Is this an abuse

  • Thread starter Thread starter EzraJacob
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
E

EzraJacob

Guest
Or just disrespect?

Every Sunday I go to Mass. usually the 4;30 mass because I am not much of an early bird. And every Sunday I see people receive the Eucharist. One of the greatest sacraments in my eyes. Maybe because I am unable to receive it yet, due to having to go through RCIA, I perceive the sacrament to being something one should cherish and respect. But tons of people after they receive it, they leave. Its as if they just show up to sit bored through mass, receive the sacrament and then run out instead of staying and waiting for the end of the mass.

I just wonder, if this is an abuse? And if not it still seems disrespectful. At least in my eyes. Is this wrong of me? It just seems that they treat it as just an obligation, something they *have *to do instead of want to do.
 
EzraJacob said:
But tons of people after they receive it, they leave. Its as if they just show up to sit bored through mass, receive the sacrament and then run out instead of staying and waiting for the end of the mass.
Click to expand...
It’s sarcastically known as the Judas shuffle.
 
It is disrespectful to dash out after Holy Communion. We are supposed to stay until the recessional hymn is over, but few do. As soon as the priest goes past them, they are heading for the door.
Some leave because they have to go to work-but they perhaps could find a different time to attend Mass.

And I just love the folks who wander in late, and it’s always the same people.

Don’t let others influence you to do the same. The Mass is usually less than an hour, is this enough for Christ? One hour per week?
 
Imagine being invited to someone’s house for a delicious, sumptuous feast that took hours to prepare, all the while talking on your cellphone and ignoring your host, and finally leaving the home before dessert without so much as a thank you. Imagine that later that night, you are in a terrible car crash and the paramedic who rescues you from death is that same host who fed you hours earlier, and still you don’t thank him.

Jesus is more than a paramedic and His Body and Blood are no mere meal. If only we would treat Him with the worship and thanksgiving we OWE Him.
 
I was shocked by this behavior the first time that I went to mass with my husband who is Catholic.

I am Lutheran and I’ve never seen this at any of the Lutheran Churches I’ve been to over the years. It baffles me.

I will admit to being late to church occasionally, but we have two kids under two so getting out the doorn for 8:00 service is always a scramble. But we ALWAYS stay until the final hymn is over as does almost everyone at my church. The one and only time we did not is because DD1 was melting down on an epic scale.

Is this a uniquely Catholic thing, and if so why?
 
Alix1912 said:
Is this a uniquely Catholic thing, and if so why?
Click to expand...
It is not uniquely Catholic, I saw it in the United Methodist church I went to before I was Catholic. I still don’t have any idea why people think it is acceptable though.
 
In addition to behaving respectfully, I also feel the need to spend some time in prayer and thanksgiving after receiving our Lord in the Holy Eucharist. I (hopefully this doesn’t sound weird), especially like to contemplate the knowledge that everyone receiving is also carrying our Lord within them, too.

So… bad manners to leave early… wonderfully beneficial to remain and pray! 🙂
 
It’s inappropriate and disrespectful. They save what? Five minutes?

Perhaps it’s not a sin, but it IS less prayer. Less prayer is bad. More singing is good; getting the final blessing is good.
 
The behaviors you describe is something I see in many churches. I am in a little country church and we have very little of that. After mass most of the parish is on their knees as the organist plays another stanza of the song.

What I am discribing only comes when a priest is up front with his people and teaches respect of the Eucharist. In different homilies he will use examples of disrespect and so he never has to directly tell a person what is wrong. We do still have people showing up late and walk in behind the procession. We need to work on that one yet.

A lot of people are ignorant of the lack of respect they are showing our Lord. I would go to the priest and make him aware of what is going on and ask him to help teach the people.
 
Unless there’s a valid reason, i.e., assisting with parish functions immediately following the mass it is our lack of reverence for our Lord, the celebrant and for one another.

It has always bugged me that so many people leave after communion. HOW RUDE.

However, I’m a hypocrit too. I’m guilty of leaving mass directly after communion. While I’ve only done this a few times and had a pretty decent rationalization for it, I know in my heart it was out of impatience. Filled with thoughts of my own life and my own concerns. It is on my soul.
 
Is this a uniquely Catholic thing, and if so why?
Click to expand...
May the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

It’s not uniquely Catholic. It happens because there are over 1 billion Catholics in the world…more opportunity to give good examples…and unfortunately, more opportunity to give bad examples.

As the late Blessed Pope John Paul II, once said, “What the Church needs now, more than anything else, is saints.”

May we concentrate on consoling Jesus with loving devotion…then He will weep tears of joy, will He not?

God bless you,
Quis ut Deus 3
 
beth40n2 said:
The behaviors you describe is something I see in many churches. I am in a little country church and we have very little of that. After mass most of the parish is on their knees as the organist plays another stanza of the song.

What I am discribing only comes when a priest is up front with his people and teaches respect of the Eucharist. In different homilies he will use examples of disrespect and so he never has to directly tell a person what is wrong. We do still have people showing up late and walk in behind the procession. We need to work on that one yet.

A lot of people are ignorant of the lack of respect they are showing our Lord. I would go to the priest and make him aware of what is going on and ask him to help teach the people.
Click to expand...
That reminds me of something I have read…

During the homily, the priest said something about how people should respect those with mental illnesses. Just because they are really slow learners doesn’t mean they should be discriminated. He goes on and said that the same goes for the congregation; he has been telling the people to switch their phones off during mass so many times but there is no improvement…

…which, of course, is followed by so many of the laity switching off their phones 😊
 
I feel sad too when I see people leave after receiving the Euchrist.
Don’t even take time to stop and say thank you. How can you do that when you are running to your car in the parking lot.
:confused:
 
Cavaille-Coll said:
Imagine being invited to someone’s house for a delicious, sumptuous feast that took hours to prepare, all the while talking on your cellphone and ignoring your host, and finally leaving the home before dessert without so much as a thank you. Imagine that later that night, you are in a terrible car crash and the paramedic who rescues you from death is that same host who fed you hours earlier, and still you don’t thank him.

Jesus is more than a paramedic and His Body and Blood are no mere meal. If only we would treat Him with the worship and thanksgiving we OWE Him.
Click to expand...
I think if more people saw it in this light they would stay.

I wish that my priest would discuss this more in his homily as after communion, our church is about half empty. They do not even wait for concluding rights.
 
I’d not say this is an abuse. There are legitimate reasons people can leave after communion. The (even if inappropriate) actions of some members of the congregation do not usually constitute a liturgical abuse.

But in many cases it is a rather disrespectful action.
 
It’s clear to me that of those who leave and I don’t think it is a big percentage of the congregation as a whole, less than 10% I’d guess, they are trying to beat the traffic. And of that percentage, rather than saying they are being disrespectful, I think they just don’t know better. Every so often, a Priest does mention this occurrence, I know I heard it commented on a few years ago.
 
EzraJacob said:
Or just disrespect?

Every Sunday I go to Mass. usually the 4;30 mass because I am not much of an early bird. And every Sunday I see people receive the Eucharist. One of the greatest sacraments in my eyes. Maybe because I am unable to receive it yet, due to having to go through RCIA, I perceive the sacrament to being something one should cherish and respect. But tons of people after they receive it, they leave. Its as if they just show up to sit bored through mass, receive the sacrament and then run out instead of staying and waiting for the end of the mass.

I just wonder, if this is an abuse? And if not it still seems disrespectful. At least in my eyes. Is this wrong of me? It just seems that they treat it as just an obligation, something they *have *to do instead of want to do.
Click to expand...
It is disrespectful. I know people who do it and I usually ask them if they do the same when they pay to watch a movie? Aaahhh…of course not,many stay even to watch the credits.
 
EzraJacob said:
Or just disrespect?

Every Sunday I go to Mass. usually the 4;30 mass because I am not much of an early bird. And every Sunday I see people receive the Eucharist. One of the greatest sacraments in my eyes. Maybe because I am unable to receive it yet, due to having to go through RCIA, I perceive the sacrament to being something one should cherish and respect. But tons of people after they receive it, they leave. Its as if they just show up to sit bored through mass, receive the sacrament and then run out instead of staying and waiting for the end of the mass.

I just wonder, if this is an abuse? And if not it still seems disrespectful. At least in my eyes. Is this wrong of me? It just seems that they treat it as just an obligation, something they *have *to do instead of want to do.
Click to expand...
yes I think that is very sad 😦 sometimes people don’t yet understand how special the Eucharist is.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top