How long do you have to stay at Mass for it to technically 'count'?

[rwillenborg]

For the record, I’m not trying to bolt out early.
My husband and I TRY to get to Church early. I SWEAR there is a time vaccuum between the second and third block that we walk to get to Church, because somehow, regardless of what time we leave, we always get there RIGHT on time.
I was always taught that the Mass is TECHNICALLY over once the priest and the altar servers have left the church, but that you still aren’t supposed to leave until after the final hymn has ended (you can’t very well get up in the middle of a verse, can you?)
But yesterday, when I had the two girls by myself I was worried I would have to make a hasty exit if they both decided to throw a fit.
They didn’t, fortunately, I was able to stay for the whole Mass, but if they had thrown a fit and I left, would that still have fullfilled by obligation?

 

[maurin]

to play it safe, if the girls throw a fit, take them to the cry room or out into the vestibule. you are still participating in the Mass from either location.

I don’t have children, so I can’t say I know what you parents of young children go through. But if it means anything to you, I’m not the one giving you a dirty look when your child behaves as a child!!!

 

[Karmastrike]

I would say after communion, but you should stay the whole time still.

 

[Dwyer]

My understanding (this is something a friend of mine who went to Catholic school said) is that the Mass officially is over when the priest states at the very end “the Mass has ended, etc.”

That makes sense based on those words.

Unless there is some real emergency, no one should leave before the priest utters those words.

That said, you should stay a little while even after the last hymn is sung, and pray a prayer of Thankgiving for having received the Body and Blood of Christ and for the Mass.

At that time, I also say the St. Michael prayer.

And I always enjoy singing the hymns. St. Augustine of Hippo wrote that “when we sing, we pray twice.”

Some churches also have the Host on display for Eucharistic Adoration. After Mass would be a good time to do that.

 

[Karl_M]

You need to stay until “The Mass is ended, go in peace” for it to “count.”

You didn’t say why the two girls would throw a fit. But you probably don’t want that happening in the church. If the kids are being unruly, I don’t think there would be a problem with leaving, or at least going to the cry room.

In that instance, you were tending to an immediate need with your children and the obligation wouldn’t be affected.

Now for the tirade:

Unless some emergency (the Olympics are on TV doesn’t count, neither does having to run to the post office or hurry up and start dinner, or my favorite movie is about to start, we have restaurant reservations-not good enough) occurs in the eight minutes between the time someone finishes communion and the Mass ends, there is no reason to leave early except for contempt for God.

People say, “God will understand,” or “what’s the signifigance of the last couple of minutes,” or something like that.

Quite simply, it is incredibly rude and selfish. When there’s no health issues, they’re young and feeling fine, there’s simply no reason whatsoever. If someone is so completely self-absorbed that they can’t give God a full Mass once a week, then stay home and become an atheist. I know that isn’t exactly a chartible attitude, but these people aren’t even trying. They’re just rude and selfish. They wan’t God on their terms and it just doesn’t work that way.

If someone says “you should be happy that I came for at least this part,” the answer is “No.” That’s like giving someone a gift you know they’ll hate for spite, then getting mad when they call you on it.

This isn’t like listening to your aunt describe your uncle’s health problems. This isn’t your neighbor talking about her cat. This is God we’re talking about.

OK, I know you probably weren’t expecting all that, but I had to say it.

 

[rwillenborg]

You need to stay until “The Mass is ended, go in peace” for it to “count.”

You didn’t say why the two girls would throw a fit. But you probably don’t want that happening in the church. If the kids are being unruly, I don’t think there would be a problem with leaving, or at least going to the cry room.

In that instance, you were tending to an immediate need with your children and the obligation wouldn’t be affected.

Now for the tirade:

Unless some emergency (the Olympics are on TV doesn’t count, neither does having to run to the post office or hurry up and start dinner, or my favorite movie is about to start, we have restaurant reservations-not good enough) occurs in the eight minutes between the time someone finishes communion and the Mass ends, there is no reason to leave early except for contempt for God.

People say, “God will understand,” or “what’s the signifigance of the last couple of minutes,” or something like that.

Quite simply, it is incredibly rude and selfish. When there’s no health issues, they’re young and feeling fine, there’s simply no reason whatsoever. If someone is so completely self-absorbed that they can’t give God a full Mass once a week, then stay home and become an atheist. I know that isn’t exactly a chartible attitude, but these people aren’t even trying. They’re just rude and selfish. They wan’t God on their terms and it just doesn’t work that way.

If someone says “you should be happy that I came for at least this part,” the answer is “No.” That’s like giving someone a gift you know they’ll hate for spite, then getting mad when they call you on it.

This isn’t like listening to your aunt describe your uncle’s health problems. This isn’t your neighbor talking about her cat. This is God we’re talking about.

OK, I know you probably weren’t expecting all that, but I had to say it.

At my parish, they serve donuts after mass.
I can assure you, I have never ever in my life left anyplace that was about to give me donuts.
As far as the girls go, they’re actually always really good in church, always have been. But they are nine months old and ALL they want to do is get into EVERYTHING, and I can’t hold both of them - well, I can but not for very long. (When I pray for strength, I mean it in the very literal sense! ) So, if it’s just me with hubby, that’s fine, we can each hold one, but I was worried if I had to hold both that they would both squirm out, and I would have to chase them all around the place.
We stayed in the cry room, and I did have to put them down and let them crawl, but no one in there seemed to mind.
Like I said in another thread, if they started acting badly, I was just going to throw one on some sweet old lady and make her hold one.
As far as God should be happy we’re there goes…

We show up and stay for the whole time. We walk to church and I like to pray the rosary on the walk there.
I participate and pay attention (as well as I can with the kids).
I really and truly wholeheartedly love the Mass.
I’M happy God is there for ME.

However…
I know people say ‘You’re going to see the Lord, so you should look presentable’.
Sometimes, I have baby vomit on my shirt. Sometimes, I forget to brush my teeth. Sometimes, I completely flake and I am the jerk writing out her check when the basket comes around and everyone else is waiting.
I figure if God wanted me to look more together, he wouldn’t have given me twins

 

[drforjc]

It was a common opinion among moral theologians that in order to fulfill your obligation you had to arrive by the Gospel and stay until the priest’s communion.

 

[rwillenborg]

And I always enjoy singing the hymns. St. Augustine of Hippo wrote that “when we sing, we pray twice.”

This worries me, because I sing very, very badly.

 

[jmcrae]

I figure if God wanted me to look more together, he wouldn’t have given me twins

Do your very best, and God will do the rest.

 

[Dwyer]

It was a common opinion among moral theologians that in order to fulfill your obligation you had to arrive by the Gospel and stay until the priest’s communion.

It is one Mass but can be roughly divided into two parts:

1. The Liturgy of the Word: with usually an Old Testament Reading; a Letter of St. Paul; then the Gospel and the Homily.
2. The Liturgy of the Eucharist

When was this the common interpretation? do you have any written references??

I always rely on EWTN and Catholic Answers for most of my information about the faith.

I remember on Fathers Leavis and Trigilio’s “Web of Faith” EWTN program c. 2004, which was a Catholic Internet Q & A show, they said you should stay until the end and you don’t want to take the Eucharist, gulp it down, and then leave to start your car engine.

They said the first person to leave the Lord’s Mass early was Judas.

 

[Kielbasi]

Previous to the 1983 Code of Canon Law, the minimum was that the faithful were required to be at mass from the offertory through the priest’s communion.

Now, it isn’t specified, the obligation is presumed to be for the entire mass.

However, in your case, if you’re having an emergency- such as care for your children as you mentioned in the OP, you certainly have good cause to leave early or not show at all if you’re assistance is needed at home.

 

[Aramis]

For the record, I’m not trying to bolt out early.
My husband and I TRY to get to Church early. I SWEAR there is a time vaccuum between the second and third block that we walk to get to Church, because somehow, regardless of what time we leave, we always get there RIGHT on time.
I was always taught that the Mass is TECHNICALLY over once the priest and the altar servers have left the church, but that you still aren’t supposed to leave until after the final hymn has ended (you can’t very well get up in the middle of a verse, can you?)
But yesterday, when I had the two girls by myself I was worried I would have to make a hasty exit if they both decided to throw a fit.
They didn’t, fortunately, I was able to stay for the whole Mass, but if they had thrown a fit and I left, would that still have fullfilled by obligation?

Keep in mind the traditional break-points:

If one is a catechumen, one is dismissed at the end of the Liturgy of the Word.

Otherwise, the next breakpoint is the deacon’s call “The Mass has Ended!”

Common courtesy and respect says that one waits for the presiding cleric (for mass, that’s priest or bishop) to vacate prior to leaving one’s self.

Prudence dictates that, if your child is a danger to self or others, or a significant disruption to prayer, that you remove them until they are able to be safe and appropriate. In that case, it is the intent that is vital: if you came, you participated as fully as your circumstances allowed, and you made the sacrifice of praise as best your were able to, then I believe you have fulfilled your obligation.

On the other hand, the guy who shows up for the Gospel and leaves after communion, in my opinion, most likely has not… But circumstances may mean he has.

As example, I have been late for church on several occasions due to late buses. On holy days of obligation, arriving due to a late bus after communion, one time, I was told by the pastor I’d met my obligation; another, the assistant pastor took myself and another late arrival (same bus) to the side chapel for a missa privata.

 

[drforjc]

It is one Mass but can be roughly divided into two parts:

1. The Liturgy of the Word: with usually an Old Testament Reading; a Letter of St. Paul; then the Gospel and the Homily.
2. The Liturgy of the Eucharist

When was this the common interpretation? do you have any written references??

I have read it in multiple places, mostly from books predating VII(not that that in any way renders this opinion “outdated”.).

I can try looking for references; it may take awhile.

I always rely on EWTN and Catholic Answers for most of my information about the faith.

I remember on Fathers Leavis and Trigilio’s “Web of Faith” EWTN program c. 2004, which was a Catholic Internet Q & A show, they said you should stay until the end and you don’t want to take the Eucharist, gulp it down, and then leave to start your car engine.

They said the first person to leave the Lord’s Mass early was Judas.

 

[LilyM]

This worries me, because I sing very, very badly.

The Bible says to ‘make a joyful noise unto the Lord’, doesn’t say we have to sing like Pavarotti or anything

Even my dear old completely tone-deaf father will contribute his mite if he knows the song.

 

[drforjc]

It is one Mass but can be roughly divided into two parts:

1. The Liturgy of the Word: with usually an Old Testament Reading; a Letter of St. Paul; then the Gospel and the Homily.
2. The Liturgy of the Eucharist

When was this the common interpretation? do you have any written references??

Since you asked for written references, I went and did some checking in my library.
I was able to find several references, and there is some ambiguity/uncertainty among the authors I located.
All of them indicated that while the obligation extends to the entire mass, venial sin only is committed if one misses less than a “notable” part of the mass.
Francis Cunningham “The Christian Life” seems to be the most stringent:
“1) To omit a principal part of the sacrifice, i.e. the Consecration or Communion, is mortally sinful.
2) To omit a relatively great portion of the whole Mass is mortally sinful, e.g. to arrive after the Offertory; to arrive at the Gospel and leave after the Communion; to leave at the Communion; to be absent from the Preface until the Consecration, or from the Consecration until the Pater Noster.
3) Omissions less than thos given above are venially sinful.
When such lesser omissions occur, it is well to make them up at another Mass.”

Charles E. Sheedy, “The Christian Virtues,” states “If a person comes late for Mass, knowingly and deliberately, he commits a mortal sin if he arrives after the Offertory.”

Bernard Haring, “The Law of Christ (vol 2)” admits “there is dispute over the gravity of the sin of absenting oneself culpably from the first part of the Mass, the so-called Mass of the Catechumens, which extends from the very beginning to the Gospel and Credo inclusive.”

So, the idea is, again, that while the obligation extends to the entire Mass, one does not sin mortally if less than a “notable” part is missed. The disagreement seems to center around just how much constitutes a “notable” amount.
My earlier comment was from memory, so perhaps this post will clarify my original one.

I

 

[Pani_Rose]

It is not a technical thing. We are there because Christ first loved us, it is because of love, not the law. Our partaking in his Divine Mysteries is a gift of love - not just from him to us - but from us to God.

So until the final blessing is given. Otherwise the Mass is incomplete.