I was a little surprised by some actions at Mass this evening

  • Thread starter Thread starter CatholicZ09
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
C

CatholicZ09

Guest
This evening I went to the Saturday anticipated Mass, and a little bit before the Great Amen this lady walked into church with a plastic bag and sat down. She then started to wave to people she knew in the other section across the aisle. So, as the communion line starts to form, the lady starts to get antsy, and the ushers haven’t gotten to her pew; they still have about 7-8 pews to get to before hers. So, instead of waiting, the lady just cuts the 7-8 pews in front of her and walks to the priest for communion. Then she goes the wrong way to get back to her pew, which means she has to cut through the line to get back, and she’s getting a tad frustrated at all the people walking, but eventually she cut through them all. Then she sat down and started waving to people again. I’ve seen her before, but I’ve never seen this type of thing happen. I’m not trying to judge, but it was just distracting. I’m not trying to make a fuss about it, but does this type of thing happen often where people just come into church expecting to get all the attention and cut off everyone in the communion line? It was kind of funny too because Father was talking about patience and cutting people off in the homily. 😃
 
Maybe she has a medical problem, or some other impairment.
 
Aside from the waving and getting antsy, how she came to and from communion is pretty common among Hispanics, at least where I’m from. I’ve seen it done that way in the Philippines too. It makes sense when many people do not receive, as is the case in many Hispanic Churches, but when so many do receive in the US it can seem as a violation of rank-and-file-ness.
 
BertBlyleven said:
Aside from the waving and getting antsy, how she came to and from communion is pretty common among Hispanics, at least where I’m from. I’ve seen it done that way in the Philippines too. It makes sense when many people do not receive, as is the case in many Hispanic Churches, but when so many do receive in the US it can seem as a violation of rank-and-file-ness.
Click to expand...
This is a problem that is only exacerbated by the parishes that feel the need for some unknown reason to have ushers come to each pew when it is time for Holy Communion. Additionally, I feel this gives unnecessary discomfort to people who wish to not receive Holy Communion due to mortal sin or their not being Catholic. An overzealous practice this is, in my opinion.
 
Disinhibited behaviour is often an indication of mild mental health issues… or alcohol consumption!
 
I guess it takes all kinds to make a world. Meaning, since “catholic” means “universal,” it also means “here comes everyone.” You’re bound to see just about anything and anyone at Mass.

She might have been impaired in some way. In the church where I attend Mass on weekdays, it is downtown and near a homeless mission. So we see a lot of homeless people there. Most of them are reverent and respectful, though, but sometimes you see someone acting oddly. The really odd thing, though, is they tend to police themselves. If someone starts acting inappropriately, usually another of their ranks will kindly but firmly get them to quiet down or escort them out. A couple of them have appointed themselves as Eucharistic adorers. And the regular parishioners, and the priests, consider them as much a part of the parish as anyone else, even if they aren’t putting an envelope in the collection each week. If Jesus were to be walking the earth today, these are some of the people He would come to, so it’s only right that they should come and spend time with Him.
 
My first thought was that she has a mental illness.

That said, I long for the days before there was such a thing as “your pew’s turn to go to Communion”, the days when you went to Communion when you were ready, and that could be after your pewmates had been and come back to the pew. I recall that in my birth parish that lasted for a few years after we started to receive standing and in the hand but after the second year of ‘usher directed’ communion procession at Midnight Mass everyone fell into the pattern of going pew by pew.
 
Hmm

So what is your problem here?

The Lady did not conform to your expectations. In some churches people don’t all queue up in nicely ordered lines and go forward just when they seem to ‘want to’. So. That she waves to people in the service. So? Okay so it not exactly normal but nothing wrong in it.

Nice that people are able to behave outside the norm and wake us up to our own actions. To her it may not have been a patience issue. Just simply the way she always done so. she may not have been (name removed by moderator)atient at all just her actions may seemingly make you think so because she different from you guys.

Ah well. Who are we to judge how another is focused or not? That is Gods’ privaledge Amen
 
The harder it is to see CHrist in people, the harder we have to try and trying brings us closer to Him
 
englishredrose said:
Hmm

So what is your problem here?

The Lady did not conform to your expectations. In some churches people don’t all queue up in nicely ordered lines and go forward just when they seem to ‘want to’. So. That she waves to people in the service. So? Okay so it not exactly normal but nothing wrong in it.

Nice that people are able to behave outside the norm and wake us up to our own actions. To her it may not have been a patience issue. Just simply the way she always done so. she may not have been (name removed by moderator)atient at all just her actions may seemingly make you think so because she different from you guys.

Ah well. Who are we to judge how another is focused or not? That is Gods’ privaledge Amen
Click to expand...
👍

One of my Facebook friends just posted a picture of a church sign: “Do not judge others just because they sin differently than (sic) you.”
 
😊 and yes double blush as today feeling a little bit more upbeat than have been in a while, I was serving today and in procession I’d got to one point and looked up to choir members as I do, (where I am alternate sundays) and one choir member gave me a little wave so whilst carrying the acolyte candle, I did a little wave back as well as smile. If anyone wants to get on to me for a little wave in church because I was feeling upbeat enough to do so then they can take it up with the priest who will listen to them but that be all I think. Is it wrong to wave in church, whether a big wave or a little wriggle of the fingers 😊 Whatever, I think the priest at the moment would say very little to me if anyone did complain to him about it 😊 So I am a sinner like the original posters’ Lady, doubly so since I was in procession carrying a candle. But like the Lady in the original post, we can be friendly too
 
odile53 said:
I guess it takes all kinds to make a world. Meaning, since “catholic” means “universal,” it also means “here comes everyone.” You’re bound to see just about anything and anyone at Mass.

She might have been impaired in some way. In the church where I attend Mass on weekdays, it is downtown and near a homeless mission. So we see a lot of homeless people there. Most of them are reverent and respectful, though, but sometimes you see someone acting oddly. The really odd thing, though, is they tend to police themselves. If someone starts acting inappropriately, usually another of their ranks will kindly but firmly get them to quiet down or escort them out. A couple of them have appointed themselves as Eucharistic adorers. And the regular parishioners, and the priests, consider them as much a part of the parish as anyone else, even if they aren’t putting an envelope in the collection each week. If Jesus were to be walking the earth today, these are some of the people He would come to, so it’s only right that they should come and spend time with Him.
Click to expand...
Nicely said 👍::
 
odile53;… And the regular parishioners said:
Excuse me, I’m not looking to start any conflict, but I’ve never considered
the action of “putting an envelope in the collection” to be significant in terms
of any Catholic’s involvement in any parish.

So I’m saying the use of that action as an example startles me - a lot.

😊 :confused:
Click to expand...
 
My mother did things like that about two years before she was diagnosed with dementia - it might have been something similar with this lady.
 
It reminds me of the downtown church where I used to attend daily Mass after work every day thirty years ago. We certainly had our share of “characters.” One day there was almost a physical confrontation between the “holy lady” and the “bag lady” who did not appear to meet the holy lady’s standards for reverence. You never knew what was going to happen, and it was a little difficult to keep one’s eyes to oneself. :rolleyes:
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top