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The Sabbath Principle & Christian Sunday Worship / Sunday Obligation to Attend Mass

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Dave Armstrong
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Posted: Sat Jan 19th, 2008 08:20 pm

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My home parish: St. Joseph's in Detroit (German Gothic Revival style)

Here are some helpful articles on these topics:

Sabbath and Sunday

From Sabbath to Sunday: How the Church Moved Its Holy Day, James P. Guzek, This Rock, February 1999.

The Catholic Encyclopedia: "Sunday"

Sabbath or Sunday: What Does Holy Scripture Say?, Bob Stanley

On Keeping the Lord's Day Holy (Dies Domini): Apostolic Letter of Pope John Paul II (31 May 1998)

Sunday Obligation to Attend Mass

Why Is It a Mortal Sin to Miss Mass?, Fr. Ray Ryland, This Rock, July 2000.

Forget Mass? Not a Mortal Sin, Karl Keating, This Rock, Nov. 2003.

FAQ About Sunday Obligation: Not Going to Mass (Catholic Doors Ministries)

Sunday Obligation, Jimmy Akin

Fulfilling the Sunday Obligation on Saturday (+ Part Two), Jimmy Akin

Our Sunday Obligation, Maureen Kelly

There Are Reasons to Miss Mass, but Not Many Valid Ones, Fr. Matthew Mitas

See also The Catechism of the Catholic Church: #2168-2195.

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BodRod
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Posted: Wed Jan 23rd, 2008 01:38 pm

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BOY!!! I like that church!!!

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Dave Armstrong
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Posted: Wed Jan 23rd, 2008 06:38 pm

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It's gorgeous, with a tremendous sense of "sacred space." I love all the German stuff and the superb woodwork, and, above all, the stained glass.

Last edited on Thu Jan 24th, 2008 10:11 pm by Dave Armstrong

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BodRod
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Posted: Thu Jan 24th, 2008 04:55 am

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My church has windows that start in one corner and as the viewer follows the windows all the way around, they can see the story of salvation. When the viewer gets to St. Mary, she is the tallest figure in the windows and has skin and hair color of a Jewess. (I like that part. It makes it all seem more real or true.) The church is on a hill so nothing blocks the sunlight coming through the windows to prevent the showing of the story.

Another church that I think has great windows is the Deloris Mission in San Franciaco, CA. It has small windows made of the "old" style colored/stained glass. Each window is a replica of one of the original missions of California.

BTW, if you all are ever out this way, touring the missions of California makes a GREAT trip. The grave areas next to the missions can be a little depressing when one realizes that in those days, 40 years old was old.

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Dave Armstrong
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Posted: Thu Jan 24th, 2008 10:18 pm

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Hi Cliff,

Actually we went through Calfornia and along the coast in summer 2006. I thought about the famous missions but we always seemed to have to move on, for lack of time (the whole trip was 4000 miles, I think). I remember seeing a sign for one. We should have gone. But we saw lots of redwoods and Yosemite and Death Valley (128 degrees!), etc.!

Here is some of the stained glass in my church:

I absolutely love the pretty windows above the altar. That's my favorite part of all the beauty in this building. They say it is supposed to have the largest single bell in North America too.

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BodRod
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Posted: Fri Jan 25th, 2008 01:14 am

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Those are really great. I like the "old world" style of stained glass windows.

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setapart
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Posted: Fri Jan 25th, 2008 03:50 am

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The saints along the walls remind me of:

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses Heb 12:1 (NAB)

you have approached Mount Zion and the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and countless angels in festal gathering,[24 Heb 12:22 (NAB)
How comforting it is to be reminded with such beauty of what awaits those of us who hold to the hope of eternal life through Christ Jesus, Our Lord!!

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rbo4u2
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Posted: Mon Feb 25th, 2008 02:12 pm

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Dave Armstrong wrote:

My home parish: St. Joseph's in Detroit (German Gothic Revival style)

Here are some helpful articles on these topics:

Sabbath and Sunday

Sunday Obligation to Attend Mass

I realize this is an older post, but this is one of those issues that was (maybe is) a boulder or stone I've stumbled over in my path to Rome. It's always seemed to be a legalism to say someone is "obligated" to go to Mass or a holy day of obligation. I saw myself in my later years, tired or unable to make it to mass or church in inclement weather due to my diminished driving skills or whatever. I was going to ask questions regarding this issue, but did my homework instead and found these references posted by you, Dave. I now can see the Catholic point of view and understand it better. Convincing my wife of it may be another matter, but never the less, this helps a lot for me. I'll have to reread this again to get the full meaning of what is said. What I see as "obligation" can be turned around into a "privilege" I'm sure. Thanks for the great articles Dave and others. They help a lot. And thanks to all who add to the wealth of knowledge here.

Rich

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Dave Armstrong
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Posted: Mon Feb 25th, 2008 07:33 pm

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Excellent, Rich. Like many Catholic things, this is widely misunderstood as yet another legalistic burden, whereas Church attendance ought to be seen as a privilege and joy, and as an extension of the OT Sabbath principle.

I think it's one of those things that Protestants object to that show they have too much time on their hands, along with. e.g., crucifixes: "those goofy Catholics are meditating on Jesus dying for us???!!! We can't have that!" Carping on and on about compulsory church attendance seems to me to be another huge non-issue (I'm not saying that you did this; but making a general complaint here).

I'm delighted that you have benefitted from these articles by others that I compiled.

Last edited on Mon Feb 25th, 2008 07:35 pm by Dave Armstrong

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Posted: Mon Feb 25th, 2008 11:31 pm

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30 or so years ago, a fellow named Samuele Bacchiocchi graduated from the Pope's university. He was the top of his class and got a gold medal from the Pope. I read his book which, was a spin-off from his doctoral dissertation, on the change of the day to worship from Saturday to Sunday. I thought it was an excellent book. What I don't understand is how he could do all that work, form all those conclusions and still stay a Seventh-day Adventist. In fact, he was a professor for them at Andrews University for a number of years.

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CajunRick
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Posted: Tue Feb 26th, 2008 03:07 am

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rbo4u2 wrote: It's always seemed to be a legalism to say someone is "obligated" to go to Mass or a holy day of obligation.
I think it's important to understand the history behind the "obligation".

During the Middle Ages, the liege would often require his serfs to work seven days a week, from dawn to dusk. By requiring Sunday mass attendance, the Church was mandating at least a half day off a week for those would would attend mass. Any nobleman who would not give his serfs time off to attend mass was thus endangering his own immortal soul! The priest would tell him that if he didn't let them come to mass, the mortal sin was his and his alone.

By enacting this precept of the Church, she was guaranteeing that those in servitude had the opportunity to "keep holy the Lord's day".

Gives it a different perspective, doesn't it?

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rbo4u2
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Posted: Tue Feb 26th, 2008 03:18 pm

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Dave Armstrong wrote:

I think it's one of those things that Protestants object to that show they have too much time on their hands, along with. e.g., crucifixes: "those goofy Catholics are meditating on Jesus dying for us???!!! We can't have that!" Carping on and on about compulsory church attendance seems to me to be another huge non-issue (I'm not saying that you did this; but making a general complaint here).

Dave, I was going to overlook this comment but I decided to respond. I'm not sure it's fair to say we (Protestants) have too much time on our hands. The issue of legalism is a major issue with many of us and we take it seriously. While I agree church attendance is necessary, (after all, Jesus said "forsake not the assembling of yourselves together," we also realize that there is a difference between doing something because we are told and doing something because it's a response of love. There is an old truism that says "Ritual is liturgy gone bad." Meaning, if we do something out of compulsion rather than a response of love to love, then we have lost all the meaning of our actions. I read my Bible not because I am told to read it, but because I love God with all my heart. It's the response of love to a command that is the big difference. I have adopted some of the Marian devotion like the rosary. I initially did it more out of pure faith, believing that if the practice was valid, and if God wanted me to do it, then somewhere along the line my belief system would kick in as the Holy Spirit honored my desire to pursue God. But that is much differenct than praying the rosary just because someone tells me to.

Now I know that may be a poor example, but regardless, Mass attendance may be a requirement of the Catholic Church. Having read the documents I believe now that you have good solid grounds for that argument. However, again, for the Mass to have any meaning at all, it seems to me, my response to the Mass is first an act of love and faith. If it's simply an obligation, then my heart has not found it's hope. It is a ritual with no meaning other than a symbol. Forgive me for making this non-issue an issue.

There are many Protestants just beginning to look at the faith who are not as far along as I may be and for them to be told their concerns are non-issues can become a stumbling block for them. Now, I honestly don't believe you meant that Dave. I believe you are a humble man who genuinely loves the Lord and his Church. I don't believe you are going to hurt or say anything to anyone out of malice or judgmentalism. But at the same time, words have meaning. And sometimes they way you say something can offend someone without you meaning to offend.

This is a dialogue of faith and love. Which means my response is done in love and in the spirit of searching and dialogue. I don't mind being told I'm way off track but bring it on with a velvet hammer.

Again, thank you for your wonderful ministry. Many of my former mis-understandings of Catholicism are becoming much clearer.

Rich

Last edited on Tue Feb 26th, 2008 03:42 pm by rbo4u2

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rbo4u2
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Posted: Tue Feb 26th, 2008 03:19 pm

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BTW Dave...Your church is gorgeous.

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Dave Armstrong
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Posted: Tue Feb 26th, 2008 07:45 pm

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Hi Rich,

I agree with virtually all of what you wrote.

The thing I would note in this regard is that not all Christians, by a long shot, are motivated out of sheer love for the Lord and desire to please Him and to lead a saintly life. In fact, I would argue that this lamentable deficiency is true most of the time for everyone, no matter how pious or devout. We tend to "coast" in our spiritual life and not to make a positive effort to be all that we can be, so to speak.

The Church in her wisdom, recognizes this, and so makes something compulsory, lest this tendency to laxity cause many to not attend church. Is that a good thing all in all or a bad one? Is it a "net gain"? Of course it is good. It's better to have someone be in Church, even though they are not perfectly motivated from the heart and soul, than not to be there, and sitting at home watching Tim Russert or Brit Hume.

It's another "both/and" scenario: I don't have to disagree with you about the ideals of the Christian life: wholehearted service to God and completely pure motivation: doing everything for the right reasons, by God's grace. I also don't have to quibble with the Church's wisdom in requiring church attendance, for the sake of the vast majority of Christians who are usually coasting in their spiritual life.

Both are good. We all should strive for the ideal, and pray for God's grace to achieve it, but we should also be glad that many a Joe Q. Catholic is in the pews even though he is there because he has to be there, not because he wants to be. Oftentimes, Protestants are so far into the ethereal, ideal realm of pure, sublime Christianity that they (again, I don't mean you) neglect to see that God in His mercy accepts millions upon millions of His followers as they are, warts and all.

Some of that flows from the nature of the (flawed) theology of Protestantism: particularly extrinsic justification (and for the Calvinist, total depravity).

Last edited on Tue Feb 26th, 2008 07:49 pm by Dave Armstrong

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Posted: Wed Feb 27th, 2008 05:58 pm

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I have an issue with this compulsory Mass attendance, fully aware that Mass on Sunday (Sat. anticipated or Sun.) is a holy day of obligation. I really believe that the number of people who attend Mass from fear of the obligation guilt is dwindling year after year. I don't see this mentality of the baby boomers and those born later. Good homilies, good liturgical practice, loving priests, the desire to attend, and ah-hem, good music is what keeps them in the pews. All those missing parishioners who will be engulf the church doors in a couple of weeks for Easter Sunday definitely do not have the guilt or perhaps do not know that all Sundays are holy days, let alone know what the Easter Triduum is all about. If the fear that the church imparts on us Catholics for not attending Mass is taken seriously by all, we'd be doubling up on our Mass times.

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David W. Emery
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Posted: Wed Feb 27th, 2008 06:16 pm

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RCMusicGuy wrote:I really believe that the number of people who attend Mass from fear of the obligation guilt is dwindling year after year. I don't see this mentality of the baby boomers and those born later. Good homilies, good liturgical practice, loving priests, the desire to attend, and ah-hem, good music is what keeps them in the pews.
Yes, Ron, this is the sad truth. It describes the “Me” Generation to a T, doesn’t it?

David

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Posted: Thu Feb 28th, 2008 12:22 am

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RCMusicGuy wrote: I have an issue with this compulsory Mass attendance, fully aware that Mass on Sunday (Sat. anticipated or Sun.) is a holy day of obligation.
While I agree with your premise, I don't have a problem with the obligation. There have been times in my life when there is a good chance I would not have attended mass if it had not been obligatory. I am a better person today (and probably still a Catholic today) at least partly because of "rules" that I didn't like but followed anyway at a time when I needed those rules. My faith is more mature today, and I can't imagine beginning my week anywhere but in the presence of my Savior in the Eucharist. It is a very small price to pay for what he gave to me. That doesn't mean that next year I won't be back in a place in my life where I need such a rule again, and I will be glad to have it. And every now and then, when I wake up on a Sunday morning wishing I could sleep a couple of more hours, or have a sinus headache or an allergy attack (nothing contagious of course), I will crawl out of bed at least partly because I know I have to.

God commands us to keep holy the Lord's day, and I believe the Church has the authority to define that holiness. She chooses to specify that we are to attend mass unless we have a grave reason not to. That is within the authority of the Church. But more importantly, if I miss mass I am harming the Church. The Body of Christ will suffer for my absence. And the Church has the duty and the obligation to protect the Body of Christ from my selfish, sinful behavior.

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RCMusicGuy
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Posted: Fri Feb 29th, 2008 02:32 am

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CajunRick wrote: RCMusicGuy wrote: I have an issue with this compulsory Mass attendance, fully aware that Mass on Sunday (Sat. anticipated or Sun.) is a holy day of obligation.
While I agree with your premise, I don't have a problem with the obligation.
Absolutely, Rick, that's you and that's me actually. However, I believe the "me" generation that David mentions out-weighs the numbers that feel that Sunday Mass is an obligation. Sure they call themselves Catholic but find excuses why they can only attend Mass on Christmas (and definitely one of the vigils!), and Easter Sunday...oh, and let's not forget Ash Wednesday! Add to that their lacking knowledge of "their" Catholic church and its liturgies, e.g. the real meaning of the Immaculate Conception (jokes tell ya that most people have no clue), why is Easter a moving feast, what day of the year we do not celebrate Mass (thinking that GF is a Mass!), etc...you get my drift. During music rehearsals, I try my best to catechise the members as to why we do what we do, especially during the holiest of days.

Just realized something: my issue is not why Sunday is obligatory, but the mindset of many who want to believe it is not (I thought you might have misunderstood my first post).

Last edited on Fri Feb 29th, 2008 02:37 am by RCMusicGuy

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