Clapping during the Gloria?

[tom.wineman]

All peoples, clap your hands, cry to God with shouts of joy!
For the Lord,the Most High, we must fear, great king over
all the earth…Psalm 47

Did Jesus clap his hands on the way to Calvary in the New Testament?

 

[Traditional_Ang]

My brothers and sisters:

There has to be a place for celebratory clapping and the like in our Liturgies and Prayer services - Because they’re in the Psalms:

*(To the choirmaster. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah.)

Clap your hands, all peoples! Shout to God with loud songs of joy! For the LORD, the Most High, is terrible, a great king over all the earth.

He subdued peoples under us, and nations under our feet.
He chose our heritage for us, the pride of Jacob whom he loves. [Selah - Probably Refrain]

God has gone up with a shout, the LORD with the sound of a trumpet. Sing praises to God, sing praises! Sing praises to our King, sing praises! For God is the king of all the earth; sing praises with a psalm!

The princes of the peoples gather as the people of the God of Abraham. For the shields of the earth belong to God; he is highly exalted! Psalm 47 RSV*

Sing aloud to God our strength; shout for joy to the God of Jacob! Raise a song, sound the timbrel, the sweet lyre with the harp. Blow the trumpet at the new moon, at the full moon, on our feast day. For it is a statute for Israel, an ordinance of the God of Jacob.
Psalm 81:1-4 RSV

Hallelujah! Sing to the LORD a new song, a hymn in the assembly of the faithful. Let Israel be glad in their maker, the people of Zion rejoice in their king. Let them praise his name in festive dance, make music with tambourine and lyre. For the LORD takes delight in his people, honors the poor with victory. Let the faithful rejoice in their glory, cry out for joy at their banquet, With the praise of God in their mouths, and a two-edged sword in their hands,
Psalm 149:1-6 NAB

The Jews hung up their harps and other instruments and started using what we know as Gregorian chant in response to the Destruction of Solomon’s Temple and the Exile to Babylon. If you go to an Orthodox Synagogue for Shabbat Services as Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI have done, you’ll note an amazing absence of musical instuments. They still believe that they don’t have the right to the raucous celebration of the Psalms.

We are a people created by Christi’s Death and Resurrection and the coming of the Holy Spirit to the Church on Pentacost. We aren’t under that restriction, because we have been redeemed from bondage and have been resurrected from the dead with Christ Jesus.

The question to ask would be why the instruments and celebrations were and are being brought in, and to remember St. Paul’s admonition that nothing we do should be a stumbling block for our brothers and sisters in Christ. And, to remember that the Holy Spirit is not a spirit of rebellion, discord and division, but a spirit of submission, concord and unity.

I hope my last two posts will provide a scriptural and doctinal basis for how charismatic Catholic congregations should try to conduct themselves.

Your Brother in Christ, Michael

 

[puzzleannie]

**I **Later I learned that some music directors in the diocese were actually pushing that stuff to jazz up the Mass. They seem to think it was charismatic music.
It is more like a motion and commotion Mass.

I go to a charismatic Mass once a month, and we have none of this garbage. I go there because I can be assured of a reverent liturgy in which the priest adheres to all the liturgical norms, the music serves, but does not dominate the liturgy, and there is full active participation by the congregation, and the music is traditional. The only difference from the average Mass in the diocese is there is more reverence than is usual, none of usual Amway stuff at the sign of peace for instance, and a few people murmur quietly in tongues for a few moments after some of the congregational responses. The sacrament of anointing of the sick is administered after Mass. 2 or 3 people may be slain in the spirit, but there is no emotional or discordant outpouring or manifestations.

 

[Craigmaddie]

 At Halloween, our parish decorated and had springing spiders hanging off of the altar.

I think one needs to ask whether a priest who would allow something like that actually believes in the Real Presence or not? I seriously doubt it.

 

[paramedicgirl]

I think one needs to ask whether a priest who would allow something like that actually believes in the Real Presence or not? I seriously doubt it.

Or is overpowered by an overbearing, dictator of a liturgy coordinator.

 

[reff]

I don’t think they were playing piano, pipe oregon, guitar, drums etc at the foot of the cross either. Who cares. If it si fun anmd makes the mass more enjoybale and gets more people to go to it, then what is so bad about it? I hate masses that don’t have singing and instruments. For a while in my high school years I dind’t go to church as much and it wasn’t until I decided to get more involved with the mass and enjoy it by particiapting in the singing that I began to apreciate the mass in other ways as well. There are times for both but it is good to have both.

That’s great that now you enjoy mass more, but to clarify Mass isn’t meant to be “fun.” Going to Mass isn’t about having fun.

 

[benedictgal]

All peoples, clap your hands, cry to God with shouts of joy!
For the Lord,the Most High, we must fear, great king over
all the earth…Psalm 47

As the previous poster said, there is a time and a place. However, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is not that place, unless the occasion is an ordination, where the faithful give their ascent to the candidate by means of clapping, or when a new diocese is erecetd and a new bishop is presented. Then, the faithful clap to show their acceptance of their new designation as a diocese and their new shepherd.

Other than that, I would challenege you to read what the Holy Father wrote in the Spirit of the Liturgy.

 

[Podo2005]

I’m getting to the point where I’ve had enough.

The morning at our earliest Mass (by far the most reverent Mass at our parish) and handful of screw-ups started to clap during the Gloria! I have to admit that this made me angry!

“Glory clap clap glory to God, clap clap, glory to God in the higest, clap clap…”

Does anyone else have this sorta garbage going on in their parishes? Give it a month and it will become “part of the Mass” and we’ll never get ride of it! I can just imagine the reception I would receive if I brought this to the attention of our “administrator pro-tem.”

ARGH! I am so darned angry about this!

Why are you angry? I would love it if people did that at my parish, after all we are supposed to be giving “Glory to God” in the highest aren’t we?

And please don’t refer to people who do that as “screw-ups” because that it very unchristian and unloving to do so.

 

[Podo2005]

Did Jesus clap his hands on the way to Calvary in the New Testament?

What does that have to do with clapping in mass?

 

[Podo2005]

There’s a time and place for everything :clapping: , shall we start clapping at the Consecration too :clapping: , next thing we’ll be all pirouetting up the isle, and bally dancing back to our seats.:clapping:

The mass is supposed to be a celebration, a joyful event where we experience Christ in the liturgy of the word and in the liturgy of the eucharist. At certain times in mass it needs to be quiet because we need to reflect and pray but at other times ( when we are singing at the Gloria for example) there is NOTHING wrong with singing or clapping or praising the Lord in general. Why are we as catholics SO AFRAID to proclaim praise to the Lord who is our rock of refuge, our salvation, our deliverer?

 

[Podo2005]

That’s great that now you enjoy mass more, but to clarify Mass isn’t meant to be “fun.” Going to Mass isn’t about having fun.

No I’m sure Jesus wants us to suffer when we go to church

 

[Podo2005]

All peoples, clap your hands, cry to God with shouts of joy!
For the Lord,the Most High, we must fear, great king over
all the earth…Psalm 47

Amen brother

“Great is the Lord and highly PRAISED in the city of our God”
Psalm 48:1

 

[benedictgal]

Amen brother

“Great is the Lord and highly PRAISED in the city of our God”
Psalm 48:1

But, I would submit to you that at the Mass, we are at Calvary. We are just as much there as were the Blessed Mother and Sts. John and Mary Magdalene. Yes, it is a celebration, but it is one of solemnity, sobriety, majesty and dignity. If you want to clap, go to a Spurs game or to a rock concert.

The Mass is the Church’s highest form of prayer. It is not about unbridled enthusiasm. It is about offering fitting worship to God and about contemplating the sublime mysteries that unfold before us, mainly, the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus.

 

[JimB]

The mass is supposed to be a celebration, a joyful event where we experience Christ in the liturgy of the word and in the liturgy of the eucharist. At certain times in mass it needs to be quiet because we need to reflect and pray but at other times ( when we are singing at the Gloria for example) there is NOTHING wrong with singing or clapping or praising the Lord in general. Why are we as catholics SO AFRAID to proclaim praise to the Lord who is our rock of refuge, our salvation, our deliverer?

Yes. There is a time/place to praise God during Mass and a time for quiet reference. It is not one or the other - both can exist.

Currently, we’re doing the Jones Gloria which has as it’s musical jolly. It sounds OK with the 10:15 choir (which has many trained, classical musicans) and the organ but sounds silly with my guitar, bass, piano, cantor group. Clapping would almost be preferred. (And what is jolly anyway??).

 

[benedictgal]

Yes. There is a time/place to praise God during Mass and a time for quiet reference. It is not one or the other - both can exist.

Currently, we’re doing the Jones Gloria which has as it’s musical jolly. It sounds OK with the 10:15 choir (which has many trained, classical musicans) and the organ but sounds silly with my guitar, bass, piano, cantor group. Clapping would almost be preferred. (And what is jolly anyway??).

However, the praise should be done with the understanding that this is something out of the ordinary. The music should reflect the solemnity, dignity and majesty of the sacred mysteries unfolding before us.

Have you ever witnessed one of the telecasts of the Mass from the Vatican? There is joy that permeates at a deeper level than what the bass guitar and guitar can convey. The music penetrates the soul. Look at the people’s faces. There is joy, but, there is no clapping during the hymns. They do clap for the Holy Father as he processes up the aisle, but, the clapping stops once the Mass begins.

The problem is that we have forgotten that there can be joy, but, with sobriety.

 

[EasterJoy]

Or is overpowered by an overbearing, dictator of a liturgy coordinator.

The pastor, overpowered by the liturgy coordinator? Talk about the tail wagging the dog! What will we have next, pastors complaining to the bishop about their liturgy coordinators?

I don’t think I’ve ever had a pastor or even an associate pastor who did not know how to say “Mass will begin when that inappropriate mess has been removed from the sanctuary, and not a moment before.”

 

[mja2]

it’s just more protestantation of the mass, hand holding, hugging, prostestant spiritual singing, there is no leadership in the parishes who don’t stop it. It’s like something right out of a southern baptist hoedown, gloria gloria clap clap gloriaaaa clap clap, next thing will be G_L_O_RRRRR_III_AAAAAAA, Gloriiiia clap clap.

 

[BSHoop96]

The mass is supposed to be a celebration, a joyful event where we experience Christ in the liturgy of the word and in the liturgy of the eucharist. At certain times in mass it needs to be quiet because we need to reflect and pray but at other times ( when we are singing at the Gloria for example) there is NOTHING wrong with singing or clapping or praising the Lord in general. Why are we as catholics SO AFRAID to proclaim praise to the Lord who is our rock of refuge, our salvation, our deliverer?

The Mass is the unbloody re-presentation of the sacrifice of Christ. Clapping does not belong.

 

[LJN21]

Wow, took one poster 2 years to get a reply

The “Clapping Gloria” is an abuse, even if you take the clapping part out its still an abuse because the the words are wrong.

Lord God heavenly king,
peace you bring to us.
We worship you, we give you thanks,
we sing our song of praise.
Gloria …

Jesus, savior of all,
Lord and Lamb of God,
you take away our sins O Lord,
have mercy on us all.
Gloria …

Glory, Father and Son,
glory Holy Spirit,
to you we raise our hands up high,
we glorify your name.
Gloria …

 

[The_Smiter]

Last Sunday a rock band was instituted at the most reverent Mass we have at our parish. We were appalled. Praise music was played and there wasno quiet time before during or after Mass for reverent and quiet prayer. The new band leader who is neither a trained lector or cantor, invited everyone to ask God to come into our presence and that maybe we would all be lucky enough for him to do so if we just sand and clapped loud enough.

Funny - I thought coming into the sanctuary meant that we WERE in HIS presence already. Why do we need to ask God to come into His own house.

The Gloria was also an abuse because entiore lines were omitted and extraneous lines were inserted.

[Edited]