Issue with the Consecration Prayer at University Mass

[pacomius]

night at mass, our university president was presiding. During the end of the consecration prayer, the part where the priest says, “Through Him, with Him, in Him…” and so forth, he invited everyone in the congregation to JOIN IN and say it with him. My mouth dropped. Naturally everyone went along with it. What are your thoughts?

He is wrong to have invited the people to join in, very wrong. But that is a grave matter on his own part.

But I will urge you not to be very alarmed over that. I am currently in southern Italy briefly for my vacations, and in this particular region unlike in the big cities, the people especially the old do recite the eucharistic prayer with the priest. In an old people’s home where I love celebrating, some of them would join in the entire eucharistic prayer, even until the end of the Communion rite. I have learned to “concelebrate” with them
I simply do my best to not be distracted.

The norms and rubrics of the church are very clear on these issues, and must never be taken for granted (with regards to your university president). But such things should not alarm you much either (like in my old people’s home)

Always pray for your priests.

God bless you

 

[Nelka]

We had a priest in our last church that was quite old and he administered communion very slowly so it appeared there was an express lane where the other priest was. He stopped celebrating Mass but he would still sit near the front, I guess he was old and weak but was nice.