Priest directing the congregation to meet and greet before Mass

[YoungTradCath]

Surprised it is still on this discussion.
What about the First Mass? How was it?
What about the Early Christians?

Do we have to do everything like the early Christians? Many of their practices are honorable and to be retained, but I’m sure if they had half the freedom of religion we do now (which is somewhat fading, unfortunately), they’d adore a glorious mass with the pomp of a Solemnity.

All I’m saying is, if they could have, early Christians would probably have “done up” their masses more than they were. So to say that our masses need to look exactly like they did when they were celebrated in the catacombs of Rome in A.D. 300 is a bit of a stretch, I think.

 

[TimothyH]

Wow! great point! But I’ll show you another way to do the same thing. I could greet him outside make that statement you made, love him pray for him before mass, pray for him during thdt awesome sacrifice, say the confitor with all charity and earnesty, maybe buy him a cup of tea e.t.c after thanking God for the mass and love him more 'cos i just confessed ‘to him’, he just interceed for me and prayed for my salvation. how about that? (without distracting those preparing for mass or disrepecting God).
Pax. Benedicimus

Why not do both, and more?

If you were in a monastic community, you would do this, and more, until it hurt, placing your will last and the will of everyone you lived with first. You would place everyone before yourself until you are desolate, and then when you were finally desolate, God would have something to work with and begin to fill up that huge hole in you with himself.

That’s the problem. We fill ourselves up with ourselves. We want what we want, even to the point where we stand before God and insist that it is our right to an immaculate preparation for each Mass, that we have a some kind of right to an (name removed by moderator)enatriable Jesus-and-Me bubble for some arbitrary time period before Mass. Meanwhile the 83 year old sacristan came in to clean the Church and fill up the cruets with wine at 5:30 AM, the lector practiced the reading ten times each day for for the last seven days, the deacon spent his Saturday baptizing children and the priest sat in a 8x8 room for three hours on Saturday waiting to hear our confession but we didn’t come.

No doubt someone will quote some rule book now.

-Tim-

 

[maryjk]

Wow! great point! But I’ll show you another way to do the same thing. **I could greet him outside **make that statement you made, love him pray for him before mass, pray for him during thdt awesome sacrifice, say the confitor with all charity and earnesty, maybe buy him a cup of tea e.t.c after thanking God for the mass and love him more 'cos i just confessed ‘to him’, he just interceed for me and prayed for my salvation. how about that? (without distracting those preparing for mass or disrepecting God).
Pax. Benedicimus

The question is, do you? Meaning the group you, everyone here saying greeting should be done outside, over coffee. Do you?

Do you stay after Mass and greet others? Are you inviting people out for coffee?

Or are you like some of the people I see at our parish? They roll their eyes if Father dares to speak of community but they are out the door the moment Mass is over.

 

[TheMc]

The question is, do you? Meaning the group you, everyone here saying greeting should be done outside, over coffee. Do you?

Do you stay after Mass and greet others? Are you inviting people out for coffee?

Or are you like some of the people I see at our parish? They roll their eyes if Father dares to speak of community but they are out the door the moment Mass is over.

I think you’d be surprised that many of the more conservative and traditional parishes, such as mine, and another near me, have quite good community, and after Mass, most stick around and talk for quite a while.

 

[zab]

Surprised it is still on this discussion.
What about the First Mass? How was it?
What about the Early Christians?

The First Mass was attended only by men. The posture for receiving was reclining at the table. The attire worn was nothing fancy- no suit and tie.

 

[TheMc]

Do we have to do everything like the early Christians? Many of their practices are honorable and to be retained, but I’m sure if they had half the freedom of religion we do now (which is somewhat fading, unfortunately), they’d adore a glorious mass with the pomp of a Solemnity.

All I’m saying is, if they could have, early Christians would probably have “done up” their masses more than they were. So to say that our masses need to look exactly like they did when they were celebrated in the catacombs of Rome in A.D. 300 is a bit of a stretch, I think.

So true. Let’s not forget that Christianity grew out of Judaism, which was full of rituals.

 

[maryjk]

I think you’d be surprised that many of the more conservative and traditional parishes, such as mine, and another near me, have quite good community, and after Mass, most stick around and talk for quite a while.

I would be surprised. Where I attend, the more traditional Mass has a mass exodus, almost as if they were fleeing. Where the more contemporary Mass has more people hanging around for coffee, talking about meeting up for lunch.

Of course this is simply at my parish. Another parish may be totally different.

 

[zab]

I would be surprised. Where I attend, the more traditional Mass has a mass exodus, almost as if they were fleeing. Where the more contemporary Mass has more people hanging around for coffee, talking about meeting up for lunch.

Of course this is simply at my parish. Another parish may be totally different.

It might have something to do with the time the Mass is scheduled for. Our parish has hospitality after morning Masses on Sunday- traditionally coffee and donuts and now more healthy foods added. Our TLM is in the evenings with no hospitality afterwards.

 

[maryjk]

It might have something to do with the time the Mass is scheduled for. Our parish has hospitality after morning Masses on Sunday- traditionally coffee and donuts and now more healthy foods added. Our TLM is in the evenings with no hospitality afterwards.

Our parish has hospitality after both the more traditional Mass and the contemporary Mass.

And the same people that seem to poo poo the hand holding or announcing of birthdays at our parish are the same people that are gone in an instant after Mass ends.

 

[Pfaffenhoffen]

Do we have to do everything like the early Christians? Many of their practices are honorable and to be retained, but I’m sure if they had half the freedom of religion we do now (which is somewhat fading, unfortunately), they’d adore a glorious mass with the pomp of a Solemnity.

All I’m saying is, if they could have, early Christians would probably have “done up” their masses more than they were. So to say that our masses need to look exactly like they did when they were celebrated in the catacombs of Rome in A.D. 300 is a bit of a stretch, I think.

No, they would talk before and after the eucharist, that’s what I meant.
In the first Mass, it was not compulsory not to talk when they went in. There was a peoblem of finding a house and Jesus solved the problem, so they had to talk,

 

[Pfaffenhoffen]

The First Mass was attended only by men. The posture for receiving was reclining at the table. The attire worn was nothing fancy- no suit and tie.

No, they would talk before and after the eucharist, that’s what I meant.
In the first Mass, it was not compulsory not to talk when they went in. There was a peoblem of finding a house and Jesus solved the problem, so they had to talk,
Do you think they would eat roman way?
You could be right…I have not investigated the subject…

 

[vera_dicere]

That’s been going on down here in the Parishes I’ve attended for years. Probably decades.

One of the thing i’ve heard from Protestants, both in NZL and from overses is that Catholics come across as snooty and not interested in those in the pew around them. This is obviously your priest’s attempt to correct that.

Frankly, I think its kind of snobby to say you’re not at Mass to socialise and that you don’t like a “meet and greet” before hand. What do you think Christ woudl think of such rudeness? Those are your brothers and sisters in Christ in the pew next to you. When you go up to “communion” its not “youandjustgodin” You and those same people you don’t want to bother about are taking the same Lord, we’re all part of the same body.

I think this thread proves beyond any doubt that we need more “meet and greets” before Mass.

 

[TheMc]

That’s been going on down here in the Parishes I’ve attended for years. Probably decades.

One of the thing i’ve heard from Protestants, both in NZL and from overses is that Catholics come across as snooty and not interested in those in the pew around them. This is obviously your priest’s attempt to correct that.

Frankly, I think its kind of snobby to say you’re not at Mass to socialise and that you don’t like a “meet and greet” before hand. What do you think Christ woudl think of such rudeness? Those are your brothers and sisters in Christ in the pew next to you. When you go up to “communion” its not “youandjustgodin” You and those same people you don’t want to bother about are taking the same Lord, we’re all part of the same body.

I think this thread proves beyond any doubt that we need more “meet and greets” before Mass.

And what ever happened to praying before Mass, preparing yourself for the great miracle that is about to happen? And who are you to say what Jesus would want? I can guarantee you that if people were in the holy of holies, he would have not had a meet and greet. He would have had them direct all their attention on God. When we enter the presence of God in the holy of holies, we should do the same.

Leave the meet and greet behind with the rest of the Spirit of Vatican 2’s worn out ideas. Burn those gituars, get the felt banners off the walls, and try praying before Mass once and a while. That’s what you should be doing.

 

[YoungTradCath]

If people want social hour, then have it after mass, which is perfectly acceptable.

 

[felsguy]

Leave the meet and greet behind with the rest of the Spirit of Vatican 2’s worn out ideas. Burn those gituars, get the felt banners off the walls, and try praying before Mass once and a while. That’s what you should be doing.

Is there anything else that none of us should do because you don’t like it?

 

[AHapka]

I can guarantee you that if people were in the holy of holies, he would have not had a meet and greet. He would have had them direct all their attention on God. When we enter the presence of God in the holy of holies, we should do the same.

True, but the whole problem with this whole argument is that the OP didn’t say WHERE this meet and greet was to take place.

For all we know, he could have told them to meet and greet if possible in the hall across from the Church proper.

Enough information was not given to make a decision about this…

 

[dochawk]

One of the things that Protestantism has utterly blown is that Christianity, and Judism before it, is fundamentally a communal, rather than individual, relatioshipp with God. Yes, the individual is there, but it is the community that relates to Him.

I’m no fan of the hand-holding, holy-roller, flavor of Catholicsm. I cringed at every, “we’re going to teach you a new song” before Mass, and reacted to the “stand after communion” with “are they afraid we’ll pray if we kneel.” Nonetheless, I understand that it isn’t just me; it’s the community. I should have a personal relationship with Christ, but the liturgy is a communal relationsip.

Resisting a priest asking that you spend ten seconds to know the names of those of the community with whom you enter this Holy endeavor is very much the wrong battle.

As a sidenote, every byzantine parish I’ve attended has tended to just suck peope in with friendliness. You’re not simply invited to the social afterwards; you’re gathered up and walked over. It was a cultural shock for me, and it took me a while to realize that they weren’t merely being polite, and I wasn’t intruding.

I attended liturgy once in San Diego. A year later, Fr. Pipka had swapped and celebrated at our parish in LV, and he recognized me, and greeted me by name!

Similarly, Fr. Washko recogized me and my family months later after a single visit to the pro-cathedral in Phoenix (now the Cathedral). I’d be surprised if Bishop Gerald didn’t recognize me after our single meeting (err, wait, we were up there a few weeks ago, and he did).

Anyway, our relation to God is fundamentally a communal, not individual, relationship. A few seconds before the liturgy or Mass, as opposed to the minutes the musical performers demand, is beneficial, not intrusive.

hawk

 

[nickybr38]

Okay… my parish does this and I enjoy it. It’s a chance to see who is sitting around you and say good morning before participating in the sacrifice.

The parishes I’ve been in where this doesn’t take place didn’t seem nearly as welcoming… although I know that isn’t the point, the meet and greet before Mass was nice because after Mass I was ready to go home and be reflective, not meet and greet.