Leaving Mass early!

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How could waiting 10 more minutes for Mass to end really have been so devastating to any of those ministries?
 
DeniseNY said:
God knows their hearts. You don’t.
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Although I agree we shouldn’t judge hearts (because we can’t), we should judge actions (thought not hastily). There is nothing wrong with noticing a pattern and being concerned. That doesn’t mean we have to wag fingers in peoples faces (but who seriously does that anyway), but it may be appropriate to hear a friendly reminder from the pulpit.
 
So far, I haven’t had to leave Mass early. But if I ever should need to, our priests know the reasons and are very understanding.
 
Yes I agree, our Focus at that time should be on what we have just received not on how many people are walking out.
 
Our focus should constantly be on Jesus: more or less tacitly all day, every day. To hold disdain towards someone is wrong, but to be concerned about them and the signal they send to others could be a holy thing and part of what it means to focus on Jesus.
 
Honestly anyone who is themselves focused on their own participation in the liturgy should not be turning around and eyeballing and making a mental note of who is leaving.
As Monsignor used to say " there is a special place in heaven for people who care for children and the sick".
Have a blessed Advent, everyone!
 
Boler said:
How could waiting 10 more minutes for Mass to end really have been so devastating to any of those ministries?
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the 8am social- People leave if there is nothing there

the 10am food- People did still have to wait 10+ minutes on top of the 5-10 minutes that volunteers saved them.

the 5pm meals- Same, people still had to wait 10-20 minutes for food to come out.

Basically, by leaving “on time” volunteers were often at a HUGE disadvantage and were under tremendous pressure. Those 10 minutes when you didn’t have people waiting in line, etc were valuable. It was miserable pushing past the old people exiting to get to the cafeteria and then try to sort things out while people were cranky waiting. Lots of chaos, lots of confusion. A terrible experience for a volunteer. Most simply did not want to deal with it.

And for many, they just went to a different Mass…which took a significant fellowship portion of a community working and praying together.

None of the “complainers” ever lifted a finger except for their pet ministries.
 
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My point is that it’s just as unfair to negatively paint those who justly have this concern as it is to negatively paint those who justly have a need to leave early.
 
yeah. I wasn’t talking to you. But great!
Have a beautiful Advent.
 
I think it is best for the priest to remind people in the pews not to do that. It’s not really for us to focus on it.

One Priest that I know likes to say to the congregation, " Don’t commit the sin of Judas and leave early."

But yes, our job is to worship God at mass, not keep score of who’s been naughty and nice. ☺️
 
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You had me till that last line which seems just as judgemental and presuming.
 
Boler said:
You had me till that last line which seems just as judgemental and presuming.
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Well, I think that I can be mad that things were spoiled. I can be mad that people cared more about appearances than actual people.

If those who were upset that people left mass early to minister had done any volunteering at the ministries they targeted–ANY–my words would be different. Sure, they went to their Bible study or Daughters of Isabella meetings. But they acted in complaints against people ministering and they, themselves, did not offer to fill the void. If they went to the 8am they balked at the idea of staying for the 10am to get the food ready. They did their part. It was very, very sad.

Given that after Fr. started a during-Mass daycare the same crowd took to letting parents know (to the point of harrasment) that their children should be in the playroom and not at Mass, along with other issues with Fr decisions…we basically were driven from the church by them.

My new parish is great…and I’ve noticed a few familiar faces filtering in as time goes on.

It doesn’t bode well for my old parish.
 
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Xanthippe_Voorhees said:
It doesn’t bode well for my old parish.
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Through their own actions. Good on you, taking yourself somewhere else where you feel more welcome is the correct thing to do.

They all have to answer to Jesus—all of the starving people who visited the food donations are on their conscience.

This is where the whole debate of living the faith comes from. Sitting in a pew every Sunday is all good and dandy, and yes you should do that but if you are not doing anything good for the community, it isn’t actually what Jesus was preaching.

We are called to be part of communities and to help others. Not to be the pew police, shut down good works, and have people in the community starve.

😣
 
Xanthippe_Voorhees said:
Given that after Fr. started a during-Mass daycare the same crowd took to letting parents know (to the point of harrasment) that their children should be in the playroom and not at Mass, along with other issues with Fr decisions…we basically were driven from the church by them.
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Ahh, doesn’t the doctrine of Purgatory give one such consolation at times. 🙂 Not to say, I won’t be there longer. Not sure on that count.
 
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I leave my seat after Communion when my son is with me. He is in a wheelchair, we sit in the front row where there is a cutout in the pew for a wheelchair and he cannot get back to his spot because of the line for Communion. He and I wait in the narthex for Mass to conclude and for my wife to exit.

Back in the day… I grew up in an area that had a high percentage of retirees and many would leave early for whatever reason. One of our priest left once left the altar after distributing Communion, went outside and tried to bring them back in.
 
LittleFlower said:
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Xanthippe_Voorhees:
It doesn’t bode well for my old parish.
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Through their own actions. Good on you, taking yourself somewhere else where you feel more welcome is the correct thing to do.

They all have to answer to Jesus—all of the starving people who visited the food donations are on their conscience.

This is where the whole debate of living the faith comes from. Sitting in a pew every Sunday is all good and dandy, and yes you should do that but if you are not doing anything good for the community, it isn’t actually what Jesus was preaching.

We are called to be part of communities and to help others. Not to be the pew police, shut down good works, and have people in the community starve.

😣
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It wound up being a whole host of things at once, primarily that Fr. refused to stop using incense despite my allergy and a few others. I feel terrible for the old men with COPD who can’t even go to Mass anymore. Father’s solution–Communion at home…but he wouldn’t even “give” in for one OF Mass without it. At least I can drive my family elsewhere. Not everyone is so lucky.

Do say a prayer for them. And anyone else who went to another religion becuase of what went on.

I love the term “pew police”. That’s exactly what they were!
 
Xanthippe_Voorhees said:
Do say a prayer for them. And anyone else who went to another religion becuase of what went on.

I love the term “pew police”. That’s exactly what they were!
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I will say a prayer for them, and for everyone who perhaps became despondent in their faith because of the pew polices actions. 🌷

We judge each other so harshly. It’s slightly mortifying.
 
Some have to leave to return back to work.

Others, the ones you see every week?..well….you should not be paying attention to them, you should be worrying about your own self. You should be deep in prayer giving thanks for what you just received.

You are not at Mass to judge others.

And if you are in a position to see others leave early and it bothers you, then you should considered sitting closer to the front and where you can’t see the exit doors.
 
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I’m an instrumentalist in the choir. I have to arrive early and leave late. However, on the rare occasions when I am not playing at Mass AND I have to be somewhere, I have been known to leave at Communion. The Church wouldn’t say it counts as a Mass if it didn’t. And I don’t care what others do, so long as they don’t disturb the congregation.
 
Yes im blessed beacuse i went through hell become a christian. Ive seen people walk out of mass for a smoke. Ive heard women gossip behind me through mass. Ive seen some disgusting behavior in mass. But not once confronted those who does it. Im there for god why are you there? God is not a hippie…there are rules if you have a sick loved one tp care for ore children at home alone. But to leave simplt beacuse you got communion is rude and wrong
 
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