Need your advice on attending Mass

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You asked for tips. I spend most if mass with my eyes closed. It won’t help with your problem with the singing but does help with other distractions.
By the way, about half my parish is older women who sing alto. The pitch there is great for them.
 
jesusmademe said:
The Liturgy. People have too much opinions on eg what direction the Priest is facing.
I would likw to read about the official statement on this.
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For a start that is not a Church teaching. The Form of the Mass falls under Church disciplinary law and not doctrine. The only things that cannot be changed in a Mass is the consecration and the priest receiving. Everything else can be changed.
You have to learn to distinguish doctrine from discipline.

For your information the GIRM (General Instruction for the Roman Missal) is what governs the celebration of Mass and it is silent on which way the priest should face. In other words the priest may face the people or may have his back to the people.
 
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Shut out distractions, my mind wanting to critique and criticize
 
Is what happens at Mass chosen because it is suits most people?
Most people want low keys, very little Latin, versus populum and so on.
So they had “most people” in mind when they chose what was to be going on at Mass?
As a person who doesn’t fit in with the group “most people” I get frustrated.
 
thistle said:
For your information the GIRM (General Instruction for the Roman Missal) is what governs the celebration of Mass and it is silent on which way the priest should face
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I know but…is the Priest even allowed by his superiors to do so? And the people will get upset. They will say that he is rude. Having his back against the people like in the bad old days.
 
All of this really doesn’t matter. It just disturbs our peace at Mass.

Be grateful you can attend Mass–there are those who can’t.

Contemplate Christ on the cross and offer up the sufferings which are so small compared to His.

Focus on the details of the Mass and not on the details of the congregation.
 
jesusmademe said:
I know but…is the Priest even allowed by his superiors to do so? And the people will get upset. They will say that he is rude. Having his back against the people like in the bad old days.
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I repeat it is the GIRM that governs the celebration of Mass and it is silent on this matter.
Why would people get upset? This is only in your mind. If people know the reason they would be fine with it. You seem to be looking for problems where there are none!
 
Annie said:
Contemplate Christ on the cross and offer up the sufferings which are so small compared to His.
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Yes ma’am!
thistle said:
I repeat it is the GIRM that governs the celebration of Mass and it is silent on this matter.
Why would people get upset? This is only in your mind. If people know the reason they would be fine with it. You seem to be looking for problems where there are none!
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Do you know why versus populum is more common at the OF?
Is there a spiritual significance that I am missing? God must really want me to understand somethiing by allowing it. What is He saying?
I mean, most people see it a problem if they are attending the EF.
I wish somebody could just give me the reason for versus populum. Even people at Catholoc answers seem to prefer ad orientem.
Please explain.
Annie said:
Contemplate Christ on the cross and offer up the sufferings which are so small compared to His.
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Yes ma’am!
 
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jesusmademe said:
Do you know why versus populum is more common at the OF?
Is there a spiritual significance that I am missing? God must really want me to understand somethiing by allowing it. What is He saying?
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God is not saying anything. Stop overthinking this. You are not missing anything.
 
You would have to ask your Priest. Other things come into consideration, your parish may not set up where AO is possible. Consider the logistics.

At our parish, there is at least one Ad Orientum Mass offered each year, one of the All Soul’s Day Masses. The Altar at the Cemetery was built for Ad Orientum celebration.

Our Bishop will celebrate that Mass this year.
 
I, for one, have a terrible singing voice. I used to not sing. But then I was reminded that we are at Mass to praise and glorify God. We must put forth an effort. The Mass is all about God. It is not about us.
Through our prayers and our songs, we always give praise and glory to God!!! 🙏🙏🙏
 
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Then why change from whay already worked?
Why not just keep ad orientem if it worked?
 
You can ask all you want, but it won’t change anything. Wouldn’t it be better to just let it go and work on “accepting the things we cannot change?” You seem to really be stuck on certain aspects and it may be blinding you to the real reason you are at mass. Next time you feel distracted, focus your eyes on the crucifix on the altar. Keep them there and you will not be bothered by anything going on around you.
 
jesusmademe said:
Or they just choose a better higher key!!
It is easy! Just transpose it from D to F.
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No, we will not do that, and it is not easy.

I have played piano in church(es) for over 50 years (since i was a child), and I have played organ for almost ten years now.

I can transpose up or down a half-step (or semitone, it you prefer), but I cannot transpose several steps up or down. I know many musicians who can–it’s a skill that can be learned. But I can’t, and at this time in my life, don’t care to learn. Many churches have a Clavinova, and transposition can be done by the instrument.

HOWEVER–most Americans have a very narrow range, and most Americans do not know how to sing in a head voice, so singing “high” (anything about an “A” above middle C) is pretty much out of the question.

In the last few decades, many American schools have cut the amount of time spent on music education (and meanwhile, watch the math scores go down, down DOWN into the nether regions, as music and math go hand in hand!).

At the same time, many children grow up hearing nothing in their homes except recordings of pop, rock, country music, and ethnic music–none of which develop the ability to hear and match pitches and sing in a head voice.

Also, most children do not take any kind of music lessons, even in school. Band and orchestra classes have been jettiisoned along with choir in schools. Also, music lessons are expensive ($50/hour for piano lessons in my area), and I live in what would be called “the sticks”, although we are in a small city close to Chicago–but we’re’ still surrounded by country.

So most Americans are pretty illiterate when it comes to basic music knowledge and skills. Very very sad.

That’s why you hear what you consider “bad singing” in church. But at least your fellow parishioners seem to be singing. What I hear in many parishes is people who THINK they are singing, but they aren’t producing any sound–they are singing in their heads.

And…that’s OK, too. As several other posters have said on this thread, we don’t have to be professional singers to praise God in songs, hymns, and spiritual songs.

I think it’s good for Christians to try to improve their musical skills if they have the opportunity and means.

But in the meantime, as I play the piano or organ for Mass, I LOVE hearing the people sing, and I don’t really care if they are monotones, or totally off pitch, or warbling along with a huge vibrato, or singing too loud or too soft–I LOVE hearing them sing! They minister to me personally. And yes, they glorify God and give Him the glory, too, when they sing.

jesusmademe, try very hard to hear the people singing with God’s Ears, if you can. Imagine listening to your baby sing–would you criticize him/her for being off key, or not staying on the melody? Of course not. We are God’s children, and He loves to hear us sing to Him!
 
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jesusmademe said:
Then why change from whay already worked?
Why not just keep ad orientem if it worked?
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It’s got nothing to do with working or not. The Church allows it. Be humble and obedient to the Church. Focus on the real reason for the Mass and not on things which are allowed and you can’t change.You are simply going to make your life miserable if you focus on matters like this.
 
Why change the Eucharist fast to one hour if it worked?

The Church makes changes.
Irishmom2 said:
You can ask all you want, but it won’t change anything. Wouldn’t it be better to just let it go and work on “accepting the things we cannot change?” You seem to really be stuck on certain aspects and it may be blinding you to the real reason you are at mass. Next time you feel distracted, focus your eyes on the crucifix on the altar. Keep them there and you will not be bothered by anything going on around you.
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Amen!

I would also advise putting aside books/blogs/etc that lead you down these speculative roads.
 
As a music major and musician, it’s all I can do to sit through off key choirs. But my spiritual director told me to get over it and offer it up for the poor sinners. So I did. It doesn’t hurt any less now, but my head is screwed on straight now: it’s not about me and my privileged education.
 
If so many things happening at Liturgy seem like a personal affront, it’s really time to speak to someone about it.
 
@jesusmademe Consider this situation: we have a young woman who has cerebral palsy. She is in a motorized wheelchair and has lost her ability to talk and sing. Yet, she is at Mass every weekend. It is quite noticeable when she recites her prayers and sings. It’s a guttural sound that doesn’t in any way sound like speech or singing. No one flinches or is upset. I love to hear her sing and you can be sure that God does, too. Her voice is as beautiful as the Heavenly Angels.
 
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