No Mass for me this week! :(

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April

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I am really bummed! If some of you know, I posted about how dry the parish is around here, in a topic about feeling empty. Well, ugh… sigh I just contacted the Priest about needing a ride to Wednesday night Mass, … He told me there is no Mass this week because he is out of town. So that means no Mass ALL week! None on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, nor Saturday night. ALL WEEK. I am so bummed. I get to Mass one time on Sunday for communion, then nothing until Wednesday night. Now I can’t have communion until next Sunday. This is not a sometime thing of no Mass, it is a regular thing with this priest and his parish. Would it be wrong to ask a Priest to come to my home during week to receive Communion without being sick? Do I just “suck it buttercup” or “offer it up” or what do I do???
 
I don’t think this is unusual. Priests have all sorts of different things to do and it isn’t a day of obligation.
 
Daily Masses are often sacrificed due to the clergy shortage nowadays…
Offer up the suffering/nuisance for an increase in vocations, perhaps.
 
Yes, we don’t abuse the priesthood in this way.
Wait until you are able to go and be thankful you can.
 
I do love - how you love the mass - and miss it !
It’s like one’s true first love, almost. Good share.
 
For a far perspective, as good Catholics, we are to attend Mass each Sunday and at the minimum, receive the Eucharist once per year, preferably during the Easter season. Though I understand your dedication to our faith, sometimes it’s just not possible and we can replace that missed opportunity with other things … read the daily readings for that day, reflect, spend some time in prayer, belt out a song or two … those things that God sees in your heart and home are sure to be more than sufficient to make up for a missed Mass that you had no control over.

Blessings.
 
We had our daily Masses cancelled because of a combination of priest unavailability and church unavailability (repairs being done). Someone complained to our priest, and he replied that if they were feeling deprived, they could take the time and pray a FULL rosary (ALL the mysteries) and offer it for all the Christians in the world who weren’t so lucky as to have a place to freely celebrate Mass every day.
 
See if there is mass at another nearby parish. If not, you will see that mass coverage is a problem in your area. Honestly, you have no right to call a priest like he is your own personal communion giver. How would that work for him if everyone in his parish requested him to come, by the way?
 
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We all need to pray for the priest shortage.

Meanwhile, when you desire to be at Mass and can’t be, then make a spiritual communion.

Learning deeper prayer and practicing it can help spiritual communions to be very grace-filled.
 
Great idea! And I hope it was followed through with some Rosary groups being formed.
 
If you live out in a sparsely populated area, you have fewer choices in other areas of your life too.

There is a lot to be said for small towns but there are down sides to it as well.
 
Wow, thank you for all the wonderful insights and comments. @irishmom2, I am so sorry if you thought I was trying to have my own personal communion giver, I was just throwing out different ideas of how to go about it. I humbly ask your pardon if I in anyway gave that impression. @casslean I think I will do that! Thank you. I will offer my frustrated feelings to the Father for increase of calling to the Priesthood. God bless.
 
I know of a local monastic community that purposely have « desert » days. Consider this time in the desert as a spiritual communion with Jesus who spent 40 days in the desert without food. Instead of Mass, pray the Liturgy of the Hours, or practise lectio divina with the day’s Mass readings.

Not all of us have the privilege of daily Mass. In other words, it is not a right. I live in a rural area. I consider myself blessed that I can make it to Mass every Sunday, and also on Wednesdays when I volunteer at the local abbey. They have daily Mass, but at 40 km distance and being a retiree, I cannot afford to go every day.

Our priests are spread over several rural parishes, and offer weekday Mass 3-4 days a week, but not in one parish but all over the pastoral unit. It just isn’t practical for me to go.

So offer it up and think of it as a gift to you to find other ways to deepen your spiritual life and prayer life.
 
No, it isn’t right to call for that reason. I noted you mentioning you called because you needed a ride; attending a surrounding church might be problematic . You could view/ listen to the mass over the radio, TV, or internet. Offer the inconvenience in prayer for an increase in vocations.
 
You can ask a priest to come to your home to hear your confession and so that you can receive Holy Communion.

Is there no way to get to another parish? What about public transportation? Bus? Taxi?
 
lilypadrees said:
You can ask a priest to come to your home to hear your confession and so that you can receive Holy Communion.
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You can ask anybody anything, but since the priest’s schedule doesn’t permit him to say mass in church this week, outside of a real emergency, I wouldn’t think that someone which is more labor intensive- like home visits- is really realistic.
 
I’m not saying this priest is able to make it. But many priests will go to a parishioner’s home to hear their confession and give Holy Communion. She can phone another priest if this one isn’t able to make it.
 
Unless she is home bound or ill, or it’s an emergency such as an imminent hospitalization, that would seem to be excessive use of a precious resource. Almost all diocesan priests are overextended these days.

If she does have grave sin on her conscience she can say an act of perfect contrition and confess before her next Mass. God will understand, He is not a tyrant!
 
Why don’t you do the rosary in the time you would have gone to mass, you will be showered with graces.
 
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