Hard to concentrate at mass...is it just me?

[mamacita]

This is something that you’ll see in a lot of Catholic parishes. I’m not really fond of the idea myself because there’s no resurrection without a crucifixion, right?

Pianos for Mass are okay, but “leading into a show” is never okay. Some music directors think that it’s a good idea to get “creative”.

This is something that happens in my parish as well, but it’s moreso the ushers than the people themselves. It is really distracting especially when one is lost in prayer.

This could be the case. I’ve noticed this a lot with Saturday/Sunday evening Masses; however, some people could have the right intentions, but they don’t realize what they are doing contributes to disrespect.

Since this was a weekend Mass, then yes, there needs to be a second reading. I hope the intention of the person who cut it down wasn’t just to “save time” or that the reading was “pointless”. Cutting down on the Word of God is rather offensive.

Was this going on while music was playing? Some people think that because music is being played, they can be loud. For most people, they can’t.

I don’t think that this was the appropriate time to acknowledge people. He could say goodbyes at the exit as people are leaving

Again, while their intentions might have been good, this makes the Mass seem like some kind of show. You don’t tell people “Thanks for coming.” It’s Mass.

It’s not your fault for other people’s disrespect during Mass. You did nothing wrong.

Sadly, yes. Maybe talk to the pastor of the parish about it if that will do any good? Even if you don’t want to confront him yourself, you could send a letter or email of concern.

**
CatholicZ, yes, the high fives as he was walking down the aisle really caught me off guard (i’m mirror’s wife). Along w/ the ‘brochures’ being hadned out and no missals available. I’m fine w/ music sheets being handed out (been to plenty of Life Teen Masses where that’s been done) but these booklets took the place of a missal yet the readings were not printed anywhere in there. In the ‘booklet’ it said, ‘‘Our Father: Please join us in holding hands.’’ We aren’t into that stuff. Not to mention that when it came time for the Our Father, not only did they hold hands, they REACHED across the aisles to the next pew to hold hands. I could go on and on but it just fires me up.

Rascalking–Depressing is precisely what this experience on Sunday was. We aren’t depressing, but the liturgical abuses sure were. **

 

[mamacita]

**I’m a bit irratated by the response that a priest should NOT be able to thank people for comming. ** I am grateful whenever anyone sees the value of mass enough to come. It is a gift from God in the form of grace.

I also get mad at people who judge texting/screen phone use. I used it this sunday to look up the readings. Our misselettes don’t have the text and the microphone was so bad I didn’t understand a single word.

Besides that, I have a friend who has life threatening health conditions. The ONLY time my phone ever rang in mass was becuase her mom called to let me know she was going in for emergency major heart surgery and to put the phone to her ear so I could tell her I loved her and was praying for her. Afterward a parishoner chided me for running out with my cell and returning to mass. I wanted to punch him. HE was the rude one. My friend lived, but if she hadn’t I would of grieved that I missed her call and to let her know I was praying. And who knows…maybe my prayers before Jesus’ sacred heart let her heart be healed for the time being.

It was not the priest thanking people for coming but a woman parishioner in a purple sleeveless frock w/ her bra straps hanging out and she was doing this IN the church, VERY loudly. Not acceptable. ‘‘Thank you, come again’’ her exact words to EVERY single person exiting.

 

[Sailor_Kenshin]

Let me clarify, I know that it is required by the Church, I know that it is an obligation, but for me I do not view it that way cause it is something that I would do no matter what, I would go to Mass no matter what. I would be there every Sunday. I try to go during the week if I can, not obliged to, but it is encouraged and I try to make it once a week if I can.

Sorry for stating that in a way that lead to confusion (from me).

I’m not ‘happy’ at Mass because of some of the elements you mentioned in your OP. I’m easily distracted by certain things. Some of it is my own condition, but I do find myself longing for a sense of reverence.

I love watching Mass from St. Pat’s or St. Peter’s or any venue where there seems to be a true sense of worship and where people are not chomping granola bars, yacking during the readings, and playing video games.

But I do go because it is an obligation,and because we are at war.

 

[Rascalking]

**

Rascalking–Depressing is precisely what this experience on Sunday was. We aren’t depressing, but the liturgical abuses sure were. **

Yup, clearly I disagree with you.

Cheers.

 

[Rosa_Centifolia]

Sometimes it’s hard to concentrate when there are all sorts of comings and goings and other shenanigans going on, but you just have to keep trying. Participate. I particularly have a hard time when there is some kind of newfangled heartfelt emo guitar/singing type thing happening during Communion, when I’m trying to pray. But yes, sometimes it’s hard work and I have to pray for strength. I know that’s not a stellar insight, but it’s really all you can do, isn’t it? It’s Sunday, it’s too late (or impossible) to go somewhere else, and you just have to keep your thoughts trained on the Mass and the real reason why everybody is there.

 

[odile53]

Right now I’m doing the 19th annotation Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola. One of the things he said was that we should always view what our brother is doing in the best light possible. In other words, give others the benefit of the doubt.

Mass is Mass regardless of what time it is offered. It doesn’t matter when you go to Mass as long as it is in the Sunday Obligation bracket (the Saturday anticipated Mass through the Sunday evening Mass,) and I’d be very hesitant to ascribe any particular motive to any particular occupant of a pew as to why they were at that particular Mass. It’s none of my business, does not do anything in terms of edifying either me or the person involved, and is simply a waste of my time and intellect.

Mass requires participation of the laity, yes, even in the EF. If I want additional time for contemplation, I go to Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. There are a lot of people at Mass (praise God!,) and when you increase numbers, you’re going to get some antics, some weird and possibly disrespectful dress, yadda, yadda. It’s just a function of probability.

Yeah, people should behave more reverently at Mass, in my opinion. But then again, they didn’t consult me! Actually, I can’t think of a better place for sinners to be than at Mass, the same way that there isn’t a better place for sick people to be than at a hospital. Maybe the sinners will slowly get holier by osmosis, or by good example. Maybe a priest who is even a little overly ebullient in an exit processional (which isn’t a required part of the Mass, BTW,) might be making a good memory for those kids when they are questioning adolescents on the brink of exiting the Church, stage left. How should I know?

How do I know ANYONE’s motives, anyways? I have a hard enough time uncovering my own. The best I can do is to try to set a good example, and that doesn’t happen when I scowl and say, “shush!”

I do like something I read in St. Therese of the Child Jesus’ “Story of a Soul,” where she was describing a particularly annoying habit that one of the Sisters in her Carmelite convent had of making a certain noise all through Mass, the Office, anytime the community was gathered in prayer. To say it drove St. Therese bonkers was an understatement. And try as she might, ignoring it didn’t work all that well either. It just assumed more distracting proportions.

I think, if I recall properly, what she finally did was what Sister always told us to do when something bothered us----“Offer it up for the poor souls in purgatory!”

Honestly, I hadn’t even thought about the Poor Souls in years and years. Me bad!

I figure that if St. Therese had a hard time focusing on occasion, who’s to say that I should expect any better than what she put up with?

What I have been doing recently, as a spiritual discipline, when I’ve seen something at Mass that I don’t approve of, is that–I TRY to “offer it up.” I stress the word “try” because I’m not always that successful at doing so. But I think Jesus appreciates my efforts to do so instead of retreating to a curmudgeonly position of criticism. And I know that He knows that I “ain’t no St. Therese!” He understands my limitations, and encourages my efforts.

After all, if Jesus is still sticking around with all the craziness that occasionally happens at Mass, I should be, too. He’s certainly gracious enough to focus on the positive. Maybe I should be doing the same.

There is one exception, and I’m a little ashamed to say it:

This past weekend I attended Mass on Pentecost. The celebrating priest was a licensed psychotherapist whose ministry is to the mentally ill at a psychiatric clinic run in one of the Catholic hospitals. He was a guest celebrant at our parish that day.

For the final blessing, he instructed us to remain seated, and bow our heads in prayer, and then used guided imagery in a meditation on the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and the blessings that the Holy Spirit pours upon us. It was a lengthy discourse, or so my mother tells me, and she said it was lovely and most edifying. I thought the first two minutes of it was, too. The priest had an incredible soothing baritone voice (which was lovely during the sung part of the liturgy.) The guided meditation was so grace filled and relaxing, that after two minutes of sitting there, picturing myself resting in the sunlight of the Holy Spirit, I fell sound asleep! Yep, konked right out. Right there in the pew, mantilla flopping in my face, all the rest.

I don’t know what that message might be that the Spirit was giving me—do I need to slow down and stop being such a Martha? Should I be taking better care of myself? Maybe that morning I needed a little dose of humility? (I really was out cold, drool got on my mantilla!) Or would I just really make a pretty lousy contemplative?

 

[happymommy]

For someone who is almost always in the minority, all the agreement is pretty cool. Thanks everyone.

Don’t get too excited yet; I don’t agree with you

 

[Apryl]

Right now I’m doing the 19th annotation Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola. One of the things he said was that we should always view what our brother is doing in the best light possible. In other words, give others the benefit of the doubt.

This is wonderful! And I agree with this wholeheatedly.

But what is the ‘best light’ sometimes can excuse certain actions.

If a person has just participated in the Sign of Peace, and the Lamb of God is playing, and they start talking about the announcement they want to make when Mass ends, reach into their bag and get a piece of candy.

How can you put a ‘benefit of the doubt’ spin on things if someone is at church and while they have something to do after Mass, they start doing it during Mass in such a way where others around him can’t be ignored by turning away, closing one’s eyes, even covering their ears with their hands. This action by the person being distracting is now causing distractions to others around him,

What about those who come into the church talking loudly about their worldly issues (clothes, movies, finances) in such a loud voice that those who are there to pray cannot. Let us not forget that churches, esp the older churches, were designed to echo so that we could all hear all that was being said.

I’m all for ‘benefit of the doubt’, but when someone is participating in the Mass (because they are part of some organization or sacrament), and they are dressed in a way he or she would never dress for a job interview for McDonald’s. Strapless dresses, pants below the hips, clothing that is incredibly tight, t-shirts with vulgar sayings on it.

We can give people the benefit of the doubt, but that doesn’t excuse all actions, and doesn’t mean that there are not evil forces within our churches that are working to separate us from God. “God knows my heart” and “I’m doing better” are all well and good, but any one who sees what is happening and doesn’t at least say, ‘this is what we can do to do better’ is at least as culpable as the culprit!

 

[Apryl]

My responses to you are in no way predicated by any contempt, but your post is so articulate and it is pretty much in line with comments I have heard from many others, and it addresses issues I’ve been bothered by, and even heard others comment on similar items.

Yeah, people should behave more reverently at Mass, in my opinion. But then again, they didn’t consult me! Actually, I can’t think of a better place for sinners to be than at Mass, the same way that there isn’t a better place for sick people to be than at a hospital. Maybe the sinners will slowly get holier by osmosis, or by good example. Maybe a priest who is even a little overly ebullient in an exit processional (which isn’t a required part of the Mass, BTW,) might be making a good memory for those kids when they are questioning adolescents on the brink of exiting the Church, stage left. How should I know?

How do I know ANYONE’s motives, anyways? I have a hard enough time uncovering my own. The best I can do is to try to set a good example, and that doesn’t happen when I scowl and say, “shush!”

Why do people come to church if NOT to do better? If a person goes to a restaurant or a supermarket, don’t they want food? Who goes to either of those place to do a fast?

If person goes to a gym, they don’t go there to ‘veg-out’ or to find chocolate cakes and bon-bons. Rather, they go there to be around those who are doing well physically and doing things to improve their body.

So, why should a sinner go into a church with the purpose of doing better, and those around encourage him to remain in his sin, and to avoid taking part in the sacraments as sacraments, with reverence and dignity?

And if one happens to have one of those days (which are bound to come for all of us) where you just don’t wanna be there, should they pull others from their adoration and their communications with God? I would suggest they don’t. Have a day like that, and do what you do, but don’t make it impossible for any one else to take part.

Just like a kid in school, who doesn’t want to be there that day, should we condone him disrupting the rest of the students from learning? from disrupting the teacher who tries to teach them? Or, should he just sit at his desk and scribble in his notebook and daydream, and maybe, just maybe, there will be some chance of him learning something by accident.

 

[odile53]

I can get just as frustrated and annoyed by the things you cite as the next person. The problem is this–as a lay person, there is very little that I can do about it at the moment without becoming almost as disruptive as the person who is precipitating these feelings in me in the first place.

I’m one of the folks who actually stays in the pew until the priest has exited or processed out of the church and then stays to say a few prayers after Mass. Even at the church that has the EF Mass, people seem to take the fact that the priest is leaving the sanctuary to let their hair down, so to speak. And there is good old Odile, on her knees, trying to focus through the few prayers after Mass, an elapsed time of maybe three minutes, tops.

What to do at the moment with the chatters? Glare at them? Shush them? Make a sharp comment to them that they really need to shut up already, can’t they see that some people are still praying?

Anything I do at the time destroys my prayerful moment. I therefore hunker down and try to pray around them, as it were. After a few months of this experience, week after week, I make a comment to the pastor about how disruptive the behavior is. If I get really lucky, a blurb gets posted in the bulletin. Maybe a few people read it. Maybe one or two change their behavior. Probably not.

If I continue to do the after Mass prayers as well as I can, maybe a few people notice, and maybe next week they might be doing the same as me. Again, probably not.

No, I’m not advocating permissive tolerance. What I am advocating is setting an example, and persevering in the face of difficult situations. I don’t know how to change their behavior, because that’s really not my place at Mass. I’ve occasionally said to a scantily dressed woman how nice she would look dressed a little more appropriately, and was predictably “rewarded” by a dirty look that could have curdled milk.

I’ve found that “charitable corrections” usually don’t work, and tend to give the marginal Catholics an excuse to not come back to Mass next week. Actually I’d rather see Miss Motormouth, Mr. Hairy Legs, or Ms. Trash Dress in church, at Mass, on Sundays, where maybe something has a chance of sinking in eventually.

If anyone has figured out some approach that actually works in changing behavior, I’d be very interested in hearing exactly how they did that, same as you!

And actually, if this is the best that the evil one can come up with to attack my efforts at prayer, it’s a pretty easy one to work around. Kind of like an annoying house fly that you just can’t seem to swat away! Maybe this is a personal cross that God permits to make me pay attention more.

 

[Apryl]

I can get just as frustrated and annoyed by the things you cite as the next person. The problem is this–as a lay person, there is very little that I can do about it at the moment without becoming almost as disruptive as the person who is precipitating these feelings in me in the first place.

I’m one of the folks who actually stays in the pew until the priest has exited or processed out of the church and then stays to say a few prayers after Mass. Even at the church that has the EF Mass, people seem to take the fact that the priest is leaving the sanctuary to let their hair down, so to speak. And there is good old Odile, on her knees, trying to focus through the few prayers after Mass, an elapsed time of maybe three minutes, tops.

What to do at the moment with the chatters? Glare at them? Shush them? Make a sharp comment to them that they really need to shut up already, can’t they see that some people are still praying?

Anything I do at the time destroys my prayerful moment. I therefore hunker down and try to pray around them, as it were. After a few months of this experience, week after week, I make a comment to the pastor about how disruptive the behavior is. If I get really lucky, a blurb gets posted in the bulletin. Maybe a few people read it. Maybe one or two change their behavior. Probably not.

If I continue to do the after Mass prayers as well as I can, maybe a few people notice, and maybe next week they might be doing the same as me. Again, probably not.

No, I’m not advocating permissive tolerance. What I am advocating is setting an example, and persevering in the face of difficult situations. I don’t know how to change their behavior, because that’s really not my place at Mass. I’ve occasionally said to a scantily dressed woman how nice she would look dressed a little more appropriately, and was predictably “rewarded” by a dirty look that could have curdled milk.

I’ve found that “charitable corrections” usually don’t work, and tend to give the marginal Catholics an excuse to not come back to Mass next week. Actually I’d rather see Miss Motormouth, Mr. Hairy Legs, or Ms. Trash Dress in church, at Mass, on Sundays, where maybe something has a chance of sinking in eventually.

If anyone has figured out some approach that actually works in changing behavior, I’d be very interested in hearing exactly how they did that, same as you!

And actually, if this is the best that the evil one can come up with to attack my efforts at prayer, it’s a pretty easy one to work around. Kind of like an annoying house fly that you just can’t seem to swat away! Maybe this is a personal cross that God permits to make me pay attention more.

Very well said!

But no one said much of anything about DOING anything to the disrupters, disruptive on their own or not. We are all just lamenting that there are distractions during Mass.

You’ve mentioned things that most, if not all of us who are lamenting, have considered. We don’t choose to take actions that will take away from the Body and Blood of Christ ANY MORE THAN YOU WOULD. However, as this is a Catholic site, where there are those who are disruptive along with those who have been disrupted, this is an anonymous way to discuss the situation without pointing any fingers at any one person or action.

 

[Mirror_Mirror]

Very well said!

But no one said much of anything about DOING anything to the disrupters, disruptive on their own or not. We are all just lamenting that there are distractions during Mass.

You’ve mentioned things that most, if not all of us who are lamenting, have considered. We don’t choose to take actions that will take away from the Body and Blood of Christ ANY MORE THAN YOU WOULD. However, as this is a Catholic site, where there are those who are disruptive along with those who have been disrupted, this is an anonymous way to discuss the situation without pointing any fingers at any one person or action.

I am going to agree with both of you. While odile, I do not have specific ways to “combat” the things that you mentioned, I think that road that you suggest (lead by example) is a very good one. But as Apryl said, this was not so much about what to do about these things as it is about how to deal with distractions (and abuses) that occur in Mass.

Mind you, we will most likely not be going to that parish again, but for the most part distractions are at each and every parish that you go to. I know that when we go to the Latin mass the distractions are few and many times are caused by my children getting ants in their pants and wanting to move around.

The thing that saddens me is that knowing that these abuses go on throughout different parishes and there are those that think that this is the accepted norm or what goes on at Mass. Again, if the Pope Benedict himself was celebrating Mass, would you act that way? Yet, Jesus Christ is truly present there and there are those that could care less. Blows my mind sometimes. I am not perfect and will be the first one to admit that with children I often get distracted and tend to not focus on the Mass, but I do my best to give my best at Mass. I know that it is a lot to ask, but I just wish that those attending Mass fully understood the Real Presence of Jesus Christ there, at times it is hard for me to grasp, but if we all understood that, imagine, just imagine the glory given to our Blessed Lord!

 

[Apryl]

Mind you, we will most likely not be going to that parish again, but for the most part distractions are at each and every parish that you go to. I know that when we go to the Latin mass the distractions are few and many times are caused by my children getting ants in their pants and wanting to move around.

Have we taken into consideration how the population of Catholic churches has DROPPED in the last 30 - 40 years? I don’t think it’s just VII… but rather, prior to that time, you attended Mass at the church closest to your home most of the time - sure, go to a different church for visits or when the Mass schedule wasn’t convenient once or twice a year, or a month

Now, we, the parishioners, are church-hopping? What’s up with that? The Mass is supposed to be the Mass, no matter where you are. However, today, we have to ‘find’ a church with the right music, or deal with the abuses (or learn how to ignore them)

Who’s in charge? the inmates?

 

[Mirror_Mirror]

Have we taken into consideration how the population of Catholic churches has DROPPED in the last 30 - 40 years? I don’t think it’s just VII… but rather, prior to that time, you attended Mass at the church closest to your home most of the time - sure, go to a different church for visits or when the Mass schedule wasn’t convenient once or twice a year, or a month

Now, we, the parishioners, are church-hopping? What’s up with that? The Mass is supposed to be the Mass, no matter where you are. However, today, we have to ‘find’ a church with the right music, or deal with the abuses (or learn how to ignore them)

Who’s in charge? the inmates?

I am not going to disagree with what you have said. We will be attending a church that is about 20 minutes from our home that has a Latin Mass as well as a parish close to our home for the NO Mass as there are several parishes that are near our house.

It is true that it SHOULD BE universal, but it is not and you know that as well as I do. How does one come into a parish as a new parishioner and be the one that has to step up and make suggestions for change and think that it will go that way? I do not think that this will happen. Are the inmates in charge…unfortunately many times and at many parishes it seems that this is the case, which is sad. We need strong spiritual leadership which we get from Pope Benedict, however, many times, local bishops are not in step with what Rome is saying. It is sad.

 

[odile53]

I love it—“who’s in charge–the inmates?”

It does seem that way sometimes, doesn’t it?

I certainly understand the need to vent, and I guess right now I have recently emerged from a time in my life where the best I could do about a few situations was to ventilate about them. Eventually, it got to the point where talking about it (this is for me only) seemed to consume more energy than it was worth. And in the situations I’m referring to (none of which had anything to do with the Mass or people’s behavior/misbehavior at it,) the influence I had was at best minimal. Eventually, I got tired of it consuming my time and energy, and focused my attention on what I could do about the situations.

So I guess I’m approaching the issue of distractions at Mass from that paradigm–what can I personally do about it? I’m sorry, I don’t mean to impose this on anyone else, and I’m in no wise suggesting that other people approach the issue from the same point of view. It is just the only place right now, at this time in my life and spiritual growth, that makes the most sense for me. And like I said before, this frame of reference is just for me.

I will say this, though—for me, the approaches of setting a good example, “offering it up,” and confining my complaints to the minimum seem to have restored a sense of peace at Mass that was eluding me when I noticed all the glaringly obvious distractions.

I wish everyone all the best in trying to deal with the “inmates!”

 

[TheRealJuliane]

How do I handle distractions at Mass? Hmmmmm…

I come early because I can’t pray once the (very loud) piano player starts pounding away at the keyboard, all prayer is over for me once the music begins. If for some reason I run late, I just can’t pray that much before Mass.

When people let the kneelers down with a loud CLUNK, that is a distraction, I just shake my head on the inside of my head, not outwardly.

There is one older parishioner that actually sings the consecration right along with the priest. He’s not that audible unless he’s right behind me, which he sometimes is. That’s hard to ignore.

My main tool for handling distractions during Vigil/Sunday Mass? I go to the weekday Masses at another church. It is very reverent, very…how do you say…orthodox and minimalistic. The Rosary is said after every Mass. THAT is the kind of Mass that I deeply love and am grateful for. If weekday Masses could only count as the obligation I would NEVER attend on the weekends.

 

[IrishRush]

I have a comment about just one part of this post - the part about holding hands during the Our Father. I only returned to the church about 7 years ago and a lot of things changed while I was gone. So even though I was technically a revert, I felt like a new convert in some ways. I remember seeing people holding hands during the Our Father prayer and wondering what that was all about. I was taught to pray with my hands clasped in front of me. I actually went to the Ask A Franciscan website and submitted a question about it and they said basically that if people wanted to do that it was fine. I have, on a few occasions, been at mass with friends or family and they did that during the prayer and reached over and took my hand. I couldn’t see a way to remove my hand without being rude so I went along with it. But I have to say, I don’t like it. It’s nice to know my instincts were right on this. But why don’t the priests say something about it to the parishioners? They are there to lead us, correct?

 

[odile53]

Okay, I’ll grumble now: I’m in the habit of saying prayers after Mass, particularly the prayer to St. Michael the Archangel. And so I did today, or rather, I tried to. I might as well have been attempting to pray in the middle of Grand Central at rush hour! You know it’s distracting when you lose your place twice during an “Our Father.”

It’s a NO parish, and since that’s the Ordinary Form, that’s okay. I can handle the contemporary church music, the soloist who thinks she’s practicing for the Met, and the handshaking at the Sign of Peace, but can’t people wait till they get to the narthex to catch up on how the strawberry crop is doing, what college their kids are heading off to, and where they’re heading after church to play golf? Those were three of the separate conversations that I overheard today.

I mean, c’mon, people! The narthex is about thirty yards away, and the parking lot is twenty yards past that!

 

[TheRealJuliane]

I have a comment about just one part of this post - the part about holding hands during the Our Father. I only returned to the church about 7 years ago and a lot of things changed while I was gone. So even though I was technically a revert, I felt like a new convert in some ways. I remember seeing people holding hands during the Our Father prayer and wondering what that was all about. I was taught to pray with my hands clasped in front of me. I actually went to the Ask A Franciscan website and submitted a question about it and they said basically that if people wanted to do that it was fine. I have, on a few occasions, been at mass with friends or family and they did that during the prayer and reached over and took my hand. I couldn’t see a way to remove my hand without being rude so I went along with it. But I have to say, I don’t like it. It’s nice to know my instincts were right on this. But why don’t the priests say something about it to the parishioners? They are there to lead us, correct?

I think most priests like it. Try a weekday mass in another parish. The one I go to, no one holds hands during the Our Father. We still do the Sign of Peace but if you sit in a part of the church that’s sparsely populated you wouldn’t even have to do that. It’s just like I remember Mass from my childhood except the priest is facing us and it’s not got any Latin in it. And 40 min. long with 20 min. for the rosary afterward makes 1 hour.

 

[inmaddfox]

I think most priests like it. Try a weekday mass in another parish. The one I go to, no one holds hands during the Our Father. We still do the Sign of Peace but if you sit in a part of the church that’s sparsely populated you wouldn’t even have to do that. It’s just like I remember Mass from my childhood except the priest is facing us and it’s not got any Latin in it. And 40 min. long with 20 min. for the rosary afterward makes 1 hour.

The problem I have with the holding hands is that in some parishes, The Our Father, the holding hands and the sign of peace seems to have become more important than the Consacration. In my parish the priest even comes out of the santuary to shake hands with people.Another thing is if I indicate that I would rather not, I smile and shake my head no, I sometimes get an angry look.