Mass for th Repose of the Soul of Osama Bin Laden???

[yorkieville]

I noticed in my Sunday bulletin, that someone had scheduled a mass on Thursday for the Repose of the Soul of Osama Bin Laden.

I make up the weekday schedule, and my DH & I serve on Thursday morning, but honestly, we don’t feel we can attend this mass.

I would love to hear others thoughts.

 

[At_Trent]

I’ve never heard of a Mass being said for anyone other than a deceased Catholic.

I’d say let it ride. It’s only going to be mentioned briefly, and you don’t have to pray for him if you don’t want to.

 

[yorkieville]

Thank you.

I guess, we both just feel uncomfortable, as my DH is Altar Serving that day, and I am the Eucharisitc Minister.

Our Pastor loves to go on durig his Homily about how all war is wrong, exphasizing that we in the U.S. are wrong, as well.

If we have to sit through that sort of Homily, I don’t think I can deal with it.

I’d have gladly prayed for him, while he was alive, but it seems strange that there is a mass dedication for his soul, now.

 

[gurneyhalleck1]

I would not attend. I’d find it insulting and irregular and all-out an insult to the families of 911 victims. It has no place at a Catholic parish anyway. Call your bishop and complain. Complain to the newspaper and anyone who will listen. This stinks IMO.

 

[Gertabelle]

I noticed in my Sunday bulletin, that someone had scheduled a mass on Thursday for the Repose of the Soul of Osama Bin Laden.

I make up the weekday schedule, and my DH & I serve on Thursday morning, but honestly, we don’t feel we can attend this mass.

I would love to hear others thoughts.

It’s the MASS! Who cares who it’s being offered for? It’s the Mass, and that’s all that matters. Who it’s being offered for doesn’t change the sacrifice of Calvary which is continued at Mass – and Jesus died for Bin Laden as certainly as he died for you and me. Whether or not Bin Laden died without repentance or remorse (ultimately rejecting Christ’s sacrifice) is between God and him alone.

If Bin Laden rejected God in his final moment, he is in hell and the graces of the Mass will be showered on those who need it, as God sees fit.

Go to Mass and offer your discomfort with this for an outpouring of grace for his victims and their families.

Gertie

 

[yorkieville]

I would not attend. I’d find it insulting and irregular and all-out an insult to the families of 911 victims. It has no place at a Catholic parish anyway. Call your bishop and complain. Complain to the newspaper and anyone who will listen. This stinks IMO.

My DH and I feel that it is insulting. Our son served 15 years, in the Army. Our nephew is serving now, in the Marines.

My sister lost a dear friend on the flight on 9/11, trying to save the people in the other plane. He left behind a wife and children.

We would feel like hypocrites, attending.

 

[yorkieville]

It’s the MASS! Who cares who it’s being offered for? It’s the Mass, and that’s all that matters. Who it’s being offered for doesn’t change the sacrifice of Calvary which is continued at Mass – and Jesus died for Bin Laden as certainly as he died for you and me. Whether or not Bin Laden died without repentance or remorse (ultimately rejecting Christ’s sacrifice) is between God and him alone.

If Bin Laden rejected God in his final moment, he is in hell and the graces of the Mass will be showered on those who need it, as God sees fit.

Go to Mass and offer your discomfort with this for an outpouring of grace for his victims and their families.

Gertie

No, My DH and I just cannot attend this mass. And we will find out who dedicated it, and we will speak with our Bishop.

We are at mass 7 mornings every week, this is just not one I intend to suffer through.

 

[Gertabelle]

No, My DH and I just cannot attend this mass. And we will find out who dedicated it, and we will speak with our Bishop.

We are at mass 7 mornings every week, this is just not one I intend to suffer through.

A Mass can be offered for anyone, but there are times when it should be listed under the name of the person requesting it – “for the intentions and spiritual benefit of Bob” – and if Bob wants to offer the graces of the Mass for Bin Laden, that’s his private choice. I don’t know if the Bishop can regulate who Masses are offered for but he might be able to offer guidance about how those intentions are presented to the public.

When you posted how your priest uses the homily to make political commentary, I cringed at how this Mass might go. I was assuming it was just some random parishoner who paid for the Mass – but it sounds like it might turn out to be a political meeting.

Our Lord will still be present at the Mass, and it will still be the ongoing sacrifice of Calvary. I am certain our loving Father will understand your choice. Perhaps spend that Mass time in prayer for all the victims of this man.

My father was a veteran, and I have the flag from his funeral encased above my fireplace. Several of my former students and my cousin’s daughter have served multiple tours in Afghanistan and Iraq. I am my son’s Cub Scout den leader. I have taught Scouts and students to fold the flag properly. I fly a flag in my front yard, know all four verses of “America the Beautiful” and teach them to my public school students.

It is not for lack of patriotism, nor for a lack of awareness of heinousness of this man’s crimes that I recommended going to this Mass in spite of the Mass intention.

God bless y’all.

Gertie

 

[jpjd]

No, My DH and I just cannot attend this mass. And we will find out who dedicated it, and we will speak with our Bishop.

We are at mass 7 mornings every week, this is just not one I intend to suffer through.

I would do exactly the same if I were you.

Except I would go to the priest first.

 

[ConstantineTG]

I noticed in my Sunday bulletin, that someone had scheduled a mass on Thursday for the Repose of the Soul of Osama Bin Laden.

I make up the weekday schedule, and my DH & I serve on Thursday morning, but honestly, we don’t feel we can attend this mass.

I would love to hear others thoughts.

I think its a great thing. It helps us understand the true Christian virtue of praying for anyone and everyone. God alone is the judge. We are not asked to judge one another but instead love one another.

 

[ConstantineTG]

A Mass can be offered for anyone, but there are times when it should be listed under the name of the person requesting it – “for the intentions and spiritual benefit of Bob” – and if Bob wants to offer the graces of the Mass for Bin Laden, that’s his private choice. I don’t know if the Bishop can regulate who Masses are offered for but he might be able to offer guidance about how those intentions are presented to the public.

When you posted how your priest uses the homily to make political commentary, I cringed at how this Mass might go. I was assuming it was just some random parishoner who paid for the Mass – but it sounds like it might turn out to be a political meeting.

Our Lord will still be present at the Mass, and it will still be the ongoing sacrifice of Calvary. I am certain our loving Father will understand your choice. Perhaps spend that Mass time in prayer for all the victims of this man.

My father was a veteran, and I have the flag from his funeral encased above my fireplace. Several of my former students and my cousin’s daughter have served multiple tours in Afghanistan and Iraq. I am my son’s Cub Scout den leader. I have taught Scouts and students to fold the flag properly. I fly a flag in my front yard, know all four verses of “America the Beautiful” and teach them to my public school students.

It is not for lack of patriotism, nor for a lack of awareness of heinousness of this man’s crimes that I recommended going to this Mass in spite of the Mass intention.

God bless y’all.

Gertie

I disagree! God will understand? He won’t understand why we can’t pray for those who are our enemies.

[BIBLEDRB]Matthew 5:44-48[/BIBLEDRB]

This is an exercise in letting go of our pride. God doesn’t want hate between us and our enemies. He wants us to love unconditionally as He loves us unconditionally. He will judge Osama, not us.

 

[jpjd]

To keep politics out of it and to have compassion for American victims, this type of Mass intention is best stated as “to pray for the intention of Bob Smith”, with Bob Smith being the one who submitted this intention.

 

[runningdude]

…Complain to the newspaper and anyone who will listen. This stinks IMO.

Please, PLEASE, PLEASE do not report this kind of thing to the news media. They would totally blow it out of proportion and do nothing but cause scandal.

Catholics pray for people, sometimes unpopular people, sometimes evil people, sometimes for questionable political reasons. We shouldn’t turn prayer into scandal.

 

[ConstantineTG]

To keep politics out of it and to have compassion for American victims, this type of Mass intention is best stated as “to pray for the intention of Bob Smith”, with Bob Smith being the one who submitted this intention.

Have you watched the movie, “The Kingdom”? I think it makes a nice point on how the desire for revenge from both sides perpetuates the problem. It becomes a never ending circle of death and revenge. At some point people need to learn to forgive, and why not it come from the side that is Christian? It is the hardest thing to do, but if Pope John Paul II can visit his assassin in prison and forgive him, why can’t we do the same?

 

[Gertabelle]

I disagree! God will understand? He won’t understand why we can’t pray for those who are our enemies.

[BIBLEDRB]Matthew 5:44-48[/BIBLEDRB]

This is an exercise in letting go of our pride. God doesn’t want hate between us and our enemies. He wants us to love unconditionally as He loves us unconditionally. He will judge Osama, not us.

Yes, God will understand why they don’t go to Mass: “He plumbs the depths and penetrates the heart; their innermost being he understands” (Sirach 42:18). It is not for us to judge what we perceive to be the weakness of our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Personally, I would be able to go to a Mass offered for Bin Laden. It’s the MASS! I figure I could handle it even if the priest did try to turn the Mass into a political soapbox. As for who the Mass is offered for, that’s not my concern. I pray for ALL when I go to Mass, and for my own specific intentions as well.

But God understands the hearts of those whose opinions and choices of action differ from mine. Just as I don’t stand in judgment on Bin Laden’s soul, neither do I stand in judgment of those who do (not saying that’s where the OP is coming from). Those of us who can pray for the Bin Ladens of the world must do so, but without passing judgment on those who can’t.

Just my two cents.

Gertie

 

[ConstantineTG]

Yes, God will understand why they don’t go to Mass: “He plumbs the depths and penetrates the heart; their innermost being he understands” (Sirach 42:18). It is not for us to judge what we perceive to be the weakness of our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Personally, I would be able to go to a Mass offered for Bin Laden. It’s the MASS! I figure I could handle it even if the priest did try to turn the Mass into a political soapbox. As for who the Mass is offered for, that’s not my concern. I pray for ALL when I go to Mass, and for my own specific intentions as well.

But God understands the hearts of those whose opinions and choices of action differ from mine. Just as I don’t stand in judgment on Bin Laden’s soul, neither do I stand in judgment of those who do (not saying that’s where the OP is coming from). Those of us who can pray for the Bin Ladens of the world must do so, but without passing judgment on those who can’t.

Just my two cents.

Gertie

Well, we can’t know the mind of God for real. But to me from what I read from Scripture which I quoted with my last post, I believe the expectation from God is for us to pray for our enemies. And the people who would have otherwise gone to that Mass but refused to for that reason has shown their refusal to heed this. They themselves need prayers for healing and understanding.

 

[kimmielittle]

Human justice / revenge took his immortal life - does revenge also claim that which belongs to GOD - his soul??

 

[anp1215]

It’s the MASS! Who cares who it’s being offered for? It’s the Mass, and that’s all that matters. Who it’s being offered for doesn’t change the sacrifice of Calvary which is continued at Mass – and Jesus died for Bin Laden as certainly as he died for you and me. Whether or not Bin Laden died without repentance or remorse (ultimately rejecting Christ’s sacrifice) is between God and him alone.

If Bin Laden rejected God in his final moment, he is in hell and the graces of the Mass will be showered on those who need it, as God sees fit.

Go to Mass and offer your discomfort with this for an outpouring of grace for his victims and their families.

Gertie

Great response. By the way, there is already a similar thread on this…

 

[Stylites]

Please, PLEASE, PLEASE do not report this kind of thing to the news media. They would totally blow it out of proportion and do nothing but cause scandal.

Catholics pray for people, sometimes unpopular people, sometimes evil people, sometimes for questionable political reasons. We shouldn’t turn prayer into scandal.

Stop the presses! Catholics are praying for those who curse them! Harken! Catholics love their enemies!

Seriously, this rush to air even clean laundry which others might call dirty and unpopular, in an effort to coerce and embarrass the Church, is most unfortunate.

 

[Gertabelle]

Well, we can’t know the mind of God for real. But to me from what I read from Scripture which I quoted with my last post, I believe the **expectation from God **is for us to pray for our enemies. And the people who would have otherwise gone to that Mass but refused to for that reason has shown their refusal to heed this. They themselves need prayers for healing and understanding.

Our Lord also told us to be perfect as our Heavenly Father is perfect. But who can meet that expectation?

This couple attends Mass DAILY. When I can show up more than twice a week, I might have something more to say to them. I’m sure they know that Our Lord tells us that we must love our enemies (not just pray, but love). If they can’t do that at this point, then they can’t. There are requirements of Our Lord that I cannot yet meet either.

Those of us who can pray for the Bin Ladens of the world should thank God the grace that makes that possible. But I’m not about to point a condemning finger at this faithful couple knowing they could full well be my accusers if we start discussing other tenets of the faith.

So anyone who doesn’t know that Our Lord commands us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us (Matt. 5:44), stand on your heads.

Seriously, I know there is a difference between knowing and doing. And there’s a difference between not being able to do, and not being willing to do. While we are working on loving our enemies and praying for those who persecute us, we should also be praying for one another, for those areas in which we are unable or unwilling to meet God’s expectations.

Done.

Gertie