Mass Cards

[braidwood]

When my dear old dad died, I received many Mass Offertery Cards from family and friends.
Much as I appreciated their sentiments of sympathy, I have always struggled with the whole issue of Mass cards, the buying of, and how could Masses be bought and offered for the sheer volume of Catholics that die each day.
I would appreciate some insight into why Mother Church feels that this practice is wholesome and acceptable, as I struggle with it. My non-Catholic wife thinks that it is a nice little earner.
Particularly, how can Mass be offered individually for the volume of our departed friends.
Mike

 

[grannymh]

When my dear old dad died, I received many Mass Offertery Cards from family and friends.
Much as I appreciated their sentiments of sympathy, I have always struggled with the whole issue of Mass cards, the buying of, and how could Masses be bought and offered for the sheer volume of Catholics that die each day.
I would appreciate some insight into why Mother Church feels that this practice is wholesome and acceptable, as I struggle with it. My non-Catholic wife thinks that it is a nice little earner.
Particularly, how can Mass be offered individually for the volume of our departed friends.
Mike

1. There is a difference between selling and a custom of donating.
2. The next time you are at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass listen to the prayers said by the priest around the middle of the service. The answer to your concerns is there.

 

[Incomplete]

If I understand correctly, the money doesn’t go to the Church, but to the individual priest. And as the previous poster said, it’s a donation, generally quite small. The priest can’t accept more than one donation a day, so no, it’s not a “nice little earner”, unless you want to emphasize the word “little.” Also understand that many people give nothing. It’s not required. It’s a donation.

Do you understand the reason Masses are offered for people who have died? If so, you should understand why people ask for this.

You ask how can Mass be offered individually for our volume of departed friends. Easily enough. I don’t know how many people die daily or annually from your particular parish, but it certainly doesn’t happen daily at the parish I attend. I know very few who keep asking to have Masses offered after the first year or so of death, and many don’t do it at all. Do you doubt that Masses are offered individually? If so, as the previous poster also said, just listen during Mass and/or check your parish bulletin.

 

[Lancer]

A ZENIT DAILY DISPATCH
Mass Intentions
ROME, 22 FEB. 2005 (ZENIT) Answered by Father Edward McNamara, professor of liturgy at the Regina Apostolorum Pontifical University.

Here is an excerpt (below) from the above source.

Here is the link to the complete Q&A on stipends for Mass.
ewtn.com/library/liturgy/zlitur70.htm

Bottom line:…your concerns and suppositions are ill founded…not to worry…canon law covers your concerns. Most importantly–the Mass; the Priest’s role…are well aeticulated…and hopefully will give you a better understanding.

Pax Christi

However, the custom of requesting a priest to offer the Mass for a specific intention, even when one cannot be physically present at the Mass, is a longstanding tradition in the Church.

This is because the Church considers the Mass as the greatest possible prayer of intercession insofar as it is the perfect offering of Christ to the Father by making present the paschal mystery of his death and resurrection.

Because of the particular role of the priest as mediator between God and man, acting “in persona Christi” when offering the holy sacrifice of the Mass, it is usually considered that special graces may be obtained when he applies the Mass to a particular intention.

The faithful generally make an offering, called a stipend, to the priest in order to apply the Mass to a specific intention. By making this offering, the faithful, by parting with something that is their own, associate themselves more intimately with Christ who offers himself in the sacred Host, and obtain thereby more abundant fruits (See Pope Paul VI’s letter “Firma in Traditione” of June 13, 1974).

This sacrifice has an infinite value and indeed there is no objective limitation to the number of intentions that can be offered at any Mass.

The offering of a stipend is also a means whereby Catholic may contribute to the upkeep of the clergy, and the Church in general.

However, so as to avoid even the appearance of commerce in sacred things, the Church regulates the practice of offering and receiving stipends in canons 945-958 of the Code of Canon Law and in some later decrees on specific applications of the code.

Thus, in normal circumstances, a priest may only accept one stipend for any one Mass even though he may offer up the Mass for several intentions.

Likewise, if he celebrates more than one Mass a day he may keep only one stipend for his personal use and must apply the others to some charitable cause determined by the bishop, often to help support the seminary.

When a Mass cannot be celebrated in the place it was requested, the excess intentions are passed on to other priests or the local bishop. They must assure that all Mass requests are fulfilled within the space of one year.

Some places, dioceses, sanctuaries, etc., that receive more requests than can be celebrated within a year, often entrust these intentions and their stipends to other priests who may not have regular intentions, such as monks and retired priests.

In some cases the extra intentions are also sent to the Holy See, which distributes them throughout the world.

 

[grannymh]

If I understand correctly, the money doesn’t go to the Church, but to the individual priest. And as the previous poster said, it’s a donation, generally quite small. The priest can’t accept more than one donation a day, so no, it’s not a “nice little earner”, unless you want to emphasize the word “little.” Also understand that many people give nothing. It’s not required. It’s a donation.

Do you understand the reason Masses are offered for people who have died? If so, you should understand why people ask for this.

You ask how can Mass be offered individually for our volume of departed friends. Easily enough. I don’t know how many people die daily or annually from your particular parish, but it certainly doesn’t happen daily at the parish I attend. I know very few who keep asking to have Masses offered after the first year or so of death, and many don’t do it at all. Do you doubt that Masses are offered individually? If so, as the previous poster also said, just listen during Mass and/or check your parish bulletin.

Small clarification of post 2, number 2. My answer was based on: “Particularly, how can Mass be offered individually for the volume of our departed friends.” Emphasis mine.

I will repeat my suggestion about listening to the prayers during the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Also, check out, by listening, if the Mass is offered exclusively for an individual? In fact, one can learn a lot about various purposes or intentions by listening.

It is correct that the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass can be offered for an individual and that name can be announced before Mass, during petitions, and in the parish bulletin. Sometimes, during the middle of the service, the priest will pause very briefly. He and the congregation could be silently thinking of someone they want remembered at this Mass. We are a community at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

As for the reason we pray for people who are deceased as well as praying for deceased people we don’t know – this, too, can be found in the prayers in the middle of the service.

A game one can play with one’s family is to ask how many times the Holy Spirit is mentioned during the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Record the guesses and then listen during the entire Mass.

Is there a theme in my replies?


Blessings,
granny

The human person is worthy of profound respect from the moment of conception.

 

[jtodisco]

Masses are not to be “sold”, but at the same time “the worker deserves his wages”. Think about how most of us donate money at collection time during the Mass. This isn’t us “buying” the Mass, it’s us helping to support the Church. Without such donations at any given parish that parish would eventually go bankrupt and have to close. Even with such weekly donations many parishes struggle to get by. Asking for donations to have a Mass said for a loved one is just another way for the Church to stay afloat and for you to show your appreciation for the service being done for you/your loved one.

However, as these are donations, no one should ever be denied the Sacraments just because they can’t donate a couple of bucks. To charge for the administering of a Sacrament is a SERIOUS sin called Simony after the man in the Acts of the Apostles who tried to buy the gift of the Holy Spirit from the Apostles.

With all of that said, sometimes (unfortunately) some members of the clergy come to expect a set donation and try to bully people into giving that amount. I experienced this first hand a few months ago when I asked to have a Mass said for my deceased brother. I am a nearly broke college student and when I went to ask for the Mass I thought the donation was only $5, not $10. So when the priest asked for $10 and I only had $9 in my wallet he was going to deny my brother a Mass. But I think he saw the shock and hurt in my face as he was about to erase the Mass reservation and just asked if I could bring the additonal dollar the next day (which I did, but still felt a little hurt by his actions).

Anyway, personal story aside, having Masses said for loved ones is a wonderful act of love on our part. The Mass is the greatest source of grace on earth as in it we receive our Lord through the Holy Eucharist. I hope my loved ones will have many Masses said for me after my death, I’m sure I’ll need them.

 

[braidwood]

I appreciate all your replies and the links.
Reading them has thrown a clearer light on how the Church views this.
God bless.