Hi James,

If you are taking a minimalistic view — how little can I get away with and still not sin — you've effectively already sinned because you have the wrong attitude. You should always strive to make every reasonable effort to make it to Mass on time.

If, however, we are talking about a situation whereby, due to circumstances beyond your control, you arrive late, it's a different matter. There are no hard and fast rules.

Some say you can't miss the Gospel (this is what I most commonly hear). Others say you need to be there for the Eucharistic prayer. The other option I'm sure the Lord would be very pleased with is if you decided to go to Mass again.

The key is not to get lazy and make weak excuses. Consider Mass a privilege and benefit worth attending, not something to escape.

Hope this helps,

Eric Ewanco

Hi James,

Following up on Eric's very good answer, I wanted to address your second question.

You said:
I see people walk in after the Gospel or even after the homily.

• Have they fulfilled their obligation?

I think you are focusing too much on others rather then focusing on your own spiritual needs.

There are many people in our Church today with various callings, family situations, and work situations — all who have various levels of religious education and instruction. Whatever some ones calling: individual, family, lay religious; or what level of religious education they have, is not the issue. What is important is what you know to be required by the Church and the Scriptures i.e. the Third Commandment.

My personal opinion, which I submit to the authority of the Church, is if a [person/family] strives to get to Mass on time before the celebrant comes out to celebrate Sunday Mass, they have met their Sunday obligation. If they willfully miss a Sunday, just go to Confession that Saturday and mention it. Easy!

We have to remember that attendance at Sunday Mass shouldn't be seen as something we have to do but want to do to ensure our body and souls have a solid spiritual foundation. Receiving the Blessed Sacrament ensures this.

In the same way no one would ever think of going one whole week without having anything to eat or drink, including water; no one should ever think that [he/she] can go more then a week and still continue to make solid, moral, Catholic Christian choices. No way!

We need, ideally, spiritual guidance from a Christian preacher and, more importantly, to be fed with the Body and Blood of Jesus. By partaking in His Divine Nature we are guided to make good Catholic Christian moral choices for the coming week.

If we find ourselves in a situation where we are talking with family and friends about the importance of getting to Mass on time when making our Sunday Obligation, we should share,
but in charity!

When we uncharitably tell someone, in a demanding voice, that [he/she] has to do something,
it doesn't respect his own free will. This is one of the major problems with, what I call, the religious freak in the family. I am not condoning behavior or the lack of behavior that doesn't meet basic Church obligations, but if someone is away from the Church, you have to understand where they are coming from first.

I hope to be doing a commentary soon by this name.

Hope this helps,

Mike

Hi, James —

There used to be a guideline that one had to hear the Gospel to have heard the entire Mass.

Since the Liturgy of the Word is part of the Mass, that guideline would still hold true however one should not purposefully come only in time for the Gospel.

Mary Ann