Why is Sunday mass obligatory ... If you go the other days?

[sabrinaofmn]

If a good Catholic goes to mass several days of the week every week but does not go on Sunday, why is that a mortal sin? Why is it so important to attend on Sunday?

My husband and I are considering converting, and we are interested to hear why attending mass on a weekday wouldn’t fulfill one’s obilgation.

 

[Maggie]

I have been told (I won’t answer as though it’s the official teaching, I’ll let someone else do that) that it is the day we specifically set aside to celebrate the Lord’s Resurection.

 

[milimac]

Maggie:

I have been told (I won’t answer as though it’s the official teaching, I’ll let someone else do that) that it is the day we specifically set aside to celebrate the Lord’s Resurection.

Seems to make sense, especially considering that the Church still encourages some sort of fast or penance on Fridays. That would make each Friday a version of Good Friday, and thus each Sunday would be a version of Easter.

 

[davefl]

We live in The Villages, Florida. Many times on Sundays (particularly during the winter months) the church is too crowded…people have to stand…often in the vestibule…no place to park…
This is a retirement community…
One priest said, “the Villages should quit selling to Catholics!!” LOL!!
I realize this one of the Commandments of the Church…but perhaps, our Church should be making exceptions…particularly for “senior citizens”.
I do pray the Mass several times during the week…but, yes, I try ALWAYS to obey the Church commandments…
:tiphat:

 

[davidv]

sabrinaofmn:

If a good Catholic goes to mass several days of the week every week but does not go on Sunday, why is that a mortal sin? Why is it so important to attend on Sunday?

My husband and I are considering converting, and we are interested to hear why attending mass on a weekday wouldn’t fulfill one’s obilgation.

sabrinaofmn,

The reason that it may be a mortal sin (three conditions must be met for a sin to be mortal, 1) it is a grave matter - which this is, 2) it is committed with full knowledge and 3) with deliberate consent), is that Missing Mass on the Lord’s Dayis a serious offense against the commands of God:
8 Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy.
Ex 20:8 (NRSV)

Attending Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation is also the first “precept” of the Church. From the Catechism of the Catholic Church 2041): “The precepts … meant to guarantee to the faithful the indispensable minimum in the spirit of prayer and moral effort, in the growth in love of God and neighbor:”

The Catholic Church in her wisdom has designated Sunday as The Lord’s Day to be set aside to focus on our God so that we can become like him. Notice I used The Lord’s Day, not the sabboth. The sabbath was an old covenant observance. The new covenant brought about with the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus called for a new day to set aside for God. There are probably a lot of theogical reasons for daily mass “not counting” toward our “obligation”, but the simplist to me is it is like our celibrations of Independence day. To show unity we all celibrate Independence Day on July 4th. Likewise we as Catholics join together on Sundays to worship God and rest from our weekday duties.
That said, I’m not sure why you would choose to disobey the Church by not going to mass on Sunday (or the Saturday Mass of Anticipation - which has been approved in the US), then show up for daily mass, thinking that was a suitable substitute.

God Bless your inquiries,
David

 

[Emmy]

Well what if you have to work on Sundays so you can
make it to mass then?

Emmy

 

[Fitz]

Emmy:

Well what if you have to work on Sundays so you can
make it to mass then?

Emmy

Emmy, most Catholic churches have a Saturday evening mass around 5 or 6pm usually that fulfills the Sunday obligation to take care of that need. Many people do attend that mass when they won’t be able to go on Sundays. If you live in a fairly populated area you would be able to find many times to attend. In the 3 or 4 towns near me one could go to mass starting at 6am on Sunday, all the way to 6pm on Sunday- practically on the hour. Most Catholic hospitals also have a mass, and in Chicago even OHare airport has a mass. The internet is a good source for finding all the various masses.

 

[hawkeye]

Remember that thou keep Holy the Sabbath day.

 

[Mijoy2]

I am coming back to the faith after a 30 year absence. The particular problem I have with Sunday obligation is that over the last 30 years I have lived a lifestyle where a number of weekends throughout the year I am offshore either for the entire weekend or from 3-4 AM to late at night on a given Sunday (and preping all day Saturday). It is impossible to get to Mass when 25-100 miles offshore But I am working on solutions.

 

[MichaelTDoyle]

milimac:

Seems to make sense, especially considering that the Church still encourages some sort of fast or penance on Fridays. That would make each Friday a version of Good Friday, and thus each Sunday would be a version of Easter.

The Church still requires some small sacrifice on Fridays. abstinence I believe used to be required but in America you can substitute some other sacrifice–not substitute it for nothing. I could be in error on the particulars. Could someone confirm?

Thanks

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

Mass on Sunday is called a “Little Easter” in some of the early writings. The apostles always met to “break Bread” on the “first day of the week”. So Sunday is the primary day of worship for Christians.

 

[davidv]

MichaelTDoyle:

The Church still requires some small sacrifice on Fridays. abstinence I believe used to be required but in America you can substitute some other sacrifice–not substitute it for nothing. I could be in error on the particulars. Could someone confirm?

Thanks

That is correct. The Catechism of the Catholic Church in article 1438 indicates the “seasons and days of penance” are “Lent and each Friday”.

David

 

[Emmy]

Fitz:

Emmy, most Catholic churches have a Saturday evening mass around 5 or 6pm usually that fulfills the Sunday obligation to take care of that need. Many people do attend that mass when they won’t be able to go on Sundays. If you live in a fairly populated area you would be able to find many times to attend. In the 3 or 4 towns near me one could go to mass starting at 6am on Sunday, all the way to 6pm on Sunday- practically on the hour. Most Catholic hospitals also have a mass, and in Chicago even OHare airport has a mass. The internet is a good source for finding all the various masses.

Yes we do have a mass on Saturdayeve at 7 pm, on Sunday though we only have a mass at 11.30 pm. Sometimes I work a late shift on Saturday and Sunday´s an early shift. Then I can´t go to church at all that weekend.

Emmy

 

[T.A.Stobie_SFO]

Emmy:

Yes we do have a mass on Saturdayeve at 7 pm, on Sunday though we only have a mass at 11.30 pm. Sometimes I work a late shift on Saturday and Sunday´s an early shift. Then I can´t go to church at all that weekend.

Emmy

In that case, that one is obligated to work (assuming that they do not have the option of not working) during all possible times to make their Sunday obligation, going to a daily mass in lieu of the Sunday mass that they could not make is a good thing.

Some parishes have Sunday evening masses. You may want to check around with the mass times at other parishes and local monasteries. You may find additional times that would allow you to fulfill your obligation.

In many necessary services (medical care, police, etc.) weekend shift work is required to provide essential service to others. This can lessen the obligation to make Mass depending on the length of the shifts and the availability of Masses in the area outside the time of shifts.

 

[gomer_tree]

If you look through the “Ask an Apologist” thread, some of you may be relieved to hear that if you are in a near impossible situation on Sunday, out of your control (remote locations, etc.) then the Mass isn’t obligatory. Of course, one needs to be intellectually honest as to how good of an effort was made to attend Mass, but it’s not as if the Church says “I don’t care that you are camping with no vehicle and are a 28 mile hike from a Church! You must make it!”

One reason you should want to make every effort to attend on Sunday is the fact that it’s the day most people celebrate. The entire world is hearing the same readings, saying and singing the same prayers, together as a community. Through the Eucharist we are joined in the body of Christ. While that also happens on weekdays, you are celebrating with far fewer faithful than on the Lord’s Day.

 

[Emmy]

Yes I work in a nursinghome so I do have weekendshift too.
Usually I have an early shift on Saturday so I can go to the eveningmass then. We only have on Tuesdayevening, Thursdaymorning, Saturdayevening and Sundaymorning a mass here.

Emmy

 

[petra]

I am struggling to understand this, as well. I’m learning more about what scrupulosity is and I’m trying to learn to differentiate discernment of legalism with scrupulosity.

To some extent, some of the Church’s rules seem arbitrary. A few years ago, I call my parish to make an appointment with the priest. I was a vew days before New Year’s day. The answering machine picked up and there was a message stating that Jan. 1 was no longer a Holy Day of Obligation. I don’t know when the Church decided it wasn’t, but at one time, it was mortal sin to miss Mass on Jan 1. Now it isn’t.

Isn’t sin, sin? How can the Church suddenly declare something to be sin (mortal sin, no less!), or conversely say it isn’t? Somehow, I think God’s view of sin doesn’t change. Morality is not relative. Neither is Truth.

I love Mass and I go regularly. However, I don’t go if I’m on vacation. My husband is not Catholic and he would not understand if I insisted we go while on vacation.

I’ve had a close personal relationship with God for a long time before becoming a Catholic. I don’t feel I’m rejecting Him in anyway if I happen to miss Mass on occasion. He is close in my heart. We fellowship all the time. I believe it is extremely important to go to Mass as much as possible. But I don’t believe He is condemning me to hell if I miss once.

Peace.

 

[T.A.Stobie_SFO]

petra:

To some extent, some of the Church’s rules seem arbitrary. A few years ago, I call my parish to make an appointment with the priest. I was a vew days before New Year’s day. The answering machine picked up and there was a message stating that Jan. 1 was no longer a Holy Day of Obligation. I don’t know when the Church decided it wasn’t, but at one time, it was mortal sin to miss Mass on Jan 1. Now it isn’t.

Isn’t sin, sin? How can the Church suddenly declare something to be sin (mortal sin, no less!), or conversely say it isn’t? Somehow, I think God’s view of sin doesn’t change. Morality is not relative. Neither is Truth.

There are church practices and moral laws. Some of the practices are designed to help us fulfill the moral laws, such as holy days of obligations; some are designed to help us grow closer to God, such as fasting.

Jan. 1 is still a Holy Day of Obligation, but in some years, in some places, the obligation is lifted by the bishop with approval of the Vatican.

Back to the original issue of Sunday mass as obligatory. Yes, they are, but there are, and the Church recognizes it, valid reasons that one might be unable to attend. If one is fulfilling an necessary role of service in the community, such as providing services as a nursing home, in this case, the obligation is relaxed and can even be dismissed under the right circumstances.

Emmy understands the importance of Sunday mass and want to attend Sunday mass and is distressed that she has to miss on some Sundays. Is she sinning, probably not. Her going to extra daily masses to make up for it is a good substitute for not be able to make Sunday mass and would be pleasing to God.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

The Holy day dispensation is by individual Bishop. A Bishop can for his diocese decide that if a Holy day lands on a Saturday or Monday the Obligation is dispensed with. I personally do not like the fact the most Bishops have moved Ascension Thursday’s obligation to the next Sunday. Other than that fewer and fewer were attending on Thursday there was no reason or need for this. They should have preached the obligation the prior Sunday and held a special day of Reflection and Reconciliation the following Saturday. Reminding everyone that if you missed Thursday do not come up for Communion until you go to Confession. But most pastors wimp out.

 

[Todd_Easton]

petra:

To some extent, some of the Church’s rules seem arbitrary. …
Isn’t sin, sin? How can the Church suddenly declare something to be sin (mortal sin, no less!), or conversely say it isn’t? Somehow, I think God’s view of sin doesn’t change. Morality is not relative. Neither is Truth…

The pastoral authorities of the Church, desirous of helping the faithful maintain a spirit of prayer and of helping them grow in love of God and neighbor have established certain holy days of obligation and days of penance, things which they can change for pastoral reasons. You are, however, always obliged to “Obey your leaders and submit to them”(Hebrews 13:17). The sin in missing Mass on a designated holy day of obligation or in not keeping a Friday abstainence from meat, for instance, is a sin of disobedience to Church authorities and is not based on something inherent in a particular day of the year or a particular food. As St. Paul says, “One man esteems one day as better than another, while another man esteems all days alike. Let every one be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. He also who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God; while he who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God.” (Romans 14:5-6)

Todd