Hi,
I was thought that you do not laugh or clap in mass. Not even at weddings.
Hi.
No necessary. Depend on when or what part of the mass.
If you are in a church where the Blessed Sacrament is present in the Tabernacle, you are reverent.
Yes, certainly so.
I went to a healing ministry by a Charismatic Priest where he spoke over several nights in the church about healing spiritual problems. There was much laughter at his jokes during his speeches.
During the homily, there is certainly nothing wrong for the audience to be responsive. I would rather a live audience that a dead one. If the priest says something funny to illustrate his point, it is just courtesy to acknowledge it if we want to. I think this give great encouragement to the priest and besides homilies are intended to be understood. If there are discrete and polite responses in body language and expression to his homily, I think that is very reasonable and there is no reason to disallow them. What we do not want is when people behave over the edge and be disrespectful towards the liturgy itself. There may be a thin line to separate the two but if we intended no disrespect and irreverence it normally shows and the result would not really brings the mass into disrepute.
But if one laughs like mad during the consecration, then that is definitely not right and we should question whether the person understand the mass or not. And perhaps someone can firmly nudge him or even bring him outside. I think only person with mental problem would do thing like that.
A couple of weekends ago, a priest leads us to giving a round of applause to the choir at the end of the mass.
I would appreciate this priest for appreciating those who serve the liturgy especially if they had made good effort to do it right. Problem is very often we are very reluctant to recognize such service from our brothers and sisters who serve in the church, in this case the liturgy.
There is nothing wrong to do that at the
end of the mass. Very often just before the recessional hymn we would do that like acknowledging and thanking an outstation or a visiting priest who said the mass. We should be sensible enough to know the difference whether it interfere with the mass proper or not.
Priest seem to constantly feel the need to tell a joke and do it in a way that incites laughter from the “audience.” I have seen some priest use humor in such a way that does not actually cause people to laugh out loud.
It would be alright if it is during the homilies and the announcement. Other than that there is no reason he should change or interfere with the rubrics.
Priest have visitors stand up and be recognized.
This is a very hospitable thing to do which we did not do enough. Welcoming new comers to the church can be done before the mass start or at the end after the blessing.
I thought I understood what was going on at the mass, and it does not make me want to laugh while I am there or clap for random people while I am in the presence of Almighty God.
Certainly and you should not.
Also what about those people who taught me I should always be reverent when in a church no matter what. Is this view of reverence appropriate?
We should be always reverent in the house of God. However reverence does not mean that we are being stifled into not being allowed to do anything when appropriate.
There are many ways to do that. For example do not be late for the mass. If you come when the reading is being proclaimed, do not enter yet until it is finished. Do not talk during the homilies and be attentive and if needs be, be responsive even. Off your cell phones at all time. Be silent during the consecration and revere the host and the blood. Participate actively in the liturgy and the singing. If you bring your little children try to look after them and not let them run free to the sanctuary. Etc.
Is my definition of reverence wrong?
You can elaborate on that a bit though.
Do the Popes do these things?
Not very sure but John Paul II did feel at ease and he certainly engaged the crowd in his open masses around the world. There is certainly a place for everything.
God invented humor. Seems like a little humor is appropriate ever now and then or during the Charismatic Priest’s presentations?
Yes, when being used appropriately at the right moment during the mass. But as I said, a priest cannot change the rubric or interfere with it.
I’m confused.
what are your thoughts?
J
Hope that helps.
God bless you.
kpeople:
