Perfunctorily celebrated Masses do harm. So do utilitarian Masses

[bjryman]

No, not at all. The Mass propers are important to maintain liturgical consistency. My hope is that an appropriate consideration of things like married priests are placed in serious offset to ever decreasing number of church communities. But that’s a digression from the topic at hand

 

[Augustinian]

When I was a young man, there was a mass scheduled for 11 am, and the next one was scheduled for 12:15. Further problems are with adjacent church with their own parking/traffic considerations.

Takes time to move the cars out of the parking lot, to make room for the next mass, and to get those cars parked.

The priest had to keep a good steady pace, and move the mass along and not to dawdle.

Otherwise, the schedule, the traffic just couldn’t be handled.

 

[Duesenberg]

I should add that I see another reason for utilitarian celebrations of the Mass in some parishes – certainly my own. The liturgical turf wars have been so brutal for so long that I think anything that can be licitly removed or ground away from the Mass has been in an attempt to limit fights over liturgical details.

Still, the people should be dealt with. The celebration of the Mass should not be made to suffer.

 

[Duesenberg]

When I was a young man, there was a mass scheduled for 11 am, and the next one was scheduled for 12:15. Further problems are with adjacent church with their own parking/traffic considerations.

Takes time to move the cars out of the parking lot, to make room for the next mass, and to get those cars parked.

The priest had to keep a good steady pace, and move the mass along and not to dawdle.

Otherwise, the schedule, the traffic just couldn’t be handled.

“Parking” is one of the prime excuses for getting through the Mass as soon as possible. Why not just re-set the schedule? Need a bunch of Masses? How about 06:00, 08:00, 10:00, noon, 2:00?, 5:00, 7:00?

The saddest thing is that “IN-AND-OUT” scheduling precludes fellowship opportunities as well…

 

[Horton]

I am fortunate to belong to a parish with a great priest. Mass is 50 minutes but nothing is lost in the Mass all the parts are there, nothing missing. Fr. has the art of the seven minute homily down. Nothing is rushed nor is there a sense of “lets just get through this”.

 

[Duesenberg]

I am fortunate to belong to a parish with a great priest.

Yes you are. But many of us are not.

 

[RandomAlias]

Shame on you. That’s called “being two-faced” where I live.

A good point. I will endeavor to be more charitable to everyone in every circumstance, and I pray that your efforts to improve liturgy will, with God’s help, strengthen the Church and bring many to a richer, deeper, and stronger faith.

(I really mean that. No joke, no trap, no hidden meaning.)

 

[Don_Ruggero]

I did not “miss” those things. I try to see things in a charitable way. I’m not about to speak ill of any priest, not online or offline, or judge him harshly, or count his faults and failings.

What a wonderful response. It should be emulated.

 

[Hereiam]

You claim, "There is one important thing I do need to mention. Many priests (mostly pastors) are often under pressure (sometimes by influential people in their parishes) to celebrate Mass in the absolute shortest time possible. I’m talking about Sunday Masses. There are some people out there from the old days who believe speed is king and a 43 minute Mass is infinitely “better” than a one hour (or longer) Mass."

This is entirely speculative, and therefore without merit. “Many” is subjective rather than objective.

“Some” rather than “many” might carry some weight, but without quantitative objectiveness, since I have heard of no such happenings, I could claim that “many” or even “most” priests are not pressured by influential or other people in their parish to “hurry” mass.

This claim lacks charity towards parishioners and priests alike.

 

[Augustinian]

There are some people out there from the old days who believe speed is king and a 43 minute Mass is infinitely “better” than a one hour (or longer) Mass.”

A lot of people live very busy lives, especially here in America.

If a mass is going to be 75 minutes or longer every Sunday, most people are fine with it- if that’s what it is every week. Ditto for a 43 minute mass, or and hour mass,or whatever.

Its not the only thing they have planned for the day in their busy schedule. Staying 20 minutes extra, making little Johnny late for soccer practice, staying even longer and getting the Faithful caught in the traffic caused by Central Baptist and 1st Assembly faithful leaving their churches can put a damper on their entire day that might take the rest of the day to untangle.

 

[Gertabelle]

RandomAlias:

Yes, some priests are energetic, brilliant, eloquent, graceful, or charismatic. Some priests are tired, anxious, inarticulate, stiff, or reticent.

Yes, there is always an abundance of excuses. Interesting how you missed: careless, uninterested, irritated, imprudent and a great, great many more…

Ever notice the focus is always on providing excuses? The more the better. Rarely are efforts made it seems to help Mass celebrants become less “tired, anxious, inarticulate, stiff, or reticent.”

Can you be sure? How can you know what is in their hearts? Judge not…

The best indicator are their actions. Lex orandi, lex credendi.

Support our priests and pray for them.

Let’s add “train, educate, set expectations for and discipline when necessary.” How does that sound?

I have to agree with Random on this one. There is nothing wrong with those of us in the pews casting a veil of charity and prayer on the situation.

Unless one is a Bishop, it is not our place to “train, educate, set expectations for and discipline” a priest. Nor is it the place of anyone but the Bishop (or religious superior in a community) to determine which priests need such remediation.

When I see a priest do something that I find disturbing – and yes, it does happen – by God’s grace I pray for him and everyone he encounters. To go beyond that would be to ignore the words of scripture:

“Therefore, you are without excuse, every one of you who passes judgment. For by the standard by which you judge another you condemn yourself, since you, the judge, do the very same things.” (Romans 2:1)

“Stop judging, that you may not be judged. For as you judge, so will you be judged, and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you." (Mt 7:1)

 

[CilladeRoma]

Perhaps you could enlighten us as to your definitions of “perfunctory” and “utilitarian.” And if someone uses the more humble term “vestments” instead of “habiliments,” is that a sign of being “utilitarian?”

I may be missing it, but @Deusenberg,
would you please answer this question, or lead me to where you did answer it.
Thanks.

 

[pnewton]

While there is nothing wrong in a reminder that God deserves our best, I do not see how this knowledge could ever justify judgment, especially from a distance. If one does not like the vessels or vestments used, offer to buy better. If the suggestion is about the attitude of the priest, as the term “perfunctory” and “utilitarian” allow, then it is better to spend energy on one’s own soul instead of trying to look through the eyes of God into the soul of one’s priest.

The Catholic Church gives the guidelines on what can be done. Trying to improve upon that standard and be more catholic than the Catholic Church, is less catholic (universal).

 

[CilladeRoma]

Why is EP #2 always their choice for instance?

Because it is a valid option that the priest may choose?

I would much rather hear EP 2 in a reverent manner than hear the Roman Canon buzzed through, so fast no one can understand what is being said, like what happens at my parish with our new priest.

 

[Don_Ruggero]

Unless one is a Bishop, it is not our place to “train, educate, set expectations for and discipline” a priest. Nor is it the place of anyone but the Bishop (or religious superior in a community) to determine which priests need such remediation.

This is exactly correct.

 

[cmjmevans]

No question about it.

 

[fide]

You wrote, “Let’s add “train, educate, set expectations for and discipline when necessary.” How does that sound?”

First, I agree, strongly, with the concern and spirit of your original post, and point. The Mass deserves from us what Jesus put into His Passion: worship, in spirit and truth.

Second, worship in spirit and truth is not infused into the soul of a seminarian by training, nor by education, nor discipline - at least, not in the common senses of those words. I think the one word, if rightly understood, that names what is needed in the seminaries is right formation.

And such formation must be deep in the man. The Cross of Jesus Christ must be formed in the man. The unction and fervor, reverence and holiness called for in the priest celebrant is not gained by a crash course in sacraments, and mandated prayer of the Office and daily Masses. It begins in an authentic encounter with Jesus Christ, and call from Him to follow Him, carrying the Cross - and indeed dying on the Cross - one day at a time that He might find place in the man, and live in him.

So many priests and pastors are so busy with the business of a parish! I believe they don’t have, and don’t find, and maybe even they don’t look for enough time in prayer, listening for His will in their priestly lives. The result - a perfunctory and utilitarian response to the call to priesthood.

The Church has been headed toward this for some decades now - we should have seen it coming; we should have prepared for it. But we, the laity, and we the clergy were too busy about other things - we did not notice the crisis coming at us.

 

[Duesenberg]

So many priests and pastors are so busy with the business of a parish!

That’s one of the longstanding universal excuses that’s routinely offered. If that’s indeed the case in some parishes then something needs to be done about it. Yes, it’s that important – not only for the laity, but for the priest as well.

The result - a perfunctory and utilitarian response to the call to priesthood.

That might indeed be the case in some parishes. A far more difficult problem to solve of course, but one that still needs to be addressed.

The Church has been headed toward this for some decades now - we should have seen it coming; we should have prepared for it.

What do you mean exactly? I’m not disagreeing, but what exactly changed?

When I was a child, my home parish had a pastor, 3 curates, a parish secretary, a religious sister who took care of the altar servers and linens and a volunteer maintenance coordinator. Business was done in the rectory, where the pastor maintained an office and a meeting room.

Today, on that EXACT SAME CAMPUS with perhaps 10% fewer parishioners and 1 less Mass/day on all 7 days, my home parish has: a pastor, 2 parochial vicars, a senior priest, 3 deacons, an office manager, 4 office assistants, a bookeeper, a bookeeper’s assistant, a music director and a total of NINETEEN (this number fluctuates, but I have my parish bulletin in front of me) lay pastoral “coordinators” for everything from a “liturgy coordinator” and a “environment coordinator” to a “physical plant coordinator” and a “baptism coordinator.” They are now located in a former apartment building that’s adjacent to my parish.

From what I can ascertain, my parishes actually provides somewhat fewer services (e.g. no more weekday evening Masses) then it did decades ago. The only new mandate is the “safe environment coordinator” from the diocese (which is a good thing.) What do all these resources (people) spend their time on? Please think about that for a moment. No, it’s not a matter of more people attending the parish or anything like that. where do you think the hours go (including the priestly hours?)

While I have never formally analyzed the parish, my years with McKinsey tell me that most of the resources go to dealing with/navigating the huge bureaucracy that has been constructed – largely by the laity over several decades.

This is the sort of thing that many don’t recognize, much less truly grasp. It’s a sort of situation that causes a great deal of frustration. It’s the sort of thing that does great damage to parishes and often to the people who populate them.

 

[fide]

Fide: The Church has been headed toward this for some decades now - we should have seen it coming; we should have prepared for it.

Duesenberg: What do you mean exactly? I’m not disagreeing, but what exactly changed?

What has changed? The Church in the West has been lounging, dozing, sleeping, while the world has been advancing, infiltrating, seducing, developing. There were problems in the Church prior to Vatican II, and the world was on the cusp of moral revolution. Vatican II, plus the “silly sixties” in the secular culture - drugs, sex and rock 'n roll - was the spark finding tender fat kindling wood, and there was ignition. All has gone downhill since. IMHO.

The Church has still not awakened! The world accelerates! There is now so much of the world IN the Church, that perhaps the die is cast; perhaps these are the beginnings of the last days. Maybe we will see it, in our lifetimes. I never thought I would, when I was younger - the prophesies all seemed so improbable… But I never thought, in my lifetime, that I would see the America of today.

 

[Duesenberg]

What has changed? The Church in the West has been lounging, dozing, sleeping, while the world has been advancing, infiltrating, seducing, developing. There were problems in the Church prior to Vatican II, and the world was on the cusp of moral revolution. Vatican II, plus the “silly sixties” in the secular culture - drugs, sex and rock 'n roll - was the spark finding tender fat kindling wood, and there was ignition. All has gone downhill since. IMHO.

The Church in the East has fared even worse…

There was nothing wrong with the content of V2. The quality and timing of its implementation was hideous however. A true failure that the Church continues to struggle with.

I do think the Church is incredibly slow and often clumsy when it comes to reacting to threats. That has become even more obvious in the Internet world we live in today. It really does need to change.

The Church has still not awakened! The world accelerates! There is now so much of the world IN the Church, that perhaps the die is cast; perhaps these are the beginnings of the last days. Maybe we will see it, in our lifetimes. I never thought I would, when I was younger - the prophesies all seemed so improbable… But I never thought, in my lifetime, that I would see the America of today.

I think the Church is largely awake today. The problem is one of not taking action, not taking action soon enough or not taking the appropriate action.