Question on Holy Day of Obligation

[vince2paul]

A friend asked me “which one is better, a person who goes to Sunday mass because he’s afraid of committing mortal sins, but still very impatient and often quarrel and get angry or a person who is seldom go to Sunday mass but doing good deeds. Besides that, if in my country X is not a Holy day of obligation, but when I migrate to other country and it’s a Holy day of obligation, can I follow what’s in my previous country, as in not going to mass on day X?”

I am getting tired of this nonsense. It’s all because I remind them to go to All saints’ day and now they started to ask funny questions. I just pray that I have the patience to answer them. Seriously speaking, I really want to say if they are not ready to accept all catholic teaching, then don’t be catholic. But it won’t solve the problem and might discourage them.

Ok, get back to the questions, how should I answer them without scare them away. Most of them are lukewarm Catholic, who don’t know the catholic teaching well. So I’m trying to get them to be more aware of the Catholic faith. Even we still have to argue about mortal sin recently.

 

[Sherlock]

A friend asked me “which one is better, a person who goes to Sunday mass because he’s afraid of committing mortal sins, but still very impatient and often quarrel and get angry or a person who is seldom go to Sunday mass but doing good deeds. Besides that, if in my country X is not a Holy day of obligation, but when I migrate to other country and it’s a Holy day of obligation, can I follow what’s in my previous country, as in not going to mass on day X?”

I am getting tired of this nonsense. It’s all because I remind them to go to All saints’ day and now they started to ask funny questions. I just pray that I have the patience to answer them. Seriously speaking, I really want to say if they are not ready to accept all catholic teaching, then don’t be catholic. But it won’t solve the problem and might discourage them.

Ok, get back to the questions, how should I answer them without scare them away. Most of them are lukewarm Catholic, who don’t know the catholic teaching well. So I’m trying to get them to be more aware of the Catholic faith. Even we still have to argue about mortal sin recently.

Why does your friend give you only those options? Don’t accept them as the only choices. I would say, “It would be best if a person went to Mass because they loved God so much they wanted to worship Him as He directed us, and because of that love of God, and strengthened by the Mass, they also did good deeds.” It’s not either/or. Also, God loves obedience—and since Jesus said, “He who hears you hears me”, what could be a better demonstration of love than to obey God’s Church?

 

[Atreyu]

A friend asked me "which one is better, a person who goes to Sunday mass because he’s afraid of committing mortal sins, but still very impatient and often quarrel and get angry or a person who is seldom go to Sunday mass but doing good deeds.

What would be better, a person who goes to Confession out of fear of hell, or a person who doesn’t go to Confession but privately confesses their sins? The first is called “imperfect contrition”, but it still constitutes a valid Confession. The second is an abuse, and a mortal sin in and of itself. Similarly, the person who goes to Sunday mass out of fear of mortal sins is not going to mass for the right reasons. Yet this is still infinitely (and I really mean the word “infinitely”) better than not attending mass and committing, hence committing a mortal sin! It might help your friends if they read the relevant parts in the Catechism on the Sabbath Commandment. If they understand that attending mass on a Sunday fulfils this Commandment, then maybe they’ll be more inclined to go.

Besides that, if in my country X is not a Holy day of obligation, but when I migrate to other country and it’s a Holy day of obligation, can I follow what’s in my previous country, as in not going to mass on day X?"

I think they’re clutching at straws here.

I am getting tired of this nonsense. It’s all because I remind them to go to All saints’ day and now they started to ask funny questions. I just pray that I have the patience to answer them. Seriously speaking, I really want to say if they are not ready to accept all catholic teaching, then don’t be catholic. But it won’t solve the problem and might discourage them.

I would phrase it the other way: if you want to be Catholic, then why not believe in everything the Church teaches? Why not be a faithful Catholic? What’s the point in believing Jesus is the fullness of Revelation, without following that revelation?

Ok, get back to the questions, how should I answer them without scare them away. Most of them are lukewarm Catholic, who don’t know the catholic teaching well. So I’m trying to get them to be more aware of the Catholic faith. Even we still have to argue about mortal sin recently.

I’m not really sure. Hopefully someone else can help you here. Good luck, and God bless.