Mass Obligation

[Anastasia13]

Is there an obligation to attend if one is physically capable of attending but to the possible or probably detriment of one's health as from straining an existing injury that impacts one's life in certain ways?

[truthfinder]

God does not demand the impossible.  It's a bit subjective, but if this injury absolutely limits you to your home or hospital, then yes, the obligation ceases to exist.  If it's a sprained knee or something that limits mobility but doesn't completely render you homebound, then I'd say no.  You wouldn't have to genuflect or kneel, but attending Mass itself probably won't harm you any further.  I would have to go with the "strongest possibility" of further injury, but these are things which should be talked about with your priest.  Some people can rationalize avoiding Mass for a papercut, others would force themselves to Mass while suffering from flesh-eating disease - neither is right.

[Anastasia13]

 

I would have to go with the "strongest possibility" of further injury, 

What do you mean here?

[truthfinder]

I mean that if you go to Mass it is an almost certain likelihood that you would further injure yourself. "Possibly" and "probably" sound like equivocation and the chance of talking oneself out of the obligation.  I myself have sprained both my ankles and both my knees - it is possible that going to Mass could reinjure myself - but it isn't probable. If a knee if feeling particularly weak, I might not kneel, but I would still go to Mass. If however, I had just sprained the joint and couldn't put any weight on it at that point, then no, I wouldn't go to Mass, even if the next day, a non-obligation, I might be able to walk and make it to the church the next day. 

What do you mean here?

 

[Feankie]

I myself am in need of a knee replacement and find it impossible to kneel.  I even limp like crazy!  I still attend Mass, but bow instead of genuflecting, sit on the pew leaning forward instead of kneeling, etc.  I get some strange looks, but that's life - at least I'm there.  However, if I could put no weight on the knee (which has been the case in the past,) I simply don't go to Mass and try to watch a Mass on TV (EWTN) or one from the Diocese.  I don't really think the Lord minds if one is simply not able to participate.  I have brought this up with my priest and he concurs, although I'm sure this could vary from priest to priest.