3 Liturgical Questions

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katewithak

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I have three questions.
  1. Our Christmas Masses. We had a vigil Mass at 4:00. we had a midnight Mass at 10:00. We had no Mass at 12:00. (Our parishioners are elderly and 12:00 was seen as too late for them.)
    At the “Midnight Mass” at 10:00, we read the First Reading from the Vigil Mass and then when the second reader came up, Father switched it to the second reading for Midnight Mass. The baby was in the cradle all the while. I found this to be confusing as I thought the Vigil and Midnight Masses were still Masses of waiting. No one seemed to know if we should go to Mass on Christmas Day or not, if the obligation was fulfilled. And then the priest cancelled Mass on Christmas Day. Is it okay to be changing readings in the middle of the Mass and reaaranging the schedule like this?
  2. Our priest likes during Mass, while standing on the altar to say “If Christ returns”. Is there a question or some reason to think He won’t? Or is this a sign that our priest is having difficulties?
  3. Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament.
    We sit in the pew until Fr. brings out the Monstrance and exposes the Host. Nothing is said or done until 5 minutes before the end of Holy Hour when Father returns and sings Salutaris Hostia and returns the Host to the tabernacle. This is a bit confusing for some of us. It kind of reminds me of that popular song- You say goodbye when I say Hello. It rather seems we should greet the Host at the beginning of Exposition not at the end. We also have no rosary groups or prayers in our parish. there are three Mexican ladies who recite the Rosary in Spanish during Exposition, but I’m afraid they will be discouraged by those who want silence the entire hour.
    Are these normal behaviors for Mass and Exposition? to be frank, I have not attended Exposition that frequently but the ones I have attended were different from this.
    Do I have reasons for concern or am I just ignorant of liturgy and exposition?
 
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katewithak:
I have three questions.
  1. Our Christmas Masses. We had a vigil Mass at 4:00. we had a midnight Mass at 10:00. We had no Mass at 12:00. (Our parishioners are elderly and 12:00 was seen as too late for them.)
    At the “Midnight Mass” at 10:00, we read the First Reading from the Vigil Mass and then when the second reader came up, Father switched it to the second reading for Midnight Mass. The baby was in the cradle all the while. I found this to be confusing as I thought the Vigil and Midnight Masses were still Masses of waiting. No one seemed to know if we should go to Mass on Christmas Day or not, if the obligation was fulfilled. And then the priest cancelled Mass on Christmas Day. Is it okay to be changing readings in the middle of the Mass and reaaranging the schedule like this?
  2. Our priest likes during Mass, while standing on the altar to say “If Christ returns”. Is there a question or some reason to think He won’t? Or is this a sign that our priest is having difficulties?
  3. Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament.
    We sit in the pew until Fr. brings out the Monstrance and exposes the Host. Nothing is said or done until 5 minutes before the end of Holy Hour when Father returns and sings Salutaris Hostia and returns the Host to the tabernacle. This is a bit confusing for some of us. It kind of reminds me of that popular song- You say goodbye when I say Hello. It rather seems we should greet the Host at the beginning of Exposition not at the end. We also have no rosary groups or prayers in our parish. there are three Mexican ladies who recite the Rosary in Spanish during Exposition, but I’m afraid they will be discouraged by those who want silence the entire hour.
    Are these normal behaviors for Mass and Exposition? to be frank, I have not attended Exposition that frequently but the ones I have attended were different from this.
    Do I have reasons for concern or am I just ignorant of liturgy and exposition?
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  1. I don’t exactly know why the priest would switch the readings.
  2. If Christ returns. That is not acceptable because we as Christians believe Christ will come again as he told the apostles.
  3. O salutaris hostia is suppose to be sung at the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. At the reposition of the Eucharist Tantum Ergo is sung. I believe you need to do something for exposition however you can repose the Blessed Sacrament without doing Benediction.
God Bless,
Matt
 
The first Mass you listed would have been the vigil Mass the vigil Mass readings should have been read there. No as far as the midnight Mass the time is fine because it is the last Mass. Many parishes have went to an earlier time. The midnight Mass readings should have applied. Lets give the priest the benefit of the doubt, that he was not aware of the first reading until it was to late but corrected it when he realized that it was the wrong reading. Your Mass was valid for a Christmas Mass.

“IF” please there is not much room for ‘the benefit of the doubt here’ obviously misled.

Exposition is generally adoration for an hour or so. It is rarely led with meditation by a priest. It is your time to pray to talk to Christ or simply gaze upon Jesus with great love. Simply saying speak Lord your servant is listening.
 
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katewithak:
I have three questions.
  1. Our Christmas Masses. We had a vigil Mass at 4:00. we had a midnight Mass at 10:00. We had no Mass at 12:00. (Our parishioners are elderly and 12:00 was seen as too late for them.)
    At the “Midnight Mass” at 10:00, we read the First Reading from the Vigil Mass and then when the second reader came up, Father switched it to the second reading for Midnight Mass. The baby was in the cradle all the while. I found this to be confusing as I thought the Vigil and Midnight Masses were still Masses of waiting. No one seemed to know if we should go to Mass on Christmas Day or not, if the obligation was fulfilled. And then the priest cancelled Mass on Christmas Day. Is it okay to be changing readings in the middle of the Mass and reaaranging the schedule like this?
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It seems that the first reader made a mistake and Father corrected it for the second reading. But at the Midnight Mass there are three readings to choose from. It can be the Midnight Mass reading Isaiah 9:1-7 or the Dawn Mass Isaiah 62:11-12 or the Christmas Day Mass Isaiah 52:7-10. But it should not be the Vigil Mass Isaiah 62:1-5.
This is because in the Lectionary for Mass, before the Midnight Mass it has “In Masses celebrated on Christmas Day, the readings given below are used, with the option of choosing more appropriate readings from any one of the three Masses according to the pastoral needs of each celebration.”
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katewithak:
  1. Our priest likes during Mass, while standing on the altar to say “If Christ returns”. Is there a question or some reason to think He won’t? Or is this a sign that our priest is having difficulties?
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It is a sign that the priest is having difficulties. The text he should say at the altar is in the Roman Missal:
“Deliver us, Lord, from every evil, and grant us peace in our day. In your mercy keep us free from sin and protect us from all anxiety as we wait in joyful hope for the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.”
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katewithak:
  1. Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament.
    We sit in the pew until Fr. brings out the Monstrance and exposes the Host. Nothing is said or done until 5 minutes before the end of Holy Hour when Father returns and sings Salutaris Hostia and returns the Host to the tabernacle. This is a bit confusing for some of us. It kind of reminds me of that popular song- You say goodbye when I say Hello. It rather seems we should greet the Host at the beginning of Exposition not at the end. We also have no rosary groups or prayers in our parish. there are three Mexican ladies who recite the Rosary in Spanish during Exposition, but I’m afraid they will be discouraged by those who want silence the entire hour.
    Are these normal behaviors for Mass and Exposition? to be frank, I have not attended Exposition that frequently but the ones I have attended were different from this.
    Do I have reasons for concern or am I just ignorant of liturgy and exposition?
Click to expand...
Singing a song is optional at the beginning. “93. After the people have assembled, a song may be sung while the minister comes to the altar.” (From Holy Communion and the Worship of the Eucharist Outside of Mass. This is the official liturgical book, which I am quoting from The Rites Volume One, Liturgical Press, 1990, ISBN 0-8146-6015-0, page 675).
During adoration it has: “95 During the expostion there should be prayers, songs, and readings to direct the attention of the faithful to the worship of Christ the Lord. …”.
Despite your concerns it seems to me that this is being followed, because the three Mexican ladies are reciting the rosary in Spanish. The rosary may be said during exposition. This has been made explicit in the 2002 “Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy” of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. The Eucharist Adoration section ends at n. 165 with: “Given the close relationship between Christ and Our Lady, the Rosary can always be of assistance in giving prayer a Chirstological orientation, since it contains meditation of the Incarnation and the Redemption.”
 
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