Okay or not to leave Mass early?

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BarbaraTherese said:
I am not too sure what any current ruling may be, but certainly prior to V2 one had not properly attended at Mass unless one arrived before The Gospel.
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That one priest I mentioned earlier also said it used to be like that, but that now it has been changed to if you miss ANY of the readings you have missed mass??
 
Kathrin said:
That one priest I mentioned earlier also said it used to be like that, but that now it has been changed to if you miss ANY of the readings you have missed mass??
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Thanks for this Kathrin! As I said, I am unsure of what any current ruling may be and it can be difficult to keep up with everything …Blessings - Barb:)
 
I have a youngster, but we never leave before at least 1 verse of the recessional hymn. I actually consider that leaving early. The priest is already out and greeting folks though.
 
For myself personally with the final hymn usually addressed to The Lord in some way (St. Augustine said that the person who sings, prays twice:) ), I like to stay until it is finished if I am able and leave with the whole community. Few actually, very few, in our parish leave prior to the end of the final hymn - sometimes however it is necessary for some reason to leave Mass early and I never take much notice of those who do. Not all share my thoughts re the final hymn and some really must leave early for some reason. Blessings - Barb:) and with goodwill always…
 
BarbaraTherese said:
Thanks for this Kathrin! As I said, I am unsure of what any current ruling may be and it can be difficult to keep up with everything …Blessings - Barb:)
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I am really not sure what the rulings are! Another priest told me later that you have only missed mass if you’re not in time for the offertory. So there are two different priests at two different churches who told me two different things…
 
Kathrin said:
I am really not sure what the rulings are! Another priest told me later that you have only missed mass if you’re not in time for the offertory. So there are two different priests at two different churches who told me two different things…
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Hi Kathrin…it can be difficult to get at what is the current actual ruling by The Church. I went to a Jesuit university once simply to discern what the actual position of The Church was on a certain rather obscure matter and spoke with a Jesuit lecturer…and later found out that what he had told me was completely wrong. I think with the internet at my fingertips, I am finding such things not as difficult to discern…especially with really knowledgeable people on these Forums who can quote Church documentation. I have resorted to the Apologetics Forum a few times and got very clear and concise answers with accompanying links to Church documentation etc. Blessings - Barb:)
 
I didn’t vote because I don’t think there is anywhere you can sit where it is ok to leave early. Leaving early is wrong! Unless you are sick, there’s no reason to leave early. Having little kids is not an excuse. Sorry parents. I have three daughters. Unless your child is screaming crying or throwing a fit, there’s no reason to leave. I sit by many families who have several kids babies thru 9yrs. Yes it is a bit noiser next to them but it is to be expected. If people around you don’t understand then tell them to have the Church add a nursey like the Protestants have.

If your child is going through a really rough stage (terrible twos) and you are trying everything and it’s not working then have dad stay home while mom goes to Mass Saturday night and just switch a bit. My doctor said he did this for a while. He waited until they got to be 3yrs then they started going as a family instead of switching.

I know it’s not easy. There were a few times I had to take my daughters out of Church, say a few words to them, give them the strong mom eye and we marched right back in. Eventually they got the message that they couldn’t act up in Church.

Honestly, if you can’t stay for the whole Mass then please don’t go, find another way. Sheesh, you don’t see Protestants leaving early. It was unheard of when we were attending the Protestant Church. :eek: People would have looked at you strange and thought there was something wrong. :eek:
 
I sort of look at the obligation issue as a non-issue; for me it seems some look at it like the grace received is like some sort of substance and it’s not “activated” unless one stays for the final blessing. It strikes me more as rude, leaving someone’s house where you’ve been invited to dinner without saying thank you and goodby.

In the past, I used to get a bit miffed at those who left early and routinely to beat it out of the parking lot. Then I had a conversation with our music director, who had a bit of a different take. He felt a bit sorry for those folks, because they don’t have a good appreciation for the entirely of the mass. He thought many of them come for the “cheap grace”; that you get more out of mass the more you put into it.

Now, it’s no longer upsetting to me, but an a reminder of what exactly we’re there for.
 
Cristiano said:
I personally think that it is sinful to leave the Mass before it ends. The precept of the Church says to attend Mass on Sundays. It does not say to attend part of the Mass.
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It might not be respectful to leave the Mass early unless some emergency has arisen but it is certainly NOT a sin.
 
BonnieBj said:
If I have to leave Mass early I would do so as unobtrusively as possible. A couple of Sundays ago there were 2 extra collections with speakers after communion/post-communion prayer time. I am a diabetic; I felt my blood sugar dropping (it’s called hypoglycemic awareness) and I needed to get to my car to eat.

Before you self-righteous folks out there call leaving Mass early a sin, make sure you know the circumstances. Perhaps this is why the Lord told us “Judge not lest ye be judged.” Which scenario would be better: a respectful & reverent leave-taking out a nearby side exit (we sit there for just such emergencies) or staying and letting my blood sugar fall so that I go into a coma and 911 has to be called and what’s left of the Mass is totally disrupted and upset?

I do my best with my meds and dietary measures to prepare for Mass so that I won’t have problems, but 2 extra collections with long-winded speakers was not something I could have foreseen.
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Bonnie,

Yours is a medical reason and it is quite alright to leave a little earlier to avoid a diabetic episode.
And I am sure that there are other good reasons for exiting mass before the priest processes out.
Another example would be an elderly person who requires additional attention to walk to the vehicle, get in etc etc.
People who unfortunately work on Sunday and have to leave immediately after communion. This is especially true of military chapels on post.

Now, with all of those special, extenuating circumstances aside…
the mass conmemorates the actions at the Last Supper…who was the one person who left before everyone else?

To leave mass early for selfish reasons is to re-create the actions of Judas.

There was a priest who would say to those people, " don’t forget to pick-up your 30 pieces of silver on your way out".

It worked. After that, no one (except the obviously necessary) would dare step foot out of the pews until we finished recessional hymn.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum.
 
I personally don’t believe leaving mass early is ok unless there is an emergency or other extenuating circumstance. My family always liked to stay till the end of the last verse sung in a hymn, then we’d just wait around in the pews, pray, until the crowds cleared out of the church and the parking lot. Although once, my mother had a bad asthma attack due to someone’s perfume wafting around and we couldn’t stop it. So, we had to leave. (We were all children then.) Another time, a man was having a heart attack and the mass was stopped as my father, mother (both medical professionals) and another medical professional attended to him until an ambulance arrived. The person was right in the front, so there was no way to get him off to the side so that the mass could continue. Once the ambulance came and the person was taken out safely, the priest resumed the mass and asked everyone to pray for the man.

But, I do know that some people believe the recessional hymn is just a tack on to the end of the mass, so if they stay till the priest says, “The mass is ended…” then they’ve stayed through the entire mass. I’ve also noticed that people will stay during the recessional hymn, but only until the priest passes them along the aisle. You would then see the pews empty out from the front to the back. Some of the priests handle that “problem” by standing up at the sanctuary until about 2 verses of the hymn are sung, then they proceed to process out.
 
Sarabande said:
I personally don’t believe leaving mass early is ok unless there is an emergency. My family always liked to stay till the end of the last verse sung in a hymn, then we’d just wait around in the pews, pray, until the crowds cleared out of the church and the parking lot.

But, I do know that some people believe the recessional hymn is just a tack on to the end of the mass, so if they stay till the priest says, “The mass is ended…” then they’ve stayed through the entire mass. I’ve also noticed that people will stay during the recessional hymn, but only until the priest passes them along the aisle. You would then see the pews empty out from the front to the back. Some of the priests handle that “problem” by standing up at the sanctuary until about 2 verses of the hymn are sung, then they proceed to process out.
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Additionally,

As of about 3 or 4 months ago, we’ve been saying the St. Michael Archangel prayer at the end of the recessional hymn.

Consequently people even more so remain in their pews thinking that they might be “missing out” on something special at the end.

It works.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum.
 
Newbie2 said:
I sort of look at the obligation issue as a non-issue; for me it seems some look at it like the grace received is like some sort of substance and it’s not “activated” unless one stays for the final blessing. It strikes me more as rude, leaving someone’s house where you’ve been invited to dinner without saying thank you and goodby.

In the past, I used to get a bit miffed at those who left early and routinely to beat it out of the parking lot. Then I had a conversation with our music director, who had a bit of a different take. He felt a bit sorry for those folks, because they don’t have a good appreciation for the entirely of the mass. He thought many of them come for the “cheap grace”; that you get more out of mass the more you put into it.

Now, it’s no longer upsetting to me, but an a reminder of what exactly we’re there for.
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WOW! This post shows a lot of growth in your faith on your part. I love your reply.
Kathrin
 
Matthew 7
3 Any why seest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye; and seest not the beam that is in thy own eye?
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I may not fail in this particular point…but then I know I jolly well fail in plenty of others and I guess “people in glass houses should not throw stones”…and “judge not that you may not be judged”. These are in the main reminders to myself!

An excellent homily on this point to the Sisters of our Benedictine Abbey of Jamberoo by mother prioress (now dec’d). While it addresses her nuns, the underlying theme is applicable to all.
jamberooabbey.org.au/html/reflections/reflections.htm

This is a portion only of the text on the above link and the whole homily is very short.
We are all weak; We are all strong. It depends upon what aspect of the life we are considering! I will give only one illustration of my meaning and you can then apply it across the whole spectrum of the life.
One sister, let’s say, is amazingly generous and self-giving; she can always be asked to help and she will respond with joy. She is very strong in generosity. However, the same sister, despite her genuine efforts not to is always disturbing the silence and the silent prayerful spirit of others; she bustles around, gets carried away with what she is doing; her deportment is often busy, loud and agitated. Her voice is loud and she says anything which comes into her head in any place whatsoever. She is therefore very weak in monastic silence but she is genuinely trying though we may not see her efforts.
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I am reminded too of a story from the Desert Fathers. A monk had been excluded from chapel for some sort of offence in the community and the next few days, the abbot was absent from chapel as well and when queried about it, said “I too am a sinner”.

Be all this as it may, it would be interesting to know if there is any actual Church ruling on when one should arrive at Mass and when leave. If no one can post a link, I’ll pose the question into Apologetics.

Blessings…Barb:)
 
I am sorry to say I have left Mass early a few times this year. There comes a work week where I cannot go to Mass Saturday night and the only Mass I can attend that will allow me to get to work on time is a very long one with lots of announcements (it’s a huge parish).

I end up leaving right before the man stands up with his parish even calendar.

:o

It’s quite against the way I was raised lol. But I’ve gotten enough points from being late to having to resort to this. I guess I could always make a statement by getting fired for it. :cool:

It was really a very nice job until a new corporate manager was promoted this year.
 
We do not leave until the final blessing. But, sometimes/rarely, we leave after the priest has exited and the recessional is still playing.

I don’t want to get engaged in a conversation in the nave. And, often people in my parish will greet each other after Mass.

Plus, I think it’s kind of nice to recess to the recessional.

But, we generally hang out after Mass and visit with parishioners in the Narthax or Parish hall.
 
There is one mass I like to go to where cookies and coffee are served afterwards.
Of course those who help serve have to go a little early, I have done it myself before, but you can still hear the mass from the vestibule.🙂
And it’s another reason for more people to stay till the end! 😉

Kathrin
 
By right, no one should leave the Mass until the priest says, “Go, the Mass is ended” and he gives his final blessing to the congregation. I was taught that to leave Mass without the blessing at the end was as if one’s obligation was not fully licit on Sunday.
 
peary said:
By right, no one should leave the Mass until the priest says, “Go, the Mass is ended” and he gives his final blessing to the congregation. I was taught that to leave Mass without the blessing at the end was as if one’s obligation was not fully licit on Sunday.
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Do you think it’s okay to leave after the priest exits, but the recessional is still being sung?
 
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