or dispensed by their own pastor.
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Could you tell us which city you live in (or near)? It would help in the assessment.

Our CDC has been very quick and efficiently responding to new cases. There really isn’t much need to worry. When cases are found, the individual is quarantined, and whichever buildings he frequents are either forced to shut down (if public) or told about the prudent nature of closing down (if private).

I wouldn’t start worrying until your parish priest says “Our parish will be closed for the next few weeks. Please attend down the street”.

Again, this is based on extremely little knowledge about your specific situation and only concerns the relative risk.
 
The Y2K Flu is more hysteria than it is pandemic at this point. Unless you are Mexican or live in Mexico, or if you are between 20 and 39, I would not worry about catching this stuff, as these are the only people outside Mexico that are getting it.
 
Appleby said:
The Y2K Flu is more hysteria than it is pandemic at this point. Unless you are Mexican or live in Mexico, or if you are between 20 and 39, I would not worry about catching this stuff, as these are the only people outside Mexico that are getting it.
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That isn’t reason enough in of itself to not worry.

H1N1 (AKA Swine Flu) doesn’t target the young to middle aged. Anyone is susceptible to it. The difference between H1N1 and other strains we’re familiar with is that young adults seem to not have any special or extra immunity to the virus compared to the extremely young or the elderly.

But I do agree, some hysteria about this has gone a bit overboard in some places, especially in locales that haven’t even yet seen a confirmed case!
 
Jimzz12 said:
You tell your mother that it would be your pleasure to get the porkchop flu in the service of Christ. You could up the ante to something like… I would gladly have a piano fall out of the sky and land on my head if it gives glory to God and helps souls enter into the Beatific Vision.

The phrase “Beatific Vision” is the kicker. It would probably throw dear old mom for a loop. You do need to be sensitive to your mom, but I think this is a clear example of hysterius americanus domesticus caused by too much 6-o’clock news.

If that doesn’t work… Get an exorcist to the house pronto.

Theologically speaking Sunday is the 1st and 8th day of the week in the Divine Economy. You see, time has basically come to a completion with Christ’s resurrection. Sunday exists outside of time, but operates within it. Days during the week have a distinct and different purpose. That’s how God created it. For example: Wednesday anticipates how we betray Christ. Friday is the day we jab nails into Him on the Cross.

Nope. You gotta’ go to Mass on Sunday as be there for Creation and the Resurrection
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First of all, please do not refer to my mother, who is one of the most religious women I know, as “Dear Old Mom”, it’s not funny, just rude.
I don’t see why God would be asking me to risk getting sick and dying for nothing.
I had the flue three weeks ago, just your common 24 hour flue, but with me it was much more sever. I lost 5 pounds in 7 hours and I was very dehydrated. My doctor was very close to plopping me in a hospital because my pulse and blood pressure were both too low. I’m young (24 years old), but my health is not good.

I live in Corpus Christi Tx. My diocese is one of the biggest in town, every weekend no matter what time the mass is it’s packed, which is usually a good thing. But given the fact that my mom and I are trying to avoid crowds, not such a good thing at the moment. The Bishop was on the radio yesterday telling people not to recieve communion on the tongue, not to hold hands, and if your at all sick do not come to mass.
The main high school in town was closed until further notice as well.
Unfortunately we live fairly close to the border.
 
child_of_God85 said:
First of all, please do not refer to my mother, who is one of the most religious women I know, as “Dear Old Mom”, it’s not funny, just rude.
I don’t see why God would be asking me to risk getting sick and dying for nothing.
I had the flue three weeks ago, just your common 24 hour flue, but with me it was much more sever. I lost 5 pounds in 7 hours and I was very dehydrated. My doctor was very close to plopping me in a hospital because my pulse and blood pressure were both too low. I’m young (24 years old), but my health is not good.

I live in Corpus Christi Tx. My diocese is one of the biggest in town, every weekend no matter what time the mass is it’s packed, which is usually a good thing. But given the fact that my mom and I are trying to avoid crowds, not such a good thing at the moment. The Bishop was on the radio yesterday telling people not to recieve communion on the tongue, not to hold hands, and if your at all sick do not come to mass.
The main high school in town was closed until further notice as well.
Unfortunately we live fairly close to the border.
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I still think you should speak to your priest…He might be able to help you devise a plan for a short time till this is gone

There is always mass on Tv, but you don’t get much of a homily at a week day mass, and that is a major part of our worship

We are just lay people, and our advice is really only our opinions…Fr’s carries weight, because he wants to help you get to heaven …He is our Good Shepherd
 
I can remember missing mass a couple times because I was sick, but I have never once come home from mass sick.
 
I have a few times, mostly when parents insist on taking their children that are caughing and hacking on everyone.
 
child_of_God85 said:
The city that I live in has had quite a few cases of swine flue (or whatever their calling it now) come up. I have multiple health problems, including a heart condition, and I have a very weak immune system, I’m always the first one in the family to come down with a cold or flue. My mom is worried about me coming down with swine flue during Sunday Mass, so she wants us to go to mass during the wee instead when there are only about a handful of people there. Would this be forgivable do you think?
We’re pretty much avoiding any social activity on the weekends, just doing movies or whatever during the week when people are at work or school.
Click to expand...
If you call your parish office and/or speak to the priest, maybe they would allow a Eucharistic Minister to bring communion to your at your house. It’s better than not receiving at all.
 
Since your concerned about this, you should speak to your personal physician about this.

The swine flu panic right now has spread harder and farther than the actual bug- I think its awfully premature for people to start cloistering themselves preemptively to prevent infection.

Your ordinary hand washing and other protocols should be sufficient- but contact your doctor about what you should do.

Actually, those with young, healthy immune systems are more likely to get a severe or deadly reaction to this infection. It seems counterintuitive- but its what’s know as the *cytokine storm, *which is what caused the extreme high death tolls in the 1918 Spanish flu.
 
I asked this question on the Ask the Apologist board:
forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=334784

I live in the Fort Worth Texas area that has 5 confirmed case and 15 probable cases. The entire school district (80,000 students) is closed since Thurday and will not open for one week (May 11). I have 3 and 6 year old children that I don’t want subjected to this. My oldest is an asthmatic. My family is staying home today and we are cutting out all public activities unless this is passed - even playdates for our children.

I will confess this at my next confession but do not believe to be mortal sin and thus will partake of communion if I attend prior to confession (offered only on Wednesdays in my parish) when i attend my usally low attendance tuesday mass (usually less than 50 people as oppsoed to the 8,000 total attending on weekends).
 
Thanks so much for the link. I’m going to confess it this week as well, but I also don’t think it’s a mortal sin to miss because of this.
I don’t think I could have gone anyways today. I’ve been feeling sick to my stomach most of the day.
 
Priests can give dispensations for this. Just talk to one.

I assumed you meant watching movies at home, not the theater. But in any case, the theater is just as bad if not worse for getting germs.

You could go to an early mass and sit in the back… and ask God to protect you from illness 😃
 
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