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ConfusedLucy
Guest
If it’s that important for a whole family to sit together surely the whole family should make the effort to get to church early.
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Olderme
Guest
They know not what they do!
Forgive them?
The humble shall be exalted.
The exalted shall humbled.
Common sense and common courtesy, not so common among the goats.
They have made His House a market place
Forgive them?
The humble shall be exalted.
The exalted shall humbled.
Common sense and common courtesy, not so common among the goats.
They have made His House a market place
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pensmama87
Guest
I will admit I have done that if my husband gets up to take out a kid to the bathroom.
But I wouldn’t for people who haven’t already arrived.
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rondirect
Guest
Well, came close to anyway. Some people are given directives by their family to save the seats, and God forbid anyone comes and disrupts that order. For the most part, these are people I have never seen before, probably a neighbor, friend, or relative that has not stepped foot in a church for decades. To them, it’s just an ordinary day, but are there for the family. They just don’t care that it is a church. From where I stand directing, my view of some is extraordinary: annoyed with arms folded, no participation and when told told NOT to take personal pictures because their is a professional there, they are the first to get in front of the pro and do what they want.
I’ve seen it all. One time, their was one middle aged woman wearing, let’s say, a skirt and blouse not befitting of “Sunday’s best,” dare her bend over if she dropped anything, and proudly walked the Sanctuary from one side of the altar to the other, to get the best shots! It took an usher and our Faith Formation Director to remove her, and her attitude was “whatever!” Such a sacred moment!
I have to say that having the immediate family sit together with their First Eucharist child and receive together from assigned seats has helped a lot.
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Pup7
Guest
So weird how I think that’s different. Laughing at myself at that.I will admit I have done that if my husband gets up to take out a kid to the bathroom.
Yes - I meant the stacking up of missals in pews to “reserve” seats.
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PureKathleen46
Guest
I so agree with you Allie. Most of the time the people whose seat has been saved come during the homily. This is not a rock concert. God bless you!★♥
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Georgia
Guest
Our parish met in a school’s auditorium until the church could be built. One Christmas Eve when our children were small, we arrived nearly an hour before the Mass. There were about five people in the auditorium that seats maybe two hundred.
The usher stopped us at the door and said we would have to wait in the school’s entryway where TVs would be set up. He explained that all the seats had been reserved.
I walked inside anyway and saw that people sent teenagers ahead to drape coats across all the auditorium seating to claim the spots. There was no way we could have stayed.
The pastor put an end to that practice.
The usher stopped us at the door and said we would have to wait in the school’s entryway where TVs would be set up. He explained that all the seats had been reserved.
I walked inside anyway and saw that people sent teenagers ahead to drape coats across all the auditorium seating to claim the spots. There was no way we could have stayed.
The pastor put an end to that practice.
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Christmysavor
Guest
My own mother would have given me and my siblings a MAJOR tongue lashing if we would have done this and she and my father still do ,she is from west Texas so was raised this way and when she had children she raised us this way so I feel it is vary rude not to stand/give up your seat to let someone by or if they are elderly.
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Edward_H
Guest
Complaints and annoyances often rear up from pride; we think we’re entitled to ANYTHING at all.
It’s often couched in “fairness” but even under the plea of fairness is a sense that we’re entitled to anything at all.
It’s often couched in “fairness” but even under the plea of fairness is a sense that we’re entitled to anything at all.
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Mintaka
Guest
Re: how far can you be from church and still be “at Mass”?
Actually, this was a thing before TV broadcasts. It was pretty common for some people to wander about a bit when they attended church, or not even to come inside if they weren’t going to receive Communion. (People with babies in nice weather, and young men in all but the coldest weather. Also smokers.) They could follow the Mass by the sounds coming through the windows or the doors.
Similarly, if there was a big attendance Mass at a cathedral, like a royal wedding or a coronation, a lot of people would “come to church” but not actually get within spitting distance, because of the crowds.
Similarly, there are some very big outdoor Masses.
And… it was never super-duper approved as the best way to go, but all of these modes were totally legal and legit attendance. Every orthodox moral theologian agreed.
So… even if it’s in another building in the parish, but it’s not more than, say, the width of St. Peter’s Square away from church… it does count as attending church. The TV doesn’t count for anything; the intention of attending Mass and being more or less in the area is what counts.
Not something you want to do, though. Especially not every week.
Actually, this was a thing before TV broadcasts. It was pretty common for some people to wander about a bit when they attended church, or not even to come inside if they weren’t going to receive Communion. (People with babies in nice weather, and young men in all but the coldest weather. Also smokers.) They could follow the Mass by the sounds coming through the windows or the doors.
Similarly, if there was a big attendance Mass at a cathedral, like a royal wedding or a coronation, a lot of people would “come to church” but not actually get within spitting distance, because of the crowds.
Similarly, there are some very big outdoor Masses.
And… it was never super-duper approved as the best way to go, but all of these modes were totally legal and legit attendance. Every orthodox moral theologian agreed.
So… even if it’s in another building in the parish, but it’s not more than, say, the width of St. Peter’s Square away from church… it does count as attending church. The TV doesn’t count for anything; the intention of attending Mass and being more or less in the area is what counts.
Not something you want to do, though. Especially not every week.
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DarkLight
Guest
The only worry I would have is making sure people don’t make a fuss over who has a medical need.
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ConfusedLucy
Guest
That’s true. Most masses do seem to have regular people who have communion brought to them as, I assume, they struggle to walk to the priest and I wouldn’t begrudge them a reserved seat or have a general reserved pew for those in need.
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Isca
Guest
Ah, there were only about 50 people in our massive church here in semi-rural Italy for the main Mass this morning. No servers and no lectors, either, the priest did it all. He gives an extremely long homily every week, so he manages to stretch things out!
You never need to come early to get a seat, of course. That may have something to do with the homilies.
You never need to come early to get a seat, of course. That may have something to do with the homilies.
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DarkLight
Guest
Probably not, but unfortunately there are those who think they can judge who is actually in need and who is not.
It’s a common complaint about handicapped spaces.
It’s a common complaint about handicapped spaces.
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ConfusedLucy
Guest
You like to think people at a mass would behave better than people fighting over the disabled seat on the bus but I guess people are still just people.
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DarkLight
Guest
Honestly I’d almost expect people at Mass might be worse. There is something about religion that people take as encouragement to police the behavior of others - whether or not they’ve managed to find all the facts out first.
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