Please STOP Leaving Mass Early Right After Communion!

[Tis_Bearself]

We should not make a habit of leaving early. But I don’t agree with the author’s tone. From the article: if you leave early then “then you simply aren’t a practicing Catholic,” or you are practicing “spiritual mediocrity.” This seems like an “I’m a better Catholic than you are, I’m a better Catholic than you” conceit.

Again, that’s business as usual on this forum and on every Catholic blog site and website in general.
Best to just ignore it. If someone actually thinks that way, they can take it up with the Almighty.

 

[Sbee0]

Some people have to leave early of course for whatever reason but just in general - unless you have a good reason it feels to me like you’re not really meeting your Sunday obligation if you leave right after Communion.

Besides there was one person who left the Lord’s Last Supper early - and it didn’t end very well for him.

 

[Clementine14]

From the article:

We need to stop tolerating this kind of spiritual mediocrity. Mass is important, and if you want to be Catholic the Church requires us to attend Mass every Sunday (or Saturday evening) and Holy Day of Obligation. This means, barring a really good reason, being there on time and staying until the very end. If you aren’t willing to do this, then you simply aren’t a practicing Catholic (in which case, repent!).

I’m sorry, what? You aren’t a practicing Catholic if you leave early? Yes, people should stay until the end unless there is a particular reason why they cannot. But this article is ridiculous. “Need to stop tolerating”? How does one “stop tolerating” people leaving early? Block them at the door? Make them explain to the congregation why they’re leaving?

 

[Mi_Rose]

There is a church near us that has the ushers block the doors.

 

[angel12]

There is a church near us that has the ushers block the doors.

Oh, that would not end well if I needed to leave early.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

If ushers blocked doors in USA, someone would be giving newspaper interviews or filing a lawsuit because their kid / elderly mom/ themselves were sick and they couldn’t get out of the building.

 

[Mi_Rose]

They just stand all the way across the doors. I think if you told them why they would kindly let you leave and it is in the US.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

I would hope they would let me leave, because the last time I had to get up and rush out of a church I was about to pass out.

 

[Mi_Rose]

I think then they would try to help you.

 

[Crusaderbear]

I am sorry but,

Timing is between them and GOD, not them and TOD. Folks need to get over themselves! For the record, I stay until after the Recessional Hymn.

Casting stones and all…

 

[PetraG]

Do we think there are a lot of people who routinely leave Mass early to save time but who spend time reading threads like this? So–who are we talking to, those who leave early or those who watch others leave early?

I’ve left Mass early, but my husband was already waiting in our car with two screaming infants. Are there an awful lot of people leaving right after communion? Sure, if I drive into the parking lot towards the end of Mass, there do seem to be a considerable number driving out when Mass isn’t over yet. I have walked in to church (because I had to pick something up from the sacristy as soon as the last Mass was over) expecting that Mass must be over due to the number of cars leaving the parking lot, only to find that Holy Communion wasn’t even over yet!

Is that worrisome? Well, yes. Is it my business? No, no it isn’t. Maybe some or even all have a good reason and maybe they don’t, but unless they look like someone needs to follow them in case they collapse in the parking lot, I suggest that it is really none of our concern. I’d say if you see someone leaving Mass early, the only question you ought to have is whether they have a human need that charity moves you to rouse yourself to check on. Otherwise, our duty is to ignore them, concentrate on Mass ourselves, and leave the duty of educating people who don’t understand the matter to our pastor or the homilist.

So–what if we ask this…What would you, personally, consider a sufficient reason to leave Mass early?

I would hope they would let me leave, because the last time I had to get up and rush out of a church I was about to pass out.

Now, see, I think it would be a good idea to follow you. My aunt left church during the Eucharistic Prayer, presumably to get some water and take a nitroglycerin, passed out in the vestibule, and died right where she fell. If you think you might be needed to call 9-11 for someone who doesn’t look good, it isn’t time to mind your own business.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

Do we think there are a lot of people who routinely leave Mass early to save time but who spend time reading threads like this? So–who are we talking to, those who leave early or those who watch others leave early?

I tend to think there’s a lot of self-congratulation involved in these discussions.

 

[Sarcelle]

We need to correct each other of course but we need to know the person and their reason why they are leaving mass early. We don’t harangue a perfect stranger who leaves mass before the blessing when we don’t even know their name much less the reason they are leaving.

 

[PetraG]

I tend to think there’s a lot of self-congratulation involved in these discussions.

I understand why people are upset. If someone left just a dinner party abruptly and others found there was no good reason for it, of course they feel upset by that. Mass is a communal act of worship, after all. I don’t mean to say there is no reason to want those who can stay until the end to habitually do it or that it is nosy to want that. Of course a pastor might put an insert in the bulletin to educate those who might be leaving early for reasons that really aren’t sufficient–that is for their welfare! I’m saying that the people who do it aren’t likely to be reading this with us. We can only handle ourselves, and the big temptation for us is to worry too much about what doesn’t concern us at the expense of what does.

 

[Clementine14]

They just stand all the way across the doors. I think if you told them why they would kindly let you leave and it is in the US.

I don’t think I should have to say “I have a migraine and am about to vomit” to anyone before they would “let” me leave. Or that my son is having an allergic reaction. My husband shouldn’t have to explain that he’s on call and needs to exit.

Nobody should be blocking doors. And if they are, nobody should need to explain to them why they’re leaving to get them to move.

 

[Mi_Rose]

I agree. That is not the church I go to.

 

[Kei]

Actually it is impossible for one to make such as claim…true reverence is not just how one celebrates the Mass, but how one lives his life…and its impossible to conclude that those who attend EF Masses are “Actually”, or even “by and large” for reverent.

It includes questions concerning church teaching (and ergo presumably how they live their life as regards moral teaching). For the TLM people typically have to go out of their way, since the “ordinary form” is, after all, ordinary, then weekly Mass goers can be almost anyone, including those who are very reverent and love the Church and Church teaching and those who just go without really understanding why and what it is about. So, the results are not really surprising.

 

[PetraG]

I agree. But an article directed at no one in particular and addressing an issue as a whole is hardly an uncharitable act

I think the article was aimed at people who had been poorly catechized concerning what it meant to meet their Sunday obligation. He specifically said an emergency is an exception but that some people had been wrongly taught that leaving early was an acceptable option when there was no emergency.
It was the kind of thing that would be put into a bulletin or linked to a parish web page that the people who leave early might actually see and read, with a question-and-answer format that addressed the reasons people have for thinking the habit is OK. That’s just an educational piece, and as the author notes there is reason to believe that this misconception has lead to widespread bad habits that ought to be corrected.

 

[LML]

since the “ordinary form” is, after all, ordinary, then weekly Mass goers can be almost anyone, including those who are very reverent and love the Church and Church teaching and those who just go without really understanding why and what it is about.

The inconvenience of attending the Mass of an individual’s liking is far less a reverent sacrifice than living day to day as a good Christian.

 

[Beryllos]

The author (Brantly Millegan, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of ChurchPOP) has a point worthy of consideration, but he surely could present it better.

I found it confusing that he switches repeatedly between addressing like-minded Catholics (“We need to stop tolerating this”) and those he is trying to save (“Please stop doing this!”). Considering that his readers are more likely to be the former than the latter, I see the purpose of the article as self-elevation more than fraternal correction.