Should I ask to be taken to Mass?

[Vittorio23]

Hello all…

I’m not sure what to do in this situation. My uncle and his family graciously took me in for the Thanksgiving holidy, driving over three hours to pick me up at school and will be taking me back again. Unfortunately, the way things are working out, I won’t be getting back to school until early early Monday morning. I had been hoping to get back Sunday evening, so as to go to Mass at our university Mass at 7:30pm. The way things are working out with what is most convenient for my uncle and his work schedule, that won’t be able to happen…

So, I will be here, in-the-middle-of-nowhere-Virginia, on Sunday. Should I ask my non-religious uncle to take me to Mass? I really want to go to Mass, but… I don’t want to be an inconvenience to my family, who have already been such a help to me. Despite that… well, I’m afraid to ask…

Will I be sinning by not asking?

 

[allhers]

I bet he’d be happy to take you, and why not ask them if they would like to go along? I have gone places with non-Catholic friends and they were happy to take/or go to Mass with me. I just made sure they knew NOT to receive Holy Communion if they were not in union with us.

 

[Sr_Sally]

It can’t hurt to ask. You seem to have internet access so check masstimes, find the closest parish and their Mass times. Then ask uncle to either take you or maybe borrow the car? If he doesn’t take you, than missing Mass is out of your control. If you don’t ask at all, you will have some culpability in missing.

 

[PhilotheaZ]

Yes, do ask your relatives to take you. What a marvelous opportunity to witness to your faith, letting them know that it is important enough to you to bother to ask.

Go to masstimes.org/dotnet/Default.aspx and type in the name of the town where you are staying (not the state, the site will let you select from a list) to find the nearest church and Mass times.

 

[m134e5]

Hello all…

I’m not sure what to do in this situation. My uncle and his family graciously took me in for the Thanksgiving holidy, driving over three hours to pick me up at school and will be taking me back again. Unfortunately, the way things are working out, I won’t be getting back to school until early early Monday morning. I had been hoping to get back Sunday evening, so as to go to Mass at our university Mass at 7:30pm. The way things are working out with what is most convenient for my uncle and his work schedule, that won’t be able to happen…

So, I will be here, in-the-middle-of-nowhere-Virginia, on Sunday. Should I ask my non-religious uncle to take me to Mass? I really want to go to Mass, but… I don’t want to be an inconvenience to my family, who have already been such a help to me. Despite that… well, I’m afraid to ask…

Will I be sinning by not asking?

I’m actually being faced with a similar situation (not right now- but I’m visiting family who live in the middle of nowhere next month).

I don’t know if it is a sin to not ask- do you know your uncle well enough to know what is ok to ask and what is not? Some will go out of their way to do pretty much whatever their guest wants. Other people make plans, expect you to just go along, and are offended if you even ask about *possibly *doing something they hadn’t planned. If you think it’s ok, ask if he would take you to Mass. In the future, talk to your pastor about this sort of thing in advance- explain the situation. He can give a dispensation from attending Mass if there is a need.

 

[Sarabande]

I agree with the others. It doesn’t hurt to ask nicely. I stayed with my former voice teacher for a month after she moved to another state in a very rural area. She was Jewish. I asked if she would help me find a Catholic church to attend during that month. She did help and came with me for mass that first time so that I would know where I was going, etc. The rest of the month I drove to the church on my own, but she did not mind attending mass with me at all that first Sunday.

 

[jmcrae]

When I stayed with my Dad (who is not practicing any form of religion right now) I had no trouble getting to Mass - he was more than happy to make sure I got a ride in to town on Sunday mornings. I got a ride back from a parishioner.

When I was staying with relatives in Toronto, I took a cab to the Church and back - they were sleeping in, so they didn’t even notice that I’d been gone.

So, I’d say, yes - mention that you plan to go to Mass on Sunday, and ask them for help with the logistics of getting there.