Leaving Mass early - I had a reason

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I have never left Mass early before to my knowledge. It was after Communion and we had been kneeling while the priest finished his altar duties and then he went to his seat. It was announcement time then but it wasn’t just announcements. We were asked to sit down and listen to something about parish council (I think) members and then a blessing for them and the new ones. I had been signed up for a dance workshop beginning at 12 and it was then, 11:25 -ish. My mom and I left then so as not to be late. We wouldn’t have left if it was just basic announcements and the blessing.
I feel bad about it but my examination of conscience said it’s a venial sin when done without sufficient reason. I don’t know if my reason was sufficient? I’m a tad worried… I know it’s venial according to the examination but apparently some people think it’s mortal from what I’ve read.
 
Examine your heart . . . were you anxious to leave? Happy to be “out of there?” Sorry to offend Our Lord with early departure?

The Mass WAS over, so you did not miss your obligation. Did your mom drive and you had no choice?

I don’t see a problem unless it was due to impatience at having to stay too long, using the dance workshop as an excuse to leave. Maybe it was simply an imperfection, due to your prior obligation, but I doubt it was a sin. I have noticed working folks leave early from morning mass when the homily was too long, etc., beyond their control.

You know your own heart and if you determined that you deliberately offended God with a poor attitude, tell Him you’re sorry and forget it.
 
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Has your mom and your priest worked in helping form your conscience?
 
I was really worried that I was offending God and doing something wrong but my mom got her stuff and we left. I don’t think it was impatience, it was seriously an obligation and I had been signed up. I wasn’t upset that there was more announcements/information done by someone else but we definitely would have stayed if that wasn’t happening.
I didn’t want to leave but I knew we probably had to because we didn’t know how long the whole council thing would take. On the other hand, if we didn’t have the workshop, we would have sat through the extra stuff without any complaint.
 
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My mom’s helping me… I do know I suffer with scruples but I didn’t know if that’s what this was… my mom doesn’t seem worried about it because we don’t do it often if ever and I had the workshop starting at 12.
 
Clearly, no sin whatsoever. I’m happy to see that you would have stayed, otherwise.
Be at peace, and trust in God’s love for you.
 
As a minor who suffers from scruples, you should not really be on the forums. Scrupulocity is not helped by strangers on the internet.
 
Isn’t it a blessing to have others help to put your mind at rest and help you develop better discernment? Some day, the advice we share will come back to the person’s mind and there will be no further need to scruple. St. Therese of the Child Jesus once suffered from this, but look what she became! I see it as an act of spiritual mercy in some instances.
Hoosier-Daddy said:
Scrupulocity is not helped by strangers on the internet.
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Sirach2 said:
Isn’t it a blessing to have others help to put your mind at rest and help you develop better discernment?
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When a person suffers from scruples, it is not better for them to come and post online. Relying on strangers to give you answers doesn’t lead to better discernment, it leads to a cycle where the person never manages to seek offline help or work through their anxiety. It is the advice of several Priests who post here, as well as CAF themselves, that a scrupulous person should not post here but seek offline help with those better placed to help them.

OP, I hope you’re getting offline help for your scruples. Focus on that help and don’t come online if you’re worried. It won’t help you.
 
I’m not sure how familiar you are with scruples but online forums would be one of the worst places to handle it. We are not professionals and can’t even really agree on theological matters. It would be the duty of the parent and then the priest or spiritual advisory to help the person with this very delicate problem. You don’t have the authority or knowledge to handle it. Neither do I.
 
Thank you. How is a member to know who is scrupulous and who is simply asking a question? Unless, the person frequently is troubled and posts questions often? Someone new to posting like myself, would not have any familiarity with such members yet.
 
Yes, very true. Which is why it is such a problem on the boards. However, here, the OP mentions it.
Scrupulosity is very much like OCD in that it impedes logical thought. So, if you can see a real disconnect in logic there may be more at play than just a question. In the above post, none of the 3 qualifications for sin were close to being met. There was no grave matter, there was no knowledge, and no consent of will. Logically it follows that there is no sin. But even we on the boards should shy away from deciding for others what is a sin and what isn’t. Occasionally we can answer that but a well formed conscience is the primary decider. And it is not our ability to form it well. ESPECIALLY with minor posters.
 
Generally, you can tell by a poster’s tone whether they are just curious or if the question is personal to them. If I’m not sure, I tend to ask and give advice telling them to speak to a Priest, and if they are a minor, their parents.
 
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