Departing Mass Prior to Final Blessing

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frjohnjmj

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Is it sinful to leave mass before the final blessing for any reason and what is the minimum participation to assist mass?
 
My priest told me “Judas” left early also…I thought that was pretty harsh and it still bothers me. That having said from the insensitive side, let me try a little more positive way of handling it:

God loves you and wants to be near to you. He would love nothing more than for you to spend an hour with him after mass in adoration. Maybe 18 minutes to do your rosary and 12 minutes to do a divine mercy chaplet. Maybe 30 minutes to do 6 litanies. Add all that together including mass time (say 1 hour for that) equals 3 hours total. Thats about half the time Jesus was on the Cross for you. (sorry I guess that causes guilt too) 🙂

Ok do what you want when you want its your time its just a little sin nobody cares anyway. Who needs a blessing anyway? (who does that sound like?) :eek:
 
I know that you must make it before the priest uncovers the chalice, otherwise you’re too late. This occurs right after the profession of faith.

As for leaving too early. I’m not sure, but probably it needs to occur after the chalice is covered which is after everyone has received communion and the priest has cleaned the chalice.
 
I will ask this why bother going if you just want to skip out. You should attend Mass because you love to be there with Christ who loves you and has waited for you. I have always taught my children why would you not want to stay for the blessing? Stay and obtain all the graces from the Mass. I bet if you knew that $100. bills were going to be passed out at the end of Mass you might change your mind. Grace is worth far more than money.🙂
 
I think it is sinful to leave mass before the last note of the recessional hymn.

Why do I think that? Because it is disrespectful to those who are still singing - it breaks unity and just looks bad to dash for the parking lot.
Also, after the priest has left it is customary to thank God for the mass. Most of our parish also kneels and says 3 Hail Marys and the St. Michael prayer, for the end to abortion at the conclusion of the recessional hymn.
It is also a good time to reflect on the graces given. And the traffic in the parking lot will thin out while you spend extra time in the chapel. 👍
 
I can’t see how it is sinful to leave Mass before the final blessing. I do believe there are many who leave immediately after receiving Holy Communion for a very good reason…I for one have done just that…who is there to judge me or anyone else? I do believe there are many who are simply in the nasty habit of leaving directly after Holy Communion as a matter of convenience…these people need to examine their conscience. It is wrong to leave before the final blessing just for convenience…to catch a good parking space at the corner grocery store…or to catch your dinner reservations at your favorite eatery…to catch the beginning of the football game.
 
The mass is not over untill the deacon or priest say “ite missa est” and we respond “Deo gratias.” There is no recessional in the Roman Rite so once we say “Thanks be to God” it is done. Is it a sin to leave early? - maybe a venial sin. However, I would ask the question - Is it the custom to leave a movie before it is over or dinner before you have finished?
 
a lot of times it is about beating the traffic or getting home early. I don’t like leaving mass early since they give us cookies or somethig after. Well that, and it is not a good idea. Howecer, the recesional hym is just a way to leep things going while people are leaving. I always heard that once the prest passes you down the aile then you can leave.
 
Ok, I will post what I told my priest:

Maybe if someone were to make me feel a little more welcome on the way IN, maybe I would feel like hanging around on my way out. The only time I have had anyone say anything to be me upon coming in is “Would you like to buy a coupon book to support trips for the retired old folks?”

He never responded, so I figure he agreed with me.
 
Ted CharlotteNC:
Ok, I will post what I told my priest:

Maybe if someone were to make me feel a little more welcome on the way IN, maybe I would feel like hanging around on my way out. The only time I have had anyone say anything to be me upon coming in is “Would you like to buy a coupon book to support trips for the retired old folks?”

He never responded, so I figure he agreed with me.
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Thats interesting.
Why do you expect to be greeted that way when you come to mass? I always thought that WE are not the focus when we come to mass. In fact, when I come through the door - I don’t want to be greeted, or get the evangelical ‘glad-hand’ from pastor as though he were running for re-election.
Our chapel is silent, the nave is silent, people approach in reverence and awe.
Greeter’s at the door with a big ‘Howdy’ would split the mood in two. However, afterward we always have coffee and muffins. That is the time for greeting.
 
I grew up with the teaching that if you missed any of “the big three” (joking…joking!) you might as well have not gone at all – and you should go to a different later mass that you can be there for all of…those three were
  1. the Gospel
  2. The Consecration
  3. The final blessing
HOWEVER, that being said, at our church, the protestant mass starts almost immediately afterwards (that is, the “set up” of powerpoint slides, the huge instrumental hu-ha set up complete with bells and whistles (not just a saying anymore!) and tons of “av equipment” – my 2yo came out of the front pew after the recessional hymn, and after we’d collected our jackets (maybe 2minutes?) and almost got run over by the woman who had been waiting behind the door for the music to stop – she was wheeling a stack of portable tables that she couldn’t see over, and just kept yelling “'scuse me, coming thru!” – across the front of the altar…sigh as they pulled the curtain across the cruicifix (heaven forbid someone have to actually look at the reason for mass?? I never understood that part)
 
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leaner:
HOWEVER, that being said, at our church, the protestant mass starts almost immediately afterwards (that is, the “set up” of powerpoint slides, the huge instrumental hu-ha set up complete with bells and whistles (not just a saying anymore!) and tons of “av equipment” – my 2yo came out of the front pew after the recessional hymn, and after we’d collected our jackets (maybe 2minutes?) and almost got run over by the woman who had been waiting behind the door for the music to stop – she was wheeling a stack of portable tables that she couldn’t see over, and just kept yelling “'scuse me, coming thru!” – across the front of the altar…sigh as they pulled the curtain across the cruicifix (heaven forbid someone have to actually look at the reason for mass?? I never understood that part)
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good gravy!! :eek: Whats goin’ on at your church? You have to share it with protestants?? Yikers.
 
Whether it is a sin or not to leave Mass early, I do not know. But if one is leaving early for a reason other than a very serious matter, I think it is a good display of where that person’s heart and desires are, or rather are not…
 
A big Howdy is not a bad thing…

I should feel welcome when I come into God’s house. That was the point. And by your reaction, I guess I should expect it from someone else…even Wal-mart says hello, I guess asking someone to be polite and kind is too much.
 
ridesawhitehors said:
good gravy!! :eek: Whats goin’ on at your church? You have to share it with protestants?? Yikers.
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LOL – we’re military, so it’s a “chapel” that serves all denominations…when the catholic mass is over, the curtain gets pulled across the crucifix, and a big blank empty cross hangs in front of it. It’s just weird to peek in after coffee and donuts when their service has already begun…looks like a whole other church period!
 
Ted CharlotteNC:
A big Howdy is not a bad thing…

I should feel welcome when I come into God’s house. That was the point. And by your reaction, I guess I should expect it from someone else…even Wal-mart says hello, I guess asking someone to be polite and kind is too much.
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I don’t that was the point being made. Let me try to say it a different way.

The purpose of mass is not fellowship. Fellowship is done at all the other things that go on in the parish. If it becomes the norm to “meet and greet” at mass then the danger is that we begin to think that the Mass is about us when in fact it is not. The mass is oriented to the worship of God and for this it is necessary to evoke a sense of the sacred which includes silence. This is what is meant when people say that the church building itself is a place of worship and not fellowship. We have to remember why we are at mass - we are not there for how it makes us feel and we are not there for ourselves but rather in the first place we are there for God to worship and adore as he demands. In the second place we are filled so that we can truly be in communion and thus fellowship is properly after mass and in our christian work throughout the week.
 
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contemplative:
I can’t see how it is sinful to leave Mass before the final blessing. I do believe there are many who leave immediately after receiving Holy Communion for a very good reason
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I agree with Contemplative here. I think attaching sin to this is not correct.
I do think habitual “scooters” need to examine their motives for leaving early.
 
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jrabs:
I agree with Contemplative here. I think attaching sin to this is not correct.
I do think habitual “scooters” need to examine their motives for leaving early.
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Sin is defined as “missing the mark.” Leaving mass early without a grave reason is a violation of the virtue of religion which makes it a sin or some sort. Is it confessable matter - probably not. However, it is definately not a virtue.
 
Thanks Mosher

When I am in church now, I know I am in the presence of our Lord.
I love my new Catholic faith now so much.

I have just been pretty disappointed in my parish’s welcoming me into the church. I have been going to RCIA classes and will be joining the church on Easter, but after my classes I will look for another parish.
 
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mosher:
Sin is defined as “missing the mark.” Leaving mass early without a grave reason is a violation of the virtue of religion which makes it a sin or some sort. Is it confessable matter - probably not. However, it is definately not a virtue.
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Sorry to disagree Mosher. Sin does not mean “missing the mark”. See the definition below.
But I think you missed the part where I agree that motive is a big factor and if habitual (due to simply wanting to get to the ball game on time, etc.), then one may need to confess this.

Otherwise , I still say when done with a sound reason is not a sin.

m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=sin&x=21&y=7

Main Entry: 1sin [m-w.com/images/audio.gif](javascript:popWin(’/cgi-bin/audio.pl?sin00001.wav=sin’))
Pronunciation: 'sin
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English *sinne, *from Old English *synn; *akin to Old High German *sunta *sin and probably to Latin *sont-, sons *guilty, *est *is – more at IS
1 a : an offense against religious or moral law b : an action that is or is felt to be highly reprehensible <it’s a sin to waste food> c : an often serious shortcoming : FAULT
2 a : transgression of the law of God b : a vitiated state of human nature in which the self is estranged from God
synonym see OFFENSE
 
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