You know, you’d think that in Oregon, every church would have a vestibule for this kind of thing, for shaking off the coats and what not, considering our weather. The newer churches don’t have that, though! That physical space, the space between the sacred and the profane, that place where we can re-connect a little on the horizontal plane in a way that enhances the vertical emphasis, rather than violates it, that makes so much difference.
Our particular church building doesn’t really have that big of a vestibule/entry and it’s typically full with the baptismal font, the reader, father, altar servers, etc. before Mass. And people don’t seem to understand that they are walking into a holy place. If they are talking as the walk up the church, the keep talking even after they have sat down in a pew. There’s no quiet.
I know you’re bummed out, but that really isn’t fair. It is not true.
Well, my concern is that it’s heading towards that direction. I’m just really frustrated with this particular priest and I’m concerned that at this point I can do nothing to fix things.
I see what you mean. Still, there is the problem of the come-late-and-leave-early people. I really do want to know their names, too. Any foot in the door to convince them to stay around a little longer!
Suprisingly, we’ve haven’t had too many of the leave early type. If they do, it’s typically medical/health related or coffee and doughnuts related. There are, however, the show up as late as the Prayers of the Faithful, refuse to say any of the prayers, receive communion, and then leave. They end up sitting next to me so that’s the only reason I see them. And people have reached to them but they continue their behavior.
The Mass is a prayer that we offer together, as one people. You can’t get rid of either the vertical or the horizontal. If you do, you’re missing the point. Jesus prayed: “May they be one, as you and I are one”…that is the point, to roll our lives up as one in the single Acceptable Sacrifice, and be offered together to God, hidden together in Christ.
What I see is the lack of balance between the vertical and the horizontal, I only see what is going on at my parish and I can only speak to that but the horizontal keeps becoming more and more of the focus and what Father wants. As I mentioned, Father even said in the homily on Sunday that the horizontal is the most important relationship we have. There is no vertical relationship, not really, anymore. That is what I have a problem with since that’s all I see and hear at Mass anymore.
There isn’t a pyschological exercise that can make us one. Coffee and donuts won’t do it. Only the Mass, the source and summit of the Christian life, can do it. But the vertical does have to be there. If we don’t put our relationship with God first, we will never, ever love our neighbor as ourselves. The horizontal can’t happen without the vertical. We have to be disposed, but only God can make us one…just as we can’t be one with God if we reject his command to love each other. There is a cycle involved, but it starts and ends with the vertical.
But a balance is needed and there isn’t one, that’s what I’m getting at.
I can understand the objections to the meet-n-greet. I see the postive points, but I understand the down side, too.
I only object to it at my parish since now I feel that I’m not there to worship Jesus in the Mass but to make myself feel good. That’s the environment that’s created when I attend Mass. No Jesus, just me.
I’m just frustrated with my parish and things don’t look to be getting any better but rather much worse.
and hope to learn more.