The trouble with Mass is

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GodsPrincess

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Well there’s no trouble, really. More like … “The trouble with God’sPrincess is…”

As a relatively new Catholic, my biggest struggle is Mass. I know that sounds silly and probably really horrible, but… for me I have an issue getting to Mass. The problem isn’t transport, it isn’t any physical ailments or any other valid excuse except for that when I wake up on Sunday mornings, I flatly don’t want to go.

I have struggled with this for a long time. Once I am there, I love it, don’t get me wrong. It is just the getting there part. I feel overcome by darkness on Sunday mornings. I feel negative and lethargic and think, “Nah, don’t go… go next week… or go thru the week…” (Despite the fact that I know I will not go during the week) I fight it a lot better these days and infact, I haven’t missed Mass since August (I missed Mass a few times in August since I was in Thailand and couldn’t find a Catholic Church anywhere!) …

It even went so far sometimes that I’d drive my car all the way to the intersection where I drive thru the traffic lights and am at my church, or I could turn left and go to the mall, or worse, straight back home. Sometimes I’d get in the car and drive almost all the way there and turn left thinking, “Meh, what’s one week of Mass going to hurt” … and before I knew it one week would turn in to two, and so on until I was completely out of communion not only with God but also the church.

I do still struggle. It’s not easy, for some reason I play games in my head like a battle of good and evil. “Go, no don’t go…” etc… I am a late night person so naturally I hate waking up before 10 on Sundays… but I also overthink it too much. So I devised a plan. I set my alarm for 9:50am, Mass starts at 10:30. It gives me 15 minutes to get dressed (yep, no sunday special outfit for me) do my hair and get going and 10 minutes to get there. This way I don’t overthink it, because I am in such a rush and still bleary-eyed, I get there just in time to have been woken up properly without the arguments in my head.

The huge breakthru is that this morning and last sunday, I woke up at 8:30am, I got dressed, showered, felt good and started that internal Sunday morning battle where I was so ready to just fall back in to bed. And I imagined in my head, how Jesus would be feeling, waiting at the altar for me and me doing him the rude injustice of not turning up to break bread with him. That was enough to propel me out of my lazy armchair and in to my car and rush to church to celebrate The Mass.

The point is, after alll this time, despite my struggles with Mass sometimes, I think I finally realise the actual significance of it. It felt like it was some kind of epiphany, a lightbulb moment… and because of this, I think it is going to make my weekly struggle more managable… Or at least I pray so.

I know that weekly Mass will probably help tackle that… so maybe my next mission is to make it to one or two weekday Masses…

Does anyone else have this ridiculous struggle?
 
Does your church have a Saturday evening Vigil Mass? That might be a good choice for you.

But, keep in mind, and surely you know this.

When you miss Mass on purpose, and without a very good reason, it is a mortal sin and must be confessed before you can receive Holy Communion.😦

And waking up in a funk is not a good reason.🤷

That surely would keep you motivated not to head to the mall instead of Mass.👍
 
I wake up in a funk every single Sunday! I have the hardest time getting up on that morning, and I’d honestly would be happy just sleeping in!

But here’s what kicks me out of bed: the Eucharist. Knowing that I could received Christ does it every time for me, and I never regret going.

Oh, and Catholic guilt does it, too (just kidding!)

The Eucharist is what helps me with my daily struggles and worries. I cannot live without the Eucharist.

God Bless!
 
Tonks, your reason - being able to receive the Holy Eucharist - is a much better motivation than I gave.

But that guilt might work also.:sad_yes: :amen:
 
GodsPrincess said:
Does anyone else have this ridiculous struggle?
Click to expand...
Well, Sort of. I am a shift worker at USPS, getting home at midnight. I don’t DO mornings.:sleep:

However, my Church has a 4:15 PM mass every Sunday afternoon, and thet is the one I attend
 
I know that it’s a mortal sin. In fact, it’s probably something I used to confess the most. However, I think since talking about the issue with an awesome priest and gaining the graces from the sacraments, I may still struggle but the good intention always wins over the bad… so… yeah. Basically, I was just posting to say I’d had a bit of a spiritual break thru.
 
And thanks for the post - for me it is a testimony really - from someone who overcomes inner difficulties to meet Jesus in Mass.
 
Hi,
Gods Princess, I feel exactly like you, mostly at this time of year when the weather is cold and the evenings long and the dark nights come early, (about 4.pm.).
I go to saturday evening Mass,that way I can have a lie -in on sunday (bliss). Last night as i walked to church fireworks were still going off everywhere as people were still “celebrating” guy fawkes night, it goes on for ever!!!, all through Mass you could hear them ,it was as if World War 3 had broken out!, how our priest concentrates i’ll never know.
Anyway,do as i do and ask yourself this question,how will i feel when Jesus says to me,“away from me, I do not know you?” all because i could not be bothered to make an effort,
God Bless,
Mick.
 
Gods Princess, it is wonderful that you have been able to overcome the Sunday morning funk. You are not alone in this affliction, as you have learned since posting.

It would be a good thing to find a Saturday evening Vigil Mass or even the Sunday evening Mass as some have suggested.:yup: :heaven:
 
We all have struggles with doing what we know to be right - for some of us it’s being charitable to that annoying relative or workmate, for others it’s psyching themselves into doing volunteer work when they see a need that they can fill.

After all, if doing right was always easier than doing wrong everyone would always choose the right, no?

Its those times - when we can master our worse side sufficiently to do something purely because we know it’s right - that build our character.
 
Thanks for all of your responses. 🙂 I am glad I’m not alone. Our church also have Saturday night Mass but … all the people from my Parish that I know and like go to Sunday morning and I like sunday morning Mass better for some reason … I am self-employed as a data entry specialist and can work on my own hours, therefore I can sleep in any day of the week I’d like (within reason) and sunday is just one day of the week that I need to rise and shine, so it shouldn’t be an issue. My problem comes from a place of selfishness.

It’s my only one true struggle with faith, but with time it seems to be dimming a little. I hope that by the end of the year it will pass completely 🙂
 
1 Corinthians Chapter 13:
11* When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child. But, when I became a man, I put away the things of a child. 12 We see now through a glass in a dark manner; but then face to face. Now I know I part; but then I shall know even as I am known. 13 And now there remain Faith, Hope, and Charity, these three: but the greatest of these is Charity.*

l Corinthians Chapter 3
1 And I, brethren, could not speak to you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal. As unto little ones in Christ. 2* I gave you milk to drink, not meat; for you were not able as yet. But neither indeed are you now able; for you are yet carnal. *

When we are children in the spiritual life, we go by our feelings (carnal) and need to “feel good” about prayer and good works, duty etc., but when we begin to mature, it is time to walk with Faith (spiritual), the good feelings are withdrawn and this initially is very painful and also often can be very confusing and all sorts of negative thoughts re our Faith may creep in with which we need to battle and struggle. The awareness and feeling can be that we are going backwards in our spiritual life, when the truth is that we are advancing - that The Lord is leading us onwards.

.
 
From reading your post it seems you are working it out.
I know that weekly Mass will probably help tackle that… so maybe my next mission is to make it to one or two weekday Masses…
Click to expand...
I can recommend a weekday mass. Sometimes going a full 7 days without receiving the eucharist seems an eternity.

One suggestion that works for me. When I settle down for the night I think how positive I want to feel when I wake up. I did this a lot when I was opening the pool early at 5 a.m. Last year I bicycled to work everyday. This meant getting up at 3 a.m. (I had to have time to take the dogs out.) I would think about waking up ready to go. It never failed. It helped that I enjoy bicycling and that bicycling under a starry sky with during a cold crisp night is awesome! (Just have to watch out for garbage cans on garbage day…:eek: It is a long story and one the guys at the firehall will not let me forget.)

May God bless you and keep you

p.s. I bicycled to mass too, rain or liquid sunshine. It was great!
 
Thanks for your advice… Wow, bicycling everywhere… how adventurous… haha exercise isn’t my fortae, shall we say… but the advice about waking up positive is a good one 🙂
 
Consider committing to a ministry during a particular Mass – or after a particular Mass:
  • usher / collection
  • liturgical (extraordinary minister of Holy Communion, lector, or altar server)
  • coffee and donut hour
  • religious education teacher or aide
 
GodsPrincess

I have to ask, what made you become a Catholic in the first place?

Is it the uniqueness of the rituals, or the ascetics of the church?

If these are what inspired you to be Catholic, well, you found religion, but you haven’t found Christ.

Faith is what motivates me, to not only attend Mass, but commit myself to a life of prayer.

I think you need to ask Jesus for faith.

Being Christian is a life of surrender to Jesus. Whatever you give to God, he will multiply back a hundred times more. So, when you give your life to God, he gives it back with faith, a hundred times more.

There was a teaching that I learned a long time ago when I first accepted Christ into my life, called “Seed Faith.”

Seed faith means, when you plant a seed for God, and he multiplies the fruits of that seed, hundreds of times over.

For instance, when you plant the seed of a smile towards people, you will receive hundreds of smiles in return. When you plant the seed of kindness, you will receive kindness, much more than you’ve given. Inversely, plant the seed of hate, and you’ll receive hate.

So, give to God all that you are, and he will give you back your life, seventy times seven hundred, through the gift of faith.

Jim
 
No offense, but I don’t need you to doubt my faith or whether or not I have found Christ. I know I love Christ with all of my heart and each day I strive to serve Him. I am more prayerful than most Catholics I know, I consecrate my life each day to Jesus Christ.

A very good orthodox priest told me it wasn’t uncommon to struggle with Mass and that even priests do, even the great saints did. My faith motivates me to get out of bed from day to day, to do everything that I do for the glory and honor of Jesus. Do not tell me I need to pray for more faith.

You don’t know me, and I wasn’t looking for anyone to pick apart my faith, I was just pointing out a spiritual breakthru for myself. I am young, I am also young in faith. Give me a break.
 
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