Hi all. Brand new to this forum but I consider myself an amateur apologist. However I cannot find any information on this matter in particular. I have visited a local parish church here in town on a number of occasions and saw that the priest regularly invites people to come forward with their monetary gifts in a procession that bears a resemblance to a communion procession. This procession takes the place of passing the baskets. The priest would also hug the children that walked up to him with their individual gifts. Has anyone ever seen anything like this before and do you think that this may have a tendency to induce guilt with those not coming forward with a monetary gift? …
One last thing - there seems to be a trend developing here in several parishes in the city - everyone in the assembly goes from a kneeling position to a sitting position once the first row stands to get in line for the communion procession. When they return from communion they either kneel or sit. I have heard no priests make comments about this developing practice, perhaps because they are unaware of it happeneing. What do you think?
I have not seen a procession of individual gifts, without a collection. I do not think there is anything in the liturgical books that is being violated by doing it this way.
From the 2002 General Introduction to the Roman Missal (GIRM) which can be accessed from
romanrite.com/girm.html :
“44. Among gestures included are also actions and processions: of the priest going with the deacon and ministers to the altar; of the deacon carrying the Evangeliary or Book of the Gospels to the ambo before the proclamation of the Gospel; of the faithful presenting the gifts and coming forward to receive Communion.”
So the faithful presenting the gifts is a procession described in the same sentence as the Communion procession.
“73 … The offerings are then brought forward. It is praiseworthy for the bread and wine to be presented by the faithful. They are then accepted at an appropriate place by the priest or the deacon and carried to the altar. Even though the faithful no longer bring from their own possessions the bread and wine intended for the liturgy as in the past, nevertheless the rite of carrying up the offerings still retains its force and its spiritual significance.
It is well also that money or other gifts for the poor or for the Church, brought by the faithful or collected in the church, should be received. These are to be put in a suitable place but away from the eucharistic table.”
“105. The following also exercise a liturgical function:
…
c. Those who take up the collection in the church.
…”
Here n. 105 is referring to a collection. But there is nothing to suggest that there must be a collection at every Mass. In n. 73 it may be saying there is a choice “brought by the faithful or collected in the church”.
The 1975 Roman Missal’s Order of Mass has: “It is desirable that the participation of the faithful by expressed by members of the congregation bringing up the bread and wine for the celebration of the eucharist or other gifts for the needs of the Church and the poor.” (The Roman Missal, Catholic Book Publishing Co., New York, 1985, page 370).
I do not think applause at Mass is always inappropriate.
Ideally everyone should stand for the Communion procession. This would be following 2002 GIRM n. 42: “A common posture, to be observed by all participants, is a sign of the unity of the members of the Christian community gathered for the Sacred Liturgy: it both expresses and fosters the intention and spiritual attitude of the participants.”
“86. While the priest is receiving the Sacrament, the Communion chant is begun. Its purpose is to express the communicants’ union in spirit by means of the unity of their voices, to show joy of heart, and to highlight more clearly the “communitarian” nature of the procession to receive Communion.”
The 2002 GIRM n. 43 “… as circumstances allow, they may sit or kneel while the period of sacred silence after Communion is observed.” This is not referring to the time of singing, when the priest is saying “The body of Christ”. That is not a time of silence.
If it is understood that individual people have the option of sitting, kneeling or standing there will be difficulties with this singing. People will be distracted by issues of:
Should I be sitting now or kneeling?
If I am kneeling, am I am too close to the person sitting in front of me?
When is it time to stand? When is it time to sit?
So at least by everyone sitting there is a more unified posture. There is also less of the concern of the kneeling person being too close or hitting the sitting person in front of them.
