Lately, I've been having a hard time accepting why the Church teaches that missing Mass on sundays is a mortal sin and puts one's soul in a state of disconnect from God.

It seems to me that if someone: - is raised Catholic - attends mass regularly as a child and young adult - goes to Catholic school or recieves catechesis - recieves all the sacraments of initiation

...and as an adult decides not to continue practicing....maybe the Church, after all that time and effort, hasn't evangelized this person well enough. It isn't that person's fault that they don't care for the official worshiping tradition of the Church. It isn't their fault that they haven't had an experience of God. It's extremely difficult for somebody to come to a personal or intimate knowledge of an invisible Divine Being in the first place. If the person hasn't even fallen in love with Jesus Christ yet, how can the Church say it is a mortal sin not to follow her traditions which she claims is given to her by this same Christ who he hasn't even fallen in love with yet?

It makes me sad that this problem is leading people to believe that the Church hasn't been doing her job. It also makes me sad that people are giving up on belief in God because Jesus' mandates are so rigid.

The Church's teaching on free will and the worshiping tradition cancel eachother out!

1 - We have free will because God creates freely and want us to freely love Him back. In simple terms, God would not put a gun to our head and say, "Love me or I'll kill you," because that is not love at all.

2 - You must go to Church and worship God with the community every week or else your soul is disconnected from God. If you ask for forgiveness, you're ok, but you still MUST go to Church and love God.

Seems to me as if the Church might want to resolve that dilemma. It's causing a lot of problems, and turning many people, FAITHFUL people, away.

It takes time for two people to fall in love with one another. Even if one person loves the other unconditionally and would do anything for them, it takes time. I believe Christianity is unique in that our God comes to be with us and continues to speak to us throughout history. But why must the Church violate this beautiful belief into something so rigid and forceful?

-- brian (Brian@brian.com), January 10, 2005

Answers

brian,

I think you may be looking at the requirement to attend Mass from the wrong perspective.

Surely, the relationship I have with my wife is affected if I willingly and knowingly blow off our anniversary dinner to watch football with my buddies. No one would accuse her of being "rigid and forceful" if she expected me to be with her to celebrate our anniversary.

It's a similar thing with our relationship with Christ. The Church is stating a fact, not laying down an arbitrary rule to "force" us to love Christ.

What does it say about my relationship with Christ if I can't even attend Holy Mass once a week when He is truly present in Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity to be with us in intimate communion?

-- Andy S ("ask3332004@yahoo.com"), January 10, 2005.

Brian

I know this might sound harsh but i just want to tell it like it is. I had that feeling at one point in my life and it took someone to speak the truth and not sugar coat things to get me out of it.

First things first....the church is not there to make you fall in love with christ...it's there to get you to know him and what he has done for you. It seems like your looking for someone else to blame. Put it this way...contrary to popular opinion absense does not make the heart grow fonder. Have you every lost someone you love whether they died or you just don't see them anymore. After a while you kindof forget what they look like. The same with God. When you don't see it constantly you won't have it staring you back in the face. Going to church isn't a chore.....it should be a time that you can bond with jesus. It should be an enjoyable experience. What you could try is going to a different catholic church, it could make a difference on your experience.

But also you should take the sabbath as an oportunity to fellowship. It's a very lonely place to not share your faith.

It seems your conflict is not with the church, its with yourself and Jesus....nobody else can give you faith. Nobody can give you love for god....it up to you and only you to resolve this conflict..no church can do it for you

-- kat (riesoracle@hotmail.com), January 11, 2005.

I'm uncertain whether or not another has said this, but:

Holy Mass every Sunday; (first day of each week) is mandatory for Christ's faithful because God gave us His commandment, ''Thou shalt keep holy the Lord's Day-- '' which Jews call Sabbath.

We aren't free to dispense with one of the ten commandments, Brian. We either give God obedience or we incurr the penalty of sin. Since we as Christians have been made fully aware that nothing is holier than the sacrifice of the Mass in God's eyes,

That is where we are commanded to assist every Lord's Day. Anything less defrauds Almighty God of His rights as our Creator.

We tend to consider God as a kindly Grand-Dad of no particular stern features. But He is Almighty God; so entirely holy and majestic that angels hide their faces from Him. We are very much below the holy angels; it's fitting for us to be as humble on a Sunday as DIRT.

Go to mass and offer Our Father in heaven the holy and unspotted oblation He rightly expects from us: The sacred body and precious blood of His Son Jesus Christ. Never stay away from Holy Mass on the Lord's Day or a Holy Day. Don't let God ever see any indifference toward Him in you. Go to Him faithfully and He'll reward you for eternity!

-- eugene c. chavez (loschavez@pacbell.net), January 11, 2005.

I don't know if the Church's teaching is that missing Mass on a Sunday is definitely a *mortal* sin. I may be wrong about this, but I believe the term used is "sub gravi," which implies it is a grave or serious matter involved, and therefore presumably *could* be a mortal sin in someone's life if they had contempt, lack of love for God, etc. It is like a danger sign put up by the Church saying, "Watch out here! You could be in danger of falling out of love with God and of showing him contempt!"

And you are right, so many, many people have not been properly taught with love and fervor. So they don't even *know* our living Lord Jesus is in the sacred Host, let alone much else. Let us hope that if they don't know this, they are not judged as strictly.

On the other hand, Brian, consider the implications. If the Risen Lord Jesus were suddenly to appear in a room--say in an apparition-- wouldn't millions of people come from thousands of miles away, just to see him? Wouldn't it become a place of pilgrimage? Wouldn't there be people lining up? To love him, to receive his love and care?

Yet, the true, living, crucified and risen Lord Jesus comes to us every week--nay, every day--under the form of bread and wine, and we can't take the time to come and worship him?! That smacks of terrible indifference, and of making God common. As Eugene rightly said, even the holy angels tremble and cover themselves in his presence!

You may be right, so many folks just don't know this. So it is the job, not only of holy priests and deacons, but of *all* of us, to teach others what an incredible miracle and gift of love we are given at holy Mass. And encourage them to go, to "taste, and see that the Lord is good"!

-- Michael (edwardsronning@prodigy.net), January 11, 2005.

The Church never says that any act "is a mortal sin", because mortal sin requires three essential conditions, two of which - full knowledge and free consent - are subjective on the part of the person who commits the act, and therefore not subject to any general judgment by a second party. The Church can make a general judgment on the third condition - grave matter - which is an objective criterion. Therefore the Church informs us that a given act is objectively grave matter, but the question of mortal sin by someone who commits the act depends upon the presence of the two other necessary criteria.

-- Paul M. (PaulCyp@cox.net), January 11, 2005.

Well I do go to mass every sunday. In fact, I can't imagine not going to mass. But I know of certain people, some I am very close to, who go to mass often, but admit that they aren't in love with Jesus Christ and dont feel any guilt, anxiety, longing when they miss mass. That tells me they simply must fall in love with Christ first. Going to mass in body but not in mind and spirit is more disrespectful than not going at all.

-- brian (Brian@brian.com), January 11, 2005.

Brian, I would say that someone who finds going to Mass a difficult chore, but goes to Mass anyway just because he/she wants to fulfil the obligation which God and His Church have imposed, is if anything MORE pleasing to God than someone who finds it easy and pleasurable to fulfil their obligation. They are not being disrespectful, they are respecting God’s law, and should be praised for it. We only have to make a LITTLE step in God’s direction, and He will come the rest of the way and embrace us, whether we are aware of it or not.

Of course we should TRY to love God with our whole heart as well as with our mind and our actions. But what you are saying seems very close to the Methodist idea that if you don’t FEEL religious fervor you are not a real Christian, or even the punk-anarchist motto “if it doesn’t FEEL good, don’t do it”. Modern movies, TV shows, novels etc are full of the idea that it’s what you FEEL about an action that makes it right or wrong. Baloney. Human beings are given a MIND to THINK about whether their actions are right or wrong, and act accordingly.

-- Steve (55555@aol.com), January 12, 2005.

Andy called it dead on in regards to the source of the answer, in that he draws up something of the analogy of marriage. Christ, and the bride of Christ, the Church.

Sometimes in marriage, you slug it through emotionless periods, eh? Who knows... it could be the pizza you ate, or the stress of life, old who knows what. Who knows. Whatever. But you never nix the rules, huh? Never.

Other times, love and harmony come naturally, and at that time, you're glad for all those other times you never fell to the weakness of nixing the rules.

All in all, it ain't a doctrine, but judging from the writings of the saints and such stuff, it's a safe bet this: God is even more pleased when you do what you are supposed to do when you don't feel like it than when everything comes effortlessly and naturally. It's a greater proof of the will to serve. It is accepted on high with greater applause.

Slugging it through in the face of a lack of sentiment or emotion: that, in essence, is proof of true love.

-- Emerald (em@cox.nett), January 12, 2005.

I understand and I agree with you guys. I think there are times when somebody might go through a dry spell, maybe feel that God is hiding. It is good when those people take that "dry spell" as a sign that Jesus is trying to teach them not to rely so much on signs and wonders and the movement of the heart. I really do think that it's commendable for people to trudge along and not quit when it gets tough.

But I truly believe there are people who have never fallen in love with Christ, and have never started a relationship with Him. I think there are people that have been catechized their whole lives but have never authentically entered into a relationship with Christ. They never fall in love with God or understand the precepts of the Church to begin with, thus, have never truly been evangelized.

In today's world, people have gotten used to, and have become experts at, doing the "paper work" and "playing the part" but haven't fallen in lvoe with God with their whole minds, hearts and souls. That tells me that they know the content of Christ's message, but haven't transfered that to faith yet. Faith doesn't take place in the mind, it takes place in the heart. You cannot prove belief in God or why we should believe in the traditions of the Church. We must be patient and compassonate with our brothers and sisters, invite them to mass and teach them the faith, but also give them time, and not tell them that their souls are in danger of going to hell when they miss a sunday.

It's that form of "evangelization" that keeps them away.

-- brian (Brian@brian.com), January 12, 2005.