Greeting at the beginning of Mass

[JimR-OCDS]

If a person goes to Mass and doesn’t want to be with people, then they’d be better to stay home.

Mass isn’t an individual exercise in spirituality, but a community involved exercise, Communion comes from the word, “community,” or “union.” with that community of believers who are in union through faith in God.

Pope Benedict XVI wrote in Spe Salvi, that salvation was never intended to be individualistic, but socialistic.

As St John of the Cross wrote, we grown in faith when we see God in everyone and everything. In other words, we’re all connected to one another and to all that is around us. It’s why when we sin, the damage isn’t to our souls alone, but to the human community as a whole.

 

[ricmat]

His goal is to have us celebrate Mass as a community of friends instead of a group of strangers.

There are many opportunities to shake hands outside of Mass. But when you force people to do it at Mass, how is that friendly?

If shaking hands is so important to you…maybe you should go into politics

PS Just a late note. I’m pretty dense, and it took me many years to figure this out. But I let you know free of charge. “Not everybody who shakes your hand is a friend.”

 

[CilladeRoma]

Deacons do not have consecrated hands and are ordinary ministers of the Eucharist. So this argument hold no water for me.
You are free to have a preference, but we need to throw out this tired, old argument of “only the priest’s hands are consecrated, only he can touch the Eucharist…”

 

[SPONP4US]

Actually if you where unfortunate enough to think the whole whole Catholic church was an ice cold “Everyone to themsleves” sort of affair (after a lifetime of being lapsed or an Atheist) and it was your first time ever at a Catholic mass.

How would you feel then?

It’s not always about what “I want” sometimes friend, and there are way more serious things we need to contend with. Comparing this with TLM protocol is rather “stretching” the point it seems.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

Becoming friends means having different levels of friendships

Introducing yourself to the person next to you, and them to you, isn’t gonna get you over to their house to move furniture, but it might help you worship God in a friendly atmosphere instead of a cold dead one.

 

[on_the_hill]

New rule for myself: stop reading threads when I see the words novus ordo.

 

[PeterT]

HomeschoolDad:

Personally, I dislike this

I don’t like it either and find it unnecessary. This is the Mass - the worship of God, and not at some gathering to which people have come.

afaik, this “Good Morning” is not part of any greeting options in the Sacramentary at the Introductory Rite.

#50 “… … Then by means of the Greeting he signifies the presence of the Lord to the assembled community. By this greeting and the people’s response, the mystery of the Church gathered together is made manifest.”

#50 Vatican Website " … … Then he signifies the presence of the Lord to the community gathered there by means of the Greeting. By this Greeting and the people’s response, the mystery of the Church gathered together is made manifest."

I found it odd that you left out the second paragraph of Point 50 of the GIRM that explicitly states that short remarks introducing the Mass are permitted by the priest, deacon or even a lay minister. Here’s the complete text of Point 50 of the GIRM including the second paragraph (which I highlighted in bold) that you omitted:

1. When the Entrance Chant is concluded, the Priest stands at the chair and, together with the whole gathering, signs himself with the Sign of the Cross. Then by means of the Greeting he signifies the presence of the Lord to the assembled community. By this greeting and the people’s response, the mystery of the Church gathered together is made manifest.

After the greeting of the people, the Priest, or the Deacon, or a lay minister may very briefly introduce the faithful to the Mass of the day.

 

[CRV]

As the thread is specifically about the “Greeting”, that is what I replied to and thus did not see the following remarks concerning additional introducing words , were relevant.

But as you rightly point out it is meant to introduce the Mass of the day to the faithful - for example if it is a Saint etc. then some “very brief” words regarding this Saint would be appropriate. This does not mean “Good Morning All!”.

 

[Traddy1962]

You are correct. Deacons are considered “Extraordinary ministers” as well though, not ordinary. The rhetoric changed around V2.
Traditionally only priests handled the Eucharist, the deacons did not perform this function except for in extraordinary circumstances. It’s not a tired old argument, it’s the norm of Holy Mother church, with the exception being In the hand. Receiving in the hand is only permissible due to the Indult given in the 70’s. The tired argument of “well it changed with V2, the church moved forward and now we are up to speed with how it should be” is the one that should be retired. V2 didn’t change anything, the changes that occurred happened due to the local clerics mostly. The Holy fathers allowed certain things but under strict rules and regulations and the laity ran wild with them with very little opposition.

 

[InThePew]

I greet the people at the start of weekday mass after the sing of the cross. On Sunday’s we have a mass commentator who has already done this so there’s no need for me to do it too.

I do it on weekdays basically because it’s a good mannered thing to do. Yes, the good people of God (and myself) are there for the celebration of the most holy sacrifice of the mass and reception of the body and blood of Christ. All well and good but I think I can safely say with a reasonable degree of confidence that the most holy sacrifice of the mass isn’t about to be profaned nor will sacrilege or scandal occur if I should take an ever so brief opportunity to be civil! The mass is, in a sense, a human encounter as well as a divine one - we don’t participate in the mass as individuals but instead as members of a community, brothers and sisters in Christ. In most (probably all) aspects of liturgy there’s a tension between the immanent (down here) and the transcendent (up there), the horizontal and the vertical if you will and, to be fair, too often the former is prioritised over the latter. That said, we need both; we need to remember that the liturgy isn’t just an encounter with God on a spiritual level it’s also an encounter on a human level too. So while I’m not about to start doing the whole “turn to the person next to you and welcome them” thing, I’m also not about to stop saying “good morning/afternoon” at weekday masses.

 

[Mi_Rose]

According to Canon 910.1 , the ordinary minister of Holy Communion is a bishop, priest or deacon.

 

[Traddy1962]

Yes I know. That’s the 1983. I’m referring to the pre-1983. Still would rather an ordained deacon distributing communion though, if necessary, than a laymen.

 

[Calliope]

Actually if you where unfortunate enough to think the whole whole Catholic church was an ice cold “Everyone to themsleves” sort of affair (after a lifetime of being lapsed or an Atheist) and it was your first time ever at a Catholic mass.

How would you feel then?

I am not Catholic, but I enjoy some of the radio programs on EWTN, so I have it as one of my preset stations in my car. My local station carries the Mass each morning at 8.

Even as I just scan through stations trying to find something to listen to the Mass stands out, but not for a nice reason. It stands out because the people and very often the priest sound like zombies reciting words they don’t actually understand.

It is most uninviting, painful to listen to. You know how the president sounds very animated and enthusiastic when he is giving his own speech, but when he’s reading something written for him off the teleprompter he sounds depressed, insincere, and sometimes as if he’s in pain having to say the words…that’s how it sounds.

There is no sense of joy, enthusiasm, engagement or even reverence. It comes off as if the attendees are in prison camp and are reciting the words to avoid punishment.

And it’s not just once in awhile. A few days a week at least I catch a bit of it and it’s nearly universal. During the homily, sometimes the priest sounds pretty good, but the body of the Mass itself sounds very sad.

This is just an observation from an outsider who is not a hater or out to stick it to Catholics. It literally sounds like a parody made by people who DO hate Catholics.

I’m not suggesting that Catholics should hold or alter their worship in any way to suit or lure in outsiders. Just sharing this because it stands out so strikingly to me several days a week.

 

[Mi_Rose]

That is The Code of Canon Law. The Code of Canon Law that is in effect now.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

The Permanent Diaconate was only suspended until around 1967. Before it’s suspension, Deacons were part of the ordinary and not EMHC.s

 

[Traddy1962]

I am speaking of the past. I think I see where the confusion came about. Yes, deacons are considered now to be Ordinary ministers. Which as I said, I’d rather an ordained deacon administering communion than a laymen any day.
Also, just because there was a update in 1983 does not render the 1917 useless or incorrect. It’s not just thrown out and pretended it never existed since they put one out in ‘83.

 

[Mi_Rose]

Canon 6 of the new code abrogates the 1917 code.

 

[Traddy1962]

I stand corrected. Thanks for bringing this to my attention!

 

[HomeschoolDad]

If a person goes to Mass and doesn’t want to be with people, then they’d be better to stay home.

Mass isn’t an individual exercise in spirituality, but a community involved exercise, Communion comes from the word, “community,” or “union.” with that community of believers who are in union through faith in God.

That is one point of view. I will just reiterate, not everyone wants to interact with others. We are attending a liturgy. It is not an exercise in interpersonal dynamics.

Pope Benedict XVI wrote in Spe Salvi, that salvation was never intended to be individualistic, but socialistic.

I’d be interested to read that. Souls are saved individually. I am not saved because my family or my neighbors are saved. There is, to be sure, the communion of saints, but when it comes down to it, each soul chooses God individually.

Deacons do not have consecrated hands and are ordinary ministers of the Eucharist. So this argument hold no water for me.
You are free to have a preference, but we need to throw out this tired, old argument of “only the priest’s hands are consecrated, only he can touch the Eucharist…”

Aquinas said that, not me. Aquinas is not the Church, and he is not infallible. I think even he would admit that there can be exceptions to this, but that is what they are, exceptions, not the rule. Call them whatever, ordinary or extraordinary, deacons have been, and are, allowed to handle the Eucharist, even though, as you well point out, their hands are not consecrated. They are, however, in Holy Orders.

Actually if you where unfortunate enough to think the whole whole Catholic church was an ice cold “Everyone to themsleves” sort of affair (after a lifetime of being lapsed or an Atheist) and it was your first time ever at a Catholic mass.

How would you feel then?

It’s not always about what “I want” sometimes friend, and there are way more serious things we need to contend with. Comparing this with TLM protocol is rather “stretching” the point it seems.

It’s interesting that you bring this up, because when I first encountered the Catholic world, I did find it puzzling that everyone seemed so absorbed in themselves within the liturgy. Then I came to understand precisely what goes on in the Mass (the Real Presence), and how that Catholics are often engaged in an intensely individualistic, personal relationship with Our Lord, and it all made sense.

I find your “I want” comment puzzling as well. Am I hearing you say that regardless of how much we may want to be alone with our thoughts and our spiritual journey, the liturgy is a community affair and we have to come to it as “part of a great big group”, not just ourselves? That it is so important to make people feel welcome, that the liturgy needs to be interrupted so that the priest can say “hello everyone”? Or something else?

 

[HomeschoolDad]

Even as I just scan through stations trying to find something to listen to the Mass stands out, but not for a nice reason. It stands out because the people and very often the priest sound like zombies reciting words they don’t actually understand.

It is most uninviting, painful to listen to. You know how the president sounds very animated and enthusiastic when he is giving his own speech, but when he’s reading something written for him off the teleprompter he sounds depressed, insincere, and sometimes as if he’s in pain having to say the words…that’s how it sounds.

There is no sense of joy, enthusiasm, engagement or even reverence. It comes off as if the attendees are in prison camp and are reciting the words to avoid punishment.

It is a liturgy. Liturgies have set phrases and verses. It is not something that has inflections and tones of voice like a sermon does. Neither priest nor worshiper is expected to put emotion into the words. It just doesn’t work like that. I can understand how this might seem bizarre to someone who is used to worship services having emotive, soaring turns of phrase, as a pastor might use in a sermon (think of Billy Graham or TD Jakes). Two different things.