Will Missing Mass in this Case, be a Mortal Sin?

[LilyM]

Certainly there are many times our family or friends will want us to do things that are sinful. If her family were planning not to go to church at all but out to an all-day music or sports event you certainly wouldn’t say she should skip Mass just to keep them happy.

And yes, the denomination we worship in matters - else why be Catholic at all? Or for that matter Christian? If we believe in Christ, we worship in His body which is the Catholic Church.

After all, Jews and Muslims also worship the one true God, so why not just go to a mosque or synagogue instead if that is more convenient and theology doesn’t matter?

 

[Chuck1]

Since I am a new Catholic perhaps someone can define this even more.

Or at least comment.

A found the very thought of posters fear of a Moral Sin if he/she does not attend Mass during a trip out of town is shocking to me. God would not want her/him to have such Fear. Going to Mass upon the return should be ok. Or at least I hope that it is.

Are we to a point that we are unable to make these decisions without consultation? I do not mean any ill will by saying this last sentence but I do believe we should attend Mass every Sat or Sunday if can. If we must go out of town and try to attend Mass that is ok too. IF we can not attend Mass or simply decide to keep peace in our families we are visiting God understands that too.

Life is simple, do the best that we can always …sometimes that means thinking of others before ourselves and in this case it might be better for the poster to return home then go to mass. Without Fear.

Maybe I have this all wrong.

That’s what i was trying to say in better words , I agree with you compleatly !
God would not mind but I would still participate in the prayers becuase its god but not receive commuion

 

[Mike30]

That’s what i was trying to say in better words , I agree with you compleatly !
God would not mind but I would still participate in the prayers becuase its god but not receive commuion

Whether or not you want to believe it, there is a difference between Catholicism and the verious protestant denominations. Going to a protestant gathering does in any way shape or form satisfy your obligation to attend Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation. It doesn’t. As to how God would feel, I don’t know and I cannot say. However, I do know that the Catholic Church **does not say **go ahead my friend. Feel free to go any other religious service thats convenient. It doesn’t matter since its all the same Gid anyway. Don’t worry about those old time pesky rules about Mass attendance. None of that applies any longer.

The Church has never said that and in all liklihood never will.

 

[Diana_Catherine]

Hello Everyone,

I need a bit of advise… It has been a few months now that I promised to visit some family members [this involves, staying with them for the weekend].

Now I normally go to a saturday evening mass, and If I miss that, I proceed to the sunday morning mass.

PROBLEM IS. The family members will be making preparations for me to come over on a friday evening and stay with the for the entire weekend. I will feel wrong to change the date, because the visit has already been postponed time and time again over the course of a few months, as there were issues with my schedule, changing the visit date AGAIN will cause “issues”.

NOW, these family members live in a fairly “distant” place, so public transportation will be unavailable for me to travel to a nearest Catholic church for a mass. Some of you will be thinking that the family could give me a lift to the nearest church, but that just would not happen BECAUSE, these family members are hardcore protestants, and would much rather taking me to their own protestant church> which they attend on both saturdays and sundays.

Asking them to take me to a Catholic church would be problematic for a few reasons:

1] After all I am going to be spending time with them for two days, so refusing to go to church with them, and attend mass INSTEAD would be intrusive and offensive to them.

2] I am just not able to argue about the protestant - catholic debate they will bring up If I ask them for a lift, the family situation is very delicate as I have not seen them for years, and religous arguments surfacing would not be pleasant.

3] There are more complications, mostly family issues which could complicate things> with one of them being the fact that they are the ones who baptised me as a protestant, many years ago when I was around age 5, AND they also know that I am a Catholic now, but are not very happy about it.

So, considering this> would missing mass this weekend be a sin? Should I just stick out visiting them, going to church with them and then attend a mass on the following monday when I leave their house? OR will attending a Friday Evening mass, before they pick me up at 8pm work as a one- time replacement for missing mass on saturday or sunday [considering all the complications]?

I would appreciate some advise. Thank you!

As others have said, I would email a priest and ask if you are unsure of what to do. Many people here are not going to understand your situation and will give you bad or wrong advice. I can’t answer for you either because I am not the one in the situation and I don’t know the people and I don’t know what you are up against but…

We must always do our best to make it to mass and not skip but at times there are circumstances and I can relate to the situation you’re in that I have protestant family who lives in a very remote area of the midwest and there is one Catholic church with the next being over an hour away as it is a heavily protestant area. This Catholic church has one mass per weekend and none during the week. We visit about two to three times per year, because they are close relatives and at times it is very difficult to make it to the mass, especially in the winter.

I, also understand how it is very easy for others to say to you, just stand up and tell them you are going to the Catholic church. Confrontation is not always easy and usually easier said than done. People can push pretty hard and get pretty upset when it comes to religion and get pretty insistent, so I can see where you would probably be uncomfortable asking them to take you, especially if they are already unhappy about your being Catholic and they are all headed some where else. You are probably a little leery of what type of reactions it would cause and if everyone else there is protestant and you are the only Catholic that is a very difficult situation to be in. You also sound young (I am not sure) but if this family is your parents or very close relatives that can make the situation even harder.

Again, I can’t answer for you but here it was asked similarly and answered by an apologist on this website.

forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=62351

I would pray very much about the situation and ask our Lord to give you wisdom and ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance and see what He does to help you in this situation. You might try a novena to the Holy Spirit for guidance.

God is a big God and as the saying goes, if He brought you to it, He will bring you through it.

And last when you can’t make it to mass I would make a spiritual communion. St. Thomas Aquinas called this: “an ardent desire to receive Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament and in lovingly embracing Him.”

Act of Spiritual Communion
by St. Alphonsus Liguori (A.D. 1696-1787)

My Jesus, I believe that Thou art present in the Blessed Sacrament. I love Thee above all things and I desire Thee in my soul. Since I cannot now receive Thee sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. As though thou wert already there, I embrace Thee and unite myself wholly to Thee; permit not that I should ever be separated from Thee.

Act of Spiritual Communion

O Immaculate Queen of Heaven and Earth, Mother of God and Mediatrix of every grace: I believe that Thy dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, is truly, really, and substantially contained in the Most Blessed Sacrament. I love Him above all things and I long to receive Him into my heart. Since I cannot now receive Him sacramentally, be so good as to place Him spiritually in my soul.

O my Jesus, I embrace Thee as One who has already come, and I unite myself entirely to Thee. Never permit me to be separated from Thee. Amen.

 

[Chuck1]

Whether or not you want to believe it, there is a difference between Catholicism and the verious protestant denominations. Going to a protestant gathering does in any way shape or form satisfy your obligation to attend Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation. It doesn’t. As to how God would feel, I don’t know and I cannot say. However, I do know that the Catholic Church **does not say **go ahead my friend. Feel free to go any other religious service thats convenient. It doesn’t matter since its all the same Gid anyway. Don’t worry about those old time pesky rules about Mass attendance. None of that applies any longer.

The Church has never said that and in all liklihood never will.

I know there is a difference between Protestant and Catholics and I know it doesn’t count for your obligation and its not like I’m saying go there and miss mass every week I’m just saying since her hands are kinda tied go to the Protestant church just this once pray to god and say the prayers but don’t receive commuion no it in so way compare to how great mass is but at least it’s better than nothing considering the situation so I don’t think god should mind on this occasion

 

[poche]

Make it a point to ask them where the Catholic church is. What is the mass schedule. And also bring enough money to pay the taxi to take you to mass if you have to.

 

[mcw013]

It is against the law of the Church for a Catholic to attend another religion’s service in the sense of for the purpose of worship, without having a good reason.

Yes, but I will not be attending their service for the purpose of worship, but for the purpose of keeping peaceful relations in the family, and not offending others.

 

[Diana_Catherine]

Since I am a new Catholic perhaps someone can define this even more.

Or at least comment.

A found the very thought of posters fear of a Moral Sin if he/she does not attend Mass during a trip out of town is shocking to me. God would not want her/him to have such Fear. Going to Mass upon the return should be ok. Or at least I hope that it is.

Are we to a point that we are unable to make these decisions without consultation? I do not mean any ill will by saying this last sentence but I do believe we should attend Mass every Sat or Sunday if can. If we must go out of town and try to attend Mass that is ok too. IF we can not attend Mass or simply decide to keep peace in our families we are visiting God understands that too.

Life is simple, do the best that we can always …sometimes that means thinking of others before ourselves and in this case it might be better for the poster to return home then go to mass. Without Fear.

Maybe I have this all wrong.

She can attend, she just should not participate in any liturgical actions that are at variance with Catholic teaching. Especially she can not receive communion.

The best would be for her to sit quietly in the back, stand when they stand, but don’t participate in any prayers. That’s what I’ve done when invited to non-Catholic weddings.

God Bless

I don’t like attending protestant services and go only to weddings and funerals but what you described above is what I do and would suggest also.

Whether or not you want to believe it, there is a difference between Catholicism and the verious protestant denominations. Going to a protestant gathering does in any way shape or form satisfy your obligation to attend Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation. It doesn’t. As to how God would feel, I don’t know and I cannot say. However, I do know that the Catholic Church **does not say **go ahead my friend. Feel free to go any other religious service thats convenient. It doesn’t matter since its all the same Gid anyway. Don’t worry about those old time pesky rules about Mass attendance. None of that applies any longer.

The Church has never said that and in all liklihood never will.

I don’t think that is what Chuck1 was saying at all. None of us are in the OP situation and shouldn’t be reading more into what is being said. The OP did not even say I am doing this for convenience and just the fact that the OP is seeking answers for this situation tells me they are concerned about the rules.

 

[mommamaree]

Can you email your pastor? BTW, only your pastor can give you the dispensation, not any priest in your parish. Recently, my family was going through a difficult time and circumstances made it quite a hardship for me to figure out how to get to mass for a holy day of obligation. I emailed my pastor, whose email address I got from the parish office. I explained the details of our situation to him and asked for his guidance. He offered a dispensation as well as prayers to sustain us in our trials. I gratefully accepted both. It took less than 24 hours to resolve. It is true that priests are very busy, but remember who they are busy FOR. They are ministering to their flocks, and doing it for love of the Lord. Pastoring is what they DO, and asking for pastoral guidance is to be expected. God bless you.

 

[SecretGarden]

Missing the rare weekend to visit family as far as I’m concerned is nothing wrong. The church teaches that it’s important to go to mass every week but I think we also need to be human and realistic. If one is going to spend a weekend away at a family member’s house, I don’t personally see a problem of visiting their church as a family. Family time is important and it is the same God. As long as the family doesn’t push any anti-Catholic theology or doctrine in your face, go and have a good time. Sometimes the Catholic church can seem so rule like and the church isn’t about following the rules, it’s about having an active relationship with God. Who knows you might learn something.

 

[mlz]

As the Only Catholic in my family and my husbands I understand your situation, however, we must do what we know is right regardless to what they think. In other words, we obey God, not man. I realize how hard this is and not being prepared to discuss why you do this is something you need to work on. (I’m trying to be better at explaining myself) Going to Mass is a strong witness that your faith is important to you, doing otherwise gives the wrong perspective. We live in difficult days but we must remain strong and stand up for what we believe and be true disciples of Christ.

My prayers for you,
mlz