Weekend fairs, festivals, etc. and fitting in Mass

[Rosebud77]

Having known more than enough people who go to Mass because of the “obligation” and who express an attitude of the same, I used the analogy of the child. I have also met parents who are are emotionally removed from their children… I will happily stand by my analogy. Try reading Messy and Foolish, by Matthew Warner.

Still makes no sense and I have no access to or need of books so rely totally on prayer and the bible etc.

A sick child is an emergency. Going to mass is not. And you seem to be basing your ideas on judging others also. None of our business what others do , we answer only for our own actions… Keeping our eyes on our own page …

Blessings this day and over and OUT from me. Although…

 

[otjm]

The rule is simple - one has to fulfill one’s Sunday obligation but if one is unable to due to acceptable reason, one can be excused from mass on such day. In this case, an advice was already given by the priest whereby the OP is to exercise her own conscience and she decided to attend mass.

Sometimes it is easy for us on the outside of another person’s life to determine for her because we are not there. The fact is we do not know for sure how important it is for her livelihood which is often acceptable as reason to miss the mass, the Church being a compassionate Church.

People who live in countries where they have to work on Sundays, not working means a big decision that affect their lives. There are also others who work ungodly hours and yet others where sometimes business opportunity falls on Sunday.

Thus while recognizing our Sunday obligation, we must at the same time be reasonable enough to make the choice. It is not about abdicating our obligation or missing mass on purpose. Many times the importance of the reason for attending or not, only the person herself knows and if needs be, to get a priest’s advice.

There are indeed devoted people who would forgo everything to attend mass, but if that is the case where no consideration is given for people with odd occupations to miss it, then that’s not right. That’s not what the Church wants.

I think you missed my point, just about entirely.

 

[Reuben_J]

I think you missed my point, just about entirely.

I think it is the other way round.

That was my point. You were responding to it.

But okay it doesn’t mean you cannot comment. Actually for this thread, I was only interested in responding to the OP and what I think it is for her.

Peace.

 

[otjm]

Still makes no sense and I have no access to or need of books so rely totally on prayer and the bible etc.

A sick child is an emergency. Going to mass is not. And you seem to be basing your ideas on judging others also. None of our business what others do , we answer only for our own actions… Keeping our eyes on our own page …

Blessings this day and over and OUT from me. Although…

A sick child may or may not be an emergency. A sick child may be slowly dying of cancer. Yo miss the point, and please don’t give me that sop about judging others. I provide something for reflection; and I do not suggest that we judge anyone but rather that they have the information sufficient to effectively judge themselves.

One of the things people suffer from is a lack of perspective. We all get caught up in our daily routine, and we all have a tendency to take on values which may or may not be the ones Christ guides us to. And coupled with that is getting so involved, because of those value we have taken on, that we don’t step back and deeply reflect on where we are going, and why we are going that specific direction.

I have been around a long time, and I have seen plenty of people, and heard plenty of people speak about Mass. Sadly, I have met far, far too many who see Mass as an obligation, and going to Mass because they love Christ is not part of their thought patterns, attitudes, and values.

i can’t make people change; but I can say something that has, on more than one occasion, challenged someone to change. You might say I was not minding my own business. But the last time I heard it said, evangelizing is my business - and every other Catholic’s.

The OP has a tough row to hoe. Having a spouse who apparently does not put any priority on going to Mass makes for a difficult home life. In a way, there is a similarity to having someone - spouse, child, parent, sibling, who is part of the family out of obligation, not choice. If we have not experienced it personally, then we have had the opportunity to see it in others. And it is a bit of a stretch of credulity to think that what is reflected between those in such a situation is not fairly indicative of their relationship with Christ.

Yes, there is an obligation to go to Mass, and yes, there are times when we cannot attend, for valid reasons. But if we reduce going to Mass to an obligation, then I say it is time to step back, and take a look at our relationship with Christ. Is that an obligation? Or is it something deeper - a relationship of love?

I may love my wife deeply, but there are times where I need to be somewhere else; there may be times I need to miss something with her. I can speak of my obligation to her; but if that is the main focus of what I do with and to her, that marriage relationship is going to look like a contract, not a covenant relationship. So it is with Christ.

 

[Secret_Square]

OK, here’s another update. The second festival has come and gone and I was able to make it to Mass both weekends because customer traffic was WAY down from last year, so we left 2-3 hours early each day. We are probably not going to do this particular festival again because it was, quite frankly, not worth the effort this year. In fact we are skipping tomorrow because we had only one sale all day today…

 

[Rosebud77]

OK, here’s another update. The second festival has come and gone and I was able to make it to Mass both weekends because customer traffic was WAY down from last year, so we left 2-3 hours early each day. We are probably not going to do this particular festival again because it was, quite frankly, not worth the effort this year. In fact we are skipping tomorrow because we had only one sale all day today…

Sorry about the lack of trade. My family in Canada are suffering the same way; only 2 Christmas markets this yearand we totally rely on the income to feed the babies and homeless in our care.

Before the assault that stopped my street trading, takings were going down, and a trader I know says that this year all was down by 50% here in Ireland. Even at Puck Fair

I sell well as I sell for charity but am retiring after Christmas; heading for 80 at an alarming pace… Will be knitting hopefully for specialist markets and if I can, on the internet if i can get someone to put me up a website

Here in Ireland it seemed that everyone thought they could make a killing on the markets and fairs and now the boom is over

 

[ShrodingersCat]

This last sentence makes me sad. We all need money to live. Period, We all need to work to earn money. I also trade at craft fairs and if they are at some distance, given that I live deep rural, then it becomes impossible to attend mass. I trade to “feed the hungry.”

As does the OP to support her family.

I had a friendly discussion with the PP once at a fair; he was off across the road to mass and wanted that i join him. I could not leave the stall unattended,. He understood.

While there are doubtless some who miss mass too easily the OP is certainly not one such.
Do you say this also, and I speak in deep respect, Father, to shift workers in eg medicine or fire fighters? Should they not work?

How do you know this Rosebud? If you read the Father’s post, he is asking the OP to reflect on WHY she is missing mass. How do you know that this isn’t a hobby rather than essential work? Also, the OP made it clear that it is possible for them to get mass; there are mass times in the parish that are outside of fair trading hours. You cannot take your own situation and apply it to the OP’s.

 

[Secret_Square]

Sorry about the lack of trade. My family in Canada are suffering the same way; only 2 Christmas markets this yearand we totally rely on the income to feed the babies and homeless in our care.

Before the assault that stopped my street trading, takings were going down, and a trader I know says that this year all was down by 50% here in Ireland. Even at Puck Fair

I sell well as I sell for charity but am retiring after Christmas; heading for 80 at an alarming pace… Will be knitting hopefully for specialist markets and if I can, on the internet if i can get someone to put me up a website

Here in Ireland it seemed that everyone thought they could make a killing on the markets and fairs and now the boom is over

We heard similar reports from other vendors at the first festival we went to in September. At that one, we made slightly less than we had last year. People in the USA are not spending money at these events as much as they did last year – I suspect there is a great deal of anxiety about the future right now… partly but not entirely due to the impending election. At the second event, we signed up for a venue that had been very busy last year with multiple vendors – this year it turned out we were the ONLY ones there, hence the lack of traffic.

 

[Rosebud77]

We heard similar reports from other vendors at the first festival we went to in September. At that one, we made slightly less than we had last year. People in the USA are not spending money at these events as much as they did last year – I suspect there is a great deal of anxiety about the future right now… partly but not entirely due to the impending election. At the second event, we signed up for a venue that had been very busy last year with multiple vendors – this year it turned out we were the ONLY ones there, hence the lack of traffic.

That is hard and I suppose understandable.

I have one three day event that is always well supported , then two or three Christmas Fairs. These are local events and I am well known and well supported thankfully . I sell hand made knitting, rosaries, preserves, my books etc.

And tiny Christmas tree decorations, hand knitted.

The y keep saying the recession is over here , but few signs of it in reality. And Brexit is having some effect; my pension is way down; It comes in from the UK and sterling is low.