An article: When You'd Rather Go Anywhere Than "That Parish."

[mdgspencer]

What if you must go to a different parish, and the different parish is the last one you would want to go to? This writer has a good reason for going anyways.
ascentofcarmel.blogspot.com/2012/07/when-youd-rather-go-anywhere-than-that.html

 

[St_Francis]

If the priest changes the words of the Consecration, is the Mass valid? Does the Consecration occur?

Because if it doesn’t, then there would be no need to go… Christ would not be in the Tabernacle.

But other than that, yep, no matter how crazy it drives you, you still have to go!

I once tried to get to a Mass, but I had gotten the time wrong. The only Mass available for me to go to was not to my liking (I really hate telling my children *not *to listen to the homily!), and it was a further 1/2 hour away from home, so I skipped it

The next week, I was able to go to Confession at a Latin Mass church I thought this priest would be more sympathetic, but he wasn’t!!! Mass is Mass, and we shouldn’t skip it because of “aesthetic reasons,” he told me.

I have since come to see that if Christ is there, and if the Mass is truly “bad,” then Christ must be suffering, so we should go if circumstances dictate, and offer our comparatively minute sufferings to Him.

 

[Mrs_Sally]

Excellent blog post! The vast majority of the things we don’t like about certain Masses - the music, altar girls, ugly vestments, bad homilies, glass chalices, etc. don’t affect the validity of the Mass. They certainly don’t affect our obligation to attend Mass!

We also don’t have to receive communion if things bother us. If the two billion “eucharistic ministers” are women wearing shorts or men in tank tops, if the priest sits out distributing, if the communion hymn is something you sang at camp when you were 8, or for any other reason, you can stay in your pew and make a spiritual communion. Bow your head, close your eyes, and pray for your own salvation and that of everyone at Mass with you.

What we can’t do is decide that because we don’t like the Masses at St. Serenity, we can just skip Mass that week. :nope:

 

[april32010]

thanks,great article! thats a great blog.

 

[applesofgold]

We also don’t have to receive communion if things bother us. If the two billion “eucharistic ministers” are women wearing shorts or men in tank tops, if the priest sits out distributing, if the communion hymn is something you sang at camp when you were 8, or for any other reason, you can stay in your pew and make a spiritual communion. Bow your head, close your eyes, and pray for your own salvation and that of everyone at Mass with you.

I agree wholeheartedly with everything, but alas there is one person who, even when he finds himself in that situation, must receive communion. That is of course the priest! In addition to all the above he may have just endured a sizeable portion of the congregation rattle off the celebrants parts *(blessed are you Lord God of all creation…, the eucharistic prayer, even the words of consecration, through him and with him and in him … deliver us O Lord from all that is evil … lord jesus christ you said to your apostles …) *

 

[Mrs_Sally]

The priest has much more control over what happens in his own parish than a person passing through.

The blog was about the problems of needing to attend a parish different than your usual parish. Some say it is better to skip their Mass obligation than attend a Mass they don’t like.

The blogger, and I agree, was arguing that our attendance at Mass is so important that we go even when the only Mass available is the one with a brass band and Father wearing his stole outside his chasuble.

 

[lssanjose]

I think that’s the reason why I like where I live: I have so many parishes to choose from. I remember, in another thread, there was the argument of how the men’s group in the parish not being important. In some cases, the congregation is very important. I do go to a Byzantine parish, which is considerably farther than the parish I’m a hop, and skip over. But, for me, it’s about the spiritual development, and cultivating that in others.

Part of the motivation in my moving to where I live now was so I wouldn’t be so far from the Roman parish I’ve been going to, for a year. I’ve been entrenched in the community enough, not to leave it; I see no reason to do so.

Now, I found an Orthodox parish I really like, and I find them very warm, and welcoming to Latin Catholics (since I’m canonically Latin [Muchos Gracias Espana]). I also love attending their vespers; and I found out some of them pray the Rosary, in private devotion.

 

[Actaeon]

Excellent blog post! The vast majority of the things we don’t like about certain Masses - the music, altar girls, ugly vestments, bad homilies, glass chalices, etc. don’t affect the validity of the Mass. They certainly don’t affect our obligation to attend Mass!

The music - subjective
altar girls - subjective
ugly vestments - subjective (I particularly find the medieval vestements used by our local “traditional” parish to be cheap and clownish… particularly because they skimped on quality)
bad homilies - subjective (same “traditional parish”, the priest routinely preaches about how all the other parishes are filled with hellbound half-catholics and the masses are “disgraceful”… despite the fact that our other parishes are VERY orthodox ordinary rite parishes)
glass chalices - generally ignorant complaint (many so-called “glass” chalices are crystal and are very valuable)

But you’re right, these things don’t effect the validity of the mass…

We also don’t have to receive communion if things bother us. If the two billion “eucharistic ministers” are women wearing shorts or men in tank tops, if the priest sits out distributing, if the communion hymn is something you sang at camp when you were 8, or for any other reason, you can stay in your pew and make a spiritual communion. Bow your head, close your eyes, and pray for your own salvation and that of everyone at Mass with you.

Here I used to agree with you… before I read “The Lamb’s Supper” and realized that I was, in effect, punishing the priest by rejecting Christ in the Eucharist.

While a mass may be less than licit, or less than aesthetically pleasing, Christ in the Eucharist is every bit as present, as real, and as deserving of worship in every sense. I don’t think it’s wise to consider rejecting going to communion because a mass was somehow “less worthy” of participation in communion.

At the same time, there is a valid reason in that to skip communion: our own spiritual state. If we find that we are not in the mental and spiritual state to receive then we should not go. In other words, if we have become distracted by some fault that we see, and it removes us from a place (internally) where we can receive with all the due respect and reverence that the Eucharist commands, it is THEN that we should refrain and attempt to make a spiritual communion.

But we must understand that when we choose to refrain from attending communion for this reason it is because of a fault within us (that we allowed ourself to become unprepared to receive) and not a fault of Christ on the altar…

What we can’t do is decide that because we don’t like the Masses at St. Serenity, we can just skip Mass that week. :nope:

Wholeheartedly agreed, and we ESPECIALLY can’t skip mass with that logic under the presumption that “I can just go to confession before mass next week, so it’s okay”. Deliberately sinning with the presumption that, without real contrition, we can just take advantage of the sacrament of reconciliation is, itself, abusive.

 

[Mrs_Sally]

Yes, this is what I was thinking:

At the same time, there is a valid reason in that to skip communion: our own spiritual state. If we find that we are not in the mental and spiritual state to receive then we should not go. In other words, if we have become distracted by some fault that we see, and it removes us from a place (internally) where we can receive with all the due respect and reverence that the Eucharist commands, it is THEN that we should refrain and attempt to make a spiritual communion.

If things are disturbing us so much that we are not in a recollected state, it is better to refrain from receiving. We are obligated to attend Mass, we are not obligated to receive communion.

I would much rather discuss my confusion and frustration with the priest than have to confess that I missed Mass because I decided I wouldn’t like it before I even got there!

 

[Justin_Swanton]

Here is something of interest one of the posters on that blog had to say:

MagdaleneAugust 5, 2012 10:18 AM
Been there done that. But if the priest changed the words of consecration; it is not valid. Not only illicit but invalid.

There comes a time when one can no longer endure the sacrilege if one recognizes it and most don’t. I tried ear plugs and then began to pray with an English/Latin missal and so began to long for the extraordinary form of the Mass-one with total reverence and no funny business.

Some of my friends went protestant, some to Greek Orthodox, some drove miles to a schismatic Mass, and some just dropped out when they could not endure. I moved away. The cost was high. But I am in a parish now with 2 daily Masses and 11 confession times a week. Next week our new parochial vicar will offer the first TLM in probably over 40 years at my parish. I can worship in peace!

I understand the merit of enduring the blasphemous Masses as there was mockery at Calvary too. But after a time your own soul starts to wither and to be angry and upset at Mass all the time is not beneficial.

I left my home parish and town. I am glad I did.

That puts it in a nutshell. One can survive a Mass like this if it is once in a blue moon, but not as a regular feature of one’s life. Psychologically one has to take the liturgy as a whole: one cannot accept some parts and reject others and keep one’s tranquillity and sanity intact. Hence a Mass that puts an individual into such a frame of mind that he/she cannot receive Communion is objectively a real problem.

There are two arguments for why one should go to such a Mass anyway, presuming it is the only one within reach and the day is Sunday:a) the Church obliges Mass attendance on Sunday

b) the Mass is valid and Christ is present in the Sacred Species.
Taking a closer look at these arguments:a) the obligation of Sunday attendance applies to the Mass as celebrated according to the mind of the Church; the legislator did not have any other Mass in view when creating the law. As a corollary to this, Church law cannot predict every circumstance: situations can arise that are not catered for. The Church recognises this and lays down a set of principles to determine whether such a law applies in such a case or not. One principle is that no law, in its application, may cause spiritual harm to the individual concerned. If a certain circumstance makes a law noxious, then the law does not apply.

b) that, by itself, is no reason to attend a Mass. Christ is present in the Greek Orthodox Masses, and he is treated there with a good deal more reverence that in some regular parish Masses. Doesn’t matter - one can’t go to them.
The bottom line seems to be that these kind of Masses are in the minority. The average Catholic can see them for what they are and, at a certain inconvenience to himself, go somewhere else for an acceptable regular Sunday Mass. The Church is still taking care of her children.

 

[jmjconder]

**I have experienced this way too many times. I am always reflecting - at these times - of how humble Jesus is to come to us under the appearance of bread and wine…seeing the souls of people as they come forward to receive HIM.

If Jesus can humble Himself to this point - I can tolerate some strange points of the Mass. Even if the Mass is illicit - it is still valid.

During these times - we need to unite ourselves in humility with Bread come down from Heaven!

Interesting this post comes during the six chapers of John’s Gospel! Glory Forever!**

 

[pamnbam]

Wow, I really needed to read that blog post! My own home parish is “that parish;” I have to stay because I really want my son to go to a Catholic school and it’s the only church/school combo nearby.

But no crucifixes, an “after-communion” congregational prayer, eucharistic ministers blessing children and non-communicants, and even today, when the priest mentioned that celiacs can receive a “gluten-free host,” I about lose it every weekend during/after Mass. I actually try to attend a different parish when I can, but technically, we’re supposed to be attending our home parish to receive the in-parish tuition.

I need to remember that it’s not about me and my feelings; it’s about our Lord’s sacrifice, it makes it all worth it. Thanks for sharing the article!