Not attending Sunday Mass because of exhaustion

[runningdude]

It seems that most of the churche’s in the area that I live have Mass on Sturday evening and this is perfectly OK to go on Sat. versus Sunday morning. My wife, who was brought up Catholic, attended Cath. school until 9th grade seems to think that as long as the church excepts that people (for whatever reason) cannot make it to Sunday morning Mass, than they go on Sat. evening. There is absolutely NO reason to go to confession if you do this.
My wife and I know several women who attend Mass on Saturday evening, this IS completely acceptable. In fact, there are MANY Catholic churches in the Detroit metro area, and most of them have Sat. evening Masses.

If anyone doesn’t understand this, than they should go to their Priest and talk to them.

The OP’s parent’s don’t have this option.

 

[douglas714]

Yes, I understand that they didn’t have this option, I was trying to say that skimming thru the responses, it ALMOST sounded as if…if a person DOES NOT ATTEND SUNDAY MASS, THAN THEY MUST GO TO CONFESSION. I was trying to say that the church does allow Saturday evening mass and you don’t have to go to confession if you do go to Sat. evening mass and not to Sun. morning mass.

 

[maltmom]

Then again, the sabbath was made for man, not the other way around. However hard I try I just can’t recall who said that

Mark 2:27

 

[PatriceA]

Call or go to the parish. It doesn’t even have to be your own priest, if you can talk to another priest or someone from the diocesan office, that would work as well. As long as the person can properly discern on the matter.

I’m just worried some people here will say exhaustion is not a big deal. Then another group of people will say that they have experienced exhaustion and it is a valid reason. So what then? A priest will look at your specific case and judge from there.

One problem, only the parents can accurately describe their exhaustion, not the OP. The OP should only ask the priest what he or she can do to handle their reaction to their parents’ situation.

And having been physically exhausted in certain situations, it is completely dangerous to other people if one has to drive to get somewhere when one is exhausted. The parents could actually be putting other people’s lives in danger if they have to get behind the wheel to get to mass on a Sunday.

 

[CatholicSheila]

Yes, I understand that they didn’t have this option, I was trying to say that skimming thru the responses, it ALMOST sounded as if…if a person DOES NOT ATTEND SUNDAY MASS, THAN THEY MUST GO TO CONFESSION. I was trying to say that the church does allow Saturday evening mass and you don’t have to go to confession if you do go to Sat. evening mass and not to Sun. morning mass.

Saturday night mass isn’t instead of Sunday mass. The Saturday night mass is a Sunday mass. They’re not required to go to confession for missing Sunday mass, because by they haven’t missed Sunday mass.

 

[englishredrose]

you first say tired in your post, then you say exhaustion. There is a difference. Tiredness - well it simply depends on what is important to your parents and you cannot control what others do. Exhaustion, then your parents need a proper break or they will become ill and that will enforce their break. But its safe just to leave it in their hands how they choose to attend etc. Lead them by example at home and going to church if you are concerned and they will soon see the joy and love they are missing out of for being committed.

As for the type of advice a Sister has been given, you do have to be very careful. It is quite easy for the Sister to have given correct advice but by the time ‘we’ have left the church even ‘we’ have reworded it so we understand but distorting it. Unless the advice was given to you, you will have to be very careful when you speak to a priest. which is what I hope you will do rather than go around in circles about it and once you have spoken to the priest, listen to what he says and take it on board.

 

[arkwright]

Is it acceptable for my parents not to attend Sunday Mass because of exhaustion?

Yes .

 

[onjac]

you first say tired in your post, then you say exhaustion. There is a difference. Tiredness - well it simply depends on what is important to your parents and you cannot control what others do. Exhaustion, then your parents need a proper break or they will become ill and that will enforce their break. But its safe just to leave it in their hands how they choose to attend etc. Lead them by example at home and going to church if you are concerned and they will soon see the joy and love they are missing out of for being committed.

As for the type of advice a Sister has been given, you do have to be very careful. It is quite easy for the Sister to have given correct advice but by the time ‘we’ have left the church even ‘we’ have reworded it so we understand but distorting it. Unless the advice was given to you, you will have to be very careful when you speak to a priest. which is what I hope you will do rather than go around in circles about it and once you have spoken to the priest, listen to what he says and take it on board.

UPDATE*****

Thanks for the advice. I know there’s a difference between tired and exhausted but my mother is not an English speaker. She uses both words interchangeably so I was going by what she said.

At dinner last night, I talked to my parents.

Apparently, my mother doesn’t spend her time that wisely once she gets back from work. She usually stays up doing things (ie surfing the net, talking on the phone, doing some hobbies). It’s good to wind down a bit from work but she stays up about 2 hours after my father has gone to bed.

At dinner, I found out that father, who’s been a Catholic for more than 30 years, always thought that missing Mass on Sundays wasn’t a mortal sin and that weekday masses can make up for them.



In the past, there have been a few occasions when my parents have felt truly exhausted from work. In that case, I would never pressure them to drive to Mass.

They went to the Mass at a Catholic Church that has Mass scheduled at a later time and which is also slightly closer to our home (less than 5 min). I’ve already have my parents set up to meet with our priest to talk about this in case a situation like ever arises. I’m also going to sit down and type up a schedule for my mother so she can learn how to spend her time more wisely. I don’t know if that’s going to happen since she’s generally not that organized and disciplined. I hope it does work, though.

Thanks for the help everybody!!

 

[paperwight66]

. I’m also going to sit down and type up a schedule for my mother so she can learn how to spend her time more wisely. I don’t know if that’s going to happen since she’s generally not that organized and disciplined. I hope it does work, though.

Thanks for the help everybody!!

Ummm… did she actually ASK you to draw up this schedule? Because if she didn’t, I can tell you if one of my chuldren did this to me, I’d be incandescent.

 

[onjac]

Ummm… did she actually ASK you to draw up this schedule? Because if she didn’t, I can tell you if one of my chuldren did this to me, I’d be incandescent.

My mother is a disorganized person and she does ask her children (and my father) to help her out. I’m not drawing up a schedule for how she should spend her week. Who does that?? I’m just writing down things she could do (and put off until next week) during the weekend.