Author Topic: Going to Mass Even When Sick (Read 1234 times)

Last Tradhican · « **on:** February 23, 2018, 09:47:41 AM »

I'm trying to understand the mindset of people who are sick and go to mass.

Are they maybe thinking that they are offering up their sacrifice by going to mass even though they feel really bad?

Are they just going to see their friends and can't do without the companionship?

Are they going because they still can walk?

Here's my problem with sick people going to mass; they can pass on their illness to everyone in the building and KILL infants and older adults and the weak. In my mind, going to mass while one is sick is uncharitable to others.

1st Mansion Tenant · « **Reply #1 on:** February 23, 2018, 10:02:13 AM »

Possibly because we were taught as children that it is a mortal sin to miss Mass unless it is absolutely necessary. St Therese would literally crawl from her cell to the chapel during her prolonged suffering. Also, just being in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament can grant healing to both body and soul.

Last Tradhican · « **Reply #2 on:** February 23, 2018, 10:07:05 AM »

Quote from: 1st Mansion Tenant on February 23, 2018, 10:02:13 AM

Possibly because we were taught as children that it is a mortal sin to miss Mass unless it is absolutely necessary. St Therese would literally crawl from her cell to the chapel.

I was taught as a child to keep away from others when I was sick. Did St. Therese have a contagious decease when she crawled to mass? How many people was she exposing? These are all things to be considered. If both my legs are broken, I would still "crawl" to mass. If I had pneumonia I would not go, although it would be easier to go than if I had two broken legs.

1st Mansion Tenant · « **Reply #3 on:** February 23, 2018, 10:21:36 AM »

Quote from: Last Tradhican on February 23, 2018, 10:07:05 AM

I was taught as a child to keep away from others when I was sick. Did St. Therese have a contagious decease when she crawled to mass? How many people was she exposing? These are all things to be considered. If both my legs are broken, I would still "crawl" to mass. If I had pneumonia I would not go, although it would be easier to go than if I had two broken legs.

I have to agree that I have had similar thoughts... a few weeks ago my son stayed home because he had a horrible cough and said he didn't want to be responsible for giving it to "all those old people". We do need to be prudent.

Ladislaus · « **Reply #4 on:** February 23, 2018, 10:45:59 AM »

Right. I think it's a mix. People who are scrupulous will seize on the fact that it's a mortal sin to miss Mass ... and they can torture themselves about whether they're sick enough to justify doing something that would otherwise be a mortal sin. But even the least contagious illness justifies missing Mass ... since charity would require that we not pass it on to others. Then there are others who go out of pride because it makes them feel heroic ... at the expense of their neighbor who ends up taking ill. So most of the reasons that would motivate sick people to attend Mass are actually spiritual disorders ... scrupulosity and pride.

Ladislaus · « **Reply #5 on:** February 23, 2018, 10:46:36 AM »

Quote from: Last Tradhican on February 23, 2018, 10:07:05 AM

I was taught as a child to keep away from others when I was sick. Did St. Therese have a contagious decease when she crawled to mass? How many people was she exposing? These are all things to be considered. If both my legs are broken, I would still "crawl" to mass. If I had pneumonia I would not go, although it would be easier to go than if I had two broken legs.

If I had a mild cold, I would not go.

Last Tradhican · « **Reply #6 on:** February 23, 2018, 10:57:33 AM »

Quote from: Ladislaus on February 23, 2018, 10:45:59 AM

Right. I think it's a mix. People who are scrupulous will seize on the fact that it's a mortal sin to miss Mass ... and they can torture themselves about whether they're sick enough to justify doing something that would otherwise be a mortal sin. But even the least contagious illness justifies missing Mass ... since charity would require that we not pass it on to others. Then there are others who go out of pride because it makes them feel heroic ... at the expense of their neighbor who ends up taking ill. So most of the reasons that would motivate sick people to attend Mass are actually spiritual disorders ... scrupulosity and pride.

I will not go to mass even after I am past the cold, if it was a very bad one, as one can still be contagious for a few days after, specially a stomach virus.

I go to mass during the week, so I guess missing mass on Sunday is no big deal to me.

monka966 · « **Reply #7 on:** February 23, 2018, 11:50:33 AM »

From my own experience it is very chapel dependent. In small traditional chapels with traveling priests, it is free-for-all. People come as they please (many Traditional Catholics are ultra sensitive these days, at least the ones that I meet). In a larger congregation set-up, a priest would announce from the pulpit that people who are feeling ill should stay home and get better. At the end of the day, people will do what they please when it comes to coming to church for Mass.

Last Tradhican · « **Reply #8 on:** February 23, 2018, 12:04:37 PM »

Quote from: monka966 on February 23, 2018, 11:50:33 AM

At the end of the day, people will do what they please when it comes to coming to church for Mass.

At the end of the day, people will do what they please when it comes to:

dressing modestly, flirting, bad language, back biting and detracting, lying, pornography and lust, birth control...........

What people do at the end of the day means nothing, doing the right thing is what matters

1st Mansion Tenant · « **Reply #9 on:** February 23, 2018, 12:29:46 PM »

Anyone else remember being a youngster and wondering why old people were always worried about getting sick and talking about how to avoid it? It seemed so boring and 'hypochondriac-al'. Now I get it.

monka966 · « **Reply #10 on:** February 23, 2018, 12:50:37 PM »

Quote from: Last Tradhican on February 23, 2018, 12:04:37 PM

At the end of the day, people will do what they please when it comes to:

dressing modestly, flirting, bad language, back biting and detracting, lying, pornography and lust, birth control...........

What people do at the end of the day means nothing, doing the right thing is what matters

I thought I was clear when I wrote the "At the end of the day,..." statement. I only meant people who come to Mass when feeling under the weather or ill.

forlorn · « **Reply #11 on:** February 23, 2018, 01:02:57 PM »

Mass is full of the very elderly and very young. What might just be a minor illness to you could be serious if they caught it. Best to pray at home instead if you are ill at all.

Nadir · « **Reply #12 on:** February 23, 2018, 03:25:49 PM »

Quote from: Last Tradhican on February 23, 2018, 10:07:05 AM

. Did St. Therese have a contagious decease when she crawled to mass? How many people was she exposing? These are all things to be considered.

She was suffering from tuberculosis.
She was exposing all the other nuns and the priest.
Tuberculosis is highly contagious and untreatable at the time.

Seraphina · « **Reply #13 on:** February 23, 2018, 04:37:41 PM »

Christian charity dictates that one should not go to Mass when sick with a contagious disease. Parents should not bring sick children to Mass. I once had an obviously sick boy sneeze directly in my face when kneeling during Mass. Despite precautions, three days later I became sick with bronchitis that turned into pneumonia. I lost three week's pay due to my inability to work. Loss of income resulted in not being able to afford travel to Mass for two months. If you're sick, stay home.

All due respect to St. Therese, but she lived in a time when it was not understood how disease spread, much less how to treat and even cure it. It was commonly believed that TB, in particular, was inherited. Should a cloistered nun contract TB today, it is certain she would NOT be permitted to crawl to Mass while she was contagious!

Last Tradhican · « **Reply #14 on:** February 23, 2018, 04:38:32 PM »

Quote from: Nadir on February 23, 2018, 03:25:49 PM

She was suffering from tuberculosis.
She was exposing all the other nuns and the priest.
Tuberculosis is highly contagious and untreatable at the time.

She also had "a direct line to God", which we do not. Likely God told her that no one that attended to her would contract tuberculosis. I would not use that as an example to the common person that they should go to mass in a crowded church when they are sick. I can't picture too many people being present around her as she was living in a convent.

Author Topic: Going to Mass Even When Sick (Read 1234 times)

Last Tradhican

Going to Mass Even When Sick

1st Mansion Tenant

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Last Tradhican

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1st Mansion Tenant

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Ladislaus

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Ladislaus

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Last Tradhican

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monka966

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Last Tradhican

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1st Mansion Tenant

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monka966

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forlorn

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Nadir

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Seraphina

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Last Tradhican

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