C
Cor_ad_Cor
Guest
Please let us know what the next experience is like. It almost sounds as if you weren’t there for a Mass but some other liturgy or function. (Not saying that is the case, just…odd.)
- Status
J
Jessie
Guest
At Holy Mass in the UK, it’s really the norm to say the confiteor, as well as other prayers in the penitential rite, every time, I’m not aware of it ever being omitted. So I really thought it was part and parcel.
Re readings being omitted, the Gospel is always read, but rarely all the others (1st reading from OT, psalm, 2nd reading from NT). I particularly like it when the readings from Holy Scripture are dropped but then they do massive long (i guess) bidding prayers that last 20 minutes, so I lose track and can’t follow. It happened so regularly that hearing all the readings was the exception rather than the norm. In several parishes. Not all. But not unusual either by any means.
Re readings being omitted, the Gospel is always read, but rarely all the others (1st reading from OT, psalm, 2nd reading from NT). I particularly like it when the readings from Holy Scripture are dropped but then they do massive long (i guess) bidding prayers that last 20 minutes, so I lose track and can’t follow. It happened so regularly that hearing all the readings was the exception rather than the norm. In several parishes. Not all. But not unusual either by any means.
C
Cirdan_XII
Guest
I don’t know if there is a requirement for the homily to reflect on the readings, or this is just something that many priests choose to do because the readings provide some obvious talking points.
I’ve heard many homilies that started off with some pro-forma reference to the readings but then went off on a total tangent to cover a totally different topic. This may be especially relevent if a particular topic is of exceptional relevance at that particular moment, and the priest considers it necessary to talk about it. For example the abortion vote in Ireland.
Last edited:
Tis_Bearself
Patron
This to me is very odd.
I have never been to a Mass anywhere, whether in USA, Canada or various other countries, where the standard number of readings weren’t read. For an OF Mass on Sunday this is a reading from the OT, a responsorial psalm, a second reading from the NT other than the Gospels, and finally the Gospel. For an OF Mass on a weekday this is one reading from either OT or NT other than the Gospels, and then the Gospel. The only time readings are omitted is when it’s the Easter Vigil and there is a large number of readings and the priest is specifically permitted to omit some and read a shorter number.
C
Cirdan_XII
Guest
you must attend a very militant parish
C
Cirdan_XII
Guest
It happened to me several times while travelling that I went to mass on a Saturday evening thinking it was a Sunday Mass, but it turned out it was a Saturday (weekday) Mass, so with everything, including readings, much reduced with respect to Sunday Mass.
Tis_Bearself
Patron
Yeah, me too. I’ve heard that the homily is supposed to explain the readings, and usually they do, but like you said some of them give a quick mention (if any) to the readings and then go off on some other pressing topic. Our homily at the Saturday vigil last weekend was an anti-abortion homily because it’s March for Life week here. Nothing wrong with that but it was not really connected to the day’s readings. I’ve also heard homilies that were pleas for funds from some group, or a reading and discussion of the bishop’s letter on some major clergy sexual abuse issue. Again I don’t mind these but the readings for the day were not connected.
P
paperwight
Guest
Last edited:
M
MikeInVA
Guest
One of the priests at my parish usually talks about the saint of the day (daily Mass). He often has a relic of the saint and blesses us with it before the final blessing.
A
Asinner
Guest
Sure, go again to see if that was a fluke or maybe you missed something.
But if you find out it’s a Catholic parish that regularly skips all the readings (including the Gospel(?)!), then my recommendation would be to not go there anymore. Liturgical abuse like that is poisonous to our spiritual health.
Last edited:
G
Gorgias
Guest
Well, yes and no.
The way it was explained to me, in one of my grad classes a while back, is that it’s supposed to start with the readings, but then show the relevance to the community in its particular current situation, and then point back to the Eucharist.
On the other hand, I’m guessing that currently-active priests – having gone through formation in a 40-50 year timespan – have wildly different experiences of formation in homiletics…
Tis_Bearself
Patron
I have attended Mass with several priests who usually discuss the saint of the day at daily Mass. It makes sense because the priest is appearing in the vestment colors appropriate to the particular Saint (red for a martyr, white for a confessor) and sometimes even uses the readings for the saint’s day rather than the scheduled weekday readings. Even where they don’t use the readings for the saint’s day, the priests usually find some way to relate the life of the saint to one of the daily readings.
Last edited:
C
choose_to_love
Guest
“missiles are in the back”
A priest formerly associated with our parish was going through security at an airport. “What do you have in your bag, Father?”
What Fr. said: “oh, just some missals”
Of course you know what the security person “heard” instead of missals
A priest formerly associated with our parish was going through security at an airport. “What do you have in your bag, Father?”
What Fr. said: “oh, just some missals”
Of course you know what the security person “heard” instead of missals
This wasn’t a Traditional Latin Mass by any chance, was it?
In the TLM, the readings are first done in Latin, then are usually read from the pulpit in the vernacular. The latter is the common practice, but it is not absolutely necessary, nor is it universally done. At the last TLM I attended (diocesan, this past Sunday), the priest skipped the vernacular readings and went right into the homily. Many if not most of those assisting at Mass have hand missals, so they can read the epistle and Gospel themselves, making a translation redundant for them.
To skip the readings entirely in a vernacular OF (“Novus Ordo”) Mass would be highly irregular and contrary to the rubrics. As others have noted, ask the priest first. I have a feeling that he is misinformed and will reply “oh, it’s not required”, at which time, you will have to find some way to remind him that it most certainly is.
Once in a great while at a Sunday TLM, the priest will skip the homily. As far as I am aware, a homily is desirable but not required. In fact, strictly speaking, the homily is an interruption of the Mass, not part of the Mass itself. This is true both of the TLM and the OF.
Protestants would not know what to make of us in this regard. For them, sermons and hymns are everything. Many of them select a church because of the quality of the preaching.
In the TLM, the readings are first done in Latin, then are usually read from the pulpit in the vernacular. The latter is the common practice, but it is not absolutely necessary, nor is it universally done. At the last TLM I attended (diocesan, this past Sunday), the priest skipped the vernacular readings and went right into the homily. Many if not most of those assisting at Mass have hand missals, so they can read the epistle and Gospel themselves, making a translation redundant for them.
To skip the readings entirely in a vernacular OF (“Novus Ordo”) Mass would be highly irregular and contrary to the rubrics. As others have noted, ask the priest first. I have a feeling that he is misinformed and will reply “oh, it’s not required”, at which time, you will have to find some way to remind him that it most certainly is.
Once in a great while at a Sunday TLM, the priest will skip the homily. As far as I am aware, a homily is desirable but not required. In fact, strictly speaking, the homily is an interruption of the Mass, not part of the Mass itself. This is true both of the TLM and the OF.
Protestants would not know what to make of us in this regard. For them, sermons and hymns are everything. Many of them select a church because of the quality of the preaching.
K
Kindnessmatters
Guest
Sorry…autocorrect error. No weapons of destruction, just mass booklets!
K
Kindnessmatters
Guest
I know…dumb error!
K
Kindnessmatters
Guest
So, I decided to just email the parish and ask what happened. The readers were lay people. The first one missed her cue and didn’t go up to read. The pianist covered by throwing in some instrumental diddy to buy time to figure out who was supposed to be reading, and father, who just flew in from visiting family in Africa and was jet lagged, continued on as if the readings were done, and nobody wanted to correct him…so, it was a mistake. Father was very embarrassed that his mind drifted and he missed what had happened.
I thought this had happened before but they said it was a first.
And no missiles at mass…my phone keeps “correcting” my typing to change mass booklets into bombs. Argh.
I thought this had happened before but they said it was a first.
And no missiles at mass…my phone keeps “correcting” my typing to change mass booklets into bombs. Argh.
Tis_Bearself
Patron
Good for you for checking.
It sounds like it was just a perfect storm of human mistakes, and not anything intentional. That’s a relief
It sounds like it was just a perfect storm of human mistakes, and not anything intentional. That’s a relief
D
dochawk
Guest
Nonetheless, it would be an innovative solution for bad homilies! :crazy_face:
Last week our priest explained early practice with the Epistles (at at time liturgy tended to be 4+ hours, both East and West). The lector/reader would read the epistle, and continue reading (perhaps for an hour!) until the bishop would raise his hand, announcing “Thanks be to God” (in whichever language was being used.
Whereas today, the people cry this out after an overly long sermon :crazy_face:
T
TheLittleLady
Guest
Missalettes are worship aids in most parishes. Some bring their own missals.
- Status