Do you own that seat?

[ccmcmg]

Rae8,

Thanks for your thoughtful and quick reply. I have to remember this, which just showed up in my Facebook feed from Ignatius Press:

"To pray for a person with whom I am irritated is a beautiful step forward in love, and an act of evangelization. Let us do it today! Let us not allow ourselves to be robbed of the ideal of fraternal love!"
— Pope Francis, from his apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium.

I need to remember to do that more. God bless you if you already do!!

 

[Rae8]

Wow - how appropriate the Pope’s quote was for this situation ! I see that happen so often that I sometimes think the Holy Spirit is whispering to him things we are going through and need to hear :harp:.

 

[mexolic]

How did that lady get your phone number?There are privacy issues here. At my parish, the front right side pews usually have disabled persons at Sunday mass. They receive communion first.

 

[ccmcmg]

Wow - how appropriate the Pope’s quote was for this situation ! I see that happen so often that I sometimes think the Holy Spirit is whispering to him things we are going through and need to hear :harp:.

I agree! On the day my uncle the missionary died, a few days ago, the Pope’s Twitter talked about being missionaries…

God bless Pope Francis! <3

 

[Rae8]

How did that lady get your phone number?There are privacy issues here. At my parish, the front right side pews usually have disabled persons at Sunday mass. They receive communion first.

Hi - As I mentioned in a couple of posts above, we know her and we have each others phone numbers. We don’t socialize just have the phone numbers from years ago. Lan lines. Not like today where people are often changing cell phone #s.

 

[Rae8]

I agree! On the day my uncle the missionary died, a few days ago, the Pope’s Twitter talked about being missionaries…

God bless Pope Francis! <3

When I was in catechism classes, I asked my catechist if my brother would go to hell or never make it to heaven because he does not believe in heaven or hell or anything. He couldn’t answer me really. Then about two days later, the Pope issued that famous homily about even atheists might be saved if they do good works and are good. I felt like he “heard” my question!

 

[Phemie]

Yes, the “pew rent” entries in the ledger (at my former parish) were actually not that old, up into the 1940s. So I suppose some people might feel that they still “own” a certain pew. But that’s probably not the case here.

In my childhood parish I think pew rent went on into the 50s and until the day he died in 2004 Dad could tell you where many of the families used to sit. From the late 50s until the late 60s there was a collection at each Sunday Mass to ‘pay for your pew’. It was a dime when I first noticed it and I think that by the time it stopped it had been raised to a quarter.

 

[Rae8]

When I was in catechism classes, I asked my catechist if my brother would go to hell or never make it to heaven because he does not believe in heaven or hell or anything. Although I have been praying for him, I was wondering about the scripture that says no one can come to the Father unless he draws him. My question was, what if he is never drawn? He couldn’t answer me really except to say that God can do anything and we don’t know what he might do. Then about two days later, the Pope issued that famous homily about even atheists might be saved if they do good works and are good. That it was all in God’s hands. I felt like he “heard” my question!

 

[GPGT]

My family has always sat in the same basic pew of their parish since the new church was built in '97. No one owns it or has their name on it. My family makes an effort to get there early enough and if they don’t they have to sit elsewhere, usually right in the same section. It’s always been common sense; first come, first serve.

 

[LegoGE1947]

But in some cases Common Sense is not very common!

 

[Country_Gal]

People are such a flippin’ pain in the patuy. Churches seem to attract them, a bunch of petty old biddies with nothing better than to make trouble for some poor soul who wants to sit in their pew.

I’ve run into these types. Argh, I’m glad to not go to church, just to avoid them!

 

[ccmcmg]

People are such a flippin’ pain in the patuy. Churches **(LIFE) **seem to attract them, a bunch of petty old biddies with nothing better than to make trouble for some poor soul who wants to sit in their pew.

I’ve run into these types. Argh, I’m glad to not go to church** (LEAVE THE HOUSE)**, just to avoid them!

I’m sorry you feel that way. I think churches have much of the same breakdown of personalities that the rest of the world does.

I do pray that you return to the Faith. Even those of us that go to church sometimes have trouble seeing the good in others, or even in ourselves! Sometimes, that which we dislike most in others are the things that we dislike most in ourselves.

God bless and keep you,

 

[Rae8]

Only someone with severe anxiety would be that distraught that they had to move over to another pew for one Mass, then they had to call the person on the phone? This is so very sad.
.

Hello and thank you for your kind words. Having two back to back masses for my parents just before Thanksgiving was wonderful.

Just to correct the quoted part above, she did not even have to move. I did not take her seat. Nothing was disrupted in her routine except to see us sitting across the aisle from her. She still had her front row seat and was still first in line as usual. She just didn’t like us sitting in a front row seat as well.

When I saw this was starting to rob me of my joy, I took the Lord’s advice and blessed her and prayed. It was like elixir for my spirit and it quit worrying me. It gave me a chance to grow. As Francisco de Osuna states in his book:

“I do not find anything in the world, good or bad, for which we cannot bless God if we just examine it carefully.”

Also he states… and this passage actually brought tears to my eyes the first time I read it:

There are many who sing in the day of happy fortune, thanking God for success and joy, and David says of them: “They will praise your holy name when you do them good.” But in the night of adversity few sing and thank God, and so the nightingale is more fitting in his praise than men. It is also said that the song of the dying swan is the most beautiful of its life.:bighanky:

~ Fray Francisco De Osuna (c. 1492-1540)

Seems most fitting to contemplate these teachings on Thanksgiving day.

God Bless You!

 

[Avila123]

If anyone is interested, my usual spot is marked by the presence of my missal, cycle helmet and fluorescent vest which is placed there before I meet and greet. Its the spot behind the 2nd column on the right (next to the side aisle).

At our church, we all tend to sit in the same place, unless a newcomer or newcomers occupy our preferred space, in which case, we move up, down or sidewards secure in the knowledge that we will be back in or near out preferred place in the future. On my part, I am more pleased to see a new face than to get too precious about where I park my behind.

 

[SueZee]

All the replies have been so helpful. I was wondering this same thing about people and their regular seats . I have been tapped on the shoulder while on the kneeler in prayer by late comers that look at me and motion me to move. When there is plenty of seating else where.
Once I sat down and someone leaned over and said so and so sits there.
All these times I have apologized and worried to self, How? as a new member am I able to know everyones favorite spot ! Now after reading this thread I feel so much lighter.
First come , first served- unless marked.

Thank you so much.

 

[Georgia]

I saw this in my old Protestant church, but not at a parish.

My former church moved while I worked in another part of the country. I was home for a visit and went to church. As I sat, an usher came over and told be that Mrs. Jones usually sat there. I moved. He came back and told me that Mrs. Smith usually sat there. The third time was a charm. There was only one Sunday morning service, so seating arrangements were pretty much set in stone.

The biggest abuse I have seen in a parish was people reserving seats. When our parish operated as a mission, it had mass in a school auditorium. Our kids were five and under years old when we went there for a Christmas mass and arrived about an hour early. As we walked into the auditorium’s lobby, an usher told us that the auditorium was full, but we were welcome to stand in the lobby. I walked in and saw maybe two or three teenagers there, but a collection of coats equal to a department store. People sent teenagers to the school to drape their coats across multiple seats to reserve them. Every seat was taken, even though all the people there could fit into one minivan in the empty parking lot. That was not allowed the next Christmas.

 

[Phemie]

I saw this in my old Protestant church, but not at a parish.

My former church moved while I worked in another part of the country. I was home for a visit and went to church. As I sat, an usher came over and told be that Mrs. Jones usually sat there. I moved. He came back and told me that Mrs. Smith usually sat there. The third time was a charm. There was only one Sunday morning service, so seating arrangements were pretty much set in stone.

The biggest abuse I have seen in a parish was people reserving seats. When our parish operated as a mission, it had mass in a school auditorium. Our kids were five and under years old when we went there for a Christmas mass and arrived about an hour early. As we walked into the auditorium’s lobby, an usher told us that the auditorium was full, but we were welcome to stand in the lobby. I walked in and saw maybe two or three teenagers there, but a collection of coats equal to a department store. People sent teenagers to the school to drape their coats across multiple seats to reserve them. Every seat was taken, even though all the people there could fit into one minivan in the empty parking lot. That was not allowed the next Christmas.

I remember one parish in the city selling tickets to Midnight Mass.

 

[ProVobis]

I remember one parish in the city selling tickets to Midnight Mass.

They do that in Chicago too. Probably it costs them more to park though.

Not a good place for introverts and claustrophobics for sure.