Should I attend Mass tomorrow?

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tabsie3210

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Hi.

Guess who didn’t get her flu shot. 😦

Tuesday I felt great and used one of my new exercize programs for my Wii. Wednesday I woke up feeling happy and just a touch sore, which I assumed was from the workout. By Wednesday evening my sore body was a hundred times more sore, my chest hurt, and I was feeling miserable. I woke up midnight Wednesday/Thursday with a fever of 101.6. Called in sick to work and went to the doctor 9:45 on Thursday. Yep, I got the flu, with a bronchial infection to boot. I’m pretty much a mess. Doc told me he didn’t want me working the next few days and gave me a note for work, saying I could go back on Monday.

So all day Thursday and Friday, I’ve had a fluxuating temperature. Now, my normal temperature is between 96.8 and 97.2, and it so far hadn’t been dropping below 97.6, and was up to 100.1 last night (Friday night).

It’s 8:08 am CST here on Saturday morning. Right now my temp is 97.7, which isn’t bad, and is a lot more stable than it has been. Naturally, I’m not going to vigil Mass tonight, because I’m still coughing my lungs inside out.

Should I go to Mass tomorrow? If I stay home and view the Mass on TV, will I still be in trouble? I’m released to go back to work on Monday. Does that mean I should be in good enough condition to go to Mass on Sunday?

See, here’s where my issue is - I don’t want to go back to work on Monday because I know that I’ll still be moderately contageous, even if my fever levels out, and because I’m still going to feel awful. However, I have to go back because:
  1. I only officially started working there on November 16. It takes ninety working days for me to get any benefits, such as health insurance, meaning that I won’t get any insurance until sometime in February (I paid this doctor’s visit out of pocket, $100). However, that’s 90 working days, and the more days I take off work because I’m sick, the longer I have to wait for my benefits.
  2. With the holidays, I’m behind on my work (we ended up taking a lot of time off for the holidays, plus one day when it snowed here in Houston). It wasn’t too bad on Wednesday, though I did feel like I was dragging, but now I’m seriously behind and need to catch up as fast as I can.
  3. I don’t have any time off yet (that doesn’t come until my benefits come) so that means I’m not being paid for missing work, meaning my paycheck is going to be tiny for the last two weeks (because I was off on Jan. 1, since the place was closed, and I don’t get paid for holidays yet, because I haven’t been there 90 days, so that means that I actually lose three days of pay, not just two, for the last two weeks).
Now, if I end up still feverish, my job won’t let me come in, so I’ll have to stay home on Monday, and get another doctor’s note, but then, if I’m still feverish, I think that I’m okay with staying home from Mass, too. I’ll still miss it and watch it on TV, but serious illness counts as an acceptable reason not to attend.

But if my temperature goes down and doesn’t spike again, then even though I’ll still be somewhat contageous, and feeling awful, I have to go back to work. But here’s my problem - I go back to work on Monday. Church is on Sunday. Mass is also shorter than work, and if I go to the 7:30 AM Mass, I can probably sit off in a side pew or something and avoid human contact.

So since circumstances are forcing me to go back in to work on Monday (should I not have a fever), am I unjustified in missing Mass on Sunday? Will I be in trouble, having committed a mortal sin? Or because I’m sick, even if I’m forced to work on Monday, will I be excused if I stay home and watch the Mass on television on Sunday, even if I don’t have a fever.

Forgive me for how addled this sounds. I’m not in my best form right now and I’m busy coughing my lungs inside out. Fortunately, I’m not feverish now, but I’m still not firing on all cylinders, I guess.

Any advice or suggestions would be appreciated.
 
Stay home and rest and if it makes you feel better, watch mass on TV. I am certain God understands.
 
dachsiemom said:
Stay home and rest and if it makes you feel better, watch mass on TV. I am certain God understands.
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I agree. Sometimes I think that I think the Lord is blind, deaf and dumb with absolutely no compassion, because I act like it. Make an effort to just rest in HIM.
 
You have no obligation to attend Mass if you are seriously ill. You have no Sunday obligation in this case. Stay home and rest so you might feel better on Monday.
 
tabsie3210 said:
So since circumstances are forcing me to go back in to work on Monday (should I not have a fever), am I unjustified in missing Mass on Sunday? Will I be in trouble, having committed a mortal sin? Or because I’m sick, even if I’m forced to work on Monday, will I be excused if I stay home and watch the Mass on television on Sunday, even if I don’t have a fever.
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You know that sickness removes your obligation to attend Mass. This includes while you are contagious (I tend to think staying home also counts as a corporal act of mercy ;)).

Also, watching Mass on TV does not satisfy the obligation, but it is a profitable practice.
 
Spirithound said:
You know that sickness removes your obligation to attend Mass. This includes while you are contagious (I tend to think staying home also counts as a corporal act of mercy ;)).

Also, watching Mass on TV does not satisfy the obligation, but it is a profitable practice.
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Yeah. I wanted to go to Confession and Mass tonight, except my mother pointed out that my Father would probably prefer I not give him the flu, plus anybody else who happened into the Confessional.

I know it doesn’t qualify as a satisfaction of the obligation, but since the Mass is televised, it’s better to view the Mass on TV than miss it altogether. But I really don’t want to miss Mass. And I hate missing Confession when I feel like I could use it. Le sigh.
 
Our pastor contends that if someone has a serious communicable disease, her or she is bound by charity, the Golden Rule, and common sense to STAY HOME.

If in doubt, STAY HOME.

If your mother calls and lays a guilt trip on you that she has gone her entire lifetime and never missed a Sunday or Holy Day Mass, STAY HOME.

If you really, really want to go and it is a special Mass, STAY HOME.

If someone is depending on you to drive, make some phone calls to find a replacement, if you’re up to it, but for crying out loud STAY HOME.

There are people, both at church and in the general public, who will do a lot worse than missing a week of work if they pick up a bug like that. Do them a favor and…STAY HOME!!

PS Hope you get well very soon!
 
Hee. Bless all of y’all. I was feeling guilty about not going. I’m feeling a little less guilty about it now. I’ll stay home and not get anybody else sick. On the plus side, I am feeling better and I’m not feverish anymore, but I do know that having the flu is no small matter, and people bring their little kids to Mass, and everything. I’ll stay home and not risk getting anybody else sick. And I’ll see about wearing a mask to work, too.
 
tabsie3210 said:
Hee. Bless all of y’all. I was feeling guilty about not going. I’m feeling a little less guilty about it now. I’ll stay home and not get anybody else sick. On the plus side, I am feeling better and I’m not feverish anymore, but I do know that having the flu is no small matter, and people bring their little kids to Mass, and everything. I’ll stay home and not risk getting anybody else sick. And I’ll see about wearing a mask to work, too.
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The over-60 set, particularly the ordained ones and the diabetics and so on, will also thank you!

Hope your recovery continues quickly. Don’t rush it, and no guilt!
 
tabsie3210 said:
I know it doesn’t qualify as a satisfaction of the obligation, but since the Mass is televised, it’s better to view the Mass on TV than miss it altogether. But I really don’t want to miss Mass. And I hate missing Confession when I feel like I could use it. Le sigh.
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Watching Mass on TV is okay if it helps you with prayer. If you can’t go because of sickness (even if you feel good), then you should attempt to make it up in prayer. You can still keep the Lord’s Day holy that way.

Consider someone else who is even remotely contagious. Would you want him/her in church with you?

Hope you get well soon. Many of us know what it’s like to wait until we’re covered by health insurance. It’s agony.
 
this is from jimmy akin of catholic answers;

jimmyakin.org/2005/01/attention_cold_.html

I do not completely agree perhaps about some things like cold (if one is careful) but it is a good read

also goto the CDC site and read about those with the h1n1 --which if you have the flu – it could very well be since i think it is the main one out there

cdc.gov/h1n1flu/qa.htm

you can read about how to take care of yourself and keep others from getting it
 
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