Illicit Mass practices

[Phemie]

At my age, (76), I consider myself to be in the “home-stretch”. Therefore I am concerned about my soul. I have ceased quibbling over things that used to upset me (and there were lots of them). So I spent a few years searching for a church that fed my soul. And I have found it in the FSSP parish in Tacoma, WA.

I no longer attend churches that ad-lib the Mass or choirs that sing the obligatory 4 hymns mixed with some unpleasant guitar solos.

I love the Sung High Mass with its never changing rhythm. I know exactly what to expect and I love it.

God Bless

Be thankful that you have the opportunity to attend such. I am not that lucky.

 

[Graceful_Lamb]

Telling people they must stand after returning to the pew from receiving Communion and to remain standing until the remains are put away is one. We were told the GIRM says so.

Another is Marty Haugen’s Gloria which has a refrain. They do not use such a Gloria in the other dioceses where I’ve attended Mass.

The bells are no longer rung when the host or the chalice is elevated. It is probably to only sacred silence we experience nowadays.

I’ve also been to parishes where the priest tells everyone to “rise and greet one another as family and friends.” It puts one in several awkward positions: Making small talk in a place of worship. Juggling Song and Prayer books so you lose your place: And greeting the same folks 30 minutes later.

In the parish I belong to, the bells are rung when the Body of Christ and the Blood of Christ and elevated. My parish also does the greet each other before Mass, too.

As for what posture to have after Communion, my parish kneels until the Deacon and Priest return to their seats.

 

[otjm]

Standing as the posture from the Mystery of Faith to the dismissal has been the posture in the UNIVERSAL GIRM (before adaptation for the US and other countries) since 1974. Nobody paid much attention to it. That’s why I was so surprised when the 2002 GIRM triggered the dubium from Cardinal George.

I think you hit the point, however; the U.S. had not followed the universal practice; in fact, kneeling for the “Lord I am not worthy” and waiting for your pew to stand to go to Communion was the norm. The change which bishops had the authority to make, of not kneeling for that was a cause of consternation for some. Then the issue of remaining standing after reception, until all others had received, was an even greater source of angst; kneeling after reception goes back to the 50’s (I was young enough that I don’t have memories of the late 40’s).

Having gone to Mass in 6 different western states, I can say that since shortly after the dubium, I have come across it in only one parish, and that one not in a major city. I suspect you would have to look far, wide and handsome to find anyone down here who knows what the universal norm is on that.

 

[Generic_Name]

Father X, our new associate priest, is using the “old” translation of the liturgy. This is the one (Second translation?) used prior to the current translation.

He also changes the words to many of the words in the Eucharistic prayer. I have heard him use the phrase “God’s unconditional love” at every service I have attended with him. He often invents his own prayers said during the consecration and ties them to the theme of his homily. The prayer said immediately before the “Lord I am not worthy that you should come under my roof……” is so altered each Sunday that the people don’t know when to come in.

When he says the words of institution, he always uses the older form and emphasizes “which is poured out for you and for ALL…” He also emphasizes in sermons that nobody should EVER fear to come to the Lord’s Supper. He seems not to know about mortal sin and reconciliation.

When he gives the peace, he always says “the peace of the lord IS with you.” And when he gives the final blessing, he either says “The blessing of God……IS with you” Or “The blessing of God be with us, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.” He also asks the congregation for an “Amen” after every homily.

One day in January, inspired by Fr. X’s style, our youngest Deacon changed the words of the contrition by inserting “You are an awesome God” as the third phrase.

Fr. X’s homily one day recently, he said the wise men had some intuition that they should not go back to Herod. He then focused on intuition and how we should use our intuition to connect with God. To illustrate his point, he quoted from three people. One was Johannes ___________?, another was Bill Gates, and the third was Steven Hawking, an avowed atheist.

One Sunday, when the Gospel reading was on the finding of Jesus in the Temple, his homily focused on how parents should give discipline to their children, and children should obey their parents. He described Our Lord as disobedient to his parents, and said he had always had a “problem” with this reading.

At the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, his homily had nothing at all to say about the Immaculate Conception.

At another recent Mass, he referred to God as “Father and Mother God.”

Hopefully you have other parishes nearby. I would have left already.

And don’t forget to pray for Fr. X.

 

[Myles_Falworth]

Hopefully you have other parishes nearby. I would have left already.

And don’t forget to pray for Fr. X.

I have prayed, and continue to pray for him. Not every day or even every week though. Thanks for the reminder. The only thing keeping us there is that the parish priest Fr. Y, is a good priest who says a beautiful Mass and is a wonderful teacher. We check the Mass schedule to see who is scheduled and whenever Fr. X is scheduled, we go to another more traditional Catholic church in an adjoining town. We are not the only family who does this. It reminds me of my days as an “Anglo-Catholic” Episcopalian before entering the Church in 2011. My hope is that our next priest will be a good one. Fr. X is near retirement age, and Fr. Y will retire in 2 years.