Mass Question

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The church I go to does this during the family Mass and I really don’t like doing it…It’s not the priest doing it but the family mass coordinator…I was going to tell the preist but I don’t want to be a complainer…This is not part of the mass…I go to church to be with Jesus, not to be with the community…
 
dashso40 said:
The church I go to does this during the family Mass and I really don’t like doing it…It’s not the priest doing it but the family mass coordinator…I was going to tell the preist but I don’t want to be a complainer…This is not part of the mass…I go to church to be with Jesus, not to be with the community…
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Yes, same here. Coordinator does it. I feel the same way you do. I shake peoples hands around me and then the sign of peace I shake them again…seems odd.
 
No it isn’t happening all over the place - at least not here in Australia.

Personally, I think if it’s happening before Mass (as you say, before the Entrance even) then there’s nothing really wrong with it. It shouldn’t be done once the Mass has commenced, though.
 
LilyM said:
No it isn’t happening all over the place - at least not here in Australia.

Personally, I think if it’s happening before Mass (as you say, before the Entrance even) then there’s nothing really wrong with it. It shouldn’t be done once the Mass has commenced, though.
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Yes, it’s before it starts. Like “Hi Welcome to our Parish, please turn off all cellphones and pagers, and now take a moments and stand and greet those around you.”

After everyone sits back down, then the bells ring, and the entrance starts.
 
dnar said:
Yes, it’s before it starts. Like “Hi Welcome to our Parish, please turn off all cellphones and pagers, and now take a moments and stand and greet those around you.”

After everyone sits back down, then the bells ring, and the entrance starts.
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Same way in my church…It’s not that I’m antisocial but I have enough distractions in church, like my baby that I try to keep quiet, I really try to focus on Jesus…I don’t want to talk to anyone…
 
If it’s done before the Mass begins, it may be considered a local tradition and there’s no liturgical abuse (because it’s before the liturgy begins).
 
quiet52 said:
If it’s done before the Mass begins, it may be considered a local tradition and there’s no liturgical abuse (because it’s before the liturgy begins).
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It doesn’t happen in the UK to my knowledge, but I think it’s rather nice. It can take years to get to know people otherwise, or a lot of serving on committees.
 
We did this at my parish for a while. At the beginning it was after the entrance procession and I complained long and bitterly about that. It also wasn’t consistent, one priest did it, the other didn’t. Finally, they moved it to before the Entrance Procession and finally dropped it altogether.

I always found it very annoying that it would turn into a “Sign of Peace” moment: Normally when you meet your next door neighbour and greet him/her you don’t shake hands yet here we were acting like strangers rather than friends by a formal handshake before Mass. Not to mention that we’d usually greet the people around us as we slipped into our pew and that fact was being ignored.
 
dnar said:
When we enter our parish, we hear “Please stand and greet those around you.” This is said right before the Entrance starts.

Is this what is happening in all parishes across America? the World?

Just curious…and is it supposed to even be happening?

I never really thought of it until I read this question and answer on here.

forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=297511&highlight=please+stand
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Actually it shouldn’t be happening at all. The time prior to Mass is supposed to be a time of reflection and a time to prepare oneself to enter into the celebration of the Eucharist.

People who feel they need to greet others should do it outside, before coming into the church. I find that there are so many Catholics today that are disrespectful of Christ and others who are trying to get themselves in a holy state of mind for Mass. They should keep their conversations to a minimum and preferable outside.
 
It happened at an Ordinary Form Mass I attended on Easter. I wrote to the Bishop to complain.

It should not be happening. Talk to your priest about it.
 
Sancto_Spiritu said:
It happened at an Ordinary Form Mass I attended on Easter. I wrote to the Bishop to complain.

It should not be happening. Talk to your priest about it.
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If it happens before Mass and so is not part of Mass, it’s not governed by the rubrics.

On what grounds, therefore, did you complain?
 
I like this idea if it replaces the Sign of Peace. I think the Sign of Peace would be much more appropriate before Mass officially starts. However if it is in addition to the Sign of Peace I think it’s silly, though not really offensive.
 
puppypatrol said:
Actually it shouldn’t be happening at all. The time prior to Mass is supposed to be a time of reflection and a time to prepare oneself to enter into the celebration of the Eucharist.

People who feel they need to greet others should do it outside, before coming into the church. I find that there are so many Catholics today that are disrespectful of Christ and others who are trying to get themselves in a holy state of mind for Mass. They should keep their conversations to a minimum and preferable outside.
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It doesn’t have to be an either/or situation. People could be putting themselves into the right frame of mind during the time before the greeting, surely? Would acting in a friendly and welcoming manner to those around them wipe out those holy feelings? Surely not. If it does, I would question those holy feelings.

I don’t think the alternative you propose, of people standing around outside to greet others, is going to work, somehow, if only because that would result in a disruption when they all came into church at the last minute. It’s bad enough (at our church, at least) fighting one’s way out of church at the END of Mass, with having to run the gauntlet of the SVP collecting money, the Parents Assoc selling tickets for one thing, the Third World Group selling tickets for something else, people queing up to have a word with the priest and not moving away from the door…
 
We don’t do this in either of the parishes where I attend Mass, but there are others in town where this is the norm. At the parish where I sing, the priest signals the cantor he’s ready to start and the cantor says welcome to Holy Redeemer, and extends a special welcome to visitor and those who are new to the parish. Then he announces the first song, and says please rise.

They gets kind of nuts at the sign of peace though. Every member of the choir seems to think he or she needs to hug me. They’re running all over the choir stand, but fortunatley, it’s a very small choir of 7 or 8 most Sundays. Still, it drives me nuts. When I mentioned it as being too much, they gave me the “crazy old lady” look I get when I want to sing something in Latin.
 
Sancto_Spiritu said:
It happened at an Ordinary Form Mass I attended on Easter. I wrote to the Bishop to complain.

It should not be happening. Talk to your priest about it.
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I think Sancto means to say “In my opinion, it should not be happening.” I fully agree that the greeting before mass thing isn’t necessary and it distracts me. If it were happening at my parish I would certainly talk to the priest and tell him why it is distracting me. He, however would have every right to keep the practice because it is not covered in the GIRM or any liturgical book or publication that I know of. Therefore, others are right to say that is is allowed.
 
I’ve never seen this happen. A smile and waive to someone you know is fine, but there should be no conversations. You should be preparing for mass.
 
Several of you say that you go to Mass to be with Jesus not with the community.

How can that be possible unless you stay home.

That is what our great Mass is all about – being together as a community sharing in Word and Eucharist.

How can anyone say that they go to Mass to not be with other.

That is one of the great things about Catholicism – we are not a me and Jesus – it is us and Jesus – It is all about the community.

The 30 - 45 seconds it takes to stand and greet those around you to me is far less distracting than spending 10 minutes before Mass praying the Rosary.
 
We do that at our parish.Before Mass I’m trying to become recollected/praying. It bothers a little , but I can see the pastoral thinking behind it (in a number of ways). It’s not an actual abuse and if it gets people there to pay better attention during Mass…🤷
 
brigid12 said:
We do that at our parish.Before Mass I’m trying to become recollected/praying. It bothers a little , but I can see the pastoral thinking behind it (in a number of ways). It’s not an actual abuse and if it gets people there to pay better attention during Mass…🤷
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Individual “Pre-Mass praying time” is important – but it ends when the cantor or lector asks that cell phones be turned off, and “please stand and greet your neighbor.” The greeting takes 15 seconds at most before the choir begins the singing and the procession begins – and few people use words, they’re usually nods of the head, slight bows, or handshakes.
 
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