Working on Sunday

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George789

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I hope this is the right place to ask this question. I am in a tight financial situation and I am faced with a situation of going full-time (currently part-time) Fri-Sun 6am-6:30pm: its call the weekend shift. Hence, I would miss mass every Sunday. Its work that is indirectly connnected with the trucking industry so its not public service work. I explained this situation to my parish priest and he said it was ok to do so since I needed the money. Is this right? I thought this would be mortal sin to miss mass on Sunday? I appreciate any (name removed by moderator)ut. Thank you.
 
1.) You don’t have to go Mass in your own parish. You might find one in another that is during your lunch hour, or on your way home. Go to www.MassTimes.org and se what’s in your area. Another parish might have a late evening Mass on Saturday or Sunday.
2.) If you truly need the money to support your family with the basics of life, think of this as a temporary measure. Try to find something else with better hours.
3.) If you already checked with your priest, and he said go ahead, then do it.
 
The pastor is the competent authority to transfer your obligation to another day. You can then go to mass every Wednesday or any day of the week!
 
George789 said:
I hope this is the right place to ask this question. I am in a tight financial situation and I am faced with a situation of going full-time (currently part-time) Fri-Sun 6am-6:30pm: its call the weekend shift. Hence, I would miss mass every Sunday. Its work that is indirectly connnected with the trucking industry so its not public service work. I explained this situation to my parish priest and he said it was ok to do so since I needed the money. Is this right? I thought this would be mortal sin to miss mass on Sunday? I appreciate any (name removed by moderator)ut. Thank you.
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if your priest dispensed you there is no sin.
when you are able to change the situation you can do so.
Options that might be available to you depending on your area are a Lifeteen Mass which are often later at night, or a Mass on a college campus. Putting up with the lifeteen can be offered up as your penance. I know some firefighters, nurses and hospital techs that work similar shifts, and have a similar problem. they go when they can.
 
Catechism of the Catholic Church:
“2181 The Sunday Eucharist is the foundation and confirmation of all Christian practice. For this reason the faithful are obliged to participate in the Eucharist on days of obligation, unless excused for a serious reason (for example, illness, the care of infants) or dispensed by their own pastor. [footnote 119: Cf. CIC, can. 1245.] Those who deliberately fail in this obligation commit a grave sin.”
 
John_Lilburne said:
Catechism of the Catholic Church:
“2181 The Sunday Eucharist is the foundation and confirmation of all Christian practice. For this reason the faithful are obliged to participate in the Eucharist on days of obligation, unless excused for a serious reason (for example, illness, the care of infants) or dispensed by their own pastor. [footnote 119: Cf. CIC, can. 1245.] Those who deliberately fail in this obligation commit a grave sin.”
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Thanks for the CCC quote. The line I bolded is the crucial one, at least from my point of view.
 
Code of Canon Law, canon 1245:
“Can. 1245 Without prejudice to the right of diocesan bishops mentioned in can. 87, for a just cause and according to the prescripts of the diocesan bishop, a pastor can grant in individual cases a dispensation from the obligation of observing a feast day or a day of penance or can grant a commutation of the obligation into other pious works. A superior of a religious institute or society of apostolic life, if they are clerical and of pontifical right, can also do this in regard to his own subjects and others living in the house day and night.”

“Can. 87 §1. A diocesan bishop, whenever he judges that it contributes to their spiritual good, is able to dispense the faithful from universal and particular disciplinary laws issued for his territory or his subjects by the supreme authority of the Church. He is not able to dispense, however, from procedural or penal laws nor from those whose dispensation is specially reserved to the Apostolic See or some other authority.”

From vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/_INDEX.HTM
 
Thanks for the postings. I should have stressed that I need the money not for extra stuff but to get out of debt. Currently, I am financially dependent on my parents and in order to get out on my own, look for better employment, get additional education, up grade my 99Kmi car, get health insurance, save for retirement, and most important pay for counciling expenses. I need to start working now. I can’t help but think that I will be sent to hell for working on Sunday; even part of the day. :eek:
 
hopefully this will be a short term arrangement until you find a better job, and the reasons you have discussed with the priest, and he is the one to counsel you, so if you have a dispensation there is no sin. But a grandparental warning at this stage of your life will not come amiss: if you form a pattern in your life of solving problems that ignores God and duty to God, you are bound to fail in the long run. If you do not order your education, work and other aspects of life through discernment of God’s will for you at each stage of life, and put your duty in justice and love to praise and worship him before all else, none of the rest will matter, none of it will avail you anything in the long run.
 
Thought I’d jump in and ask a similair question.
I work in a major electrical generating station. I work in the maintenance dept for a union contractor. Here’s my question, I took a job from the union hall for a temp job and it turned into a steady one. In order for one to be a “steady” it requires one be available at all times 7 days a week. If I don’t I could be layed off.
All that means is I would have to go to dispatch and get another job. The problem is work is slow and you must go to the bottom of the list. Long story short, when work is slow you may be out of work for some time.
I think I may answered my own question.
Thanks
grapes
 
George789 said:
I hope this is the right place to ask this question. I am in a tight financial situation and I am faced with a situation of going full-time (currently part-time) Fri-Sun 6am-6:30pm: its call the weekend shift. Hence, I would miss mass every Sunday. Its work that is indirectly connnected with the trucking industry so its not public service work. I explained this situation to my parish priest and he said it was ok to do so since I needed the money. Is this right? I thought this would be mortal sin to miss mass on Sunday? I appreciate any (name removed by moderator)ut. Thank you.
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Man was not made for the sabbath, the sabbath was made for man - Jesus said that.

Right now, it’s necessary for you to do this. Your priest has given his permission, which means that it’s all good.

Young people just starting out are often forced to work the undesirable shifts - Sunday is the least desirable workday of the week, which means that the low man on the totem pole works on Sundays. Don’t worry - this, too, shall pass. In the meantime, save up as much as you can, become as independent as you can, and when you get older with more experience, you will be able to write your own work schedule.

Stay the course. 🙂
 
What if you work Sunday AND go to church? I’m lucky that our parish has a 5pm mass. I often have to work sundays, I own my own business. If I have to, I’ll work sunday part of the day and go to late mass.

I’m not sure why more churches don’t have evening masses on sundays. It’s certainly a lot more convenient.
 
thomasf said:
What if you work Sunday AND go to church? I’m lucky that our parish has a 5pm mass. I often have to work sundays, I own my own business. If I have to, I’ll work sunday part of the day and go to late mass.

I’m not sure why more churches don’t have evening masses on sundays. It’s certainly a lot more convenient.
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I agree. Thankfully, my parish has a 7 pm Sunday Mass (and a 7 pm Mass on Saturday too, so I guess that counts as two 7 pm Sunday Masses). 🙂

George789, as other posters have suggested, have you checked to see if there’s a parish close to your work that has Mass during your lunch break on Sunday, or a 7 pm Mass?
 
Unfortunately, my local parish area doesn’t have a mass time that would fit that schedule. To work the weekend shift I have to be at work at 5:50 am for 6 and work until 6:30 pm. I Usually get up around 4am. Mass in nearby towns is over by then. I am also considering driving time and sleep. My point is “squeezing in” a mass before or after work isn’t possible. Although, I have considered it.
 
I have spoken to my pastor and a neighboring church pastor explaining my situation. Both priests agree that there would no sin if I worked the weekend shift. I am battling scrupulosity so this is really hard for me to just accept that its OK. I see in the posts above CC 1281 and Can 1245; that seems like a special case. I could use a little reassurance that this is a common practice in the Church.
 
My brother sometimes has this happen to him. Our pastor told him that he could go to a mass during the week and it would be all right.
 
My suggestion: you do not have to go to mass on Sunday, go on an other day, or say a prayer instead. If you have good intentions God knows it, and will support you by it. As far as I know masses are meant to help those who come to get better, to get closer to God. But you can get closer to him also in a personal prayer, or even at work. God is always and everywhere close to us, you just have to know this, and your whole life can be a mass-that includes work, masses… That is the way I think, and sometimes when our church is full of people at a mass I go home, and do a prayer; because with many people around me I cannot concetrate me as I can at home. Just your attitude to God is important, may it be at home, in a truck or in a church.
 
George789 said:
I have spoken to my pastor and a neighboring church pastor explaining my situation. Both priests agree that there would no sin if I worked the weekend shift. I am battling scrupulosity so this is really hard for me to just accept that its OK. I see in the posts above CC 1281 and Can 1245; that seems like a special case. I could use a little reassurance that this is a common practice in the Church.
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If your priest said it’s okay, this means that he has given you a dispensation from the ordinary Sunday Mass obligation.

Someone would not be able to just decide that by themselves - that would be bad - but if your priest has given you permission, then you are just fine. Don’t worry about it - just keep in touch with him, and keep following his advice.
 
Titus said:
The pastor is the competent authority to transfer your obligation to another day. You can then go to mass every Wednesday or any day of the week!
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There is no such thing as transfering the obligation. The obligation is to Sunday as defined by the Church (which allows the obligation to be fulfilled by Mass on Saturday evening). If one is not able to fulfill the obilgation for legitimate reasons on Sunday, then the obligation is waived, not moved.
 
seveda said:
My suggestion: you do not have to go to mass on Sunday, go on an other day, or say a prayer instead. If you have good intentions God knows it, and will support you by it. As far as I know masses are meant to help those who come to get better, to get closer to God. But you can get closer to him also in a personal prayer, or even at work. God is always and everywhere close to us, you just have to know this, and your whole life can be a mass-that includes work, masses… That is the way I think, and sometimes when our church is full of people at a mass I go home, and do a prayer; because with many people around me I cannot concetrate me as I can at home. Just your attitude to God is important, may it be at home, in a truck or in a church.
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Excellent post.
👍
 
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