When it really comes down to it, WHY are you missing mass? Is Christ the most important thing in your life? Or is He just some secondary issue. I find it serious when one misses mass because they "just did not feel like going today." I think it all comes down to the fact (besides the command by God to attend Church)that where is your heart?

-- Jason (Enchanted fire5@yahoo.com), January 09, 2005

Answers

It is difficult to fathom why, when God comes down to Earth and invites us all to His house, some people choose not to come.

-- Emily ("jesusfollower7@yahoo.com"), January 09, 2005.

soem will miss with cause. I once had the flu, and di nto attend ervces, for instance.

Other may have serious psycologicla issues. ( such as severe anxiety, depresion, ect) and thus it woid be wise to skip thta and seek treatment of thee woes lest attnedance wiht a crowd make it worse, though they shoudl seek out a Minister to assit them.( In the case of a Catholic, a Preist.)

Others are merely lukewarmbeelivers who liek the show of religiosity, and see it as les relevant. Some among these will simpley miss when the fancy strikes them to do soemthign else or they woidl rpefer to sleep in.

They are the oens who need the most payers.For the ill will get better, and in spirit be with the saints in worhsip, and those unfortunates sufferign issues do nto withdraw frm God and faith, they nly withdraw for fear of ther own lives, god shall comfort them, but those who withdraw for the sae of there own lysts, and seek no improvements ot there soul, shall be withdrawn form heaven as wlel, and God will turn orm them. They are in need of reconciliation.

-- ZAROVE (ZAROFF3@JUNO.COM), January 09, 2005.

I sincerely want to know if missing mass on a Sunday (more due to tiredness / laziness rather than due to true illness) would throw me into a state of mortal sin, and if I do receive communion the following Sunday, am I receiving the body and blood of Christ unworthily? I have never had a straight answer from a priest at Confession. During childhood and university I always attended daily mass, but now at the age of 40 - 60 I tend to miss mass due to my heavy work schedule during the week leading to tiredness / laziness etc..

-- Rita Gregory (gregnraji@yahoo.com), January 12, 2005.

I sincerely want to know if missing mass on a Sunday (more due to tiredness / laziness rather than due to true illness) would throw me into a state of mortal sin,

Yes. It does.

and if I do receive communion the following Sunday, am I receiving the body and blood of Christ unworthily?

Yes. You are, which is another mortal sin in itself (sacrilege).

I have never had a straight answer from a priest at Confession.

Then your confessor(s) share(s) in your sin, but it does not let you off the hook. These things are out there, well within the scope of knowability.

-- jake (j@k.e), January 12, 2005.

When we miss Sunday and Holy Days of obligation we break God's commandment; ''Thou shalt keep holy the Lord's Day.'' As a faithful daughter of the Church you must realise seriously: the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is God's DUE, from all of us; the highest form of worship life will ever afford us. If we fail to participate every Sunday, we have left God for some other consideration. He is placed SECOND; we give ourselves His rightful place. That's a little like idolatry. God will forgive you; but confess it and don't allow yourself to continue this neglect.

There are legit excuses, of course. And a priest should give you exactly the answer I'm giving here. Laziness is no excuse, I'm afraid. (I'm always lazy.) We all have committed the sin sometime in our lives. You aren't alone. But we repent and reform ourselves, don't we?

Also keep in mind: the true motivation behind our assistance in the holy mysteries and Mass is supposed to be LOVE. We love God, His divine Son Jesus, who has given His own life for us on a cross. To adore Him passionately in this life and the next is our obligation. It's made saints of thousands of good souls; and we have to aspire to that.

Love for Jesus is natural to a Catholic, isn't it? Not a feeling only of being pressured to obey Him. We have to learn what divine love is, offer Him our deepest emotion-- He desires your love, like a moth is drawn to the flame! Tell Him; ''I love you, Jesus; I'll always love You! Save me from lukewarm love; my love for YOU is going to be like a fire from this day forward, consuming me.'' --Amen!

-- eugene c. chavez (loschavez@pacbell.net), January 12, 2005.

Dear Rita,
Jake is correct, to a point. He's wrong if he thinks you are guilty of sacrilege. (We've had this argument here before.)

You say: '' . . . and if I do receive communion the following Sunday, >>>>am I<<<<< --receiving the body and blood of Christ unworthily --? ? ? There is an element of doubt; insecurity, but serious in search of the truth.

A real doubt on your mind is enough so that God might not call it a mortal sin to receive Communion after making a good act of contrition. And not a sacrilege, worst. (Those things are extremely serious and will damn us.) It's a judgment call; and God makes the call. Now that you have knowledge of a sin, you cannot repeat that again. First go to confession, then Communion.

-- eugene c. chavez (loschavez@pacbell.net), January 12, 2005.

Intentionally missing Mass on sunday or a holy day of obligation constitutes serious matter, and as such CAN be a mortal sin IF the other required criteria for mortal sin are present. However it is always an overstatement to simply say that a particular act or omission "is" a mortal sin. That matter is between the sinner and God. The only fact that can be objectively stated is that a particular act constitutes objectively serious matter, and as such could be a mortal sin, given the presence of other subjective factors.

A "real doubt on your mind" concerning the moral gravity of an act is not a valid reason to commit the act. In fact, exactly the opposite is true. We may not act on a doubtful conscience, because doing do indicates a willingness to risk participation in an objectively gravely immoral act. When we are uncertain regarding the moral acceptability of an act, we must refrain from commission of the act until we have determined with certainty that it is morally acceptable.

A classic example of this, which is used in courses in both moral theology and civil law, is the hunter who is in the woods and sees something moving in the bushes. Can he shoot without first determining what is in the bushes? If he shoots and it turns out to be another hunter, he is guilty of murder. He had no direct intention of killing another human being, but he was willing to take the chance. Therefore he is fully culpable.

-- Paul M. (PaulCyp@cox.net), January 12, 2005.

From the Catechism of St. Pius X:

33 Q: What conditions are necessary to make a good Communion?

A: To make a good communion three conditions are necessary: (1) To be in the grace of God (2) To be fasting from midnight until the moment of Holy Communion; (3) To know what we are about to receive, and to approach Holy Communion devoutly.

NOTE: The discipline of fasting from midnight has been changed. Currently, only a fast of one hour before Communion is required (CIC 919).

34 Q: What is meant by being in the grace of God?

A: To be in the grace of God means to have a pure conscience And to be free from every mortal sin.

35 Q: What should one who knows that he is in mortal sin do before receiving Communion?

A: One who knows that he is in mortal sin must make a good confession before going to Holy Communion, for even an act of perfect contrition is not enough without confession to enable one who is in mortal sin to receive Holy Communion properly.

36 Q: Why does not even an act of perfect contrition suffice to enable one who knows he is in mortal sin to go to Communion?

A: Because the Church, out of respect for this sacrament, has ordained that no one in mortal sin should dare to go to Communion without first going to confession.

37 Q: Does he who goes to Communion in mortal sin receive Jesus Christ?

A: He who goes to Communion in mortal sin receives Jesus Christ but not His grace; moreover, he commits a sacrilege and renders himself deserving of sentence of damnation.

-- jake (j@k.e), January 12, 2005.

Jake once again raises the argument to an unnecessary level. No one's saying that acting in mortal sin can be tolerated, as the catechism states clearly. However, the same catechism is clear in the matter of sins. To commit a mortal sin the soul must have knowledge of the seriousness, must sin deliberately, and the sin must be serious. We know the gravity of a sacrilegious Communion is indisputable. Why do we belabor the obvious?

If there is no sure knowledge about its gravity, the sin may not be mortal. In which case the act of contrition would render reception of Holy Communion unworthy, although not to the point of mortal sin. Only God can determine what the sin is.

But should the recipient KNOW, or even suspect while going to that Communion, that he hasn't confessed a mortal sin, then jake would be correct. Thank God, these aren't always things our brethren have the ability to judge.

-- eugene c. chavez (loschavez@pacbell.net), January 12, 2005.