Arrgh! Horrible "Surprise" at Mass today

[CRW]

I wish to ask a question for all of you to answer:

How many of your churches (that have guitars,drums,tamborines, keyboards,bongos,etc.) have these musicians placed somewhere in the very front where they are often a focal point when they belt out a rhapsody during the mass ???

and, what is your opinion with them being in the front part of the church ??? Is this necessary ??

The General Instruction of the Roman Missal, number 312: “The choir should be positioned with respect to the design of each church so as to make clearly evident its character as a part of the gathered community of the faithful fulfilling a specific function. The location should also assist the choir to exercise its function more easily and conveniently allow each choir member full, sacramental participation in the Mass.”

IMHO, they moved them to the front to support the GIRM; each choir member, sacramental participation in the Mass. Do I agree, that is another story…

 

[Still_Trying]

I would have taken the Eucharist first and found another church later. I can’t imagine missing out on the communion, no matter how upset I was.

Just a sidenote…if you’re extremely ANGRY you aren’t in the right “frame of mind” to be taking communion anyway. It would be inappropriate.:tsktsk:

 

[Isidore_AK]

Look y’all. I’m a very angry person, its my regular weekly confession…and it was a far better thing for me to walk out than to sit there and cuss for an hour. Trust me on that one.

What really EDIT ticks me off is that there was absolutely no warning that this was going to happen. Nothing. Zip. No notice in the bulletin. Nothing on the website. No mention during the announcements after Mass. NOTHING. The 7pm regulars showed up, and they had changed the Mass to a Teen Mass. There weren’t even many teens there to begin with, just the regulars.

 

[Isidore_AK]

Seems to me anger is a sin. Not to mention walking out of Mass. I sure hope you went to Mass elsewhere, or you just added more to the mess.
Kathy

Couldn’t. Last Mass in the diocese.

It just gives me a little something extra to confess to this week…

 

[jmcrae]

It might be a venial sin to change the music at the Mass on you without warning (I don’t know about that- there’s absolutely nothing about it in my Examen), but it is definitely a mortal sin to miss Mass on a Sunday.

 

[Isidore_AK]

The OP, Isadore, isn’t talking about the common dreary OPC “contemporary” stuff; he’s objecting to a rock & roll mass. Rock music as a genre is deeply and firmly rooted in sexuality, irreverance, and rejection of authority. Though those attributes give it a perverse appropriateness for the contemporary American Church, some Catholics are offended by rock music in their Church, let alone as part of the Liturgy.

It wasn’t a Rock Mass. It was closer to campfire music…I could almost hear the Kumbaya…

This was not a lifeteen Mass. It was not a rock and roll Mass. It was two teens with an acoustic guitar singing horrible protestant music.

I HATE surprises. Especially at Mass. I’m a certified grouch…and this was a horrible, nasty, terrible surprise. This was the parish I was baptised in as a kid. Six months ago the EDIT Bishop removed our priest and replaced him. Since then, things have gone downhill faster and faster. I have a right to be angry, and believe me, when I’m angry I don’t belong at Mass.

 

[Still_Trying]

Hi All,

I WAS AT THAT MASS LAST NIGHT!! He wasn’t the only one who got up and walked out. I watched several people make it to different points in the mass and then just leave. I managed to stay to the end of it, but I was pulling my hair out as I left the building.

It was just adding insult to injury. The priest, though a nice man, doesn’t follow the GIRM.

Here are a few examples…

During that mass he (and these types of actions are NORMAL):

Left the sanctuary while giving his entire homily.

Started the concecration WHILE the girls were still singing/playing the guitar. In fact, the music went SO far into the concecration that NO ONE even said the first respons of “Blessed be God forever”!!! You couldn’t hear the priest!!! It was AWFUL!!!

Then before giving the blessing and everyone leaving he thanked the girls (hello? would he have thanked the organ player??) and had everyone clap for them!!! C’mon!! People just had the Holy Eucharist! It’s not cheerleading time…it’s time for prayerful reflection!!! ARGH!!!

Oh, and before the mass started as everyone was waiting for the father to proceed in the girls went up to the front…very casually and bubbly (no bowing or respect towards the tabernacle or altar) and proceeded to give a “singing lesson” for the new music!!

Can I scream, yet? Totally disrespectful to the Eucharist!!! ARGH!!

There was absolutely NO warning that this was going to happen. 7pm mass is the LAST mass available in the diocese. Nothing in the bulliten, no announcement…nadda!

I was so livid I didn’t take communion.

 

[Cavaille-Coll]

The “youth Mass” at my former parish was the last of ten Masses in each weekend. There was the usual guitar group, but they were very careful about what hymns they selected, and they generally used Latin Mass parts, because the young people preferred them and asked for them! There was more Latin used at this Mass than at the so-called 10:00 High Mass, which was organ, choir, and pure OCP.

 

[CRW]

I would just like to add that each Bishop is charged with approval of music under his authority - parishes.

Cardinal Francis Arinze, Liturgical Norms and Liturgical Piety: “But when all is said and done, we have to come back to the fact that the Mass is not there to entertain people. Such horizontalism would be out of place. People do not come to Mass in order to admire the preacher, or the choir or the readers. The priority movement or direction of the Mass is vertical, toward God, not horizontal, toward one another. What the people need is a faith-filled celebration, a spiritual experience which draws them to God and therefore also to their neighbor. As a by-product, such a celebration will capture the people’s interest and attention.”

 

[deb1]

It might be a venial sin to change the music at the Mass on you without warning (I don’t know about that- there’s absolutely nothing about it in my Examen), but it is definitely a mortal sin to miss Mass on a Sunday.

This was what I thought. Isn’t it a sin to miss Mass.

Having waited so long to finally get the honor of taking the Eucharist, I have a hunger for it. So, that is probably why I am surprised that the OP would walk out of mass.

this is only my opinion based on feelings, so please do not think that I am judging you. I am really not, I promise.

It is actually Jesus that we get to hold in our hand every Sunday. When you really just consider that fact, I, personally, can’t imagine letting anything stand in my way of just touching the Eucharist or even just seeing it. ANd we get to take it one step further and actually have him inside of us physically. It is a hard concept for me to grasp. For me, I just can’t imagine not receiving communion.

I hope that you find another Catholic Church and that you don’t have to miss any more Sundays.That would be sad.

 

[Isidore_AK]

This was what I thought. Isn’t it a sin to miss Mass.

Having waited so long to finally get the honor of taking the Eucharist, I have a hunger for it. So, that is probably why I am surprised that the OP would walk out of mass.

this is only my opinion based on feelings, so please do not think that I am judging you. I am really not, I promise.

It is actually Jesus that we get to hold in our hand every Sunday. When you really just consider that fact, I, personally, can’t imagine letting anything stand in my way of just touching the Eucharist or even just seeing it. And we get to take it one step further and actually have him inside of us physically. It is a hard concept for me to grasp. For me, I just can’t imagine not receiving communion.

I hope that you find another Catholic Church and that you don’t have to miss any more Sundays.That would be sad.

I often withhold myself from Communion. Its the only thing you can do if you’re in a state of Sin. I haven’t had Holy Communion in three weeks because I couldn’t get to confession. I finally managed to get to the confessional on Saturday, and then come Sunday this happens. Just another thing to make me angry .

Anyway, you don’t take Holy Communion unless you are properly disposed. Being so angry you want to kick the heck out of the priest is probably NOT a state to take communion in.

 

[DWPC]

It wasn’t a Rock Mass. It was closer to campfire music…I could almost hear the Kumbaya…

This was not a lifeteen Mass. It was not a rock and roll Mass. It was two teens with an acoustic guitar singing horrible protestant music.

Sorry, my misread. When you said “teen mass”, I assumed some sort of rock music. But what you describe sounds much like a typical N.O. mass with the standard OPC musical drivel so I’m not sure I understand your strong reaction.

 

[deb1]

I often withhold myself from Communion. Its the only thing you can do if you’re in a state of Sin. I haven’t had Holy Communion in three weeks because I couldn’t get to confession. I finally managed to get to the confessional on Saturday, and then come Sunday this happens. Just another thing to make me angry .

Anyway, you don’t take Holy Communion unless you are properly disposed. Being so angry you want to kick the heck out of the priest is probably NOT a state to take communion in.

Well, I am very sorry that you were angry. I hope that you don’t have to miss communion any more.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

Left the sanctuary while giving his entire homily.

Ya so? Where does it say he has to stay in the sanctuary to give his homily? Our Bishops always walk up and down the center isle of the church when they give their homilies.

Started the concecration WHILE the girls were still singing/playing the guitar. In fact, the music went SO far into the concecration that NO ONE even said the first respons of “Blessed be God forever”!!! You couldn’t hear the priest!!! It was AWFUL!!!

Our new Paster started doing this. I thought he was wrong, but the missalette says, that if music is being played, this part is said quietly by the priest.

Then before giving the blessing and everyone leaving he thanked the girls (hello? would he have thanked the organ player??) and had everyone clap for them!!! C’mon!! People just had the Holy Eucharist! It’s not cheerleading time…it’s time for prayerful reflection!!! ARGH!!!

Mass is over, no problem in him thanking the girls, giving them encouragement.

Oh, and before the mass started as everyone was waiting for the father to proceed in the girls went up to the front…very casually and bubbly (no bowing or respect towards the tabernacle or altar) and proceeded to give a “singing lesson” for the new music!!

Well that was a mistake, but I wouldn’t get upset about it. Perhaps you could talk to the girls and inform them that they should bow towards the tabernacle.

Can I scream, yet? Totally disrespectful to the Eucharist!!! ARGH!!

I haven’t seen any disrespect other than your own, towards the priest and the girls playing the music.

There was absolutely NO warning that this was going to happen. 7pm mass is the LAST mass available in the diocese. Nothing in the bulliten, no announcement…nadda!

I was so livid I didn’t take communion.

It sounds like you’ve have some problems, which have nothing to do with the way the Mass is celebrated.

Jim

 

[contemplative]

Isadore AK,

I can’t believe that some are still beating you up on leaving Mass yesterday. You did the right thing if you were of not right mind and heart to recieve Eucharist. Leaving church allowed you to vent enough and time enough to pray soundly about your thoughts and feelings. Today is a new day. You can pray and think things out. Maybe it is time to find a new Mass time? Or maybe even find a new parish to belong to? You might need to travel a little extra distance…if your prayer life is in the balance then the extra time and miles are well worth your investment.

Join the crowd…every growing crowd.
God’s blessings,

Contemplative

 

[jmcrae]

Anyway, you don’t take Holy Communion unless you are properly disposed. Being so angry you want to kick the heck out of the priest is probably NOT a state to take communion in.

Missing Mass on Sunday is a mortal sin, but not receiving Holy Communion is not a sin at all.

You should have stayed at the Mass, so as to avoid mortal sin, but without receiving Holy Communion if you were not properly disposed to receive.

That way, you could have gone to a weekday Mass to receive Holy Communion during the week, but now you can’t receive again until you have been to Confession to confess missing Sunday Mass.

Just to clarify for those who may be reading along:

The Sunday obligation is not an obligation to receive Holy Communion. The only obligation is to be present at Mass on Sunday.

You can sit through the whole thing without participating, and even scowl the whole time, if you want to, since there is no requirement that we like the music or the priest, or the other people present, or the decor, or anything at all about the Mass or the church where the Mass is being said. The requirement is only that we be present for the entire Mass.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

Isadore AK,

I can’t believe that some are still beating you up on leaving Mass yesterday. You did the right thing if you were of not right mind and heart to recieve Eucharist. Leaving church allowed you to vent enough and time enough to pray soundly about your thoughts and feelings. Today is a new day. You can pray and think things out. Maybe it is time to find a new Mass time? Or maybe even find a new parish to belong to? You might need to travel a little extra distance…if your prayer life is in the balance then the extra time and miles are well worth your investment.

Join the crowd…every growing crowd.
God’s blessings,

Contemplative

Leaving Mass isn’t the real issue here.

Getting so all bent out of shape over the events described,(and from what I can tell from what was posted) were no big deal, is.

Do you really think Jesus at this Mass was offended by the girls and the priest? My guess is that he was embracing them with his love, all through it!.

Jim

 

[Island_Oak]

Look y’all. I’m a very angry person, its my regular weekly confession…and it was a far better thing for me to walk out than to sit there and cuss for an hour. Trust me on that one.

What really ticks me off is that there was absolutely no warning that this was going to happen. Nothing. Zip. No notice in the bulletin. Nothing on the website. No mention during the announcements after Mass. NOTHING. The 7pm regulars showed up, and they had changed the Mass to a Teen Mass. There weren’t even many teens there to begin with, just the regulars.

Well…don’t I hear ya! Nothing ticks me off faster than seeing a group of teenagers gathered in a church using their time, talent and energy to praise God.
I mean, c’mon on…whatever happened to sneaking cigarettes, swiping liquor from the old man’s cabinet and getting drunk or having sex in the back of the Chevy??? What in the world is to become of the detox counselors, crisis pregnancy advisors, parole officers, abortion protestors–I mean these folks need to earn a living too, don’t they?!? WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH KIDS THESE DAYS turning to the Church of all places to spend their time!!! I hope we can turn this trend around and soon!!!

 

[cecilia97]

Well, today we got a load of Protestant music…my wife (ex Baptist) was very familiar with what they decided to play…since they use that exact same music at the Mega-Church down the street…

Drove me nuts! I was so angry I walked out of the Mass…

hugs to you I have walked out of so many Life Teen Masses! They’re very popular here, I suspect because they enable parishes to pull membership away from the mega churches via the familiar music. I have been to one where the kids were very reverent and engaged, I enjoyed it even with the same music. But most of the time it seems like the kids are there to show off in front of each other. And I’m not even “old”…ugh…

I’ll admit I’m a Hass/Haugen/Mattingly Catholic…kinda makes you wish for that back when you’re pelted with Amy Grant, right?

 

[netmilsmom]

Well…don’t I hear ya! Nothing ticks me off faster than seeing a group of teenagers gathered in a church using their time, talent and energy to praise God.
I mean, c’mon on…whatever happened to sneaking cigarettes, swiping liquor from the old man’s cabinet and getting drunk or having sex in the back of the Chevy??? What in the world is to become of the detox counselors, crisis pregnancy advisors, parole officers, abortion protestors–I mean these folks need to earn a living too, don’t they?!? WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH KIDS THESE DAYS turning to the Church of all places to spend their time!!! I hope we can turn this trend around and soon!!!

Reading comprehension is not one of your strong points, eh?
Try it again, understanding that the OP walked into a LifeTeen Mass with very few teens and no announcement that it was being changed to a LifeTeen mass. It certainly wasn’t about teens praising God, when few teens were there.

What really ticks me off is that there was absolutely no warning that this was going to happen. Nothing. Zip. No notice in the bulletin. Nothing on the website. No mention during the announcements after Mass. NOTHING. The 7pm regulars showed up, and they had changed the Mass to a Teen Mass. There weren’t even many teens there to begin with, just the regulars.