Bringing Food shopping to Mass

[the_Assyrian_1]

hello friends…
what is the tradition concerning this (excuse the pun) bringing your tesco bags to mass with you… is this allowed?

Does not the Lord say my house shall be a house of Prayer and fasting? The We are at the Lords table when at Church the only food present should be the Priests offering of the Lord Himself.

Did we forget the Jesus Overturned the dove selling tables and money changers in the Jerusalem that one time? That was in the temple.

I dont know, Can someone please enlighten me.

Personally I dont think its right. Comments please.
xxxxx

thanks in advance…

atour mark

 

[TrueLight]

hello friends…
what is the tradition concerning this (excuse the pun) bringing your tesco bags to mass with you… is this allowed?

Does not the Lord say my house shall be a house of Prayer and fasting? The We are at the Lords table when at Church the only food present should be the Priests offering of the Lord Himself.

Did we forget the Jesus Overturned the dove selling tables and money changers in the Jerusalem that one time? That was in the temple.

I dont know, Can someone please enlighten me.

Personally I dont think its right. Comments please.
xxxxx

Well that’s a different question.

I have gone clothes shopping before mass and brought my bags with me. If I had no choice but to pick up some bread from the grocery store before mass, then I would do it and put it discretely under my chair. It’s not like I’m eating the food.

 

[Joannm]

hello friends…
what is the tradition concerning this (excuse the pun) bringing your tesco bags to mass with you… is this allowed?

Does not the Lord say my house shall be a house of Prayer and fasting? The We are at the Lords table when at Church the only food present should be the Priests offering of the Lord Himself.

Did we forget the Jesus Overturned the dove selling tables and money changers in the Jerusalem that one time? That was in the temple.

I dont know, Can someone please enlighten me.

Personally I dont think its right. Comments please.
xxxxx

thanks in advance…

atour mark

I don’t understand? Are you speaking of people bringing food to mass for the poor, or are they coming to mass straight from shopping. In either case there is nothing wrong with it. My church is near a big shopping area and we get people coming to mass with packages. What does this have to do with the moneychangers? Are they selling the food? Are they eating it in church?

 

[Saintlucy]

What if you’ve been shopping and on the way home you pass the church and, knowing there’s a Mass, decide you’d like to go? What’s wrong with taking your shopping bags in with you? Surely it’s better to go to Mass if you’ve got the time than go home with your shopping. Would it be OK if they were Marks and Spencer or Waitrose bags?

 

[HelenRose]

hello friends…
what is the tradition concerning this (excuse the pun) bringing your tesco bags to mass with you… is this allowed?

Does not the Lord say my house shall be a house of Prayer and fasting? The We are at the Lords table when at Church the only food present should be the Priests offering of the Lord Himself.

Did we forget the Jesus Overturned the dove selling tables and money changers in the Jerusalem that one time? That was in the temple.

I dont know, Can someone please enlighten me.

Personally I dont think its right. Comments please.
xxxxx

thanks in advance…

atour mark

I really don’t understand what the problem is. Are these people shopping and bringing their bags into the church to keep them cool? How many people would actually do that?

I could see that this could be a real problem if many people do this often. Is it a serious problem in your church or just one or two instances?

I am sure that one sees many unusual behaviors in a large church during Mass.

Unless it becomes a problem that disrupts Mass, I would not get myself in a state of anxiety over it.

 

[lizaanne]

In a large UK city center many people walk as opposed to use cars where they could stow their purchases during Mass. If you are on foot, have errands to run, and decide to go to Mass, what else CAN you do with your items? You can’t leave them outside, they would be stolen for sure, or thought to be garbage and thrown away.

Nothing in the world wrong with tucking a bag of groceries under the pew if it’s not bothering anyone. Within reason of course, it would be disruptive if someone came in like a pack mule with a cart load of bags - that’s a different story.

Don’t worry.

~Liza

 

[Stylites]

hello friends…
what is the tradition concerning this (excuse the pun) bringing your tesco bags to mass with you… is this allowed?

Does not the Lord say my house shall be a house of Prayer and fasting? The We are at the Lords table when at Church the only food present should be the Priests offering of the Lord Himself.

Were the bags of groceries placed upon the altar? That would be wrong. Otherwise, don’t worry about life-sustaining supplies being brought into the Author of life’s home.

 

[sojo]

I used to work in San Francisco, and that is a city where many people use public transportation and schlep all over carrying bags - food shopping, dry cleaning, dress shoes for work (we wore running shoes for hiking city blocks), clothing bags, a spare jacket or sweater, medicine from the pharmacy, toiletries, briefcases, files… sometimes I think my arms grew an inch each from having to carry all that.

We took the stuff, we shoved it under the seat and we went to Mass. The priest often reminded folks that if they had something valuable to just bring it up with them to communion as things did tend to get stolen in some city churches.

Not everyone has the luxury of shopping on “off time” or a car to stow stuff in. What is important is that these same stressed and overburdened folks make it to Mass at all!

 

[minkymurph]

hello friends…
what is the tradition concerning this (excuse the pun) bringing your tesco bags to mass with you… is this allowed?

Does not the Lord say my house shall be a house of Prayer and fasting? The We are at the Lords table when at Church the only food present should be the Priests offering of the Lord Himself.

Did we forget the Jesus Overturned the dove selling tables and money changers in the Jerusalem that one time? That was in the temple.

I dont know, Can someone please enlighten me.

Personally I dont think its right. Comments please.
xxxxx

thanks in advance…

atour mark

There’s a Parish near me that has Confession and Mass at lunch time every day. They also have Exposition. The Church is in the middle of a busy shopping area in the city center; it’s not a residential area at all. There are also lots of businesses in the immediate are and people who work near the Church go to Confession and Mass on their lunch break, as well as those who are in town on business or shopping. I’ve often gone to Confession and Mass there when I have been in the city center shopping or getting my hair done. One reason being because you can. Lots of people would come in with Tesco bags, among others, and discretely put it under their seat. Parking is also limited near the Church, with the exception of big, high rises it costs a fortune to park in.

You wouldn’t see anyone with shopping bags at the Sunday Mass because none of the shops are open on Sunday morning.

Shops can’t open here until 1pm and Sunday and have to close by 5.30pm.

 

[Saintlucy]

There’s a Parish near me that has Confession and Mass at lunch time every day. They also have Exposition. The Church is in the middle of a busy shopping area in the city center; it’s not a residential area at all. There are also lots of businesses in the immediate are and people who work near the Church go to Confession and Mass on their lunch break, as well as those who are in town on business or shopping. I’ve often gone to Confession and Mass there when I have been in the city center shopping or getting my hair done. One reason being because you can. Lots of people would come in with Tesco bags, among others, and discretely put it under their seat. Parking is also limited near the Church, with the exception of big, high rises it costs a fortune to park in.

You wouldn’t see anyone with shopping bags at the Sunday Mass because none of the shops are open on Sunday morning.

Shops can’t open here until 1pm and Sunday and have to close by 5.30pm.

And I though that the Irish Church was in crisis! It’s great to hear that People are still going to weekday Mass even if they work and that Sunday is still kept special as far as shopping is concerned. I sometimes go to the supermarket here after Mass on a Sunday -about 11.30 - and it is like being at a bizarre theme park. Families, kids running up and down the isles, the checkouts heaving. Spending money has replaced Christianity in this country.

 

[Cat]

What’s a tesco bag? Is that the name of a grocery store chain?

 

[minkymurph]

What’s a tesco bag? Is that the name of a grocery store chain?

Aren’t you lucky you’ve never heard of Tesco!

They are a giant supermarket chain. Cheap and good food, but in my part of the world they have put a lot small businesses out of business because they can sell cheaper than they can, and a lot of farmers.

 

[minkymurph]

And I though that the Irish Church was in crisis! It’s great to hear that People are still going to weekday Mass even if they work and that Sunday is still kept special as far as shopping is concerned. I sometimes go to the supermarket here after Mass on a Sunday -about 11.30 - and it is like being at a bizarre theme park. Families, kids running up and down the isles, the checkouts heaving. Spending money has replaced Christianity in this country.

The Church in Ireland is in crises and attendance at Mass has fallen dramatically. People spend money here too believe me. However, compared to other faiths and compared to other European countries such as France, they’re hanging in there.

The Church I was talking about is in Belfast, and it’s always packed. Much to the discontent of secularists, we still have laws about Sunday opening. Bars open later and close earlier on a Sunday and on Good Friday, they can’t open until 6pm. Hotels and Cafe’s can serve beer or wine to people having a meal on Good Friday, but they can only serve soft drinks in the bar before 6pm.

However, Catholics in my parish are spoiled an we don’t need Sunday opening. There is a local ‘min-market’ beside the Church that opens all the time. We have three Masses on Sunday, the last one being 12.30, and people who go to 12.30 Mass don’t get any fresh bread, meat or other goodies 'cos the early birds get first pickings.

It’s even open when all the Masses are on at Xmas for Midnight Mass. They sell Mass cards, shamrock on St. Pats day and if you want to know the Mass times or anything that is going on in the parish, they can tell you.

 

[At_Trent]

hello friends…
what is the tradition concerning this (excuse the pun) bringing your tesco bags to mass with you… is this allowed?

Does not the Lord say my house shall be a house of Prayer and fasting? The We are at the Lords table when at Church the only food present should be the Priests offering of the Lord Himself.

Did we forget the Jesus Overturned the dove selling tables and money changers in the Jerusalem that one time? That was in the temple.

I dont know, Can someone please enlighten me.

Personally I dont think its right. Comments please.
xxxxx

thanks in advance…

atour mark

Nothing wrong at all if a person simply brings it in and sits it down until they leave,.

 

[oratorymatt]

Would it be OK if they were Marks and Spencer or Waitrose bags?

Fortnum & Mason Hamper all the way

 

[bluerose]

Aren’t you lucky you’ve never heard of Tesco!

They are a giant supermarket chain. Cheap and good food, but in my part of the world they have put a lot small businesses out of business because they can sell cheaper than they can, and a lot of farmers.

Yeah, here some folks call 'em Walmart… (don’t shoot! I work for them!)

 

[laszlo]

I personally do not belive that shopping bags are wrong in the Church. I was many time with backpack when I was camping.

However a strange question: should not Christians stop shopping Sandays, and thus do not force others to break the Sabbath law? An overall: is not the shopping servile work forbidden for Sundays?

 

[TrueLight]

I personally do not belive that shopping bags are wrong in the Church. I was many time with backpack when I was camping.

However a strange question: should not Christians stop shopping Sandays, and thus do not force others to break the Sabbath law? An overall: is not the shopping servile work forbidden for Sundays?

Hmm good question. A follow-up would be how many actually treat the Lord’s day as a Sabbath, aside from going to church.

I know I don’t really.

 

[puzzleannie]

hello friends…
what is the tradition concerning this (excuse the pun) bringing your tesco bags to mass with you… is this allowed?

well if I try I can probably come up with a reason why a person would not be able to put their groceries safely away before coming to Mass,
they are waiting for a bus and have time for Mass before it comes
they are waiting for their ride, ditto
they don’t wan’t to leave them in the car because it is too hot (I once took my prescriptions into Mass for this reason, now that I recall)
they are trying to save gas so only take the car out once a day (although why they don’t shop after church so their perishables don’t sit out too long is a mystery)

but is it a sin? not necessarily
and I think Jesus was referring to buying and selling in the temple precincts, not to people walking around with their purchases.

and the admonition not to bring food to Mass was probably since they changed the custom of people bringing actual food offerings for the poor

now of somebody opens up a grocery bag and starts munching, that would be an issue
yesterday before Mass I picked up a cheetohs bag and half empty soda can from the vestibule and had to dispose of it in the restroom.

 

[ora_pro_nobis]

I often go to Mass (weekday evenings) after I’ve been shopping - if I went after Mass most of the shops would be closed!

Because of my walking difficulties I use a bag on wheels, but I’m always careful to sit where it won’t be in the way. My parish is a central London one and people bring all kinds of luggage in with them - as long as they’re not blocking the aisles, why shouldn’t they?

The OP hasn’t really explained WHY they think it is wrong, but my heart sinks whenever a question like this comes up - some people on these forums have a hard time worrying about whether they’re committing sins, without someone coming along and suggesting new sins for them to worry about!