Missing Christmas Day Mass

[teadough]

The Monsignor who authors the church bulletin has authority – assuming he is not acting in contradiction to our bishop.

Dear, Sir knight

May God be with you

If you would notice in my last post I was trying my best to make a funny at your expense with the use of, as you have used in previous post, of CAF smilies.

Being that you are aware of Catholic rules and regulations, I would have thought that maybe you realized that I was trying, in my own way, to make peace of the situation at hand. If you feel as though you would like to go back and forth on this issue and come out being the one who throws the last comment, then by all means, go ahead. I have no reason to be in competition with someone on a message board and am more than willing to let the other poster have the “upper hand” and fill in the last comment so as to fulfill thier obligation to themselves to be the winner in a message board debate.

You win. I loose. congratulations!!! You did it!!! ::clap clap::

 

[FrDavid96]

But wouldn’t a priest not grant a dispensation if a person did not have a valid reason? And, if the reason is valid, then a dispensation isn’t needed anyway? This is getting confusing again.
Should I be running to my priest asking for dispensations from mass due to work reasons? I work Saturdays from 3-9pm (no opportunity for a vigil mass) and sometimes I am “asked” to work on Sundays. Those who are not “flexible” with their work schedule are normally the first ones to be let go when lay-offs occur. For this reason, I don’t like to say “no”.

This would appear to fall under your first example … Dispensations from the obligation are given (by bishops, pastors, or other priests as applicable) when people are in a position where they might be able to get to Mass if they make some changes, but those changes would cause hardship. Some examples: cancel the vacation, quit the job, walk 10 miles to the nearest Mass, etc.

The point I’m trying to make here is that there are 2 different standards, and we have to remember that.

The first standard is “physically or morally impossible” if that’s the case, a dispensation isn’t needed.

The second standard is “a just cause” that’s when dispensations are applicable.

Does that help?

 

[Sir_Knight]

The point I’m trying to make here is that there are 2 different standards, and we have to remember that.

The first standard is “physically or morally impossible” if that’s the case, a dispensation isn’t needed.

The second standard is “a just cause” that’s when dispensations are applicable.

Does that help?

A bit but in my situation that I described above with regards to work – do I need dispensations when I know ahead of time that I might miss mass?

 

[Sir_Knight]

Dear, Sir knight

May God be with you

If you would notice in my last post I was trying my best to make a funny at your expense with the use of, as you have used in previous post, of CAF smilies.

Being that you are aware of Catholic rules and regulations, I would have thought that maybe you realized that I was trying, in my own way, to make peace of the situation at hand. If you feel as though you would like to go back and forth on this issue and come out being the one who throws the last comment, then by all means, go ahead. I have no reason to be in competition with someone on a message board and am more than willing to let the other poster have the “upper hand” and fill in the last comment so as to fulfill thier obligation to themselves to be the winner in a message board debate.

You win. I loose. congratulations!!! You did it!!! ::clap clap::

I don’t want to win or lose but merely get to the truth for both our benefits. Since there is no handshake smilie … :hug3:

 

[FrDavid96]

A bit but in my situation that I described above with regards to work – do I need dispensations when I know ahead of time that I might miss mass?

That’s just it. I can’t “answer” that on an internet forum–no one can. What you should do is follow the counsel of your own pastor or confessor. If he says that it’s impossible, and you don’t need a dispensation, trust him. If he says that it isn’t impossible, but there is a just cause, request a dispensation.

In my posts above, I’m only trying to give generic examples. Everyone’s situation is different.

 

[Sir_Knight]

I think that last post did it :newidea:

– “impossible” = we can excuse ourselves (in a manner of speaking) … “just cause” = we COULD make it to mass but it would cause hardship and a dispensation is required.

Do I have that right?

 

[FrDavid96]

I think that last post did it :newidea:

– “impossible” = we can excuse ourselves (in a manner of speaking) … “just cause” = we COULD make it to mass but it would cause hardship and a dispensation is required.

Do I have that right?

You got it!

 

[teadough]

Im really glad to have taken part in this thread. I have not really been active with CAF in the last year or so, and am glad to have another piece of the puzzle pointed out for me. Sure, I may have been a little defensive, but after thoughtful consideration and prayer, I have taken it upon myself to realize that it was meant to be that certain elements of the Catholic faith was brought to my attention. I say that because when I said I was going to be a Catholic, I really meant that I wanted to be a CATHOLIC. Forgive me if I came off the wrong way. I am about the worst person in the world in expressing my opinions, and I feel like I am leaving this day with a little more sense of Faith.

Thanks to Sir Knight for engaging me in debate. Hopefully we will be able to cross paths on CAF again. If not, I am confident that we will see each other at another time.

God bless, and Peace Be With You

Merry Christmas, Teadough

 

[Spirithound]

Getting back to the topic of this thread … our Parish has Christmas Eve masses starting at 4pm and the church bulletin says that it does fulfill our Christmas mass obligation.

Merry Christmas!!
The Vigil may start after Vespers, which is the Latin word for evening.

 

[surfgirlusa_200]

I apologize if this question has already been answered, and I don’t meant to hijack the thread. However, I was wondering: I know it is not a sin to miss Mass if the weather makes it extremely dangerous; however, how dangerous must it be? I planned on going to Mass tonight, but now it’s freezing rain and my parents won’t let me go. I am an adult, but I don’t want to disrespect them either, and the roads are very icy. I’m going to try and go in the morning, but I’ll feel guilty if I don’t go, because I worry that the weather is bad but not bad enough, if you know what I mean. Thoughts?

 

[SuscipeMeDomine]

I apologize if this question has already been answered, and I don’t meant to hijack the thread. However, I was wondering: I know it is not a sin to miss Mass if the weather makes it extremely dangerous; however, how dangerous must it be? I planned on going to Mass tonight, but now it’s freezing rain and my parents won’t let me go. I am an adult, but I don’t want to disrespect them either, and the roads are very icy. I’m going to try and go in the morning, but I’ll feel guilty if I don’t go, because I worry that the weather is bad but not bad enough, if you know what I mean. Thoughts?

If a friend called you up and said “let’s go out to dinner,” would you go? If it’s safe enough to go to dinner, it’s safe enough to go to Mass. If you’d turn down the dinner invitation because it’s too dangerous to drive, then it’s too dangerous to go to Mass. Use your good judgment.

 

[Sir_Knight]

I apologize if this question has already been answered, and I don’t meant to hijack the thread. However, I was wondering: I know it is not a sin to miss Mass if the weather makes it extremely dangerous; however, how dangerous must it be? I planned on going to Mass tonight, but now it’s freezing rain and my parents won’t let me go. I am an adult, but I don’t want to disrespect them either, and the roads are very icy. I’m going to try and go in the morning, but I’ll feel guilty if I don’t go, because I worry that the weather is bad but not bad enough, if you know what I mean. Thoughts?

I understand your position VERY well. My wife tends to be OVERLY-cautious when it comes to driving in bad weather while I tend to be the exact opposite and am UNDERLY-cautious when it comes to driving in bad weather. Thus, we have great difficulty in accessing the true driving conditions – am I being underly cautious and perhaps we should not venture out because it’s too dangerous and I should listen to my wife or is my wife being overly cautious and it’s reasonable to go venture out?

 

[Sir_Knight]

If a friend called you up and said “let’s go out to dinner,” would you go? If it’s safe enough to go to dinner, it’s safe enough to go to Mass. If you’d turn down the dinner invitation because it’s too dangerous to drive, then it’s too dangerous to go to Mass. Use your good judgment.

Or, put another way … Mass should be the LAST place that you do not go to. If it is safe enough to go out for any other reason, then it is safe enough to go to mass.