New job after long period of unemployment, impossible to attend Mass

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Spoken4

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My husband and I had both lost our jobs-- he has been out and is still out of work since 2009. I just got a brand new job and today was my first day. I’ve learned that the schedule I’m assigned has me working 8 am to 6 pm on both Saturday and Sunday. The only Mass that I would even stand half a chance of getting to on time begins at 7 pm and it’s in a foreign language that I neither speak nor understand-- out of 5 Catholic churches that I’ve checked in the area, that’s the ONLY Mass that I could make. There are no 6-6:30 am Sunday Masses anywhere close to me, only weekday Masses.

So far, it’s looking totally impossible for me to get to ANY Mass that I could understand. I’d attend a Latin or even a Spanish Mass-- but this one is in Vietnamese. 😦

I have days off in the middle of the week, so I could attend those weekday Masses, but that’s all I can do. I don’t even have a day off to go to Confession, unless I schedule a private Confession with the Pastor. Unfortunately, I’m too new to get a schedulr change and I was pointedly told that I’m really needed at those times and there is no chance of being able to switch for even one hour (I tried to arrange a chance to go to the 5 pm Mass on Saturday or Sunday evening, no joy). So basically, I have to either work these hours, or not work at all.

If I work, I can’t go to Mass. If I don’t work and I quit, then our household has no income. We aren’t receiving any public assistance, and really there isn’t much of anything out here that we qualify for anyway (not elderly and no kids). We have been living off our savings, and those are rapidly being depleted. My husband is looking hard for work as well, but so far hasn’t had any luck in 2 years even for the most menial part-time jobs. We need household income to survive and not lose our home, but I need God in order to survive eternally.

Under those circumstances, is it “better than nothing” to just go to the weekday Masses that I’m able to attend, attend perpetual Adoration late at night, pray the Rosary daily, and go to Confession (private session)… or am I still in mortal sin?

In Christ–
~Spoken4
 
I am no priest, but in my opinion you have to eat to survive, and the way you are doing it by working during the weekend is the only way. I would offer the week masses that you attend as replacement for the weekend mass. I am sure God understands your situation.
 
I understand this must be a hard time for you. I will pray for you, and I hope your circumstances improve in the future.:gopray:

You must eat to live, and must work to eat, and a conflicting work schedule would exempt you if you could not make it to mass.

However,

I believe it is still be your obligation to go to the mass in the foreign language if you can make it. Understanding, while aiding prayer, does not make prayer, and the eucharist is a valid eucharist. Just pray it out, bring your missal to understand the readings. Maybe this is a good opportunity to learn some prayers in Vietnamese. The weekday masses don’t count for Sunday Obligation.

Private confessions are usually no problem with many priests. You may have to settle for once every two weeks instead though, but it depends on the priest.

May God bless you,

CotL
 
Spoken4 said:
My husband and I had both lost our jobs-- he has been out and is still out of work since 2009. I just got a brand new job and today was my first day. I’ve learned that the schedule I’m assigned has me working 8 am to 6 pm on both Saturday and Sunday. The only Mass that I would even stand half a chance of getting to on time begins at 7 pm and it’s in a foreign language that I neither speak nor understand-- out of 5 Catholic churches that I’ve checked in the area, that’s the ONLY Mass that I could make. There are no 6-6:30 am Sunday Masses anywhere close to me, only weekday Masses.

So far, it’s looking totally impossible for me to get to ANY Mass that I could understand. I’d attend a Latin or even a Spanish Mass-- but this one is in Vietnamese. 😦

I have days off in the middle of the week, so I could attend those weekday Masses, but that’s all I can do. I don’t even have a day off to go to Confession, unless I schedule a private Confession with the Pastor. Unfortunately, I’m too new to get a schedule change and I was pointedly told that I’m really needed at those times and there is no chance of being able to switch for even one hour (I tried to arrange a chance to go to the 5 pm Mass on Saturday or Sunday evening, no joy). So basically, I have to either work these hours, or not work at all.

If I work, I can’t go to Mass. If I don’t work and I quit, then our household has no income. We aren’t receiving any public assistance, and really there isn’t much of anything out here that we qualify for anyway (not elderly and no kids). We have been living off our savings, and those are rapidly being depleted. My husband is looking hard for work as well, but so far hasn’t had any luck in 2 years even for the most menial part-time jobs. We need household income to survive and not lose our home, but I need God in order to survive eternally.

Under those circumstances, is it “better than nothing” to just go to the weekday Masses that I’m able to attend, attend perpetual Adoration late at night, pray the Rosary daily, and go to Confession (private session)… or am I still in mortal sin?

In Christ–
~Spoken4
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hey I’m pretty sure its not a sin, cause your still attending Mass and God is merciful remember that, which something i have to work on is rembering God’s mercy
 
I do feel for your situation, its a tough spot. I don’t understand the problem with attending a Vietnamese mass. I would think the only grounds you have is if you can honestly (too yourself and God) say you are too physically exhausted. If you say you would attend other foriegn languages if they were available at the same time; your argument about not having a mass to attend kind of falls apart.
God bless.
Edited to add: I am only stating I think you should go to the vietnamese mass, most definitely. I am making absolutely no judgement on if it is a mortal sin or not. It does entail grave matter to violate a precept of the church. That is all I am saying.
 
Just go to the foreign-language one, it could be interesting. Going to Mass is a really great way to get started learning a new language, and even if you’re not interested in learning Vietnamese, you’ll get some interesting insights about a different culture!
 
I would say go to the Vietnamese Mass. You may even be able to find someone bilingual there to help you through the prayers. God bless you but if there is a Mass available IMO we should be attending.
 
God understands you have needs. He is forgiving. Pray for his mercya nd do what you can when you can He’ll find a way for you.
 
Have you discussed this with a priest… preferably your regular confessor? All you’re going to get from us here on the forums are opinions… you need an answer.
 
The reason I mentioned going to the Spanish or a Latin Mass is because I do speak Spanish well enough to understand and follow the whole Mass. Ditto for following and comprehending the Latin Mass. However, Vietnamese is a little far off my knowledge curve and I certainly wouldn’t understand the homily. No issue with the culture, it is fascinating, but after a 10 hour day, how much would I be able to really learn when I’m already very tired? Going to Mass in a familiar language would be like relaxing in a comfortable chair at my best friend’s house; it would be better for me to go to a Vietnamese Mass when I’m more alert! :o

I’m still looking for a church with a Mass in a language that I understand.I might have found one, but my Norton antivirus detects thier site as ‘compromised’ with a malicious toolkit… EEK! I’ll call them sometime later this week.

ETA: I’ll talk to my priest after Adoration this evening.
 
Your obligation is to attend Mass on Sunday (or Sat. night) if you are able. It doesn’t matter if you speak the language of the Mass. Sunday Mass is what we give, not what we get. Going to Mass on a weekday may be helpful for your own spiritual benefit but can not fulfill your Sunday obligation.

That being said, there might be a Mass you haven’t found yet. If you haven’t done so, call the diocese. Also check if there are any Masses at local hospitals or shrines that you can fit into your schedule.

Good luck and congratulations on the new job.
 
It would be best of all to discuss this with your pastor.

I may be wrong, but I remember reading about this, and it was said that in a case like this you could get a dispensation from your pastor to attend a weekday Mass instead, under the circumstances.
 
Spoken4 said:
My husband and I had both lost our jobs-- he has been out and is still out of work since 2009. I just got a brand new job and today was my first day. I’ve learned that the schedule I’m assigned has me working 8 am to 6 pm on both Saturday and Sunday. The only Mass that I would even stand half a chance of getting to on time begins at 7 pm and it’s in a foreign language that I neither speak nor understand-- out of 5 Catholic churches that I’ve checked in the area, that’s the ONLY Mass that I could make. There are no 6-6:30 am Sunday Masses anywhere close to me, only weekday Masses.

So far, it’s looking totally impossible for me to get to ANY Mass that I could understand. I’d attend a Latin or even a Spanish Mass-- but this one is in Vietnamese. 😦
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First, congratulations on your new job! 👍

And, it’s the Vietnamese Mass for you, my friend.

I understand it’s not the ideal to attend Mass in a language you neither speak nor understand. I’ve been to Mass in Thai, Italian, Vietnamese, Japanese, Korean, Tachiew, and Australian (by far the hardest to comprehend :D, so I know well the feeling. My advice is to bring an English language misal, if these isn’t one available at the church already, so you can at least follow the readings and Gospel.

Go in with a smile on your face, and I think you’ll be surprised at how quickly the other parishioners will go out of their way to make you feel at home.
 
Congratulations on finding a job! 👍

Try the Vietnamese Mass. If it seems too weird or you are too tired, substitute a weekday Mass. There at least two solutions to your problem.
 
Spoken4 said:
My husband and I had both lost our jobs-- he has been out and is still out of work since 2009. I just got a brand new job and today was my first day. I’ve learned that the schedule I’m assigned has me working 8 am to 6 pm on both Saturday and Sunday. The only Mass that I would even stand half a chance of getting to on time begins at 7 pm and it’s in a foreign language that I neither speak nor understand-- out of 5 Catholic churches that I’ve checked in the area, that’s the ONLY Mass that I could make. There are no 6-6:30 am Sunday Masses anywhere close to me, only weekday Masses.

So far, it’s looking totally impossible for me to get to ANY Mass that I could understand. I’d attend a Latin or even a Spanish Mass-- but this one is in Vietnamese. 😦

I have days off in the middle of the week, so I could attend those weekday Masses, but that’s all I can do. I don’t even have a day off to go to Confession, unless I schedule a private Confession with the Pastor. Unfortunately, I’m too new to get a schedulr change and I was pointedly told that I’m really needed at those times and there is no chance of being able to switch for even one hour (I tried to arrange a chance to go to the 5 pm Mass on Saturday or Sunday evening, no joy). So basically, I have to either work these hours, or not work at all.

If I work, I can’t go to Mass. If I don’t work and I quit, then our household has no income. We aren’t receiving any public assistance, and really there isn’t much of anything out here that we qualify for anyway (not elderly and no kids). We have been living off our savings, and those are rapidly being depleted. My husband is looking hard for work as well, but so far hasn’t had any luck in 2 years even for the most menial part-time jobs. We need household income to survive and not lose our home, but I need God in order to survive eternally.

Under those circumstances, is it “better than nothing” to just go to the weekday Masses that I’m able to attend, attend perpetual Adoration late at night, pray the Rosary daily, and go to Confession (private session)… or am I still in mortal sin?

In Christ–
~Spoken4
Click to expand...
if there is a mass in a language you don’t understand, and that mass is the only one you can attend, then go to it, simply read from your own missal, and just follow along as best as you can, the most important thing is not following the words of the mass, but knowing what is going on, and paying attention to the different parts of the mass.
because whether in language you can understand or not, it is still the passion of Our Lord, and you still fulfill your obligation by going,
i know it’s hard going to a mass you can’t follow very well, i’ve been there many times, but it helps to just remember why you’re going, not for yourself, but for Jesus, to give worship to God, and to visit Him and offer yourself to Him…and many other reasons, but most importantly we must remember we are going for God, and even though the mass should be a certain way, we should not worry about it being to our liking so much that we refuse to go at all and miss the point of going in the first place.

i would also say, don’t overdo it, if you feel overwhelmed, then take a break and skip a devotion, but certainly go to mass on Sunday - any valid mass, if you have the chance.
mass cannot be about personal preference, it is Our Lords passion, and we must be there, especially on Sunday, for our own good, and you will receive the same graces going to a mass in your language or another.

ok, hope this helps, take care.
 
Thank you for all of your thoughts, everyone.

Our diocese has a listing of all the churches in our diocese and a web directory for most of them. And I’m halfway there-- I found a Extraordinary Form church where I can go to Confession early in the morning most days before I have to be to work. They’re a little past my job, but it’s an option, right? Nuts, if the Mass started an hour earlier, I could have gone before work!
 
Spoken4 said:
Thank you for all of your thoughts, everyone.

Our diocese has a listing of all the churches in our diocese and a web directory for most of them. And I’m halfway there-- I found a Extraordinary Form church where I can go to Confession early in the morning most days before I have to be to work. They’re a little past my job, but it’s an option, right? Nuts, if the Mass started an hour earlier, I could have gone before work!
Click to expand...
Your pastor can dispense you from the obligation to attend Mass on Sundays. Talk to him about your situation.
 
So many good answers and I am gratified to see a combination of “Get to Sunday Mass” and “It’s OK to substitute” kinds of answers.
Both views have their merit.
We are indeed required to attend Sunday mass and should make our best effort to do so.
On the other hand we don’t want to be so legalistic about it that we forget the elements of charity that must be a part of our Christian life.

When these kinds of questions come up, I am reminded of some how Jesus would get frustrated with the Pharisees over their legalism. The story about the apostles pulling wheat from the stocks on the sabbath is one instance. Another is when the pharisees tried to trip him up about healing on the sabbath and Jesus responded that if a shepherd had a lamb down a well on the sabbath, he would pull it out even though such work was forbidden.

Anyway - that is my too wordy way of saying that, while the rules are good and important, they are not so “set in stone” that you cannot, in good conscience and with the guidance of your confessor, make alternative arrangements.

Peace
James
 
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