Sitting during Gospel

[JanetMCA]

During today’s Gospel reading, something unusual happened. The priest had everyone sit while he stood in front of the altar and “told” the story of Lazarus being raised from the dead. He did not read it, he told it like he was telling a story. He then incorporated a story of how his friend recently died in his office. It was kind of like the homily and the Gospel reading all in one. Is this acceptable?

I did not attend this mass, this was at my Mom’s church where she is a recent returning Catholic (after being away for 20 years).
This doesn’t happen in our church and I, too, am a returning Catholic (after being away for 32 years).

They also stand during and after communion in her church. I found that to be odd too as there is plenty of room for everyone to kneel.

 

[benedictgal]

What occurred at your mother’s parish was wrong on so many different levels. Let’s take the Gospel substitution first, since this is the most serious of the lot. According to Redemptionis Sacramentum:

[62.] It is also illicit to omit or to substitute the prescribed biblical readings on one’s own initiative, and especially “to substitute other, non-biblical texts for the readings and responsorial Psalm, which contain the word of God”.138

[63.] Within the celebration of the Sacred Liturgy, the reading of the Gospel, which is “the high point of the Liturgy of the Word”,139 is reserved by the Church’s tradition to an ordained minister.140 Thus it is not permitted for a layperson, even a religious, to proclaim the Gospel reading in the celebration of Holy Mass, nor in other cases in which the norms do not explicitly permit it.141

Now, regarding the posture that the faithful are to assume during the Proclamation of the Gospel, the 2002 English version of the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (and its predecessors) indicate that:

1. The faithful should stand from the beginning of the Entrance chant, or while the priest approaches the altar, until the end of the Collect; for the Alleluia chant before the Gospel; while the Gospel itself is proclaimed; during the Profession of Faith and the Prayer of the Faithful; from the invitation, Orate, fratres (Pray, brethren), before the prayer over the offerings until the end of Mass, except at the places indicated below.

They should, however, sit while the readings before the Gospel and the responsorial Psalm are proclaimed and for the homily and while the Preparation of the Gifts at the Offertory is taking place; and, as circumstances allow, they may sit or kneel while the period of sacred silence after Communion is observed.

Regarding kneeling during and after Communion, the GIRM gets a little tricky. This is what it says for the United States:

The faithful kneel after the Agnus Dei unless the Diocesan Bishop determines otherwise.53

However, Francis Cardinal Arinze, the Prefect (head) of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, noted (in a recent Q and A session that appears on www.adoremus.org) that:

Does everybody have to stand until the last person has received Holy Communion?

There is no rule from Rome that everybody must stand during Holy Communion. There is no such rule from Rome. So, after people have received Communion, they can stand, they can kneel, they can sit. But a bishop in his diocese or bishops in a country could say that they recommend standing or kneeling. They could. It is not a law from Rome. They could – but not impose it. Perhaps they could propose. But those who want to sit or kneel or stand should be left reasonable freedom.

Therefore, it’s something that the bishop could propose, but, not impose.

I hope this helps you.

 

[Tietjen]

I just wanted to agree with benedictgal. This was absolutely incorrect of the Priest to do.