Discouraged in home parish

[Jegudiel]

Isn’t it funny how that happens? I usually detest cantoring for Saturday Mass. I’ve always found that the usual Saturday congregation seems like they’re being held there against their will. They don’t say the responses. They don’t show normal posture associated with listening. They NEVER sing! (Which makes the cantor feel like he or she is singing a concert instead of a Mass.) One might see a small handful actually open the hymnal or missal and follow along. Sometimes even the priest seems indifferent, like he’s in a hurry. He often gives a shorter homily than he does for the Sunday Mass and usually tells me not to sing the Gloria in order to save time. In short, it just doesn’t have that reverent “churchy” feeling. However, this week I was scheduled to cantor on a Saturday and I was pleasantly surprised at the change of attitude. Maybe it was due to the nice weather. Maybe last week’s mission lit a holy fire under some butts. Maybe they were in good spirits after attending the Mardi Gras parade. I don’t know. But they were following along, they were singing, and some of them even managed a smile during the Sign of Peace! Will it last? Who knows! But I hope so!

I know the feeling. It makes me sad.

 

[1AugustSon7]

I try and stay focussed on the Eucharist and Christ’s presence in the gathered people,the priest presider, in his Word and of course the consecrated bread and wine.

Your powers of concentration must be formidable to concentrate on so much!

I’m not at all sure how you concentrate on “Christ’s presence in the gathered people”. Nothing in the Mass suggests that we concentrate on the communicants.

Being human creatures, we are restricted to concentrating on one thing at a time. Contemplation has one object at a time, otherwise you become distracted. So I think you mean to say you are concentrating on these things in succession? E.g., you focus on the Eucharist, then shift to “Christ’s presence in the gathered people” (again not sure how you do that), then the priest, then on what he is saying, then finally on the Real Presence? At that point of course I imagine you are worshipping and adoring and not merely concentrating.

 

[Richard320]

I can relate wholeheartedly.

I drive almost 30 miles to go to Mass, despite having 3 different parishes within about 3 miles of me. I miss the fellowship I used to have before I moved; Bible Study, Adult enrichment classes, various activities that were easy because they were only 2 minutes away.

But…

I like the priest to “stick to the script” and not improvise. And I prefer it where the music is an aid, not the primary focus, and not an opportunity for a performance of songs too complicated for the average pewsitter. And where I’m not the only man wearing a tie, let alone a suit.

I must be an old fuddy-duddy. But I don’t leave Mass angry and disgusted anymore.

 

[George_Stegmeir]

I am fortunate to belong to an ethnically Polish Parish that has only 2 English Language masses a week-the Saturday Vigil Mass and the 9 o’clock Sunday Mass.
Because almost all of the members of the Parish are either immigrants or 1st generation American, the congregation has the old fashioned respect for the Church as well as the Mass, so we do not have such aberrations as conversations before or after Mass. If we did, I’m sure we would hear about it from the pulpit !
I have witnessed such behavior, when visiting more liberal American parishes on occasion.
I’ve often wondered what would happen if someone stood up and loudly said “would you all please shut up and show some respect for where you are. Your noise is disturbing my prayers!”
I know many people would feel that it is not the Christian thing to do, but I am sure there were also many Jews who did not appreciate Christ throwing out the money changers and animal sellers out of the Temple.

 

[Jegudiel]

I have to add that I was going through the readings last night before Mass and I heard something behind me. I actually had to stop reading and think about the noise I was hearing. It wasn’t disruptive, I could have easily kept my focus but it was a noise I had not heard in a long time and I couldn’t recognize it at first.

The person behind me was whispering! Someone was actually considerate enough to whisper rather than talk as if they were sitting in a bowling alley. That’s when it hit me about how beautifully quiet the church was. Not silent (which I don’t expect) but none of that horrible DIN either. When I recognized the noise as whispering, I chuckled silently and went back to my reading after thanking God for the absence of rude loudmouths at that Mass.

 

[FromTheAshes777]

to the OP:

Are there any other good examples of possible liturgical abuses occuring that you could document and send to the Bishop if necessary? I would say the form of the blessing of the people during Mass that you describe is definitely one of them, did your Priest start to use the new missal and incorporate the changes that were required recently?