Late for Mass - How late is too late?

[Georgia]

There is another huge reason to be on time, the effect on others. When you go to Mass and others are constantly strolling up and down the aisles and crawling over people to seats, it is disruptive. If you can concentrate on the Mass with people walking in front of you until midway through, you have far better control of your mind than most.

 

[creole54]

I think a better question would be “How early is too early to arrive for Mass?”

Unless you have to work on Sunday, why not arrive early and stay late? My own rule of thumb is to get there before the priest and leave after him. Take time to rest in the presence of the Lord.

 

[thistle]

I think a better question would be** “How early is too early to arrive for Mass?”**

Unless you have to work on Sunday, why not arrive early and stay late? My own rule of thumb is to get there before the priest and leave after him. Take time to rest in the presence of the Lord.

In my case that’s easy to answer and the answer is more than 15 minutes before the Mass starts would be too early because the previous Mass would not be finished.
To accommodate an average 80% Mass attendance in our parish our Church has 10 Masses every Sunday. When one Mass finishes the next Mass starts 15 minutes later.

 

[MissRose73]

I would say people are late if they arrive after the opening hymn is finished and the introductory rites are being done. Then again, that’s my personal opinion. If you are late intentionally is one thing, but late due to something like the car not starting is another thing.

Does Canon Law mention what it considers “late arrival to Mass”, that would be interesting to find out…

 

[thistle]

I would say people are late if they arrive after the opening hymn is finished and the introductory rites are being done. Then again, that’s my personal opinion. If you are late intentionally is one thing, but late due to something like the car not starting is another thing.

Does Canon Law mention what it considers “late arrival to Mass”, that would be interesting to find out.…

No. That’s the problem. The Church does not have any documents specifying when you have to get to Mass in order for your obligation to be fulfilled. It basically says you have to participate.

Can. 898 Christ’s faithful are to hold the blessed Eucharist in the highest honour. They should take an active part in the celebration of the most august Sacrifice of the Mass; they should receive the sacrament with great devotion and frequently, and should reverence it with the greatest adoration. In explaining the doctrine of this sacrament, pastors of souls are assiduously to instruct the faithful about their obligation in this regard.

CCC 1389 The Church obliges the faithful to take part in the Divine Liturgy on Sundays and feast days and, prepared by the sacrament of Reconciliation, to receive the Eucharist at least once a year, if possible during the Easter season. But the Church strongly encourages the faithful to receive the holy Eucharist on Sundays and feast days, or more often still, even daily.

 

[creole54]

Thistle, that is awesome! We only have 2 masses on Sunday with and hour and a half between them, and attendance is so sporadic that they’re considering combining the two. It won’t make any difference to me, but I wonder if some people will use that as an excuse to not attend…because the later/earlier time won’t be convenient for them. Lots of rumblings going on in my parish.

 

[504Katrin]

any we get upuhty when people arrive in church and barely sit down on the pew as the bell rings right at beginning of the service. its rude to others already there to be late because it destracts those who you join the pew of. Once in a life time etc fair enough but persistently. I feel it rude to others and definately late if you have to wait for the procession to go by to sit down. Though we do have one guy who regularly late and at Advent/lent we miss out the Gloria etc and the first week of Advent the other year he was a bit stunned at how late he thought he was. He been a little more on time at times since but still late in our opinion. How late is too late, if you not in the pew by the time the bell rings at the beginning of the service then that is too late in my opinion if you are regular at being late. No point in being there if can’t be there for all of it

I hope you do not judge these guys cause Jesus FORBID us to judge.

There was a time I was always late for mass for about 5 minutes, always. I couldn’t leave work earlier not even a minute, and mass started right at the time I could leave work. Add five minutes that it took me to run to church, and I was five minutes late. There was no other, later mass I could have gone to. I knew I was late, but I would not have stayed away from mass by all means!

 

[englishredrose]

I think a better question would be “How early is too early to arrive for Mass?”

In my case, I serve alternate sundays and sing in the choir. We are there usually around 8.35 a.m ish because our service starts at 9am. Last week we were all early in the serving team somehow though I was usual time. The priest jokingly complained about us all being early, mainly because we were all twiddling our thumbs so to speak for five minutes or so. So I, being me said to him, “okay then we will all get here at 5 to 9 next week then.”
He had the grace to hear what I said as point taken. I think people give or take few minutes but somewhere between quarter to and ten to if the service starts on the hour. You got to give yourself time to get in and adust to where you are, shake off the fidgets and the outside world etc. If you use lots of prayers before service all of these ought to be done before the bell at beginning of service is rung etc in my opinion of course.
And of course being a server or choir means am not first out though sometimes the first into vestry

Unless you have to work on Sunday, why not arrive early and stay late? My own rule of thumb is to get there before the priest and leave after him. Take time to rest in the presence of the Lord.