How does absolution work, exactly?

If I had to wager, I would say it would be a venial sin.

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isshinwhat made this quote. I may be wrong. Was he saying that not going to church was a sin?


I tried Church. But it never has made me feel close to God. I would rather spend the time alone with God and my Bible.

I do long for the companionship of other Christians. I also would like to become involved with a Chruch in programs that reach out to the community.

But I prefer to worship alone.

Please do not take this wrong. The only Church I would have liked to join would have been Catholic. If only I could have lived and died before man changed the Church. I would have actually belonged.

To Stormy:

One of the Ten Commandments is to remember the Sabbath.

And Jesus established His Church before returning to the Father. People are social creatures, and He understood this. We should gather together, to remember the Sabbath, hear His Word, and worship together. All Christians are part of the Body of Christ, and the eyeball, the elbow, and the earlobe cannot exist apart from the Body.


Peace,
~VOW

Vow: I want to tell you that I admire you. I love reading all of your post! Many are inspirational... but I really enjoy reading the ones where your sense of humour takes over! Keep making us happy.

Now back to the topic.

I do keep the Sabbath. That is one of the many reasons why I would choose the Catholic Church because they have a Saturday night mass. That is right... isn't it?

But does keeping the Sabbath really refer to "going to Church"?

isshinwhat made this quote. I may be wrong. Was he saying that not going to church was a sin?

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Yes, I was. The Church says that missing a Sunday Mass through your own fault is a grave sin. Whether it is mortal or not depends on several other things.

I tried Church. But it never has made me feel close to God. I would rather spend the time alone with God and my Bible.

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Tell me about it! I have a letter from the Carmelites where I had sent off for some information on discerning a vocation, and I just visited a Benedictine Abbey three weeks ago and spent the night. The monastic life has always been very appealing to me. I was raised in the Appalachian Mountains as an only child, so prayerful solitude was normal for me. After a few bad experiences with various congregations, I had a very bad taste in my mouth for anything that had to do with going to church. It wasn't until a little over two years ago that I made my way back to a church.

What I have since realized is even monks meet for daily group prayer and Mass. Humans need both sides of worship, private and congregational. Rarely are people comfortable with both aspects. Some have difficulty being alone with God, while others, like myself, are inclinded towards it, rather than group worship. I honestly believe that God gave us both types as gifts, and if you miss out on either, then you have cast aside a wonderful source of God's grace.

Hebrews 10:19-25

Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus,  by the new and living way which he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh,
and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works,
not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

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I do long for the companionship of other Christians. I also would like to become involved with a Chruch in programs that reach out to the community.

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I pray that you can find a good group of Christians that have strong community ties. If you keep praying about it, God has a funny way of leading just the right people to you.

God Bless,

Neal

To Stormy:

Yes, many parishes offer Saturday evening Mass. Some also have Sunday evening Mass.

I can find twenty different reasons to NOT go to Mass. Yet, if I talk myself into going, or even TRICK myself into going, the first thought in my head is, "Oh, I'm so GLAD I'm here!"

I even go during lunchtime during the week. It's the highlight of my day, actually.

Just GO, Stormy. Because in all my years, I've never heard ONE person say, "You know what? I sure REGRET going to Church."


Peace,
~VOW

Ok, I know when we go to church, we're supposed to worship Jesus, and I do... but I think one of the greatest things about going to church is being with lots of Christian people all in one place at one time. I feel so alone when I don't have a bunch of good Christian friends supporting me. But when I go to church and go to small group meetings, like Sunday school and stuff, I have all these Christian people that will love on me, and mourn with me when I'm down, and rejoice with me when I triumph. It's really important to me when I think about, and I guess I didn't realize it until recently. I haven't been going to church, for whatever reasons, and I've been suffering for it. I feel as though I've been starving spiritually. But now I'm starting to go back, and I feel better than ever!

Originally posted by VOW
To Stormy:

Yes, many parishes offer Saturday evening Mass. Some also have Sunday evening Mass.

I can find twenty different reasons to NOT go to Mass. Yet, if I talk myself into going, or even TRICK myself into going, the first thought in my head is, "Oh, I'm so GLAD I'm here!"

I even go during lunchtime during the week. It's the highlight of my day, actually.

Just GO, Stormy. Because in all my years, I've never heard ONE person say, "You know what? I sure REGRET going to Church."


Peace,
~VOW

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I often feel the same when I do go to daily Mass. I end up wondering, "Why don't I do this more often?"

To Joe:

I think the word you are looking for is "Fellowship." And it's very important!

And I'll tell you something that is a personal observation, mine alone. I can get that feeling of fellowship from ANY Catholic Church. Because I KNOW what will happen in every single Mass. The order, the ceremony, the rituals, are the common thread, no matter where in the world Mass is celebrated. And when I attend, I'm a PART of that. Throughout the entire service, there are portions where the priest and the congregation interact. The priest will say something, and the entire congregation, as one voice, responds. I may never have seen the people in the Church before, and I may never again; but for that service, we are ONE. And as each person goes up front to receive Communion, I rejoice in my heart, for that person BELIEVES in the Real Presence. All of us KNOW that bit of bread the priest offers is the actual Body of our Savior.

I made a pilgrimage to Lourdes, France, when we lived in Germany. It was an international gathering, people from all over were meeting together there. Masses in all languages were offered at the different chapels, cathedrals, and churches at the grotto. On one of the days, I was at the grotto and an ITALIAN Mass was being offered. I don't speak Italian. Yet I could tell by the inflections, and the motions of the priest, and the responses of the people, pretty much what was going on, the entire time. When it was appropriate for the congregation to answer the priest, I answered, too. In English, mind you, but I did answer. And I still felt like I was one of the family, of the Body of Christ.

I love that.


Peace be with you,
~VOW

That's really nice VOW. But anywhere I go, I'm still fellowshipping with Christians. There may not be the same kind of consistency of service that is available in the Catholic Church, but I'm still fellowshipping with those people. When we sing a hymn, we all sing the same words at the same time. When the message is given, we're all hearing it. And when we pray, we all pray to God. We're all still in the Body of Christ. I think that fellowship consists of what we make it, and by the mercy of God, I'm learning to fellowship with my brothers and sisters in Christ better than I've ever done before.

Yes, I was. The Church says that missing a Sunday Mass through your own fault is a grave sin. Whether it is mortal or not depends on several other things.

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It is things, such as this, that keep me away from churches.

It is too much about the "Church" and not enough about God.

No church has the authority to write a new sin and burden Christians.

Your Chruch is wrong to say that missing mass is a sin.

Only God can make something a sin.

Still, I really need a Church. I am lonely for other Christians.

To Stormy:

No church has the authority to write a new sin and burden Christians.

Your Chruch is wrong to say that missing mass is a sin.

Only God can make something a sin.

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But Stormy, God said exactly that! He wrote on the stone tablets that Moses took up to Mt Sinai:
"Remember the Sabbath Day and keep it holy."

Keeping the Sabbath holy is more than sitting on the couch watching football, or standing in line at WalMart, or sleeping late.

Most people get up from bed and go to work four, five, six days a week. God is only asking for ONE DAY. And not even the entire day, just an hour or two.

If we can make the effort to go to work, or go to school, or visit friends, or run errands, or go shopping, then we should not mind the *effort* to pay our respects to God, and worship together.


Peace,
~VOW

To Seebs:

Take a look at Early American History. Some Protestant sects took a page from the Jewish Sabbath, and forbade ANY work. The meals for Sunday were cooked Saturday night, and you had cold food all day Sunday. No farm chores, no housework, not even lighting a lamp. The children were supposed to sit quietly and listen to Mom or Dad read the Bible.

Devout Jews (we need to get SSV's input here) carry it even further: no driving. That is why they try to live within walking distance of the Temple.

The "going to Hell" threat of missing Mass is NOT saying that you are losing brownie points for not receiving Communion, or not hearing the Scripture readings. The whole issue is about OBEDIENCE. You need to put aside worldly things for just ONE day of the week, and listen to God. If you cannot put aside the rest of the world for a couple of hours a week, then your entire life needs to be evaluated.


Peace,
~VOW

To Seebs:

Attending Mass is joining together in the Body of Christ to worship God. Remember, we are not little islands, apart from each other. Jesus created His CHURCH. We are to come together, to study, to learn, and to glorify God.

This is human nature. We gather together to work, we gather as a family, we gather as friends for a beer, we gather together to watch football, we gather together to learn....

So we should also gather together to worship God.


Peace,
~VOW

Amen VOW!

That is nearly the way my priet in RCIA discribed it. We are here to lift each other up in Christ and one way to do that is to meet as a family at Mass weekly.

We share a meal, some scripture, we pray for one anothers needs, we sing praises and we lift each other up. Maybe I didn't feel like attending Mass, but I see VOW at Mass and her presence stregthens me by reminding me why we come together as part of God's family.

Only God can make something a sin.

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Jesus said what the Church binds on earth is bound in Heaven.

"‘As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.’ And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained’" (John 20:21–23).

So Jesus gave the power to the Church to determine what is sinful and what is not.