Z
zab
Guest
Beautiful!
- Status
P
Pax2u
Guest
Tee hee! I’m sure it was wonderful, for those who had ears to hear.I thought my homily was fantastic!
Ours was most wonderful…our bishop offered the vigil Mass and gave a great homily. I really like the changes in the liturgy…it just seems a bit more reverent. I was afraid those who aren’t regulars would be totally confused by the changes, but it really was quite seamless. A beautiful experience, overall!
Christmas blessings to all.
Y
YoungTradCath
Guest
I just realized one more thing. There was no kneeling at the et incarnatus est! Not even the clergy knelt!
Also, is the Christmas Proclamation required? Because that wasn’t done either.
Also, is the Christmas Proclamation required? Because that wasn’t done either.
Why is your son wearing a dalmatic?
J
JGMendes4049
Guest
Here, they just genuflected.
The Christmas Proclamation is paraliturgical. It’s part of the Roman Martyrology, and it shouldn’t be done during Mass, but perhaps before.
T
TheRealJuliane
Guest
Here is how our 4:30 Mass was.
Mass on Christmas Eve
The altar looked beautiful though. No incense, no bells, the priest/pastor is alone and he is thoroughly modern - no sign of traditional Catholicism anywhere.
The 11 p.m. Mass we attended was much more reverent and didn’t seem to have as many “looky-loos” as the parish Mass did. But that parish has been sliding downhill for years now. I feel somewhat guilty about leaving but I can’t take it any more.
Mass on Christmas Eve
The altar looked beautiful though. No incense, no bells, the priest/pastor is alone and he is thoroughly modern - no sign of traditional Catholicism anywhere.
The 11 p.m. Mass we attended was much more reverent and didn’t seem to have as many “looky-loos” as the parish Mass did. But that parish has been sliding downhill for years now. I feel somewhat guilty about leaving but I can’t take it any more.
C
corsair
Guest
Our OF Mass was very nice. Quite reverent and the choir was superb. 
O
OraLabora
Guest
Correct, which in the “old days” was read after Prime; now it is done after Lauds at our local abbey, since Prime is no longer said. Like all proclamations from the Martyrology, it is proclaimed on the eve of the solemnity.
P
Pug
Guest
I was grateful that it was there for me to go to. It was the most comfortable pew I’ve sat in for quite awhile, too. I was also glad we weren’t packed in like sardines, with no place to sit. Quite nice. Plus there was a priest and a deacon and a crucifix. I got to praise God with my favorite Christmas hymns. Christmas finally got here. 
G
GwenL
Guest
Our Christmas Midnight Mass was awesome. We had carols and lessons first, and the martyrology. Our bishop was celebrant at the Mass; he had two deacons and a concelebrating priest, while our rector was cantor. We had copious incense, introit and gradual, beautiful singing by the choir and congregation, a solid homily, and a beautifully said and sung EP I. The bishop said the confeitor for the penitential rite and led all in kneeling during the Creed. Our small cathedral was jam-packed; we had people lining the back wall six deep. Our governor and his family were in the pews also.
I was also sacristan and thurifer this morning at our 9:30 Mass. Again, it was beautiful. The priest (our PV) reminded everybody to kneel during the Creed, and even asked us to stay kneeling for a moment of contemplation on the Incarnation. We had a cantor and organ and enthusiastic singing by the congregation. This Mass was well-attended; more than the usual 9:30 crowd but not like the midnight Mass.
I was also sacristan and thurifer this morning at our 9:30 Mass. Again, it was beautiful. The priest (our PV) reminded everybody to kneel during the Creed, and even asked us to stay kneeling for a moment of contemplation on the Incarnation. We had a cantor and organ and enthusiastic singing by the congregation. This Mass was well-attended; more than the usual 9:30 crowd but not like the midnight Mass.
Y
YoungTradCath
Guest
I want.
C
chrisb
Guest
The Midnight Mass at my Parish was good.
M
Mrs_V
Guest
Lovely! I love watching my kids react to the special smells and sights of this holy season. It really drives home what we talk about all advent together.
Y
Young_Thinker
Guest
Not bad, except that I wish that I had known that there would no confession before the Vigil Mass (in the afternoon). Otherwise, I would have instead went to the one at midnight (I love the incense, and as I remember, the Sanctus and Agnus Dei are sung in Latin at my parish!). Also, I felt a little sad, since I was all by myself this year and saw everyone else with their families (I am the only Catholic in my family, and a lot of my relatives went to my aunt’s megachurch instead!), even though a lot of them seemed to be “Christmas/Easter Catholics” (which is troubling in itself). In addition, since the Christmas Vigil is a children’s Mass, you could barely the little kids were lectoring (I wish that they had had a young man who has the voice of an anchorman serve as a lector, but he was an altar boy instead!).
R
RosalieM
Guest
It was my first Christmas mass away from choir and my old parish in years. I usually attend my new parish gregorian chant mass. For the Christmas mass I went to the vigil that had the children’s choir. The place was so packed, I thought “Christmas Catholics, come back, I need you!” There were no spaces in the pews like there usually are. The children sang beautifully but I also noticed there were some ex-choir people in the pews who were singing parts and it was like the whole congregation was the choir. An old grandmother was in a wheelchair in front of me and during the sign of peace, so many people came up to her from her large family, I felt like she was my grandmother too! The deacon read the gospel and did the homily. It was okay, but I kind of wished the monsignor had done it. He’s my favorite priest and our pastor. He was so personable and loving when he spoke to us.
The deacon read the gospel and did the homily. It was okay, but I kind of wished the monsignor had done it. He’s my favorite priest and our pastor. He was so personable and loving when he spoke to us.
K
Kerry77
Guest
Well since you asked…
Never again. Never again will I be going to my parish for Christmas Mass. The regular Sunday Mass is hard enough, but bearable. This…was not bearable.
The church was twice as full as usual. Packed. They had police outside to stop people from going in a certain point for the fire codes. Inside, people were taking pictures of each other before the Mass started. I guess when you’re a tourist it’s nice to take a picture of yourself there. The talking before the Mass was through the roof, I had never heard it at this level before. It was like a booming cocktail party. Only to be surpassed by the talking after Mass. This is all IN the sanctuary.
Let me say here that our priest is wonderful and the Mass itself was beautiful. The priest prayed the EP1, a little bit of chant throughout. The music was beautiful. The church was decorated just lovely. And the homily was great. Among other points, the priest acknowledged all of the Christmas tourists, but being a holy and kind priest, in a most charitable way, gently trying to lead them back to God and the Church. God bless him.
But the people. Oh the people.
First of all, no one knew the new responses, despite being directed to the pew cards before Mass. Then the priest clearly stated before the creed that we would be genuflecting as it is a feast day, and the part is even marked in the pew cards. We get to that part, no one genuflects. God Bless him, he then stops mid-creed and says, Please Genuflect Now.
But my personal favorite were the people sitting in front of us. A guy and two girls who I think were friends or sisters. The girls were not Catholic for sure, the guy seemed to be, probably in his late 20s or so. Not married. She was leaning on him, trying to touch him the whole time, talking to him. In his defense, he did try to brush her off, to no avail. I think he must have been home visiting his mother who was somewhere else in the church, because he seemed self-conscious (which is good, because I fear what she would have done had he been open to her advances). When he was trying to ignore her, her and her sister were fawning over her new bag, which looked like some expensive designer bag of some sort. And they were both constantly on their iPhones. And the perfume reeked. And they weren’t the outliers, the church was filled with folks like this.
During Communion, the singer/opera-singer decides to go into one more song even after everyone was seated. Why, I don’t know. So she tears into O Holy Night, full opera voice. Then, at the end, a man stands up out of no where and yells out, “BRAVO! BRAVO!” And then everyone stands up and starts clapping!
All I know is I thought uncharitable thoughts and I shouldn’t have gone there. And as I left, both my husband and I said to ourselves, never again, never again. I will make a point to pray every day for our parish priests, how they give and what they endure.
Never again. Never again will I be going to my parish for Christmas Mass. The regular Sunday Mass is hard enough, but bearable. This…was not bearable.
The church was twice as full as usual. Packed. They had police outside to stop people from going in a certain point for the fire codes. Inside, people were taking pictures of each other before the Mass started. I guess when you’re a tourist it’s nice to take a picture of yourself there. The talking before the Mass was through the roof, I had never heard it at this level before. It was like a booming cocktail party. Only to be surpassed by the talking after Mass. This is all IN the sanctuary.
Let me say here that our priest is wonderful and the Mass itself was beautiful. The priest prayed the EP1, a little bit of chant throughout. The music was beautiful. The church was decorated just lovely. And the homily was great. Among other points, the priest acknowledged all of the Christmas tourists, but being a holy and kind priest, in a most charitable way, gently trying to lead them back to God and the Church. God bless him.
But the people. Oh the people.
First of all, no one knew the new responses, despite being directed to the pew cards before Mass. Then the priest clearly stated before the creed that we would be genuflecting as it is a feast day, and the part is even marked in the pew cards. We get to that part, no one genuflects. God Bless him, he then stops mid-creed and says, Please Genuflect Now.
But my personal favorite were the people sitting in front of us. A guy and two girls who I think were friends or sisters. The girls were not Catholic for sure, the guy seemed to be, probably in his late 20s or so. Not married. She was leaning on him, trying to touch him the whole time, talking to him. In his defense, he did try to brush her off, to no avail. I think he must have been home visiting his mother who was somewhere else in the church, because he seemed self-conscious (which is good, because I fear what she would have done had he been open to her advances). When he was trying to ignore her, her and her sister were fawning over her new bag, which looked like some expensive designer bag of some sort. And they were both constantly on their iPhones. And the perfume reeked. And they weren’t the outliers, the church was filled with folks like this.
During Communion, the singer/opera-singer decides to go into one more song even after everyone was seated. Why, I don’t know. So she tears into O Holy Night, full opera voice. Then, at the end, a man stands up out of no where and yells out, “BRAVO! BRAVO!” And then everyone stands up and starts clapping!
All I know is I thought uncharitable thoughts and I shouldn’t have gone there. And as I left, both my husband and I said to ourselves, never again, never again. I will make a point to pray every day for our parish priests, how they give and what they endure.
T
TrueLight
Guest
Wow. Just wow!
Kudos to your priest for doing the best that he could.
At my EF mass, I saw a Chreaster walk in with a cup of coffee – a big pet peeve of mine, and I have never seen that before at this parish. I really think there should be a sign saying that no food or drinks are allowed at some parishes, especially on days like Christmas and Easter.
I just decided to say a prayer that God would lead her to come to mass more often, which as a perk, would eliminate that coffee during mass problem.
Y
YoungTradCath
Guest
How did your non-Catholic family do at mass, TrueLight?Wow. Just wow!
Kudos to your priest for doing the best that he could.
At my EF mass, I saw a Chreaster walk in with a cup of coffee – a big pet peeve of mine, and I have never seen that before at this parish. I really think there should be a sign saying that no food or drinks are allowed at some parishes, especially on days like Christmas and Easter.
I just decided to say a prayer that God would lead her to come to mass more often, which as a perk, would eliminate that coffee during mass problem.
T
TrueLight
Guest
Funny you asked. I was telling someone else that my two daughters were stone-faced throughout the whole thing. They kept stressing that they are not Catholic.
There were two services offered at their Protestant church, but they didn’t tell me they wanted to attend those services. So I told them since they had no intention of going to church anyway, I wanted us to go as a family.
They hate the incense, they hate the genuflections, they found the polyphonic music boring and they snoozed during the homily.
My son was much more reasonable. He goes to an Evangelical church. Even though he is over 18, he did not protest, but just seemed confused as to why I would attend this mass “thing”.
I know that I “flipped” on them, by converting, so I am mindful of that.
Out of my two daughters, I think the 14 year old is more open to Catholicism, because she has this fear of death. Sounds strange, but I think I can make more leeway in speaking to her about the state of her soul. She is also the one who says she will continue to attend her liberal church, when she is an adult.
I am concerned the 17 year old will stop attending church when she goes to college.
The 19 year old is pretty serious about God.
Y
YoungTradCath
Guest
Lolol. Pray for their conversion. Perhaps even pray for a vocation for your son!!!
T
TrueLight
Guest
Okay, I’m going to say something that might rub some people wrong.
My son sort of has OCD and scrupolosity, if they can be differentiated.
I have thought about witnessing more to him about Catholicism. But I believe it will encourage his scrupulosity. From what I have seen on here, it is very easy to be scrupulous as a Catholic.
At this stage, I more prefer that he be at peace, trying to serve God the best that he can, than to be worried that everything is a sin.
- Status