How often do you go to Church?

I have a question about going to Church.... We recently decided to attend Wednesday Night Mass, because it is easier for my family to go at that time.... Our Priest actually suggested it..... So we are going Wednesday Night instead of Sunday Morning. My mom said that going to Church on Wed night doesn't count, because it is not on a Sunday.... I don't agree with her.... The whole point about going to Church is building a relationship with Christ. Why does it matter what day you go to worship Jesus? Wednesdays work out great for us.... They have the entire Mass which includes Holy Communion...... It is so hard for us to go on Sundays.... My Husband works Monday-Saturday. Sunday is the only day he has with the family and is off from work.... We all just chill out on Sundays, and spend time as a family..... I would like to hear your opinions on this..... Hope

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God Bless You, Hope

To hope:

Technically, your Mass obligation is not fulfilled by attending a weekday Mass. You have discussed the problem with your priest, and he was probably trying to get your family familiar with going to Church together.

Think about it though. Your reasoning is that Sunday is your "day of rest," when you want to just relax and spend time as a family. Isn't going to Mass as members of God's family a good way to spend time as a family?

Check the Mass schedules of the Churches around you. In our parish, they have a Saturday evening Mass and also a Sunday evening Mass. It is more accommodating for our family to go on Sunday evenings.

It's not like Mass is three hours long, either. When the kids were little, Sunday mornings were quite fun. We'd all attend Mass together, and then often go out to breakfast afterwards and go shopping.


Peace be with you,
~VOW

We try to go every Sunday. Our parish also has Saturday night and Sunday evening masses. We usually go to the 8 a.m. mass, because we can go out to eat afterward as a family and then shop a bit. But, the Sunday evening mass is a refreshing change. It is at a convenient time, and it is very upbeat - it's the "charismatic" youth mass. Tommy likes the music and tries to shriek along with it.

I did have a liberal priest tell me that if you can't make Sunday mass, that you should set aside 1 day a week as your Sabbath - and "keep it holy". By that, he meant, go to that day's mass and also rest - only doing things that are restful, contemplative, etc. to you.

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Amy
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Liam has arrived!!! February 3, 2003

I thought your comment about shopping after mass interesting - one sermon I remember by Father Jack when I attended St. Joseph's church was that we should not shop on Sundays because it keeps other people from resting or going to church on Sunday. Our family does shop after church - we often pick up the Sunday paper and sometimes a meal - we don't do any major shopping or browsing though - just quick run in and out and then off to home to rest for the day (I usually take a three or four hour nap on Sundays).

What do you think about what Fr. Jack said?

To LilyLamb:

Well now you've gone and done it! Your post has made me stop and THINK, LOL!

Right off the top of my head, I'd say, Hey, those folks are going to be working on Sunday whether I go shopping or not, so what's the problem? If they are Catholic, then they can do as I suggested to hope, find a Church in the area that celebrates Mass at a time which is convenient for them.

And frankly, as a mom, being able to go out to eat and go shopping with the family (instead of trying to remember who needs what, sizes, favorite colors, etc etc) is something that allows ME to rest. Resting for Mom is something that is RARE.

But Fr Jack is talking about something on a completely different level. Essentially, he's telling the parish to "vote with their feet." If one single raindrop doesn't make it to the ground, that won't make much of a difference if the river overflows. But to God, we are certainly much more valuable than one single raindrop. He knows us all by name. And by NOT shopping on Sunday, we're telling Him that we're paying attention to His commandments.

I'm going to be thinking for a long time on that one!!


Peace be with you,
~VOW

our Church does not have Sunday evening mass... I wish it did... Why would Saturday Mass at 5:00 p.m. be any different than Wed at 7:00 P.M? Both are not on a Sunday. I live in a very populated town, and we only have 1 Catholic Church for over 4,000 Catholic Families that live here. It is just too crowded in Church on Sundays. I prefer Wednesday Night when it is less crowded. Why can't Wednesdays fullfill our Sunday Obligation? I don't see the problem. Some families schedules are just different then other families.... Yes, Sunday we like to relax, and sleep in... With young children it is hard to get them going on Sunday morning... Plus, with all the school, and extra-curricular activities their is a crunch for time. Sunday is our only day to sleep in and just be lazy. I know this sounds selfish..... But, we enjoy going to Mass on Wednesdays so much better. I don't think it is a sin... Especially, when our Priest recommended it. So you guys are saying you agree with my mom? Hope

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God Bless You, Hope

To hope:

It's not so much as that I'm agreeing with "mom," but it is what the Church teaches. A Saturday evening mass fulfills the Mass Obligation because it is after sundown. And THAT is related to Jewish law, I think!

And believe me, I do understand all your reasonings. I remember how hectic life was when my kids were little. (and you won't believe me, but it's much WORSE when they get big! )

I will make another suggestion. When we lived in Kentucky (that was my husband's last duty station before he retired from the Army), we attended Mass in the town where we lived. The Church did not have a "crying room," and I felt ill at ease with a small baby and a rambunctious toddler. The "atmosphere" seemed wrong. I had a dental appointment in a nearby town, and I had to pass by a Catholic Church to get to the dentist. The Church was an older building than the one in the town where we lived. (I'm a sucker for older stuff, anyway, LOL) I suggested to my husband that we attend Mass there. It was a bit longer to drive, but he was agreeable. This Church didn't have a "crying room" either, but there were more little ones in the congregation. And the older people treated their disruptions with smiles instead of frowns. At Christmastime, the parish priest moved "Midnight Mass" up to 7:00 PM on Christmas Eve. It snows in Kentucky, and he said he didn't want the babies out late in the cold. When we went to the "Midnight Mass," Father called all the little children up to the front of the Church where the Nativity scene was set up. He had all the kids gather around, and then they sang "Happy Birthday" to Jesus. I still get all mushy when I remember that!!

Look around you, hope. Who knows what you may find?


Peace be with you,
~VOW

Originally posted by hope
I have a question about going to Church.... We recently decided to attend Wednesday Night Mass, because it is easier for my family to go at that time....

It's easier for me not to attend Church at all, but I continue to go on Sunday's because it is my obligation, because it is my duty to be a faithful steward of the time that God has given me on this earth. I go because I can take time out of my week to come to God and express my thankfulness for all that He has given me. I go on Sunday because the Church, God's instrument here on earth, has understood Sunday, the day of the Lord's resurrection as a time for worship of Him.

Our Priest actually suggested it..... So we are going Wednesday Night instead of Sunday Morning.

Did your priest suggest Wednesday Mass in addition to Sunday Mass? Or rather Wednesday Mass in replacement of Sunday Mass?

My mom said that going to Church on Wed night doesn't count, because it is not on a Sunday....

It is a valid Mass, but it doesn't fulfill your Sunday obligation.

I don't agree with her....

Christianity isn't about opinions.

The whole point about going to Church is building a relationship with Christ. Why does it matter what day you go to worship Jesus?

Christianity isn't about individualism, it is about community. That the community of believers, from the very beginning of Christianity, came together to worship God as a community on Sunday should be evidence enough of the importance of Sunday worship.

Wednesdays work out great for us....

That's great. :rolleyes:

My Husband works Monday-Saturday. Sunday is the only day he has with the family and is off from work.... We all just chill out on Sundays, and spend time as a family.....

This is the lamest excuse I've ever heard. I also work Monday through Saturday, and the first thing my wife and I do together on Sunday is worship God, at Mass. Why a family can't go together to Mass, to give praise to God, on Sunday is beyond me. This sounds like laziness to me.

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Out here in the fields, I fight for my meals. I get my back into my living. I don't need to fight, to prove I'm right. I don't need to be forgiven.

Vow, were you by any chance stationed at Ft. Knox? and was the church you liked better in Elizabeth town??

Yes, Hubster's last duty station was at Ft Knox, and we lived in Radcliff.

The nearby town I mentioned was Vine Grove. The Church there was St Brigid. It was a farming community, and I can't explain the warmth I felt when we first walked in. The atmosphere was like, "Oh how nice!" and if you had a baby in your arms, people would give you a great big smile.

The little kids singing "Happy Birthday" to Jesus, though, was my most memorable moment.


Peace be with you,
~VOW