MERGED: Missed Mass/Because of work

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agnosticcathgf

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Hello,

I was wondering if someone would be able to help me (and point out whether I am being scrupulous about this but I don’t think I am).

Unfortunately I am going to be missing Mass today (Sunday). I had intended to go to evening Mass as it fitted into my schedule best (I had a class and had to go into work). Unfortunately I’m having to stay longer at work than I intended and will be missing Mass. I was just wondering whether I would have to go to Confession before I receive the Eucharist again? I have missed Mass before but it was a conscious decision to (I was just being lazy that day) and went to Confession; however, the circumstances this time are different and I had intended to go. I guess I feel guilty because I could have gone last night or this morning before my class and work but thought that going this evening would still be possible as it is the Mass I usually attend. I know I will be attending Mass during the week and would like to receive however the first opportunity I have to go to Confession isn’t until Saturday.

Thanks for your help!
 
If you could have, you should have. Yes, you will need to go to confession before you receive.
 
I work throughout the night, and get home around 8am. At the weekends, I have every other saturday off which means sunday morning is free. But the other saturdays, I work and that means that come sunday morning I am tired and just needing rest.
Is it wrong to want to miss mass, on the sunday I
I know you can go saturday evening mass as an alternative I believe. But sometimes, it’s inconvenient, fitting around with work commitments.

Is it possible to only attend mass, the sundays that I’m free. Or just in ill health, stay awake when I finish work and attend mass instead of going to sleep?
 
Watch out! I asked a similar question here and was judged harshly… by one guy, the rest were helpful 🙂

We’re supposed to do whatever we can to attend. If you can’t do the morning mass, do a later one, see if work will reschedule you and if all else fails… talk to your priest about it.

I ended up having to do the last option. I had rejiggered my schedule with work by half an hour so I could make it to mass at a parish nearby my “home” parish (which doesn’t have evening mass on Sunday)… after two weeks, my job went back on the agreement and I was stuck again. I asked my priest about it as I was VERY put out.

He told me that I was fine. So long as I am looking for another job, I’m not required to go nor am I required to attend on a weekday …though it is a very good idea. So… I attend mass during the week, sometimes more than once in a week.
 
To understand the complexities of Sin, I find it easier, sometimes, to view the action as “is it something that separates me from God” or “Is it something that makes ME want to separate myself from God (i.e. out of embarrassment)”

The action is considered grave in nature if it is the latter. With that being said, it would be mortal if the latter is committed intentionally, with full knowledge of its consequence, and with deliberate consent. (Only you and God can determine if the offense fulfills the last two of the requirements).

A venial sin would be qualify as “something that separates you from God” and by obvious reasoning a venial sin could ultimately become a mortal sin over time and within curtain circumstances.
 
I will think twice about trying to make the saturday mass, if I can’t make the sunday. Ideally I would love to arrange another contract, so I can attend all 4 of the month, rather the 2 at this time.
It also depends if I am willing to stay awake, after being up all night to make the sunday, despite exaustion. This also looks like some self-righteous attempt to become closer to God you know, able to ignore your bodys pain to give your worship to God, if that makes sense.
 
I was in a similar boat for about six months. What I did was go online and found an early Mass that was celebrated in a parish that was en route home from work. It wasn’t my own parish. That didn’t make any difference from the Sunday Mass obligation standpoint. It still “counted.”

Frequently, early morning Masses don’t have a lot of singing and the homily is pretty short. This Mass was about thirty-seven minutes, tops, and I was able to get home and get to bed.

You might want to catch a cat nap before you go in to work on Saturday evening. If you’re trying to stay up all day Saturday and then up all night, I can see where you’d be bone tired. You might want to go online to research other issues that shift workers have when it comes to getting enough sleep. Obviously, missing Mass is one of them, but not getting enough sleep is incredibly damaging to your health as well. And we’re required to take ordinary good care of our health (that includes basics such as sleep.)

I hope you can find a Mass that you can stop at en route home. Just be careful driving home.
 
It might be a worth noting that you can choose to devote either Saturday or Sunday to God (not just Sunday). In keeping with the fidelity of the commandments (keeping holy the Sabbath) I would try to find ways to devote the entire day to God through various actions, small things like reading catholic forums, catholic podcasts, holy see website or just a simple thought or prayer to God before preforming necessary daily choirs.
 
If at all possible, find a way to go to Mass every Sunday (or Saturday night) even if it’s inconvenient and not the Mass you’d prefer. Now, if you genuinely intend to go, and you find yourself so exhausted one week that you fear you’ll fall asleep going home, that’s one thing. But inconvenience does not remove your obligation to attend Mass.
 
Blood_Angel said:
I will think twice about trying to make the saturday mass, if I can’t make the sunday. Ideally I would love to arrange another contract, so I can attend all 4 of the month, rather the 2 at this time.
It also depends if I am willing to stay awake, after being up all night to make the sunday, despite exaustion. This also looks like some self-righteous attempt to become closer to God you know, able to ignore your bodys pain to give your worship to God, if that makes sense.
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When I was in your situation at work and had to work steady nights, I was so exhausted that I nearly fell asleep behind the wheel a few times. I understand what you mean by exhaustion after a night shift–it’s far more than being just tired–it’s physically dangerous, and sleep can occur without warning. I didn’t even attempt to go to Mass. I went to bed. I got off that shift as soon as I could–I was not one that could get used to working nights. I was going to quit the job if I couldn’t have another shift. And I would pray all the way home and keep the windows rolled down and the radio blaring to keep me awake.

Do what you can to find a Mass you could possibly go to, and if you can’t–God does not expect us to put ourselves and others in danger to try to make Mass.
 
Since you normally attend that Mass without problems and an unforseen circumstance came up, I wouldn’t say it was a mortal sin–but you could bring it up in Confession. If you anticipate having this happen more in the future, you might look into rearranging your schedule.
 
agnosticcathgf said:
Hello,

I was wondering if someone would be able to help me (and point out whether I am being scrupulous about this but I don’t think I am).

Unfortunately I am going to be missing Mass today (Sunday). **I had intended to go to evening Mass as it fitted into my schedule best (I had a class and had to go into work). **Unfortunately I’m having to stay longer at work than I intended and will be missing Mass. I was just wondering whether I would have to go to Confession before I receive the Eucharist again? I have missed Mass before but it was a conscious decision to (I was just being lazy that day) and went to Confession; however, the circumstances this time are different and I had intended to go. I guess I feel guilty because I could have gone last night or this morning before my class and work but thought that going this evening would still be possible as it is the Mass I usually attend. I know I will be attending Mass during the week and would like to receive however the first opportunity I have to go to Confession isn’t until Saturday.

Thanks for your help!
Click to expand...
So, in other words, classes and work are more important than worshiping God in the manner required by His Church? If you look at like this, I believe you will see that what you did was, really, putting God in the last place.

Yes, go to Confession.
 
I can understand the issues with constantly changing work schedules, and Mass attendance. I’ve had to miss Mass when my work schedules were changed at the last minute or if I was on call with a pager/cell phone & a laptop I had to have near me the whole weekend.

In today’s economic situation, many employers would rather have people doing work & earning their paychecks sometimes with less than ideal schedules, and not looking out for their needs outside the work place which include family activities and practicing their religion. Not all jobs can have the perfect 9 to 5 with Saturday/Sunday off either.
 
I guess that it’s too protestant of me to think, that God understands my situation.
 
Blood_Angel said:
I guess that it’s too protestant of me to think, that God understands my situation.
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Look, what you have here are peoples’s opinions only. You can see how they vary. And nobody fully understands your life or your time schedule, or all the circumstances. And they can’t see inside your heart or your head. There’s nothing Protestant at all about your thinking. Catholics ask similar questions and think similar things all the time.

If you have a doubtful moral question, it’s best to go talk to your priest. He is your best spiritual guide.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church has a section on mortal sin. Read what the Church teaches. There has to be grave matter and it has to be committed with full knowledge and deliberate consent. You have to know it’s grave, know it’s a sin, and then choose to go ahead and do it anyway. Mortal sin is a pretty deliberate action. Can you say you met the criteria? Only you can decide that. A priest in the confessional can help you sort that out.
 
I have a friend that works second shift, Sunday to Wednesday. Sunday mornings he is obligated to go over his mothers to help her out, as she is without a car.

Therefore, he must attend Mass on saturday night. He’s been in situations where through no fault, or little fault of his own he missed mass on Saturday. After talking it over with a priest who fully understood the whole situation he was advised that it was ok and he was not in any mortal sin, even if he “could” go insted of helping his mom.

Certinally, you should seek good councill from a priest insted of trusting random internet strangers. Please don’t let them condem you!!!

They would of condemned my friend in an instant…yet I don’t know one person outside of the clergy who reverers the Mass as much as he does.
 
My opinion - Missing Mass due to work is a justified reason for missing Mass. If possible, in the future, I would try to get to an earlier Mass either that morning or Saturday evening Mass to avoid it happening again.
 
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