URGENT: I can't attend Mass on Sundays

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Dempsey1919

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I’ve gotten a new job that will require me to work three days on and three days off. This is what my work pattern for the next month (January 2008) will look like:

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday
Sunday, Monday, Tuesday
Saturday,** Sunday,** Monday
Friday, Saturday, Sunday

As you can see, for the month of January, I will be working on three Sundays. My shifts begin at 8:30am and end at 8:30pm which means I will be working 12 hour days.

I will not be working set days. Every week I will work different days but it will always be three days on and three off.

I don’t know what to do. I hate the fact that I will miss Sunday Mass because I look forward to this every week. It really relaxes me and gets me ready for the week ahead. I love to spend time with the real presence in the Eucharist.

Another thing that saddens me is the fact that I will be unable to attend the Tridentine Mass. My church offers this Mass once a week at 11:30 on a Sunday and I will be working during this time. I like the Pauline Mass but the Tridentine Mass really enriches my spiritual life; I really love this Mass and I feel moved to attend.

I also meet with my Priest on Saturday for confession, and afterwards he teaches me CCD in preparation for my Confirmation. I am afraid that I will not be able to attend these sessions either.

What should I do? Will I be committing a mortal sin by working on Sundays? Can I fulfill my obligation during the week? For instance, could I attend Mass on a Wednesday instead of a Sunday on those weeks when I will be unable to attend on Sunday?

This is causing me a lot of stress. The job is important but my faith is even more important. I really don’t know what to do about this. I don’t want to put my job before the Lord but everyone says that I’ve got to earn a living and that God will understand. What do you think?

Any advice will be appreciated.

Thanks
 
I know that a wednesday mass doesn’t replace a sunday mass, but the ONE week you can go to a saturday mass for the sunday vigil. Don’t know what you can do about the other sundays 😦

You have NO way of changing your work schedule or finding another job right? What does your priest think?
 
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Sina:
You have NO way of changing your work schedule or finding another job right? What does your priest think?
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I had the interview today and I was given that shift pattern. I should have spoken up when she asked me if that shift pattern was okay but I thought it best to go with the flow because I had just gotten the job. I didn’t want to cause any problems. I feel guilty about it now though.

I haven’t talked to my priest about it but I will when I see him on Saturday. I don’t start work until January.

I’ve just left University so I need this job. The pay is very good and it will enable me to do things that I have wanted to do for years. The job will not be permanent; it will not become a career, I’m only there to earn money so that I can open my own boxing gym. I hope to use the money to do a home-study course on business and then write a business plan for a boxing gym. Eventually, it is my aim to be self-emloyed and this job will really help to make this a reality.

My faith is the most important thing in my life. This is what my family and friends don’t understand. Nothing is more important to me than Jesus and his Church. However, this job will really help me to realise my goals in life. It is a total conflict of interests and I don’t know what to do to solve this problem.
 
Just noticed that probably would not work. Maybe there is a parish with a 7am Mass that you could go to? Or perhaps you get a lunch hour?
 
Dempsey1919 said:
I had the interview today and I was given that shift pattern. I should have spoken up when she asked me if that shift pattern was okay but I thought it best to go with the flow because I had just gotten the job. I didn’t want to cause any problems. I feel guilty about it now though.
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You shouldn’t. You would obviously love to properly observe the Lord’s day, but really need this job. In my experience, scheduling is a real hassle for management and you’d be taking a huge risk by asking for special consideration before you proved your worth (and they had invested time and money in training you).

Just get through it and remember God as much as you can at work. I think that you’re sincere and that God will understand.
 
Call your priest. Let him know your new schedule. He will probbaly give you a dispensation from your Mass obligation if there isn’t a Saturday evening anticipated Mass you could attend. And during this time do try to get to daily Mass when you can since you will receive so many graces from regular reception of communion.
 
At my parish there are 6 am Masses and there are late night Masses at the local university (10pm) on Sunday. Perhaps you could look around your diocese and find a parish that has those options.
 
kevinsgirl said:
At my parish there are 6 am Masses and there are late night Masses at the local university (10pm) on Sunday. Perhaps you could look around your diocese and find a parish that has those options.
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Our local University has a 9:00 PM Mass on Sunday for the college kids who are coming back to campus. Maybe one of the colleges in your area would have something similar.

Peace,
Linda
 
Sr Sally:
Call your priest. Let him know your new schedule. He will probbaly give you a dispensation from your Mass obligation if there isn’t a Saturday evening anticipated Mass you could attend. And during this time do try to get to daily Mass when you can since you will receive so many graces from regular reception of communion.
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I’m meeting with my priest tomorrow and I’ll let him know all about it. I hope that he can give a dispensation like you mentioned; I still feel guilty for not attending on Sunday but at least this would be better. I’ll attend the Saturday vigil every week when I can, and I’ll attend daily Masses at the monastery on my days off.

I’m trying to see the good things about this situation aswell. I’ve always wanted to go to daily Mass during the week and this has afforded me the opportunity to do so. Even though I’ll miss Mass on Sunday, I may end up attending Mass more than once a week. Like they say, every cloud has a silver lining; maybe I’ve just found it.

This job will not interfere with my faith. I won’t let it. I’m determined to do all that I can to fulfill my obligations, and serve the Lord. I’ve made a commitment and I intend to keep it.

Thanks for the replies everyone. I was in turmoil over this but now I feel better.
 
Another idea…

At some point, maybe you could ask your job to schedule you either a Sunday OR a Saturday off every week?
 
I also worked rotating shifts for a few years, 2 days off, which rotated, so I had Sundays off twice in a 6 week period. the plant was in the industrial area along the lakefront just east of downtown, and at that time there were still some of the old ethnic parishes still active in the area, and I could duck out on my lunch hour (with permission) or go before or after work sometimes. bonus was it usually worked out that I could get to Holy Day Masses, even though I missed Sunday Mass 2-3 times a month. I spoke to my pastor at the time, explained the situation, and the need for the job, and he gave me a dispensation, but told me to take the first slot that opened up for a better shift, which I did. When I worked at USPS, also long shifts, months at a time w/o a day off, I often caught a late evening Mass at the campus student ministry center, since I did not have time to drive home, change and get to Mass in our own parish between shifts, barely time to eat.
 
I’ll just have to attend any Mass at any time that I can. It certainly isn’t ideal but it will have to be this way until I can ask for a shift change. I’ll wait until I’m settled into the job before I ask though.
 
I used to work at a 24-hour restaurant and weekends would often be crazy, as I would sometimes work graveyard shift Friday night, swing shift Saturday, and day shift on Sunday. What I did was find out the mass schedules of all the neighboring parishes. Believe it or not, I always was able to fulfill my Mass obligation.
 
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