Mass 'abuses' - what's my responsibility?

[Mel_Stones]

I have always been nit-pitty when it comes to how things are done as Mass, but most of the little things I can overlook. I know very few things actually make a Mass invalid and the RCC is the one, true church started by Christ. I’m just frustrated with inconsistencies in Mass. I wish our priests (all Catholic priests) would remember catholic means universal and quite doing things differently. My priest is very open and accommodating whenever I ask a question regarding the rubric but is it really my place to be asking such questions? I feel like I’m checking up on the priest all the time. Once I get used to the way my priest does things (even though I don’t think it is always how things are suppose to be done) I need to attend another parish for whatever reason and am confronted with a bunch more ‘abuses’. (I would never question a priest who was not my own pastor.)
I’m just frustrated and annoyed and ranting a little here but any suggestions are welcome.
When is it my responsibility to call a priest on an abuse? Is it ever?

 

[passus]

You are not obligated to report liturgical abuses, but I think anyone would agree that it is prudent to do so–at least the most serious ones which relate to the Eucharist and the validity of the consecration.

The faithful, and you as part of the faithful, have the right to attend the Mass celebrated as the Church intends it.

According to Redemptionis Sacramentum:

…it is the right of all of Christ’s faithful that the Liturgy, and in particular the celebration of Holy Mass, should truly be as the Church wishes, according to her stipulations as prescribed in the liturgical books and in the other laws and norms. Likewise, the Catholic people have the right that the Sacrifice of the Holy Mass should be celebrated for them in an integral manner, according to the entire doctrine of the Church’s Magisterium. Finally, it is the Catholic community’s right that the celebration of the Most Holy Eucharist should be carried out for it in such a manner that it truly stands out as a sacrament of unity, to the exclusion of all blemishes and actions that might engender divisions and factions in the Church (12).

With liturgical abuse, it is ultimately we, the faithful, who suffer at the hand of individuals’ expressions of creativity in the liturgy–rooted in good intention or not. For you, a clearly educated and concerned mature Catholic, to sit idly by as liturgical abuse goes on would be to forfeit your right to liturgy as it should be, with all the fullness of glory and sanctity that the Church sees it to possess in its unadulterated state.

Should you decide to raise the issue of these abuses you see going on at your parish, you want to be charitable and proceed with tact and delicacy. Perhaps write a letter to your pastor or speak to him personally and be sure to back yourself up (i.e., cite your claims) with the Church’s documents which are there for you to use.

You might check out the following links:

How to Address a Liturgical Abuse
Handling Liturgical Abuse

I hope that helps.

 

[bpbasilphx]

I have always been nit-pitty when it comes to how things are done as Mass, but most of the little things I can overlook. I know very few things actually make a Mass invalid and the RCC is the one, true church started by Christ. I’m just frustrated with inconsistencies in Mass. I wish our priests (all Catholic priests) would remember catholic means universal and quite doing things differently. My priest is very open and accommodating whenever I ask a question regarding the rubric but is it really my place to be asking such questions? I feel like I’m checking up on the priest all the time. Once I get used to the way my priest does things (even though I don’t think it is always how things are suppose to be done) I need to attend another parish for whatever reason and am confronted with a bunch more ‘abuses’. (I would never question a priest who was not my own pastor.)
I’m just frustrated and annoyed and ranting a little here but any suggestions are welcome.
When is it my responsibility to call a priest on an abuse? Is it ever?

**I think you’re very correct in accusing yourself of being nitpicky.

Where did you study rubrics or teleturgics? For how long and under whom?

Do you yourself know all the rubrics of the Mass and how they get applied–or do you just THINK you do?

In other words, are you truly in a position to know what is really a liturgical abuse? Or are you just actually meaning “I don’t like this.”

The rubrics of the Pauline Mass, aka the Ordinary Form, are just not as closely defined as in the old Ritus Servandi that was in the introductory materials of the Roman Missal of 1962 and earlier. Deal with it.

There are only FOUR things that make a Mass invalid:

1. Lack of Proper Matter.
2. Lack of Proper Form.
3. Lack of Proper Minister.
4. Lack of Proper Intention.

All of these but #4 are very easy to ascertain.

Finally, remember that “universal” and “unity” do NOT mean “uniformity” and “being identical down to the last comma.”

Don’t forget, the Church has Eastern liturgies. There have always been more than one way of celebrating the Eucharistic Sacrifice, even in the West, believe it or not.**

 

[benedictgal]

**I think you’re very correct in accusing yourself of being nitpicky.

Where did you study rubrics or teleturgics? For how long and under whom?

Do you yourself know all the rubrics of the Mass and how they get applied–or do you just THINK you do?

In other words, are you truly in a position to know what is really a liturgical abuse? Or are you just actually meaning “I don’t like this.”

The rubrics of the Pauline Mass, aka the Ordinary Form, are just not as closely defined as in the old Ritus Servandi that was in the introductory materials of the Roman Missal of 1962 and earlier. Deal with it.

There are only FOUR things that make a Mass invalid:

1. Lack of Proper Matter.
2. Lack of Proper Form.
3. Lack of Proper Minister.
4. Lack of Proper Intention.

All of these but #4 are very easy to ascertain.

Finally, remember that “universal” and “unity” do NOT mean “uniformity” and “being identical down to the last comma.”

Don’t forget, the Church has Eastern liturgies. There have always been more than one way of celebrating the Eucharistic Sacrifice, even in the West, believe it or not.**

True, but, as I read his post, he is not necessarily asking about the Eastern Rites; he is commenting about what happens in the Latin Rite.

 

[Mel_Stones]

Should you decide to raise the issue of these abuses you see going on at your parish, you want to be charitable and proceed with tact and delicacy. Perhaps write a letter to your pastor or speak to him personally and be sure to back yourself up (i.e., cite your claims) with the Church’s documents which are there for you to use.

I will be tact and delicate if I feel the need to bring things up. I either speak to the priest personally or (if it is quite minor) write him an e-mail expressing my curiosity.

It is a comfort to know we are suppose to be able to experience the Mass as it is intended. I don’t expect everyone, everywhere to get on the same page but it is nice to know we, Catholics, at least try.

Thank you for the links - very interesting reading.

Where did you study rubrics or teleturgics? For how long and under whom?
Do you yourself know all the rubrics of the Mass and how they get applied–or do you just THINK you do?
In other words, are you truly in a position to know what is really a liturgical abuse? Or are you just actually meaning “I don’t like this.”
Don’t forget, the Church has Eastern liturgies. There have always been more than one way of celebrating the Eucharistic Sacrifice, even in the West, believe it or not.

No, I am not a scholar in this matter and do not claim to be. But I know about the Mass as much as any faithful should and have researched to some degree. I never bring anything up without checking it out myself or admitting I don’t know what the rubric says. That is one of the great things about my priest - he is willing to show me in the rubric.

I know there are different ways of celebrating the Eucharist but the differences I see are at parishes within 20 miles of each other.

 

[Mrs_Sally]

Please also remember that even in the EF that we talk about as being without variation, there are and were variations in how it is said by different priests–even within 20 miles. In fact even within the same parish.

If in the past your priest has been able to show you the rubrics that define what happened at that Mass, it sounds like you are being unduly scrupulous about small details of the Mass.

Please try to block out the ‘eye’ that is seeing and noting these minor variations in each Mass. Concentrate on the miracle taking place at the altar and do not allow yourself to be distracted by those small issues. I would hate to think that your faith in the Church and the Mass was being eroded by those things interferring with your prayer.

 

[benedictgal]

Please also remember that even in the EF that we talk about as being without variation, there are and were variations in how it is said by different priests–even within 20 miles. In fact even within the same parish.

If in the past your priest has been able to show you the rubrics that define what happened at that Mass, it sounds like you are being unduly scrupulous about small details of the Mass.

Please try to block out the ‘eye’ that is seeing and noting these minor variations in each Mass. Concentrate on the miracle taking place at the altar and do not allow yourself to be distracted by those small issues. I would hate to think that your faith in the Church and the Mass was being eroded by those things interferring with your prayer.

However, we cannot turn a blind eye to legitimate abuse, especially where it concerns the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Redemptionis Sacrametum rightly notes that the faithful have the right to a Mass that is celebrated without irregularities and abuses. When we stick our heads in the sand and ignore what is going on, we are not doing anyone any favors. For, as RS notes:

[11.] The Mystery of the Eucharist “is too great for anyone to permit himself to treat it according to his own whim, so that its sacredness and its universal ordering would be obscured”.27 On the contrary, anyone who acts thus by giving free rein to his own inclinations, even if he is a Priest, injures the substantial unity of the Roman Rite, which ought to be vigorously preserved,28 and becomes responsible for actions that are in no way consistent with the hunger and thirst for the living God that is experienced by the people today. Nor do such actions serve authentic pastoral care or proper liturgical renewal; instead, they deprive Christ’s faithful of their patrimony and their heritage. For arbitrary actions are not conducive to true renewal,29 but are detrimental to the right of Christ’s faithful to a liturgical celebration that is an expression of the Church’s life in accordance with her tradition and discipline. In the end, they introduce elements of distortion and disharmony into the very celebration of the Eucharist, which is oriented in its own lofty way and by its very nature to signifying and wondrously bringing about the communion of divine life and the unity of the People of God.30 The result is uncertainty in matters of doctrine, perplexity and scandal on the part of the People of God, and, almost as a necessary consequence, vigorous opposition, all of which greatly confuse and sadden many of Christ’s faithful in this age of ours when Christian life is often particularly difficult on account of the inroads of “secularization” as well.31

The Church, with much sadness, recognizes that liturgical abuses happen, and, unfortunately, they are a common occurance. If that were not the case the Church would not have promulgated Redemptionis Sacramentum. Now, this is not to say that we are turning into the liturgical KGB; however, when the texts of the Mass are altered at will, when a priest takes it upon himself to imbed ilicit rituals into the Mass, when he makes up his own prayers as he goes along and other serious irregularities occur, I will not passively allow this to happen. At this point, the integrity of the Mass is being compromised and I will not stand for that.

 

[Mrs_Sally]

The Church, with much sadness, recognizes that liturgical abuses happen, and, unfortunately, they are a common occurance. If that were not the case the Church would not have promulgated Redemptionis Sacramentum. Now, this is not to say that we are turning into the liturgical KGB; however, when the texts of the Mass are altered at will, when a priest takes it upon himself to imbed ilicit rituals into the Mass, when he makes up his own prayers as he goes along and other serious irregularities occur, I will not passively allow this to happen. At this point, the integrity of the Mass is being compromised and I will not stand for that.

I do agree. However, it is also often the case that the lay person is concerned unduly about allowed variations or differences in style between priests (ie, how they wash their hands or where the vessels are placed on the altar.)

On this forum, it seems that we hear more about issues that turn out NOT to be true abuses than we do about the examples you give above.

I am very grateful for your knowledge and ready reference to the various documents of the church. I just want to be sure that we are not causing the OP to doubt her new found faith with too much scrupulousity.

 

[Mel_Stones]

Mrs Sally Don’t worry I am not doubting my faith. I know there are really only four things which would make a Mass invalid. I am not, on the other hand, so scrupulous as to worry about how a priest washes his hands. But when he leaves it out altogether, well then I start to wonder.

GTG more later perhaps.

 

[passus]

The rubrics of the Pauline Mass, aka the Ordinary Form, are just not as closely defined as in the old Ritus Servandi that was in the introductory materials of the Roman Missal of 1962 and earlier. Deal with it.

Don’t forget, the Church has Eastern liturgies. There have always been more than one way of celebrating the Eucharistic Sacrifice, even in the West, believe it or not.

Hmm…I’m detecting a bit of bias here. Nevertheless, I’ll bite.

You’ve managed to do quite an interesting thing here. In a way, you have elevated the liturgy to such an un-touchable status (none of the faithful could possibly understand what’s going on, you need a PhD in liturgics to interpret liturgical law, etc.) yet in so doing had actually furthered the degredation of the fundamental sanctity of the liturgy by allowing abuses to go unchecked.

The liturgy exists for us, the faithful. We have the right to partake in liturgy as it should be celebrated. The law confirms this. Regardless of how “nitpicky” it might seem, to raise a question about an obvious abuse–omitting a part of the Mass–is of the prerogative of the faithful. To raise a question about something that may or even may not be an abuse is of the prerogative of the faithful.

Albeit, there is a nuance to the interpretation of liturgical law and someone could make a mistake in their reading, but if we weren’t meant to know what was going on and see the law for ourselves, then the Church would undoubtedly go out of its way to see that the faithful did not have documents like the GIRM or Redemptionis Sacramentum or any of the others out of the wealth of liturgical documents that are available on the Vatican website, in the Catholic liturgical library, or published by the USCCB online and in print. They are made available for a reason; this is one of them.

 

[Claire_from_DE]

If you have a good relationship with your priest and he is willing to discuss his practices with you, go for it. If not, then you have to pick your battles and not question him about every little thing. We may sometimes be called on to challenge a priest but we also have to respect and encourage him.

 

[bpbasilphx]

True, but, as I read his post, he is not necessarily asking about the Eastern Rites; he is commenting about what happens in the Latin Rite.

For the most part, in case you didn’t notice, I was talking about the Roman Rite as well.

 

[Mel_Stones]

Hmm…I’m detecting a bit of bias here. Nevertheless, I’ll bite.

You’ve managed to do quite an interesting thing here. In a way, you have elevated the liturgy to such an un-touchable status (none of the faithful could possibly understand what’s going on, you need a PhD in liturgics to interpret liturgical law, etc.) yet in so doing had actually furthered the degredation of the fundamental sanctity of the liturgy by allowing abuses to go unchecked.

The liturgy exists for us, the faithful. We have the right to partake in liturgy as it should be celebrated. The law confirms this. Regardless of how “nitpicky” it might seem, to raise a question about an obvious abuse–omitting a part of the Mass–is of the prerogative of the faithful. To raise a question about something that may or even may not be an abuse is of the prerogative of the faithful.

Albeit, there is a nuance to the interpretation of liturgical law and someone could make a mistake in their reading, but if we weren’t meant to know what was going on and see the law for ourselves, then the Church would undoubtedly go out of its way to see that the faithful did not have documents like the GIRM or Redemptionis Sacramentum or any of the others out of the wealth of liturgical documents that are available on the Vatican website, in the Catholic liturgical library, or published by the USCCB online and in print. They are made available for a reason; this is one of them.

Amen! I agree with you.
In all honesty, if we don’t question these things who will? It isn’t as if the Bishop goes around to all the parishes on a regular basis to check things are being done right. For that matter, when my priest taught the EMHCs how to purify the cups after Eucharist and was asked if he was suppose to do that at the altar responded ‘yes and that’s how we’ll do it when the Bishop is here’. So if if the Bishop had time and mind to visit all his parishes on a regular basis, it still wouldn’t help much.

Hey I don’t mind it in the least if a question I have turns out to be perfectly normal (as has been the case once when my priest simply used an optional pray he’d never used before) - I learn more about the Mass.

Also The Mass is here for us to PARTICIPATE in not just observe. So we really ought to know what’s going on.

Claire
As always, any questionings should be done with tact and respect - I whole heartedly agree. I pray every day for my priest and all those in positions of authority within the Church to have courage, peace, joy, enthusiasm, energy, and obedience. And I encourage everyone else here to do the same.

 

[Frosty]

My pastor was called away suddenly this weekend so we had a recently ordained young priest from India fill in for the Masses. His first Mass, the 5pm anticipatory Mass yesterday was off to a rocky start right away. It was extremely hot and humid and our old church with no air-conditioning and little ventilation was like a steam bath. Even the fans hanging from the ceiling had stopped working ( not that they do much good anyways). When we stood for the processional to begin, the organ let out a single blast that practically made the building shake. A few seconds of silence and the organist tried again with the same result. This happened four more times until the choir just began singing without accompaniment. Fine, the priest got as far as the foot of the sanctuary steps when the organ blasted in again, but this time, she was able to quickly tone it down.
Mass continued normally until the priest asked us to call to mind our sins. Now, our pastor always allows for a short period of silence before he begins the Confetior. This priest bowed his head and the silence lasted a bit longer than normal. He lifted his head and the choir right away began singing the Gloria. No Penitential Rite at all. Apart from continuing problems with the organ ( apparently the humidity had something to do with the stops getting stuck, or so I was told), the rest of the Mass was beautifully and reverently said.
I was one of the last people to leave after Mass so I decided to go up and speak to the priest. I’d never had a reason to question whether or not liturgical abuse had occured during Mass before and I was nervous about even bringing it up. After chatting for a few moments, I told him that I had a question about what had happened at Mass. As soon as I said that, the poor man looked like a deer caught in the headlights. His exact words to me were: " Oh my God. I’ve heard about the liturgical police. Are you one of them?" Tears appeared in his eyes and I felt like a dirty little worm. I didn’t need to ask my question because he knew what it was. He explained to me in a stammering voice that he had been taught to allow at least a minute or more before beginning the Confetior and this was the first Mass he had celebrated with a full choir. He was caught totally by surprise when the choir started in with the Gloria and hadn’t known what to do. He blamed himself for taking what he called such a long moment of silence and the fact that he hadn’t had time to discuss much with the choir since he had only arrived at the parish a couple of hours before Mass and had to hear confessions. By now, tears were streaming down his face and all I wanted to do was put my arms around him to ease his obvious anguish. Naturally, I didn’t do that.
I understand that there are those on this forum who would say that I did the right thing in questioning that priest because he did leave out a part of the Mass and that I had every right to do so. Regardless, I still feel like a complete jerk. I’ve thought about it over and over today and have come to the conclusion that for that brief time yesterday, I let myself become too influenced by the opinions of some on these forums and jumped to a certain conclusion. If I had used my common sense and weighed in all the factors, I would have realized that honest mistakes happen. Instead, I caused pain both to a young priest trying to do his best in a difficult situation and to myself. Try as I might, I cannot find any justification for what I did.

 

[benedictgal]

I was one of the last people to leave after Mass so I decided to go up and speak to the priest. I’d never had a reason to question whether or not liturgical abuse had occured during Mass before and I was nervous about even bringing it up. After chatting for a few moments, I told him that I had a question about what had happened at Mass. As soon as I said that, the poor man looked like a deer caught in the headlights. His exact words to me were: " Oh my God. I’ve heard about the liturgical police. Are you one of them?" Tears appeared in his eyes and I felt like a dirty little worm. I didn’t need to ask my question because he knew what it was. He explained to me in a stammering voice that he had been taught to allow at least a minute or more before beginning the Confetior and this was the first Mass he had celebrated with a full choir. He was caught totally by surprise when the choir started in with the Gloria and hadn’t known what to do. He blamed himself for taking what he called such a long moment of silence and the fact that he hadn’t had time to discuss much with the choir since he had only arrived at the parish a couple of hours before Mass and had to hear confessions. By now, tears were streaming down his face and all I wanted to do was put my arms around him to ease his obvious anguish. Naturally, I didn’t do that.
I understand that there are those on this forum who would say that I did the right thing in questioning that priest because he did leave out a part of the Mass and that I had every right to do so. Regardless, I still feel like a complete jerk. I’ve thought about it over and over today and have come to the conclusion that for that brief time yesterday, I let myself become too influenced by the opinions of some on these forums and jumped to a certain conclusion. If I had used my common sense and weighed in all the factors, I would have realized that honest mistakes happen. Instead, I caused pain both to a young priest trying to do his best in a difficult situation and to myself. Try as I might, I cannot find any justification for what I did.

Actually, in a weird sense, this conversation was probably helpful to both of you. You had legitimate questions and he was reminded that he probably should have gone over what he was going to do with the choir. Given the fact that he was filling in for the pastor, he probably should have gone over what is normally done at the parish. However, he also should not have over-reacted.

Last December, I went to another parish for Mass. They had a visiting priest and it was right in the middle of Advent and they were also having a parish mission about Our Lady of Guadalupe.

The big problem was that the priest decided to ad lib just about everything. The penitential rite was not one of the approved three options in the Roman Missal. He also made up his own collect and had the faithful recite it with him, one phrase at a time. In addition, the celebrant did some other strange things during the Mass, including have the EMHCs help out with Holy Communion while he stayed seated. The pastor was with him and condoned everything, especially since he, himself, is not necessarly known for fidelity to the norms and rubrics.

After Mass, I asked the visiting priest (from Mexico) why he ad libbed the prayers. I charitably reminded him that no one has the authority to add anything to the Mass. He was not too happy and tried to jusitify it as something allowed in Mexico. I told him that the GIRM is the same for all countries, with minor adaptations and that in Mexico, there is no such adaptation for what he did. Furthermore, when he celebrates Mass in this country, he is obliged by what the GIRM approved for use here stipulates.

About three days later, I ran into the bishop at a tourism-related event. I told him that I needed to talk to him about something. Initially, he told me that he needed to circulate among the VIPs, but, seeing my downcast facial expression, he told me that we could walk and talk. I told him about what had happened at this particular parish. He did not like it at all and told me that he would handle it. He thanked me.

The pastor has since helped out, on occasion, at my parish, but, he has subsided considerably.

 

[benedictgal]

To follow up on my response to Frosty’s post:

Last year, my PV had to sub at the aforementioned parish in my previous post. The liturgy was horrible. The music was terrible. The excessive commentary was annoying and he managed to cut off the commentator at the pass. The whole thing discombobulated him to the point that he forgot to consecrate the Precious Blood. During the Pater Noster, he had to wave away the EMHCs and altar servers who were trying to grab his hands. He also had to wave back the EMHC who was going to retrieve the ciborrium from the Tabernacle.

I purposely made myself the last person to receive Holy Communion so that I could tell him.

As he was about to give me Holy Communion, I raised my hand to stop him. I told him what had happened and he thanked me. He gave me Holy Communion and then went to the altar and consecrated the Precious Blood. Later, he told me that he was not surprised that he had forgotten to do this. The abuses he was enduring were enough to throw anyone off and he felt bad. But, he was grateful that reminded him about what he had forgotten to do.

This is not about being the liturgical police. In my case, it was about helping my friend so as to have a valid Mass since only one element was consecrated and not the other. He knows how I am and he also knows that when I tell him something, it’s not to be mean or to show him up. And, in the previous post, it was about safeguarding the integrity of the Mass.

 

[Mrs_Sally]

This is not about being the liturgical police. In my case, it was about helping my friend so as to have a valid Mass since only one element was consecrated and not the other. He knows how I am and he also knows that when I tell him something, it’s not to be mean or to show him up. And, in the previous post, it was about safeguarding the integrity of the Mass.

This is an example of a very egregious error and you know the priest personally. I don’t think this is at all typical of the experiences others here discuss.

I am not at all condoning true liturgical abuse or errors, or even lax practices. However, I am so sorry about all the examples we hear on this board (OP in this instance not included) who cause issues about variations occurring at parishes that are not their own, where they do not know the acceptable options, but are suspicious anyway, and where they often fall into gossip, detraction, and culumny.

I hope that we all say a few extra prayers for our priests tonight.

 

[Frosty]

Actually, in a weird sense, this conversation was probably helpful to both of you. You had legitimate questions and he was reminded that he probably should have gone over what he was going to do with the choir. Given the fact that he was filling in for the pastor, he probably should have gone over what is normally done at the parish. However, he also should not have over-reacted.

.

I wish I could agree with you but I don’t. This is a young priest, ordained only at the end of June and who had arrived in this country just this past Wednesday. He was informed only a few hours before our 5pm Mass that he was to take over our parish for the weekend. Think about it. A new culture and country that he has had no opportunity to get to know yet; the thrill of his ordination probably still tingling in his heart; his very first pastoral responsibility thrust upon him with no warning and no time to really speak to anyone at the parish, ( the pastor had already left) if he wanted to adhere to the scheduled time for Confessions. Then something unusual happens (in this case doesn’t happen) during Mass. And there am I, a total stranger . . . riding in on my white horse to question him about or, perhaps in his mind, to accuse him of committing liturgical abuse.

I don’t think that he over-reacted. He knew that the Penitential Rite had been left out and was distressed enough about it with out me reminding him. I caused him embarassment when I truly did not have to. The conversation certainly did not help me one bit. I am knowledgeable enough about the liturgy to know when a real abuse happens. I knew in my heart that something odd had occured and that it wasn’t the priest’s fault but I still took it upon myself to question him. That is not in my character at all and I do not understand my motive in doing so.

 

[quiet52]

to the previous poster – I think God may have used you. The priest obviously felt some anxiety about skipping the penitential rite, or he wouldn’t have had tears when you brought it up. Your confronting him allowed him to vent it all out. God works in mysterious ways.
Ease up on yourself. The substitute priest will forgive you if he hasn’t already.

 

[Mrs_Sally]

I wish I could agree with you but I don’t. This is a young priest, ordained only at the end of June and who had arrived in this country just this past Wednesday. He was informed only a few hours before our 5pm Mass that he was to take over our parish for the weekend. Think about it. A new culture and country that he has had no opportunity to get to know yet; the thrill of his ordination probably still tingling in his heart; his very first pastoral responsibility thrust upon him with no warning and no time to really speak to anyone at the parish, ( the pastor had already left) if he wanted to adhere to the scheduled time for Confessions. Then something unusual happens (in this case doesn’t happen) during Mass. And there am I, a total stranger . . . riding in on my white horse to question him about or, perhaps in his mind, to accuse him of committing liturgical abuse.

I don’t think that he over-reacted. He knew that the Penitential Rite had been left out and was distressed enough about it with out me reminding him. I caused him embarassment when I truly did not have to. The conversation certainly did not help me one bit. I am knowledgeable enough about the liturgy to know when a real abuse happens. I knew in my heart that something odd had occured and that it wasn’t the priest’s fault but I still took it upon myself to question him. That is not in my character at all and I do not understand my motive in doing so.

Love him up. Maybe God wants you in his path. Pray for him, let him know you are doing it, and support him in any other way you can.