Q: I lost my spouse and moved out of the state. I tried to attend the local church and didn’t feel right. Am I committing a sin for not attending? I do watch TV Mass or EWTN or Mass on YouTube. Keeping my faith is the only thing I have to hold me together. I hope I’m doing something right. — K.

Answered by Fr. Edward McIlmail, LC:

Please accept my condolences on the death of your husband. May Our Lord rest his soul.

There is still one man with you who loves you dearly and who wants you close to him, and that’s Jesus.

We can encounter him at Mass in a special way, through the prayers, the readings, the homilies, and above all in the Eucharist.

This is one reason why it’s a serious obligation for Catholics to attend Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation.

This means attendance at Mass. We are called to worship in a community, not online. It’s Jesus we approach at Mass; the style of the parish is secondary.

By attending Mass and worthily receiving Communion (you might want to get to confession first) you can offer up powerful prayers for your husband.

You want to nurture the hope that you and he could have a joyful reunion someday in heaven. You can do your part by attending Mass and staying close to the sacraments.

It might help to seek out some bereavement counseling. Your nearby parish might offer such counseling or have a support group that could help you.

While it’s understandable that you might be going through a period of mourning, the last thing you want to do is detach from the wider Catholic community.

We are here to support one another on our way toward eternity.

It might help to get a book on mourning. The Daughters of St. Paul have various works.

I hope some of this helps. Count on my prayers.