Missing Mass


West Central Wisconsin is blessed with wonderful summers (which seem more wonderful after our lengthy winters).  Once the ice melts it is hard to keep the locals at home on weekends.  So many places to go and days to enjoy . . . missing Mass seems like a really big issue around here. (See article below.)

 
Missing Mass Tools For You
 
If you know in advance that you are going to be out of town, check out 
 
to see if there is a Mass you can attend at your destination.  Its a good idea to confirm the specifics with the church before you go because some of their information is understandably out of date.
 
If you really can't make it for illness, or whatever reason, the next best thing is to participate in Mass from home. [Below, Father Mike suggests asking your priest in advance for a dispensation if you know you will be unable to attend due to travel.]
 

Televised Masses:
 
Eau Claire (WQOW), Channel 18, at 9:30 am Sunday
 
Diocese of La Crosse - more televised Masses listed
 


Online Mass:
 

In this self-portrait entitiled "Anticipation" Jeff Gardner demonstrates what you should do if you miss Mass without a good reason.
 

Sunday Evening Masses
 in West Central Wisconsin
(great for weekend travellers): 
  
Chippewa Falls - Notre Dame - 7 PM
 
Eau Claire - UWEC Newman Community - 5:30 during the school year
 
Menomonie - St. Joseph Catholic Church for UW-Stout Campus Ministry - 7 PM during the school year


Sunday  Evening Masses
 over the MN border: 
 
Stillwater, MN - St. Mary - 6 PM
 
Woodbury, MN - St. Ambrose - 5 PM
 
Spiritual Communion:
Spiritual communions are special prayers to say when you want to be at Mass but can't for whatever reason.  There are a number of them with different wordings.  This does NOT fulfill your Sunday obligation, however, if you want to be at Mass at other times and can't get there, the spiritual benefits of making a "spiritual communion" are great! 
 

If you know of any on-line or late Sunday Masses not listed here, or if any of this information is incorrect, please let me know at wcwcatholic@gmail.com .


On Missing Mass by Father Mike
(reprinted by permission)

Is it a sin to miss Mass if you're on vacation?
Short answer: Yah, sure. You betcha. So, thinking about packing the clan into the family truckster and heading to parts unknown, are we? Great idea, seeing as how you live in the greatest part of the greatest state in the Union.

Not only is skipping Sunday Mass a sin, but it’s one of those big daddies known as a “serious” or “grave” sin. This means that, if I know it is a serious sin and freely choose to do it anyway, I have turned away from God to such a degree that I am no longer in communion with Him. 

One of the consequences of this “turning away” is that I may not attempt to receive Holy Communion until I have been reconciled with God and the Church through the Sacrament of...drum roll please…Reconciliation. In other words, I need to get to Confession before I receive the Eucharist or else I have just committed another grave sin: sacrilege.

“But WHY is skipping ONE Mass considered enough to separate me from God? It’s not like I killed somebody!” 
You are right. No one died. No one is physically hurt. But remember, following God is not about breaking (or not
breaking) a bunch of rules. It is fundamentally about a relationship. It is about becoming the kind of person who belongs to God.

What we often forget is that God is the primary person offended in every sin. Ultimately, it really doesn’t matter if I say, “Oh, this is just a private sin.” There is no such thing as a private sin. There is always someone who is rejected/betrayed/denied in each sin. His Name is “God”. But isn’t that funny that we don’t really “count” God? As if a choice against Him was imaginary. And yet, that choice does something to us.

We need to realize that sin changes us…just like virtue changes us. The spiritual death that can come from something like skipping Mass isn’t because God feels the need to beat us up. It comes because we have just hardened our heart to God in a significant way.

He asks me to serve Him in this way. + I say no. = Hard heart. 
Hard heart = Dead heart.

Remember Moses in the desert? He had been chosen to be the leader of the Israelites from slavery, through the desert, and into the Promised Land. And he pretty much did an awesome job. But there was this one point where God told Moses to speak to a rock which would then bring forth water. Instead, Moses struck the rock with his staff. Because of this (this little thing! He hit a rock, for pete’s sake!) Moses was not allowed into the Promised Land. Why? It was because Moses knew what God wanted, and he chose to do something else. He had total insight into God’s will, but rejected it. In doing so, he rejected God. We know that God’s will is that we attend Mass every Sunday (Saturday night). The choice is now ours: do we want to belong to God or not?

But we’re going to be out of town!
I’ve been out of town. They have churches there. You may have to re-arrange your schedule, but realize that it is an act of love toward God on your part.

But I’m going camping! There are no churches up in the BWCA.
No problem, Daniel Boone. Talk to your pastor before you head off. He can grant you a dispensation from your Sunday obligation in those circumstances.

Argh. This sounds like legalism.
This is so far beyond legalism. This is deep into the realm of relationship. It is not about following rules, but really is the answer to the question: “Do you love me? Will you obey my commandments?” If you choose to not request a dispensation from your pastor and just completely skip Mass, what are you saying to God? “I am going to do what I want to do.” If you ask for a dispensation, you are simply saying, “I want to obey God. I will therefore ask for
permission to be excused.” It is a terrific posture of humility and love before our heavenly Father.

I know now. We can use this knowledge to grow in love, by obeying Jesus: “Those who love me are the ones who keep my commandments.”

Father Michael Schmitz,

If you like this article and want to read more from Father Mike, check out Ask Father Mike.