Going to Mass does not feel like going to Mass anymore

[Phemie]

Just before the Mass begins, a woman spokeswoman get up and gives announcements and Mass petitions. “That was always the deacon’s job”

Does the parish even have a deacon? They’re few and far between where I come from and lay people always do this part. Sometimes a woman, sometimes a man.

Time for the Eucharist, everybody jumps up and goes and gets it, no waiting, no organisation, first up, first served.

That’s how it always was when I was growing up, both before and after Vatican II. It was only late in the 60s that people gradually started going to Communion row by row.

At least in my parish it started slowly with ushers making people go to Communion row by row at Midnight Mass for a few years, then gradually people just started waiting for the row ahead of them to go. You didn’t need this kind of row by row thing when everyone went to kneel at the altar rail.

 

[Pax_et_Bonum]

Sounds to me that the poster has a problem with Filipinos since he brought up twice that they had basically taken over the Mass.

We have more than a few Filipinos in my parish and they could give LESSONS on reverence,devotion and deportment.After mass they kiss the priests consecrated hands or place them on their forehead.

 

[estesbob]

Did you get to recieve the Eucharist? Ifso how could it possiblly be a bad experience?

 

[corsair]

"Part of the beauty of the church is the uniformity of the liturgy! " I’d like to add a couple of words to this quote: should be.

 

[Will_S]

Did you get to recieve the Eucharist? Ifso how could it possiblly be a bad experience?

So when a monsoon on the day of the wedding ruins the garden reception, the wind knocks over the tent, the cake disintegrates into a soggy pile of mush, and the bride falls face first into the mud after stepping in a puddle, you’d say to her:

But you did get married right? If so how could it possibly be a bad experience?

 

[TrueLight]

After mass they kiss the priests consecrated hands or place them on their forehead.

I saw that in a video. What does it mean?

The ones in my parish are super, super reverent too.

 

[estesbob]

So when a monsoon on the day of the wedding ruins the garden reception, the wind knocks over the tent, the cake disintegrates into a soggy pile of mush, and the bride falls face first into the mud after stepping in a puddle, you’d say to her:

But you did get married right? If so how could it possibly be a bad experience?

I dont equate the joy of getting married with the awesome experience of holding Our Lord and Savior in my hands and following his admonition to eat his body. If one truly believes in the Real Presence there is absolutely nothing that can spoil that experience

 

[hudson]

I dont equate the joy of getting married with the awesome experience of holding Our Lord and Savior in my hands and following his admonition to eat his body. If one truly believes in the Real Presence there is absolutely nothing that can spoil that experience

What a load. I suppose for you, anything goes in Mass so long as the form of the concecration is correct. Did you also like the western Mass? Clown Mass? Laser Mass? You can to the far extreme with this, but I guarantee there would be a point where you would say enough is enough.

 

[TimothyH]

I have to say in all charity, complaining about people praying the rosary in a Catholic Church seems to me a bit much.

-Tim-

 

[estesbob]

What a load. I suppose for you, anything goes in Mass so long as the form of the concecration is correct. Did you also like the western Mass? Clown Mass? Laser Mass? You can to the far extreme with this, but I guarantee there would be a point where you would say enough is enough.

I hold the creator of the universe in my hand every morning-it just does not get any better than that.

 

[Will_S]

I hold the creator of the universe in my hand every morning-it just does not get any better than that.

Sure it does. Receiving the creator of the universe placed upon your tongue by the consecrated hands of the priest is better!

And seriously, receiving Holy Communion in the context of a reverent, properly celebrated Mass is better than receiving Holy Communion in the context of a Mass celebrated at a beer garden, where everyone is guzzling beer and gulping sausages during Mass and then wiping their greasy hands off on their muddy jeans just before going up for Holy Communion.

 

[ConstantineTG]

the Greek services is fine during the day, but as my Greek is very poor i go to the English service that has been over run buy Filipino’s.

I apologize that my people has kept the flames of Catholicism alive around the world. I apologize we fill up the churches that would otherwise be empty because the country has secularized. And sorry that we were praying the rosary inside the church in an organized and public manner, what an abomination!

 

[ConstantineTG]

We have more than a few Filipinos in my parish and they could give LESSONS on reverence,devotion and deportment.After mass they kiss the priests consecrated hands or place them on their forehead.

I saw that in a video. What does it mean?

The ones in my parish are super, super reverent too.

Thats called “mano” taken from the Spanish for “hand”. Thats how we give respect to elders. The elder will give their hand and we take it and bow down to place the back of the hand on our forehead. That is done with parents, uncles and aunts, grandparents, and of course the clergy.

I never do that here in North America unless the priest is Filipino. I’m just afraid that the non-Filipino priest would freak out when I grab his hand.

 

[rben20]

I apologize that my people has kept the flames of Catholicism alive around the world. I apologize we fill up the churches that would otherwise be empty because the country has secularized. And sorry that we were praying the rosary inside the church in an organized and public manner, what an abomination!

Agreed. Seriously? Let’s not be borderline racists and point the finger at Filipinos for being…catholic. Makes so sense at all!

 

[ConstantineTG]

Agreed. Seriously? Let’s not be borderline racists and point the finger at Filipinos for being…catholic. Makes so sense at all!

Thanks. Filipinos have their own religious culture. I really don’t know what this guy is complaining about public praying of the rosary in a church. The church building was made as a public gathering place for prayer and worship of God. Emphasis on public. If people want quite time, they can go to their rooms and lock their doors. Jesus said that is a good way to pray.

 

[PiousTemplar]

Thanks. Filipinos have their own religious culture. I really don’t know what this guy is complaining about public praying of the rosary in a church. The church building was made as a public gathering place for prayer and worship of God. Emphasis on public. If people want quite time, they can go to their rooms and lock their doors. Jesus said that is a good way to pray.

Although I agree with most of what you say, I think the Rosary Group which he said, ‘was so loud I couldn’t concentrate on praying’ should be a bit more considerate to the intentions of the other parishners.

 

[LilyM]

So when a monsoon on the day of the wedding ruins the garden reception, the wind knocks over the tent, the cake disintegrates into a soggy pile of mush, and the bride falls face first into the mud after stepping in a puddle, you’d say to her:

But you did get married right? If so how could it possibly be a bad experience?

Darn tooting I would

In all seriousness, while I understand that externals affect internals, there are times when I see SO much whining about externals that I wonder if people forget that internals also affect externals also.

If you go into Mass with the attitude that there are going to be abuses and that they will offend you and distract you, then surprise surprise that’s exactly what’s going to happen.

If you go in with the attitude that priests are human, and might not do everything as you would like and the GIRM would dictate, but a) aren’t usually setting out to be either rebellious or offensive and b) always, even the best of them, need a lot of prayer and offering up of annoyances, then your experience will be a lot better.

 

[johnridgway]

Actually no problem with Filipinos, and my wife is a filipino.

even she is shocked at what it is like here.

Sounds to me that the poster has a problem with Filipinos since he brought up twice that they had basically taken over the Mass.

 

[jax123]

I think if I was on holiday in Greece and went to this service I would feel similar to the poster in some of the ways he did.

• I like to hear the rosary prayed before the mass but I’m not sure I’d appreciate it over the microphone - more of a hum of voices together just seems more respectful, not of the prayer itself, just of the rest of the congregation who prefer to come in and have a quite prayer with the Lord before the service.
• The use of mobile phones during the service I would find totally disrespectful as would I find the talking amongst the congregation.
• With regards to the music - I personally find the traditional and the more modern hymns more pleasing to Gospel but I’m intrigued as I havent come across a Catholic church with Gospel/more Pop Music - am sure my teenage daughters would like that!
• I would assume local culture and tradition would kick in regarding the protocol of going up to receive the Eucharist.
• To a certain extent I guess local culture and tradition would kick in with regards to the etiquette of when is appropriate to leave the service - On a personal level I’m not sure I would be comfortable with a mass exodus before the priest has left the alter.

I truly hope there is another church locally that you can go to which is more pleasing to you and your wife. My prayers and thoughts are with you, your wife and the congregation as a whole along with any visitors to the church who may feel the same as you.

 

[henrikhank]

I agree Saintlucy it seems that the music uses for mass now days is getting more and more protestant.

or even worse than lutheran music. Lutherans traditional music are way better than modern catholic music at mass.