How long do you have to be present at Mass to have attended Mass?

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Moral theologians have usually taught that if one missed the entire Liturgy of the Word (including the Gospel), or left before Communion (which completes the Sacrifice), one had NOT fulfilled the Sunday obligation. This is still a valid standard. A person who knowingly does not fulfil the Sunday obligation has committed a mortal sin. Of course, if there is still time to get to Mass that day, they intend to go and do, they have not sinned until Sunday passes without going to Mass. On the other hand, a person with responsibilites (e.g. with children, sick parents, a job etc.), who makes a great effort to get to Mass but comes in late for such legitimate reason would NOT have to repeat the Mass. Such reasons could have excused them entirely, but they made an effort to get there nonetheless. When I see families come in 5 or even 10 minutes late with several squirming kids in tow they have only my admiration that they got there at all. So, in judging this one has to take into account the reasons for lateness, the extent of Mass missed and the motives of the person.

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A rule of thumb for whether you have fulfilled your duty to participate in the Mass on Sunday is did you miss all of the first major part, the Liturgy of the Word. If you did then you have not attended Mass. Naturally, serious reasons would excuse your lateness, carelessness would not. A careless person who comes after the readings needs to go to Mass again.

For communion, since the state of grace and a pious disposition is what is required even outside of Mass, you cannot arbitrarily say that someone who comes late cannot receive, if at the time they go up they are disposed. Again, if they have been careless in coming late on Sunday, as opposed to a weekday which is not obligatory, then they may have to examine their conscience more carefully to ensure they are not guilty of grave fault. If they must go again then they should go to Communion at that Mass.

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but…Holy God We Praise Thy Name would be rather refreshing in this sea of modern and insipid music. I guarantee it would turn a few heads (at least in my Church) and I am willing to bet more than a few earlier departees would be belting it out and sticking around until the last note!

Count me in!
 
Louis Mazar:
If there something that someone does not agree with that the Priest is doing concerning the way the Mass is being conducted then they should just let it slide by instead of getting bent out of shape. Life is too short to be getting bent out shape over the way the Mass is being conducted. At the local Catholic Church where I am a member of there was a Priest two Priests prior to the present Priest who made statements and done things that I disagreed with but I just let it slide by and did not get bent out shape over it.
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i must protest here… If you disagree with the priest, talk to him in private after Mass or during the week. Ask him why he is doing it this way. If you feel what he is doing is against the GIRM (or other writings), try to have some passages handy to support your/the Church’s view. He may be well within his right to do it his way or he could be wrong - priests are not infallable. Even if it is not against Church teachings, it is better to know why this practice occurs; otherwise, you may be irriated at that time during every Mass (putting yourself in the wrong state to recieve God in Word and Body).

As for the discussion at hand, I always learned that you must be present fom the Alleluia (prior to the Gospel) through the beginning of the parish recieving Communion. However, this is only for rare and extreme circumstances.

It should not be looked upon as I HAVE to go to Mass, rather it is I GET to go to Mass - big difference.
 
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romano:
As for “those who design and develop the liturgical music,” my own feeling is that most of them have stumbled into the wrong line of work. The old hymns were beautiful. Period. The newer stuff is mostly uninspired trash, and is enough to drive anyone with a feeling for real music out of the Church.
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Ouch! Be careful. What is trash to you, could truly inspire another to worship. I attend a Life Teen Mass with a band that plays modern music, and it IS very reverent and worshipful.
 
Glad to hear about that experience with the Teens, Michael. But, why is everyone so dead set against some of the very beautiful and reverent OLD music??? I would stay for an extra rosary after Mass if I could recover that emotional wonderment once again instead of having to listen to Protestant or Protestant-Like songs Sunday after Sunday, no organ, etc. No wonder so many people hoof it out of Church double-time!
 
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MarilynIN:
Glad to hear about that experience with the Teens, Michael. But, why is everyone so dead set against some of the very beautiful and reverent OLD music???
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I’m not sure everyone is against the old hymns. In fact, we do some of them at our Life Teen Mass. They are lead by the band. In my parish, we have a Life Teen Mass for those who prefer that. We also have a folk Mass, a traditional choir Mass, a Latin Mass, and two spanish Masses. So, no matter what style you prefer, we have it.

I try to stay away from saying that music isn’t valid unless it’s a certain style. We are all different, and worship that comes from heart is what God wants.
 
Michael Welter:
I would never consider coming in late, and I would never leave before saying “Thank You” for feeding me. Leaving right after communion is like going to someone’s house for dinner, and leaving as you swallow the last bit, without even saying “Thank you” or “Goodbye”. He died on the cross so we could share in His meal forever. Leaving before it is over is disrespectful and rude.
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Oooh better be careful - some might accuse you of being rigid and judgemental! 😉 :bigyikes: 😃

Regardless of my fear of those labels 😉 , I agree completely with you! :tiphat:
 
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Didi:
I’ve heard of ushers stopping people from leaving, at the priest’s prompting, by saying “You know, Judas was the first to leave early from the institution of the Last Supper…”

Our priest has actually talked about this in sermons, that we are to stay until the priest recesses down the aisle. Jesus invites us to His feast, it would be rude to leave early.
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Folks leaving early is nothing new, you know. Several easy solutions are possible, when I was a kid the priest ordered the ushers to lock the doors until the end of mass to prevent an early break for the exits
 
I’m sure THAT practice would get a big thumbs up from the local fire inspector.:rolleyes::yup:
 
choirgirl,

I have never communicated with the Priest about anything and I do not plan to communicate with the Priest about anything because I am not that comfortable engaging in interpersonal communication face to face with individuals. I also do not communicate with anybody else in church when I attend Mass. I just sit in the back pew and when I have to use to restroom I wait until everybody is standing then I sneak out the back of the church into the commons area where the restroom is located and then I sneak back in the church when everybody is standing because I wish to remain inconspicuous and incognito.
 
Louis Mazar,

I hope i did not offend you with what I said or am about to say… First, there are a LOT of priests out there who are doing things they shouldn’t be - ranging from negligence to liturgical abuse. If no one speaks up they may continue in ignorance. If you were doing something wrong at work, wouldn’t you want someone to point out the correct way (rather than have them mumble about it behind your back). I’m not saying jump up and scream “heretic”, but even a an unsigned note may have a drastic effect.

Secondly, Mass is first and foremost for God - absolutely no arguement there. However, it is also for community. We need each other - even if you feel that you don’t need anyone, they may need you. I would urge you to get to know a few people at church, maybe stay for a hospitality time. If nothing else (I can be quite shy myself, so I understand that this can be difficult), find a person at church and try to talk to that person every week or ask the church for a widow’s adress and write them cards (signed or not) of encouragement… I was the shy one in church for many years andI thought I was getting everything I could out of Mass; I was wrong, I was missing the community which made Mass and Church even better.

Please bear in mind, this is written out of love, not contempt.
 
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romano:
Your “liturgical music” seems to me to be a mite too polite. I see nothing “liturgical” about the mediocre stuff that is being dished out today. As for “those who design and develop the liturgical music,” my own feeling is that most of them have stumbled into the wrong line of work. The old hymns were beautiful. Period. The newer stuff is mostly uninspired trash, and is enough to drive anyone with a feeling for real music out of the Church.
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Also, your “liturgical music” is often played at extremely high volume, which is insulting and rude.
 
Michael Welter:
This is just my opinion, and as a musician, I am sensitive about this, but the musicians work very hard preparing every note of every song. If the church is empty before they finish, did they waste their time? I prefer to join them in worshipping God right up to the last note. Why short change God?
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I am a musician as well but not so sensitive. Yes, we work hard preparing. No, we don’t waste our time. God is not short changed by my processing behind the priest singing the hymn.

One influencer on this process is the timing of the priest. If he leaves too early, you may end up with empty pews. Another influencer is the quality or choice of your music. Are you playing music which your assembly will participate in? Do they sing at all? I’ve noticed that certain choices are either offensive or too difficult for people, so they are less apt to sing and more apt to leave asap.

God Bless,

Robert.
 
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FrmrTrad:
Also, your “liturgical music” is often played at extremely high volume, which is insulting and rude.
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If you don’t like it, don’t go to that Mass. What is “insulting and rude” to you, is worshipful to someone else. Everyone has a style that the prefer, and our catholic church is universal enough to allow for all styles.
 
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buffalo:
from beginning to end.
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I agree. What is so important that you can’t devote 45 - 60 minutes to the Lord who suffered a whole lot longer than that for us?
~ Kathy ~
 
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Katie1723:
What is so important that you can’t devote 45 - 60 minutes to the Lord who suffered a whole lot longer than that for us?
~ Kathy ~
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Do you have young children?
 
Sir Knight:
Do you have young children?
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When I had young children, it was beginning to end. Now I take my 5 y/o grand daughter and it is beginning to end for her too.
~ Kathy ~
 
When ours were small, either I or my wife spent a majority of the mass outside the church anyway (the church didn’t have a cry-room). Really didn’t see the difference of standing outside of the church and waiting for the mass to end or leaving during the middle of communion.
 
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