Preserving Dignity at Mass

[Friend_Of_Rome]

One might call me a stickler for the rules, but when it comes to the Mass, whouldn’t we al be such “sticklers?” I recently read the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM), and found in it the core precepts of liturgical worshop. All the technicalities . . . one would wonder if theyr’e truyl needed. Of course they are! All things are earthly except for Christ’s Church, which, at its most holy, celebrates the Eucharist. At such a tremendously solemn occaision, we need conformity to the commands of Rome. Without conformity to rome, we cannot possibly have a catholic Church. I realize that if youre reading this, you are one of the poeple who would prbably stand up for the true Church when falisies and injustices occur at a diocessan level. Still, we must all dedicate ourselves to bringing about complete and perfect reverence during Mass. And if you wish to read the GIRm and haven’t, it can be found in teh front of any modern Sacramentary. the older ones have it as well, but it’s in complete latin.

In Faith,
David

 

[cheese_sdc]

sighs

[sign]I can see where this thread will go![/sign]

 

[kovalcik]

The GIRM can also be found online at USCCB:

nccbuscc.org/liturgy/current/revmissalisromanien.shtml

 

[Friend_Of_Rome]

To he who sighs-it’s not an accusation, nor a jusgement . . .It’s a question out of curiosity.As someone who lives in a very contestable diocese, I wanted to know if there were many diocese such as mine throughout the US. Keep an open mind. I have, and I have learnedmore than I had ever hoped to.

 

[turtleoompa]

Bravo David ! I have learned so much reading the GIRM. It is so important to have everyone follow the Holy See’s direction. And is disturbing to witness some of the abuses going on during Mass which could be easily fixed if the priest would make an effort.

 

[Walking_Home]

I suggest–that it is also helpful to be familiar with RS-2004.

Redemptionis Sacramentum.

vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccdds/documents/rc_con_ccdds_doc_20040423_redemptionis-sacramentum_en.html#Chapter%20III

 

[cheese_sdc]

To he who sighs-it’s not an accusation, nor a jusgement . . .It’s a question out of curiosity.As someone who lives in a very contestable diocese, I wanted to know if there were many diocese such as mine throughout the US. Keep an open mind. I have, and I have learnedmore than I had ever hoped to.

On your end, I have no doubt it was not a judgement. You are asking a question. However, I have seen enough of these types of threads to know the likely direction it will head. Maybe we’ll get lucky this time.

For my part - I firmly believe that there is no such thing as 100% compliance with Rome. As you accurately stated, there are countless technicalities that must be followed to be “100%” with Rome. There maybe some idealic parish out there that achieves total compliance, but I doubt it.

Example - in our parish we used to use crystal goblets to receive the Precious Blood. We got a new pastor and he switched to golden goblets. One may think “Great! A pastor in-line with Rome!”. However he has instructed the cantors and lectors to refer to the “Presentation of the Gifts” as the “Offertory”. A big no-no.

shrugs

 

[Hastrman]

Example - in our parish we used to use crystal goblets to receive the Precious Blood. We got a new pastor and he switched to golden goblets. One may think “Great! A pastor in-line with Rome!”. However he has instructed the cantors and lectors to refer to the “Presentation of the Gifts” as the “Offertory”. A big no-no.

shrugs

Yeah, cause they’re totally equal in importance. Not.

Receiving out of crystal is valid, but not licit. That’s a huge honkin’ deal.
Calling the presentation of the gifts the offertory is a labeling error. This is the sacrifice of the mass, not ISO 9000 certification!

 

[Divine_mercy]

For my part - I firmly believe that there is no such thing as 100% compliance with Rome. As you accurately stated, there are countless technicalities that must be followed to be “100%” with Rome. There maybe some idealic parish out there that achieves total compliance, but I doubt it.

I agree but I think it is worth striving for and when a person see something that is not in line with the GIRM the Paster should take it seriously and not just scoff it off as in the Spirit of the Missal or VII.

 

[jmcrae]

Our parish strives to follow all of the rules, but individuals sometimes mess up; for example at the Easter Vigil, we have a caretaker who always turns the lights on, every single year; it simply cannot penetrate into his head that the Church is to be in darkness during the Liturgy of the Word, until the proclamation of the Resurrection narrative. And a couple of years ago, the instruction “ring the bells loudly for five minutes when the lights come on” was lost on the altar servers - we heard a timid little tinkle that lasted a couple of seconds, instead of the loud joyful ringing that is required by the GIRM at that point in the Easter Vigil. This was not the fault of anyone on the pastoral team, nor of the lay people who were training the servers; it’s just that the servers couldn’t, just couldn’t, believe that they were supposed to make so much noise in the middle of Mass - one suspects that they thought a practical joke was being played on them.

 

[mystified]

My “community of faith” ???

 

[Titus]

My “community of faith” ???

I’m sorry. Pray for them.

As for my parish, we have so many small abuses, like the ‘Offertory’, the EMHCs arriving on the Altar after the Our Father not the Priest’s Communion, and some larger ones like EMHCs purifying the Sacred Vessels. And how few people know to genuflect. I have taught all the servers at the Mass I MC to do it, but their parents wouldn’t have, except one family (great- 7 kids, all receive on tongue, genuflect, and boys serve!).

That was a good vent.

 

[Friend_Of_Rome]

I too am a MC at my parish. It’s a good parish, and i’d say it falls under the 80% adherence part. Rest assured, we’re completely loyal to Rome, but quite simply, some people just don’t get it. They don’t seem to care. However, being in a position to teach my fellow altar servers and be the one in charge, things have shaped up. I dont’ mean to sound pompous or anything, but seeing them serve was like watching Bedouins lost in the desert Sometimes, they actually fall aslpee kneeling, fall forward, etc . . .not the best thing to see happen at Mass. I’m glad that poeple are of the same mind.