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

[romano]

How long do you have to be present at Mass to have attended Mass? I see many people arriving late. I also see people leaving after Communion. Have such persons actually fulfilled the obligation to attend Mass?

 

[buffalo]

from beginning to end.

 

[gelsbern]

Some say from the beginning to the end, others say before offerory until the end. The code of canon law simply says

“On Sundays and other holy days of obligation the faithful are bound to participate in the Mass.”

To me that says the whole thing, from the beginning to the end.

There is a good article about it here.

ewtn.com/library/Liturgy/zliturg9.htm

 

[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.

 

[fix]

I think I heard Colin Donovan from EWTN answer this on the radio not too long ago. He said the traditional view is that to fulfill one’s Sunday obligation one should be present from the start of the Gospel, until the priest consumes the host.

I would be ineterested if anyone has more info.

 

[buffalo]

fix:

I think I heard Colin Donovan from EWTN answer this on the radio not too long ago. He said the traditional view is that to fulfill one’s Sunday obligation one should be present from the start of the Gospel, until the priest consumes the host.

I would be ineterested if anyone has more info.

Yes, I remember being taught that. It is a sort of legalism in extraordinary cases.

Full Mass participation is from when the Mass starts to when the Priest says “The Mass is** ENDED**, go in peace…”

 

[Shinobu]

What I have read is that if you leave after communion (as many do) you have not participated in a full Mass.

 

[PaxVobis1331]

PAX VOBIS(peace be with you)

fix, what you got from Colin Donovan on EWTN is the traditional view. However, in light of Vatican II’s Liturgy Document, Sacrosanctum Concilium :

CHAPTER II

THE MOST SACRED MYSTERY OF THE EUCHARIST

56. The two parts which, in a certain sense, go to make up the Mass, namely, the liturgy of the word and the eucharistic liturgy, are so closely connected with each other that they form but one single act of worship. Accordingly this sacred Synod strongly urges pastors of souls that, when instructing the faithful, they insistently teach them to take their part in the entire Mass, especially on Sundays and feasts of obligation.

in other words, if you miss the readings, you miss the Mass.
However, it should be noted, that the reason for this is preperation for receiving the Body of Christ.

A good way to avoid such a dilemma is to always get there early! (And, of course, stay till the very end)

God bless,

:angel1: :bowdown2: Deus Solus! (God Alone!) :bowdown2: :angel1:

Mater Dolorosa, ora pro nobis

 

[fix]

PaxVobis1331:

PAX VOBIS(peace be with you)

fix, what you got from Colin Donovan on EWTN is the traditional view. However, in light of Vatican II’s Liturgy Document, Sacrosanctum Concilium :

CHAPTER II

THE MOST SACRED MYSTERY OF THE EUCHARIST

56. The two parts which, in a certain sense, go to make up the Mass, namely, the liturgy of the word and the eucharistic liturgy, are so closely connected with each other that they form but one single act of worship. Accordingly this sacred Synod strongly urges pastors of souls that, when instructing the faithful, they insistently teach them to take their part in the entire Mass, especially on Sundays and feasts of obligation.

in other words, if you miss the readings, you miss the Mass.
However, it should be noted, that the reason for this is preperation for receiving the Body of Christ.

A good way to avoid such a dilemma is to always get there early! (And, of course, stay till the very end)

God bless,

:angel1: :bowdown2: Deus Solus! (God Alone!) :bowdown2: :angel1:

Mater Dolorosa, ora pro nobis

Sorry, but I can’t see how that quote settles what fulfills the obligation. It is not specfic enough. In addition, I can’t see that the mass was changed in intention or meaning to such a degree that the post VII Church changed what fulfills the obligation.

 

[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.

 

[Podo2005]

romano:

How long do you have to be present at Mass to have attended Mass? I see many people arriving late. I also see people leaving after Communion. Have such persons actually fulfilled the obligation to attend Mass?

The whole mass, kind of rude to say “Sorry Lord but I have some place more important to be at the moment” and disrespectful. Unless of course you are forced to go out with a vaild reason
podo2005

 

[Chris_Jacobsen]

If you were there for the Offertory, Consecration, and (priest’s)Communion you have heard Mass.

 

[XAnglican]

On this I must comment! If there is any one negative thing that I have found in the Catholic church is the stampede that takes place the instant the Cross passes the pew DURING the final, dare I say, processing out (as one never REcesses), hymn. It is simply the most rude behavior I have ever seen in ANY religious setting. An even more odd is the very simple fix: delay the departure until the hymn reaches its final note. If I were being sarcastic I would say maybe the quality of music has much to do with it. Going from high church Anglican music to really, really, really bad campfire music takes a lot of adjusting . . . .

Peace!

XAnglican

 

[Michael_Welter]

Chris Jacobsen:

If you were there for the Offertory, Consecration, and (priest’s)Communion you have heard Mass.

I don’t go to Mass to “hear” Mass. I go to participate.

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.

 

[rlg94086]

Okay, but if it’s a “processing out” hymn, what’s wrong with processing out? Isn’t that what the hymn’s for?

After the Priest and procession have passed, I genuflect and leave my pew, singing the hymn as I go…

God bless,

Robert.

XAnglican:

On this I must comment! If there is any one negative thing that I have found in the Catholic church is the stampede that takes place the instant the Cross passes the pew DURING the final, dare I say, processing out (as one never REcesses), hymn. It is simply the most rude behavior I have ever seen in ANY religious setting. An even more odd is the very simple fix: delay the departure until the hymn reaches its final note. If I were being sarcastic I would say maybe the quality of music has much to do with it. Going from high church Anglican music to really, really, really bad campfire music takes a lot of adjusting . . . .

Peace!

XAnglican

 

[rlg94086]

Personally, I stay for the whole Mass, beginning to the “processing out” hymn ;-).

However, urging pastors to incessently teach that everyone take part in the entire Mass, is not the same as requiring it.

God bless,

Robert.

PaxVobis1331:

PAX VOBIS(peace be with you)

fix, what you got from Colin Donovan on EWTN is the traditional view. However, in light of Vatican II’s Liturgy Document, Sacrosanctum Concilium :

CHAPTER II

THE MOST SACRED MYSTERY OF THE EUCHARIST

56. The two parts which, in a certain sense, go to make up the Mass, namely, the liturgy of the word and the eucharistic liturgy, are so closely connected with each other that they form but one single act of worship. Accordingly this sacred Synod strongly urges pastors of souls that, when instructing the faithful, they insistently teach them to take their part in the entire Mass, especially on Sundays and feasts of obligation.

in other words, if you miss the readings, you miss the Mass.
However, it should be noted, that the reason for this is preperation for receiving the Body of Christ.

A good way to avoid such a dilemma is to always get there early! (And, of course, stay till the very end)

God bless,

:angel1: :bowdown2: Deus Solus! (God Alone!) :bowdown2: :angel1:

Mater Dolorosa, ora pro nobis

 

[Michael_Welter]

rlg94086:

Okay, but if it’s a “processing out” hymn, what’s wrong with processing out? Isn’t that what the hymn’s for?

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?

 

[MarilynIN]

I agree, we should be respectful to the end. What is it going to cost? A few more minutes waiting for the parking lot to empty?

A side note to those who design and develop the liturgical music: Just wish some of the old songs would be played for us old fogies who are tired of folk songs and the like. Not trying to change the topic here, 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!

 

[romano]

MarilynIN:

A side note to those who design and develop the liturgical music: Just wish some of the old songs would be played for us old fogies who are tired of folk songs and the like. Not trying to change the topic here, 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!

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.

 

[buffalo]

Chris Jacobsen:

If you were there for the Offertory, Consecration, and (priest’s)Communion you have heard Mass.

So the Liturgy of the Word is optional?