McJesus-Communion To Go

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Being an altar server, I see the whole congregation gathered before the altar for communion. However, when they eceive the body of the lord, about half the people turn into football players, bowling over children and elderly women to get out 2 minutes early.

My basic question is, “Why?!?” What is the supposed reason behind this? I know it’s wrong, but how does one correct with gentleness?
 
Friend_Of_Rome said:
Being an altar server, I see the whole congregation gathered before the altar for communion. However, when they eceive the body of the lord, about half the people turn into football players, bowling over children and elderly women to get out 2 minutes early.

My basic question is, “Why?!?” What is the supposed reason behind this? I know it’s wrong, but how does one correct with gentleness?
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Talk you your priest. He could relay the message to the congregation that Mass does not end after the reception of Communion.
 
I am interested to see how long it last, but this past Sunday before Mass started, our pastor came out and did the announcements that usually are at the end of Mass. He came straight out and said that he is doing the announcements before Mass because so many people leave after communion. There did seem to be more people who stayed until the end of Mass before leaving, but that could have just been because there was cake after the mass for the seminarian who is leaving after spending his pastoral year with us.
 
Friend_Of_Rome said:
My basic question is, “Why?!?” What is the supposed reason behind this? I know it’s wrong, but how does one correct with gentleness?
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one could start by not trivializing the Eucharist with a mocking title for this thread. Planks and sawdust…
 
Funny you bring this up! My pastor in Las Vegas told the congregation once,“what do you guys think? Should we have a drive-through window for communion- like the drive through wedding chapels downtown? so many of you seem to just want to come by, have a quick meal and drink and leave”. Then he got serious and told people that they’re missing out on the final blessing and that Mass is not over until the blessing’s been said. I think I left once before the blessing, my excuse was my baby’s poopy diaper (and not to be graphic, but it was leaking out, ew!). Other than that, I wouldn’t leave before even kneeling down and praying after receiving Our Lord’s precious Blood and Body!
My pastor here in Germany just told an elderly lady the other day as she was trying to leave early, “you know what? There’s another bus coming in 20 minutes!” She didn’t dare leave…😉
Talk to our priest, tell him you likedhow he brought this up once, and you appreciate it if he did this on a regular basis to keep people from leaving. It’s disrespectful in my eyes (even with my baby’s poopy diaper, I still knelt down and prayed before exiting).God bless
 
promethius95945 said:
one could start by not trivializing the Eucharist with a mocking title for this thread. Planks and sawdust…
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Ouch, I lay mortally wounded, skewered by your rapier wit. :knight2:

Moving on.

The priest already knows about the problem, but he’s very non-confrontational. I worry that sometimes in trying to be nice, he forgets his role as a pastor. It’s not my, or our, part to judge him. Afterall, he’s from Borneo and barely speaks fluent English. He’s dealt with numerous other similair problems efficiently and correctly. (Rumors are he will be called back to Borneo to become a bishop.)

Once while I was giving out the Precious Blood at Mass, someone nearly ran into me in her haste to get out early. I, very kindly, said “Blood of Christ.” She froze in her tracks and looked as if she’d been caught escaping from prison.

Perhaps some form of education on the key nature of the Sacraments?
 
My pastor (who is non-confrontational to a fault) mentioned it once. He casually pointed out that there was only one Apostle who left the Last Supper early, and if we couldn’t remember which one that was, to see him after Mass REALLY ended. 😉
 
Cari said:
My pastor (who is non-confrontational to a fault) mentioned it once. He casually pointed out that there was only one Apostle who left the Last Supper early, and if we couldn’t remember which one that was, to see him after Mass REALLY ended. 😉
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:eek: 👍 👍
 
Cari said:
My pastor (who is non-confrontational to a fault) mentioned it once. He casually pointed out that there was only one Apostle who left the Last Supper early, and if we couldn’t remember which one that was, to see him after Mass REALLY ended. 😉
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And I bet that helped the issue! :extrahappy: Was it effective?
 
That reminds me of when I was a pre-teen and would go to Mass with my mother. As she was remarried without having her first marraige annuled, she would wait for the communion line to form and, in the bustle, take us all home.

I am still ambivalent about that. We’d get dirty looks from people whose attention should have been elsewhere. But it would have been nice to stay until the end…
 
I’ll have three wafer fingers and a super-sized hail Mary with that to go as well, thanks. Oh, and what is your happy Mass meal pope? Do we get John Paul or Benedict with it this time, or do we have to get Gregory the Great as well to complete the whole set?

That reminds me, I need to go to Mcconfession and get my super-sized contrition-burger with waffled prayer-browns.
 
Greg27 said:
I’ll have three wafer fingers and a super-sized hail Mary with that to go as well, thanks. Oh, and what is your happy Mass meal pope? Do we get John Paul or Benedict with it this time, or do we have to get Gregory the Great as well to complete the whole set?

That reminds me, I need to go to Mcconfession and get my super-sized contrition-burger with waffled prayer-browns.
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and zing, exactly why naming this thread with a title that trivialized the Sacrament Most Holy was a bad idea: if catholics ourselves can’t respect the Body and Blood of our Lord, how can others take us seriously? Moderator, please delete the above post.
 
promethius95945 said:
and zing, exactly why naming this thread with a title that trivialized the Sacrament Most Holy was a bad idea: if catholics ourselves can’t respect the Body and Blood of our Lord, how can others take us seriously? Moderator, please delete the above post.
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The post in question illustrates just how ridiculous people look when they plow through the Sacraments. I am not offended by it - it was used as an illustrative example. It does not mean that I have any less reverence for the Holy Eucharist.

I see no need for removing the post.

~Liza
 
This is a big problem at my parish that gets adressed about once a year, maybe. If the older priest is saying mass, the younger one will show up just before mass ends and stand by the door as people sneak out after commuinon. I guess this is to work on their minds a bit and get them uncomfortable with leaving early.
 
I would be absolutely MORTIFIED if I ran into a priest when ducking out of Mass early!! I’ve never done that in my life, but if I ever did and got caught, I would just want to crawl under the rug!!!

:eek:

~Liza
 
One of my ideas for “de-trivializing” the Mass and the Sacraments is for a higher degree of education and straight-forward preaching. If priests, deacons, nuns, religious and laity would speak out against irreverence the respect for the Catholic Churhc would greatly increase. Sure, people make fun of the Protestant televangelists, but that makes you stop and listen, if only for a second or two. That’s what they want. We, as Catholics, should not be afraid to proclaim the faith, even at the risk of looking foolish or, dare I say, stupid. We would be neither!

The areas of concern most prevalent in my conversations include


  1. *]The Eucharist
    *]Marian Devotions
    *]Moral theology
    *]Evangelization

    I think we can do it. I know we can. 👍
 
When I was a teenager my pastor gave a homily that tied in this very topic. He also mentioned people cutting each other off in the parking lot and how they seem to forget where they just came from. It was funny how many people stayed and how nice they were in the parking lot. Of course on the sad side… it only lasted a maybe a month before it slowly started again. But boy was it a classic at the time! I think everyone that was there remembers that homily!.. that is the ones who stay anyway.
 
I think we have to be charitable. A lot of people leave early because they are old and have a difficult time driving out of a crowded parking lot or perhaps their Detrol isn’t working well or because they simply are very tired and must get home. Or because they have young children and want to be able to bustle all their kids into those car seats without a crowd of people to distract the kids, and then get the kids home and to lunch/bed. It’s amazing the difference ten minutes can make with some children.

I think the Holy Spirit is capable of whacking people upside the head if they don’t have a good excuse like the ones above. I try not to worry about what others do after they’ve received the Lord. I need to worry about what I’m doing after receiving my Savior in the Blessed Sacrament!
 
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