Left Mass Early

  • Thread starter Thread starter CuriousInIL
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
C

CuriousInIL

Guest
Yesterday (Sunday), I left mass for no good reason just as the Eucharist was being distributed. Did I meet my Sunday obligation? I have not done this in the past nor do I intend to do this in the future; right now I am just trying to judge if I met my obligation or not.
 
40.png
CuriousInIL:
Yesterday (Sunday), I left mass for no good reason just as the Eucharist was being distributed. Did I meet my Sunday obligation? I have not done this in the past nor do I intend to do this in the future; right now I am just trying to judge if I met my obligation or not.
Click to expand...
I’m sure someone more knowledgeable than I am will come up with the correct answer but if you arrive late through no fault of your own it is not a sin but if its for no good reason it is a sin. I would think the same would apply if you leave early.
 
40.png
thistle:
I’m sure someone more knowledgeable than I am will come up with the correct answer but if you arrive late through no fault of your own it is not a sin but if its for no good reason it is a sin. I would think the same would apply if you leave early.
Click to expand...
Do you have anything to support this? I have always been told that if you arrive prior to the Gospel, no matter the reason, the Sunday obligation is fulfilled.

And, by the way, while there has been LOTS written on that point (being late and how late is too late), I can’t find anything the least bit authoritative on leaving early.
 
40.png
CuriousInIL:
Do you have anything to support this? I have always been told that if you arrive prior to the Gospel, no matter the reason, the Sunday obligation is fulfilled.

And, by the way, while there has been LOTS written on that point (being late and how late is too late), I can’t find anything the least bit authoritative on leaving early.
Click to expand...
If you have the CCC its number 2178 which you can look up but I’ll quote an extract from it:

"Tradition preserves the memory of an ever-timely exhortation: Come to Church early, approach the Lord and confess your sins, repent in prayer…Be present at the sacred and divine liturgy, conclude its prayer and do not leave before the dismissal…
 
I never allowed my teenagers to leave before the final blessing. I told them that Judas was the only one among the Apostles to do that, did they want to model their behaviour on his?

I would suggest going to Confession, you’ll feel better about it if you do.
 
40.png
CuriousInIL:
Do you have anything to support this? I have always been told that if you arrive prior to the Gospel, no matter the reason, the Sunday obligation is fulfilled.
Click to expand...
The “if you miss the Gospel, you miss Mass” rule was never really a rule; although, a lot of people seemed to have learned it in school shortly before Vatican II.

The 1917 Code of Canon Law said that you needed to be present for the Offertory, Consecration, and Communion (referring to the Communion verse that’s read after Holy Communion).

The new Code of Canon is not so legalistic. The idea is that you need to go to Mass. If you truly can’t make it on time or truly need to leave early, then you have an excuse. If you just don’t feel like showing up on time, that is not right. If you just feel like walking out early, that’s not right. We need to be honest with ourselves if we come late or leave early.
 
I was always taught it was proper to wait until the priest had finished processing out. It’s just rude to leave beforehand. A handful of people in our parish do it and I just can’t see why they can’t hang around for the last song. Often they leave when the song is starting. I was pretty astounded visiting a church in Australia the other week though when a good third of the congregation charged out as the priest was getting ready to leave the sanctuary. I’ve always thought it’s just not on.
 
It used to be that you had to be present for the Offeratory through to Communion. Now, you are supposed to be present from the reading of the Gospel through to communion.

BUT I think it is just plain rude to come in late or to leave early. We should be to mass early to have a litle time to pray BEFORE mass begins and we should not leave until the priest exits first. I associate it with going to your parents for dinner, we should show up on time and we should not leave until after dinner.

I usually usher so I am almost always early anywhere from 15 minutes to a half hour before mass. And I usually leave after almost the entire congregation.

BUT I have had to be elsewhere on a few occasions and in those rare instances I stay at least until the final blessing, and on a even more rare occasion , IF I am in a real hurry and timing is very tight, I will at least stay until the end of Communion (I think this has only happened once or twice in the last 5 years).

We only have to be at mass once a week, the very least we can do, is to be on time and to stay for the entire event. Anything else is bush league.

IF you love God as you claim you do, why would you not want to come a few minutes early or stay for the entire mass. We should want to be with God as we want to be with our parents. To be late for dinner or to eat and run is unworthy of a true son or daughter that really loves their parents.

Whether it’s a sin or not should not be the driving force. God loves you whether you’re late or not, and whether you feel you have to leave early or not. That you showed up at all is a sign that you care. Coming early or leaving later, shows just how much you care.

wc
 
Eileen T:
I never allowed my teenagers to leave before the final blessing. I told them that Judas was the only one among the Apostles to do that, did they want to model their behaviour on his?

I would suggest going to Confession, you’ll feel better about it if you do.
Click to expand...
I love that analogy, if folks thought more about this no one would leave mass early.
 
This reminds me of some things an old Irish priest used to say about coming in late and leaving early.

He would tell people that Jesus asked the disciples to stay awake for just one hour, not “just 52 -1/2 minutes.”

And, he would say that coming late and/or leaving early (without a very, very, good reason) was like telling God that you just couldn’t stand to spend one second more than you absolutely had to with His people, in His presence. “Now, do you really want t’ be sayin’ that t’ God?!”

🙂
 
Although this may sound very defensive, it is not meat as such, but rather as a clarification. I am typically arrive 10 minutes before mass and typically stay till the last note has been sung. This is a very unusual situation for me and I agree its not right, that it is rude, that it should not be done, etc. Nonetheless, this time I failed and left just as communion was being distributed (I was not in a position to receive) and had no good reason to leave. I have now confessed the underlying sins that caused me not to receive and am just trying to assess whether I also need to confess not fulfilling Sunday obligation because of my early exit (I did not do so yet).
 
40.png
CuriousInIL:
I have now confessed the underlying sins that caused me not to receive and am just trying to assess whether I also need to confess not fulfilling Sunday obligation because of my early exit (I did not do so yet).
Click to expand...
It is preying on your mind or you wouldn’t have posted this. Go and ask your priest, or just go to Confession. That will solve the problem, for you at least.
 
I don’t recommend leaving early, but I think you could say that you had been to Mass. The Eucharistic Ministers who are taking Communion to the home bound always leave Mass right after they have received Communion to do this. If it was wrong, these people would be guilty of not hearing the whole Mass. If that was the case, the Church would not have it set up like that.
 
40.png
Listener:
I don’t recommend leaving early, but I think you could say that you had been to Mass. The Eucharistic Ministers who are taking Communion to the home bound always leave Mass right after they have received Communion to do this. If it was wrong, these people would be guilty of not hearing the whole Mass. If that was the case, the Church would not have it set up like that.
Click to expand...
These Eucharistic Ministers have a good reason for leaving early and that is to minister to the homebound. The thread is about people who leave early without good reason.
As I mentioned in an earlier post CCC 2178 says “do not leave before the dismissal”. The Catechism is clear.

As someone in another thread put it “the priest should be the last one into the church and the first one out”.
 
40.png
mumto5:
I was always taught it was proper to wait until the priest had finished processing out. It’s just rude to leave beforehand. A handful of people in our parish do it and I just can’t see why they can’t hang around for the last song. Often they leave when the song is starting. I was pretty astounded visiting a church in Australia the other week though when a good third of the congregation charged out as the priest was getting ready to leave the sanctuary. I’ve always thought it’s just not on.
Click to expand...
Hi mumto5, I am from Australia and I have to say I am appalled at people leaving before the priest. I have a tendancy to wait until the very last song is finished. 👍

I read on EWTN Father Levis actually said that it is a sin to leave or arrive to mass late with no good reason.
 
40.png
CuriousInIL:
Although this may sound very defensive, it is not meat as such, but rather as a clarification. I am typically arrive 10 minutes before mass and typically stay till the last note has been sung. This is a very unusual situation for me and I agree its not right, that it is rude, that it should not be done, etc. Nonetheless, this time I failed and left just as communion was being distributed (I was not in a position to receive) and had no good reason to leave. I have now confessed the underlying sins that caused me not to receive and am just trying to assess whether I also need to confess not fulfilling Sunday obligation because of my early exit (I did not do so yet).
Click to expand...
I would not (confess leaving early) unless you still feel guilty about it. IF it is a sin, it is fairly minor one. Officially if you were there from the Gospel until Communion, you fulfilled your obligation.
 
If you arrived before the Offertory and left after the priest received Holy Communion, you heard Mass and fulfilled your Sunday Obligation.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top