Dumb Mass Questions

[INCONSPICUOUS]

How many candles need to be lit during the mass? Our priest routinely only lights one altar candle. The other altar candle is difficult to light, and he does not bother with it. I think both altar candles should be lit, as well as the tabernacle candles. Am I wrong?

The priest routinely skips the “Glory to God”. Is this allowed?

He does skips the Apostles Creed. I understand that it is only required during Sunday Mass. Is this correct?

The unlit candles drive me crazy. The missing prayers drive me and my wife crazy. I just do not want to say anything to the priest until I am sure of what I am saying.

Should I mention these things to the priest? We try to go to church elsewhere, but it is not always possible.

He also makes inane comments during the Sign of Peace, etc.

Should I mention these things to the priest? Should I just grin and bear it?

Any suggestions or advice are welcome. Thank you in advance for your comments and suggestions.

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[bben15]

How many candles need to be lit during the mass? Our priest routinely only lights one altar candle. The other altar candle is difficult to light, and he does not bother with it. I think both altar candles should be lit, as well as the tabernacle candles. Am I wrong?

The priest routinely skips the “Glory to God”. Is this allowed?

He does skips the Apostles Creed. I understand that it is only required during Sunday Mass. Is this correct?

The unlit candles drive me crazy. The missing prayers drive me and my wife crazy. I just do not want to say anything to the priest until I am sure of what I am saying.

Should I mention these things to the priest? We try to go to church elsewhere, but it is not always possible.

He also makes inane comments during the Sign of Peace, etc.

Should I mention these things to the priest? Should I just grin and bear it?

Any suggestions or advice are welcome. Thank you in advance for your comments and suggestions.

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1. From the GIRM: 117. The altar is to be covered with at least one white cloth. In addition, on or next to the altar are to be placed candlesticks with lighted candles: at least two in any celebration, or even four or six, especially for a Sunday Mass or a holy day of obligation. If the Diocesan Bishop celebrates, then seven candles should be used. …"

There should always be a red candle lit next to the tabernacle. To refuse to light a candle next to the tabernacle is to show extreme irreverence and almost-denial of the Real Presence.

1. If it’s Lent or Advent, or it’s a non-Holy Day weekday Mass, then yes.
2. Yes, you are correct, plus on Holy Days.
3. The candles are a problem. That problem needs to be fixed. If there is a problem with the other candle, then the parish should get a new candle.

You said he makes “comments” during the Sign of Peace. Unless it’s “peace be with you,” then those comments are not approved.

No one has to put up with liturgical abuse. Bring this up with your pastor with all humility, and if he does nothing, then contact the bishop if all options have been exhausted.

 

[R_C]

The priest routinely skips the “Glory to God”. Is this allowed?

In the old form, on weekdays you would have the Gloria but no Creed (except during Lent and some other times, where you have neither). In the new form of the Mass, only on Sunday and solemnities the Gloria and Creed is prayed (as far as I know). So yes, he can do that. I also believe in Lent the Gloria is omitted on Sundays as well, but not the Creed.

The unlit candles drive me crazy.

In the old form of the Roman Rite there were six candles on the altar. For a Low Mass (such as your ordinary weekday Mass) only two were lit. For a Missa Cantata, 4 candles were lit. for the Sunday Mass (High Mass) all 6 candles were lit.

One candle alone is, well, nonsense. Please do kindly mention in private why aren’t both candles lit as per the General Instruction of the Roman Missal. Usually servers or sacristans do this, not the priest. It’s good to point it out to him, because it’s part of the Sacred Liturgy. If the reason is that the candle is hard to light, offer yourself to purchase new ones They aren’t too expensive. Perhaps this will move him to tell you there’s no need and to simply have a sacristan replace the candle.

Candles by the Tabernacle need not be lit, but there must at least be one red candle or one red lamp somewhere next to it or in the Sanctuary. This is also mandatory. If missing, you can also kindly ask why is the rubrical red light for the Tabernacle missing. (Mind you, if the Tabernacle is empty, obviously there won’t be a light on!).

He also makes inane comments during the Sign of Peace, etc.

The new form of the Mass does not allow for the celebrant to add, remove, or change anything in the celebration of the Mass (it is often good to assume he knows what he’s doing, unless there’s a blatant mistake or abuse, in which case it is good to mention it to him in private later as a first step). The GIRM does however allow for quite a lot of “commenting”, which means you may have to bear with banale remarks at any given moment.

Two tips:

• mention such stuff to altar servers and sacristans…we love to hear feedback
• always be gentle when mentioning such stuff to a priest…avoid even the appearance of being presumptuous, for today’s culture has left the virtue of humiliation to a corner, and often the high dignity of the Holy Orders without healthy humiliations lead to a certain dose of sensibility. In short: be careful he doesn’t take it as a personal criticism.

 

[tee_eff_em]

1)There should always be a -]red/-] candle lit next to the tabernacle.

Candles by the Tabernacle need not be lit, but there must at least be one -]red/-] candle or one -]red/-] lamp somewhere next to it or in the Sanctuary. This is also mandatory. If missing, you can also kindly ask why is the rubrical -]red/-] light for the Tabernacle missing. (Mind you, if the Tabernacle is empty, obviously there won’t be a light on!).

tee

 

[AloysiusBologna]

Originally Posted by R_C
Candles by the Tabernacle need not be lit, but there must at least be one red candle or one red lamp somewhere next to it or in the Sanctuary. This is also mandatory. If missing, you can also kindly ask why is the rubrical red light for the Tabernacle missing. (Mind you, if the Tabernacle is empty, obviously there won’t be a light on!).

…and if Exposition is alongside Tabernacle, the candle requirement is? And the preferred?
and why are such candles to be/not to be extinguished during mass?

 

[AloysiusBologna]

Originally Posted by R_C
Candles by the Tabernacle need not be lit, but there must at least be one red candle or one red lamp somewhere next to it or in the Sanctuary. This is also mandatory. If missing, you can also kindly ask why is the rubrical red light for the Tabernacle missing. (Mind you, if the Tabernacle is empty, obviously there won’t be a light on!).

…and if Exposition is alongside Tabernacle, the candle requirement is? And the preferred?
and why are such candles to be/not to be extinguished during mass?

 

[INCONSPICUOUS]

Thank you everyone for the answers. Yes, there is a lit red candle next to the tabernacle.
I will make sure there are at least 2 lit candles on the altar, even if I have to light them myself.

I will talk to him about the missing prayers. Once again thanks for the information.
It is greatly appreciated.

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[Fragile]

I almost thought this title was something else, guess I’m a …