Is there ever a “good” reason to miss Sunday Mass?

Missing Sunday Mass (and the Mass on Saturday evening) is never a good thing.
 
We must not forget what the Mass is! When we attend Mass, we encounter God in the deepest way possible in this life. As the Church puts it, the Mass is the “source and summit” of the Christian life.
 
At Mass, we hear God speak to us as the Scriptures are read aloud. His words are explained to us by the minister who preaches. And then, in what should be the high point—the “summit” of a Catholic’s entire week—Jesus Christ becomes present upon the altar. When the priest takes bread and wine and speaks, in the person of Jesus, those words “this is my body” and “this is the chalice of my blood,” what he says becomes true: Jesus Christ’s body and blood become present under the appearances of bread and wine.
 
What’s more, we recall what Jesus said that “whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day” (John 6:54-56).  So we dare, in Holy Communion, to take the Lord into our own bodies. We come to Mass after battling the temptations of the world. Having encountered and received the Lord, we leave Mass refreshed and ready to begin again.
 
Many people wonder, “do I have to go?” And the answer is yes; Catholics must attend the Sunday Eucharist. The third commandment says “keep holy the Lord’s Day,” which for Christians has always meant gathering on Sunday. As St. John Chrysostom once wrote, “You cannot pray at home as at church, where there is a great multitude, where exclamations are cried out to God as from one great heart, and where there is something more: the union of minds, the accord of souls, the bond of charity, the prayers of the priests.” 
 
It is no small matter to miss Sunday Mass. If you’ve missed even one by your own free choice, a visit to the confessional is in order, and soon, because deliberately skipping Mass is a grave sin.
 
Having said all of that, we know our Lord is a just God and, thus, he does not expect the impossible. So, given that missing Sunday Mass is never a good thing, under what circumstances would missing it not be sinful?
 
The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains that a person may be excused from the obligation to attend Sunday Mass for “serious reasons” such as illness or the care of infants or loved ones who are ill and cannot be left alone. We know, likewise, that God expects parents to provide for their families and that employment is a good thing. If work schedules are absolutely incompatible with attendance at Mass, God does not expect the impossible and it would not be a sin to miss. Another example of a sufficient reason would be bad weather. If it would be dangerous to travel, for example due to a blizzard, there is no sin in staying home. 
 
There are acceptable reasons for missing Sunday Mass. But, the reasons must be serious ones. In judging whether or not a reason is “serious,” keep in mind that God does not expect the impossible, but he might expect the inconvenient. When in doubt, contact your pastor.  He can provide you with guidance and may even be able to excuse your absence if you talk to him ahead of time.
 
Let me close with one final thought. As Catholics, we are called to spread our faith and to stand up for it in a culture that so often opposes it. One way to do that is to defend the Lord’s Day. For example, if you find yourself amongst non-Catholic family and friends on a weekend, even though it may be awkward, why not say “I’ve got to go to Mass. Want to come?” If work is the problem, why not ask your boss if you can have at least some time off on Sunday to participate in Mass? We shouldn’t be afraid to show others that we care about the Mass.  It is, after all, that important!
 
Fr. Signalness is pastor of Sts. Peter and Paul in Strasburg, St. Michael in rural Linton and St. Mary in Hague. If you have a question you were afraid to ask, now is the time to ask it! Simply email your question to [email protected] with the “Question Afraid to Ask” in the subject line.