A Surprise Kiss of Peace at the OF

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Today, I attended a beautiful Requiem Mass in the Ordinary Form. I am on a mailing list and had been invited to attend, so I thought I would.

The mass was very reverently said and I very much liked the Priest’s upbeat demeanor. The female cantor had a beautiful rich voice and the people sang along as best they could.

I tried to be very good Catholic, meaning I tried hard to be humble, did not go with a critical spirit and I did not insist on doing things the EF way, as you all always advise. I did receive communion on the tongue, but standing.

Anyway, when we got to the sign of peace, I braced myself because I’m not crazy about that part. Where I was standing there was no one in the row in front of me, but there was an older couple in the back of me. I was at the right end of the pew and they were at the left end of their pew.

So during the sign of peace, I sort of stared forward ready to smile and offer a limp hand raise as I’ve seen done elsewhere, if I had to. However, I noticed that people were shaking hands and hugging nd kissing each other. I figured those who were hugging and kissing knew each other.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the older man in the pew behind me coming up to me. Being a friendly person, I turned with a smile, just as he extended his hand.

He gripped my hand and pulled me to him and before I realized what was happening, he had planted a full kiss on my cheek! :o

I was grinning for a full 20 seconds out of embarrassment.
 
could have been a cultural thing - its not uncommon in some cultures for even males to greet each other with a kiss on the cheek, though, without a full awareness of the circumstances, I couldn’t say for sure what this was specifically.

Interesting you note receiving the host standing, but on the tongue. I was raised NO, and always received it on the hand. Attended a Latin Mass last Sunday, and decided, since I was kneeling, I would receive on the tongue per tradition.

Promptly popped in the nose by the Priest as he tried to insert the host (And missed - the first time - pushing it into my lip).

Ah well, the joys of Mass.
 
mburn16 said:
Promptly popped in the nose by the Priest as he tried to insert the host (And missed - the first time - pushing it into my lip).

Ah well, the joys of Mass.
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LOL. Open wider next time and bend your head back.

By the way, before receiving, I tried to make a bow like I saw others doing and it was so awkward. I should have just genuflected.
mburn16 said:
could have been a cultural thing
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Nah…

Another positive thing: they used the new translation of the mass .
 
It’s quite common in Latin cultures to greet each other with a kiss on the cheek although it’s generally done if you are being introduced to someone or if you know them already. I give a kiss on the cheek during the sign of peace to all my friends and acquaintances and just a handshake to strangers.
 
My husband and I kiss at the sign of peace, but we shake hands with others around us as we say peace be to you. I may be that the people at that Mass knew each other well, especially if it was a funeral they could have been family members.

I remember well receiving on the tongue kneeling at the communion rail back in the day. Believe me, there was a reason for the paten!
 
It could be cultural or perhaps he was raised doing that. Many cultures kiss on the cheek.

Also, someone above pointed out that Truelight is not female, I think what the poster was saying was “even” males kiss on the cheek, meaning that everyone kisses on the cheek, even men (since in the U.S. that would be a very “non-masculine” thing to do). Kind of like saying, “Everyone had a great time at the wedding reception, even grandma was on the dance floor!”
 
TrueLight said:
Today, I attended a beautiful Requiem Mass in the Ordinary Form. I am on a mailing list and had been invited to attend, so I thought I would.

The mass was very reverently said and I very much liked the Priest’s upbeat demeanor. The female cantor had a beautiful rich voice and the people sang along as best they could.

I tried to be very good Catholic, meaning I tried hard to be humble, did not go with a critical spirit and I did not insist on doing things the EF way, as you all always advise. I did receive communion on the tongue, but standing.

Anyway, when we got to the sign of peace, I braced myself because I’m not crazy about that part. Where I was standing there was no one in the row in front of me, but there was an older couple in the back of me. I was at the right end of the pew and they were at the left end of their pew.

So during the sign of peace, I sort of stared forward ready to smile and offer a limp hand raise as I’ve seen done elsewhere, if I had to. However, I noticed that people were shaking hands and hugging nd kissing each other. I figured those who were hugging and kissing knew each other.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the older man in the pew behind me coming up to me. Being a friendly person, I turned with a smile, just as he extended his hand.

He gripped my hand and pulled me to him and before I realized what was happening, he had planted a full kiss on my cheek! :o

I was grinning for a full 20 seconds out of embarrassment.
Click to expand...
:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:
 
I am surprised that they did this at all in the Latin rite Mass. I grew up in Ireland with the old Latin Mass days - we never had a sign of peace [never mind a peace kiss] for the congregation in the old Mass.

Was it common in the US to give each other the sign of peace in the pre-Vatican II Mass?
 
TrueLight said:
Today, I attended a beautiful Requiem Mass in the Ordinary Form. I am on a mailing list and had been invited to attend, so I thought I would.

The mass was very reverently said and I very much liked the Priest’s upbeat demeanor. The female cantor had a beautiful rich voice and the people sang along as best they could.

I tried to be very good Catholic, meaning I tried hard to be humble, did not go with a critical spirit and I did not insist on doing things the EF way, as you all always advise. I did receive communion on the tongue, but standing.

Anyway, when we got to the sign of peace, I braced myself because I’m not crazy about that part. Where I was standing there was no one in the row in front of me, but there was an older couple in the back of me. I was at the right end of the pew and they were at the left end of their pew.

So during the sign of peace, I sort of stared forward ready to smile and offer a limp hand raise as I’ve seen done elsewhere, if I had to. However, I noticed that people were shaking hands and hugging nd kissing each other. I figured those who were hugging and kissing knew each other.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the older man in the pew behind me coming up to me. Being a friendly person, I turned with a smile, just as he extended his hand.

He gripped my hand and pulled me to him and before I realized what was happening, he had planted a full kiss on my cheek! :o

I was grinning for a full 20 seconds out of embarrassment.
Click to expand...
I’m American. When someone kisses me without asking me first, I SLAP them! It’s a CULTURAL THING.
 
Right on, Iloveangels. Exactly the way I feel about the whole thing.
 
Cailte said:
I am surprised that they did this at all in the Latin rite Mass. I grew up in Ireland with the old Latin Mass days - we never had a sign of peace [never mind a peace kiss] for the congregation in the old Mass.

Was it common in the US to give each other the sign of peace in the pre-Vatican II Mass?
Click to expand...
No. In many parishes, it did not come in until the late 70s/early 80s.
 
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