Leaving mass early

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lllj

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Hi all,

I always stay until the very end of mass. However, today I was kind of in a rush. I haven’t been to confession in a bit, so I wasn’t receiving communion anyway. I left right when the communion procession started.

Is this a mortal sin? Did I fulfill my Sunday obligation?
 
I can’t find a definite teaching on this.

Hopefully someone can.

The mass properly ends with the dismissal.

How soon are you leaving?

Some prayer time during and after the transubstantiation would seem appropriate.
 
lllj said:
Hi all,

I always stay until the very end of mass. However, today I was kind of in a rush. I haven’t been to confession in a bit, so I wasn’t receiving communion anyway. I left right when the communion procession started.

Is this a mortal sin? Did I fulfill my Sunday obligation?
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I believe that your Sunday obligation was not fulfilled, that you ought to bring this to your confessor before you receive Communion again, and that you ought to stop and reflect on how offensive to Christ and the company of the saints it is to attend Holy Mass with such an improper disposition - first, in a rush, and second, ignoring Christ’s gift of Himself by disregarding the Sacrament of Reconciliation and reception of the Holy Eucharist.

Please, do discuss this with your confessor soon, because you are in a very difficult situation though you may be unaware of it.
 
R_C said:
I believe that your Sunday obligation was not fulfilled, that you ought to bring this to your confessor before you receive Communion again, and that you ought to stop and reflect on how offensive to Christ and the company of the saints it is to attend Holy Mass with such an improper disposition - first, in a rush, and second, ignoring Christ’s gift of Himself by disregarding the Sacrament of Reconciliation and reception of the Holy Eucharist.

Please, do discuss this with your confessor soon, because you are in a very difficult situation though you may be unaware of it.
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What makes you think it is any fault of his/hers that he/she hasn’t been to confession? I know there are times when I’ve wanted to go and even gone to the church but the priest has been unavailable because of a funeral or sick visit or whatever. Not to mention there are people who live a long way from their nearest church and so it’s not so easy to just ‘pop around’ with gas being so expensive.
 
lllj said:
Hi all,

I always stay until the very end of mass. However, today I was kind of in a rush. I haven’t been to confession in a bit, so I wasn’t receiving communion anyway. I left right when the communion procession started.

Is this a mortal sin? Did I fulfill my Sunday obligation?
Click to expand...
I suspect that your obligation was not fulfilled. I base this on a simple fact. The Church says we must go to Mass on Sunday. It does not say we must go to part of a Mass. To me this infers that you must go to the entire Mass. It is appropriate to make the time to go to Mass and not have arrangements that make us miss the entire Mass or part of it.

Discuss this with your confessor. If he says there is nothing wrong in what you did then you do not need to confess it. If your confessor says your actions were sinful you can confess and receive absolution.
 
The usual way here is that people can move around and / or leave when 1) the Dismissal has taken place and 2) the Priest/s leave our line of sight. To explain, as he/they process out, once he/they are past one’s line of sight with one’s head turned forward towards the altar where the transubstantiation has just taken place…then we can move or leave.

Obviously if it were an emergency, that could be an exception. I have seen parents with young children who are desperate for the bathroom quietly take them out the side door. No-one would want them to have a distressing accident!

But I would say, in general, it is a undesirable to be either late or to leave early, not to say disrespectful unless you have an emergency which needs you to leave ASAP.

The examination of conscience list I was given in RCIA covers this in examining observance of the 3rd Commandment.

A word with your priest would put your mind at rest one way or another.

Third Commandment:
Keep holy the Lord’s Day
  1. Have I missed Mass on Sundays or Holy Days through my own fault?
  2. Have I been late for Mass through my own negligence?
  3. Do I realize it is a venial sin to miss any part of the Mass?
  4. Do I realize being really late for Mass is a mortal sin and my only alternative is to wait and go to another Mass?
  5. Have I been inattentive at Mass or otherwise failed in reverence for the Most Blessed Sacrament?
  6. Have I done unnecessary servile work (physical labour) or shopping on Sunday?
  7. Have I eaten flesh meat on Friday (especially on Good Friday) or on Ash Wednesday or the assigned vigil fast days?
  8. Have I obeyed the laws of the Church on fast and abstinence?
 
I agree with R C’s answer.

The entire purpose of mass is the banquet: the Eucharist. If you’re not in a state of grace, what are you up to here? Leaving Mass before the Eucharist is given out is like the parable Jesus told us of the rich man who invited many guests to a wedding and they were all too busy or preoccupied to attend. He was quite angry at this and sent his servants out to find the least worthy and bring them into the feast. In one version of this parable, a member invited off the street is not dressed properly and the master of the house has him taken out by his servants and punished. You’re not dressed properly: you’re not there for any reason but fear of not attending Mass because it’s a “sin” yet you’re already “sinning” because you can’t receive the Eucharist. Time is short. Talk to your priest. Re-evaluate your relationship with Jesus. Spend as much time as you can in front of the Blessed Sacrament, whether in Adoration or in the tabernacle. You’ve got a problem.
 
Hmm, I read Michelle Arnold’s answer and agree with it mostly. Growing up in the 40’s and 50’s, my understanding then was that one had to be at Mass for the readings and “sermon”, offertory, consecration, communion in order to have fulfilled ones Sunday obligation. She is probably right that it was the offertory. Now we typically stay until the last note of the last hymn!

On the other hand, I think there are some circumstances when one does not sin by leaving early I did so last week, but it was because my husband had a spell of vertigo before Mass and was in no condition to go. I took his blood pressure and checked his pupils and it seemed to be a condition we are familiar with, but at our age, who knows.

I went alone, but wanted to get home as soon as possible, so I left after receiving. The OP may have had a valid reason for his rush - let’s not be too quick to be critical. If it was a reasonably avoidable rush, try to do better next time.
 
Ohana said:
The OP may have had a valid reason for his rush - let’s not be too quick to be critical. If it was a reasonably avoidable rush, try to do better next time.
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That’s what I wonder. It doesn’t sound like the OP makes this a habit and that he had a special reason for this week. Personally, I think we should do whatever we can to make ourselves available for an hour for God, but sometimes even our best laid plans don’t pan out. I would say that if the reason would be a good enough reason for missing Mass altogether, (ie. sick family member at home, treacherous weather, etc) Then it could also be a fair reason for leaving early.
 
lllj said:
Hi all,

I always stay until the very end of mass. However, today I was kind of in a rush. I haven’t been to confession in a bit, so I wasn’t receiving communion anyway. I left right when the communion procession started.

Is this a mortal sin? Did I fulfill my Sunday obligation?
Click to expand...
The only correct bit of advice given here is to talk with your confessor about this. People have no business passing judgment on this–all of the circumstances are unknown to them, and you did not need a lecture, as you may have had a legitimate reason for leaving early that you did not choose to relate, and they are not in possession of the knowledge they need to judge your spiritual state.

Questions about your spiritual state should be addressed to your priest, not on CAF forums. You may receive a wrong answer from some people that may have serious consequences for you spiritually.
 
Ohana said:
I went alone, but wanted to get home as soon as possible, so I left after receiving. The OP may have had a valid reason for his rush - let’s not be too quick to be critical. If it was a reasonably avoidable rush, try to do better next time.
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I typically leave the pew (because of the communion congestion) and stand closer to the door. I notice, however, that about a third leave right after they’ve received communion. Personally I don’t understand why they want to leave before receiving God’s blessing.
 
CB_Catholic said:
The only correct bit of advice given here is to talk with your confessor about this. People have no business passing judgment on this–all of the circumstances are unknown to them, and you did not need a lecture, as you may have had a legitimate reason for leaving early that you did not choose to relate, and they are not in possession of the knowledge they need to judge your spiritual state.

Questions about your spiritual state should be addressed to your priest, not on CAF forums. You may receive a wrong answer from some people that may have serious consequences for you spiritually./QUOTE

This is good advice.
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lllj said:
Hi all,

I always stay until the very end of mass. However, today I was kind of in a rush. I haven’t been to confession in a bit, so I wasn’t receiving communion anyway. I left right when the communion procession started.

Is this a mortal sin? Did I fulfill my Sunday obligation?
Click to expand...
While every effort should be made to attend the full Mass, the Church has not documented anywhere that the entire Mass attendance is required to fulfill the obligation.
Your obligation is fulfilled by attending Mass even if you are in after the priest or out before the priest. No sin has been committed and those posters who say the opposite have not shown any Church document to back up their claims.
The Church simply says you must participate in Mass. It does not not say you commit a sin by arriving late or leaving early. Assuming no valid reason for arriving late or leaving early it would be disrespectful but the Church does not say you have not fulfilled your obligation.
Talk to your priest.
 
Here’s a different scenario to leavin early, my son who is severely disabled and has extreme hyperactivity disorder and behaviour disorder and he gets to screaming in a high pitch voice when nervous. He is also fearful of crowd and he stays till the blessing at the end of mass.i cannot tell you the feeling of nervousness i get when i take him,every minute seems like hours i try not to feel like this as i feel disrespectful to our lord in his house, yet i never leave,perhaps you need to pray for patience and forgiveness
 
Thanks all for your answers.
ellzeena said:
The entire purpose of mass is the banquet: the Eucharist. If you’re not in a state of grace, what are you up to here? Leaving Mass before the Eucharist is given out is like the parable Jesus told us of the rich man who invited many guests to a wedding and they were all too busy or preoccupied to attend. He was quite angry at this and sent his servants out to find the least worthy and bring them into the feast. In one version of this parable, a member invited off the street is not dressed properly and the master of the house has him taken out by his servants and punished. You’re not dressed properly: you’re not there for any reason but fear of not attending Mass because it’s a “sin” yet you’re already “sinning” because you can’t receive the Eucharist. Time is short. Talk to your priest. Re-evaluate your relationship with Jesus. Spend as much time as you can in front of the Blessed Sacrament, whether in Adoration or in the tabernacle. You’ve got a problem.
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I’m sorry, but I was somewhat offended by this. “You’re not there for any reason but fear of not attending Mass because it’s a ‘sin.’” What? That’s actually not the case at all… I attend Mass because it helps me feel closer to God, reflect upon my religion, and develop my faith.
 
ellzeena said:
I agree with R C’s answer.

The entire purpose of mass is the banquet: the Eucharist. If you’re not in a state of grace, what are you up to here? Leaving Mass before the Eucharist is given out is like the parable Jesus told us of the rich man who invited many guests to a wedding and they were all too busy or preoccupied to attend. He was quite angry at this and sent his servants out to find the least worthy and bring them into the feast. In one version of this parable, a member invited off the street is not dressed properly and the master of the house has him taken out by his servants and punished. You’re not dressed properly: you’re not there for any reason but fear of not attending Mass because it’s a “sin” yet you’re already “sinning” because you can’t receive the Eucharist. Time is short. Talk to your priest. Re-evaluate your relationship with Jesus. Spend as much time as you can in front of the Blessed Sacrament, whether in Adoration or in the tabernacle. You’ve got a problem.
Click to expand...
That’s very uncharitable. You should apologise to the OP.
 
Although I never have before, I’ve noticed that scores of people leave immediately after receiving communion, without even returning to the pews to kneel down. I guess my reasoning was, if that’s okay, it should be fine for me to leave right before communion, since I’m not receiving.

This was a one time thing, not a habit by any means. However, it also was not any kind of emergency that caused me to absolutely need to leave early.
 
I don’t see where you get the idea leaving early is fulfillment of the required Mass. Unless there is just reason, one should not leave Mass until it ends. I leave when the Father leaves sight of the attendance.

If I leave earlier which I have, I feel uncomfortable in my mind.

I think the fact one cannot receive communion and thus is leaving is very telling in the spiritual struggle though.

Call me crazy, but I do see it this way. Pretty soon you will perhaps be sitting in back close to the door? Then possibly not attending at all?

I don’t know, its the line drawing game. I’m not good at it so I go with the lines drawn by Christs Church. I find within them is the path to Salvation.
 
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