So why DO people leave Mass early?

[Cat]

“The first precept (“You shall attend Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation and rest from servile labor”) requires the faithful to sanctify the day commemorating the Resurrection of the Lord as well as the principal liturgical feasts honoring the mysteries of the Lord, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and the saints; in the first place, by participating in the Eucharistic celebration, in which the Christian community is gathered, and by resting from those works and activities which could impede such a sanctification of these days.” Catechism 2042

How do sports activities sanctify the holy day unto the Lord? Sports are spare-time activities, to be done when every obligation of life has been completed - school work, job, chores, prayers, and Mass. If one cuts short one’s Mass obligation (required) for sports (optional), isn’t this a classic confusion of priorities?

If Catholics adopt this practice and eschew all sports that meet or compete on Sundays, then there will be no more Catholics in sports.

I don’t think that’s a good situation. We are to be salt and light, not hidden away in a safe fortress.

 

[Sarabande]

If Catholics adopt this practice and eschew all sports that meet or compete on Sundays, then there will be no more Catholics in sports.

I don’t think that’s a good situation. We are to be salt and light, not hidden away in a safe fortress.

Honestly, the fact that these sports organizations schedule events during times when people of various denominations would be attending mass or services is very telling of what they think about religion and faith and how much lack of respect there is for those who are devout, practicing Catholics and believe in not missing mass.

I had cousins who were very involved in sports and almost every single weekend on Saturdays and Sundays they were doing some sort of event. They missed mass often because of it and they would have been kicked off the team had they chosen to attend mass instead of the event. What I think they really should do is respect the faiths of people and not schedule events on Sunday mornings when most people would be attending mass or services. It shouldn’t be the other way around.

 

[Cat]

Honestly, the fact that these sports organizations schedule events during times when people of various denominations would be attending mass or services is very telling of what they think about religion and faith and how much lack of respect there is for those who are devout, practicing Catholics and believe in not missing mass.

I had cousins who were very involved in sports and almost every single weekend on Saturdays and Sundays they were doing some sort of event. They missed mass often because of it and they would have been kicked off the team had they chosen to attend mass instead of the event. What I think they really should do is respect the faiths of people and not schedule events on Sunday mornings when most people would be attending mass or services. It shouldn’t be the other way around.

But there are plenty of religions that don’t require Sunday worship. If sports organizations tried to schedule practices and competitions around everyone’s beliefs, there wouldn’t be any sports.

And what we have to try to wrap our heads around and accept is that today in the U.S., the vast majority of families do not practice ANY religion.

We were not Catholic during the years when our daughters were competing in figure skating, but from what we saw, there were plenty of Catholics who found Masses that they could attend. My husband and his ice dance partner have never missed a Mass.

 

[Sarabande]

But there are plenty of religions that don’t require Sunday worship. If sports organizations tried to schedule practices and competitions around everyone’s beliefs, there wouldn’t be any sports.

And what we have to try to wrap our heads around and accept is that today in the U.S., the vast majority of families do not practice ANY religion.

We were not Catholic during the years when our daughters were competing in figure skating, but from what we saw, there were plenty of Catholics who found Masses that they could attend. My husband and his ice dance partner have never missed a Mass.

Problem is there are also plenty of Catholics who can’t find a mass. My cousins, for instance, missed many masses because there really weren’t masses to be found. If it were me, I just would not have done the sports because missing mass is a no-go. Not every area is a highly Catholic. For instance, it was a huge culture shock going down south and finding only one Catholic church with two masses available for the weekend. Where one of my cousins lived there was one Catholic church close by with one mass on Sunday mornings. It had one priest that covered three parishes … a rural, farming community. Other cousins had events both on Saturdays and Sundays where the time to get to and from virtually did not allow them to attend a mass. And I get it. We aren’t a Catholic country, but I don’t think the Church should be changing in order to accommodate something like sports schedules.

It’s pretty obvious that our country is growing more and more secular, but what I’ve seen within my own family and other families is that little by little secularism has crept in within once religious families. 10, 15, 20 years ago none of of them would have dreamed to do or accept some of the things they do or accept today. But they’ve been chipped away at until you hear people saying that the requirement of going to mass every Sunday is just a man-made rule along with confession, that it doesn’t matter if they leave mass early, etc. They put in their time where it was most important. That Tommy’s heart would break if he had to leave the team so that he can attend mass. Essentially, being on the team has more value than attending mass each weekend.

I see what you are saying and I do think it would be great to have devout Catholics on sports teams, but we won’t be putting devout Catholics on those teams if they are being raised to think that it’s ok to miss mass because of a game or event, etc. So, we won’t be having really good role models on those teams in the end. We are allowing the world to encroach upon our souls and our hearts. I have caught myself being unconsciously and very slowly seduced by it. I’ve seen it happen within my own family. It just starts off small… like leaving mass early for no other reason but to beat the traffic and even being judgmental and assuming of what others are doing when they leave early (which might be a very good reason). You begin to justify the little things, until the little things start getting larger and larger.

 

[jmcrae]

I’ve always wondered, why bother reading everything that is already in the bulletin? If I wanted to know what was going on at the parish I could just pick up the bulletin. Why do I need someone to read it to me before I can get the final blessing?

Maybe gently suggest to someone that they only allow three 30-second announcements at Mass, and then remind people to pick up their Bulletin and read it. That’s the policy at every parish I have ever attended.

 

[Cat]

Problem is there are also plenty of Catholics who can’t find a mass. My cousins, for instance, missed many masses because there really weren’t masses to be found. If it were me, I just would not have done the sports because missing mass is a no-go. Not every area is a highly Catholic. For instance, it was a huge culture shock going down south and finding only one Catholic church with two masses available for the weekend. Where one of my cousins lived there was one Catholic church close by with one mass on Sunday mornings. It had one priest that covered three parishes … a rural, farming community. Other cousins had events both on Saturdays and Sundays where the time to get to and from virtually did not allow them to attend a mass. And I get it. We aren’t a Catholic country, but I don’t think the Church should be changing in order to accommodate something like sports schedules.

It’s pretty obvious that our country is growing more and more secular, but what I’ve seen within my own family and other families is that little by little secularism has crept in within once religious families. 10, 15, 20 years ago none of of them would have dreamed to do or accept some of the things they do or accept today. But they’ve been chipped away at until you hear people saying that the requirement of going to mass every Sunday is just a man-made rule along with confession, that it doesn’t matter if they leave mass early, etc. They put in their time where it was most important. That Tommy’s heart would break if he had to leave the team so that he can attend mass. Essentially, being on the team has more value than attending mass each weekend.

I see what you are saying and I do think it would be great to have devout Catholics on sports teams, but we won’t be putting devout Catholics on those teams if they are being raised to think that it’s ok to miss mass because of a game or event, etc. So, we won’t be having really good role models on those teams in the end. We are allowing the world to encroach upon our souls and our hearts. I have caught myself being unconsciously and very slowly seduced by it. I’ve seen it happen within my own family. It just starts off small… like leaving mass early for no other reason but to beat the traffic and even being judgmental and assuming of what others are doing when they leave early (which might be a very good reason). You begin to justify the little things, until the little things start getting larger and larger.

I agree that for Catholics to miss Mass because of sports or any non-essential activity is sinful, and possibly mortal sin for the parents who also lead their children away from attending Mass.

When sports (or some other activity) is so important to a Catholic family that they are finding themselves missing Mass, I think they ought to seriously considering re-locating to a part of the country where Catholicism is more common.

I’m not kidding about this. I’m very serious.

I see nothing wrong and much good in passion for an activity, be it a sport, an art, or some other activity like growing organic crops or camping or breeding and showing pedigree dogs.

If that passion brings the entire family together and closer, then so much the better. I know that figure skating united our family and still is a unifying force.

But I also agree that missing Mass for the sake of a “passion” is sinful.

So the family has to decide–if we want to continue being involved with our “family passion,” we have to move somewhere where our faith won’t be compromised.

I know plenty of people who have moved for figure skating.

 

[jmcrae]

it is still dismaying to see en mass mad dash to the door from mass.

Did I say that?

Saw it weekly and then some. And on a particularly solemn vigil, honestly can’t rmember which one, the Deacon must have announced it ten times that we were to leave silently. Out of 350 people, maybe 3 did so.
The others were yapping up a storm, taking pictures, talking on their cell phones, yelling across the great hall…
The Deacon threw up his hands and gave up. I felt badly for him.

Probably Holy Thursday; there is to be Great Silence after the Holy Thursday Mass until midnight, to pray with Jesus in the Garden as He waits for the soldiers to come and arrest him.

“Could ye not keep watch even one hour?”

 

[pnewton]

However endless speculation about why others you do not personally know, leave mass early, does not do any good at all and may even lead to calumny.

To clarify, you are right, but only if one is speaking of a person, not people in general. Calmuny is an offense against someone, not some action. By “speculating”, we are also clarifying priorities and how to put first things first. As in:

"The first precept ("You shall attend Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation and rest from servile labor…If one cuts short one’s Mass obligation (required) for sports (optional), isn’t this a classic confusion of priorities?

Which is more important, leaving Mass early or showing up for practice or a game late? Is there another, less convenient Mass that would not require such a choice? Do we sacrifice sleep? Do we give up the last show on television an go do bed earlier to avoid a conflict?

These are all questions that we would do good to consider as we learn to put our priorities in proper order. If not, we will one day have to answer to the final judge as to what our priorities in life were, not what we gave lip service to.

 

[pnewton]

The most egregious early departure I’ve seen recently was when we had a sister in to do a missionary appeal. Our priest said in advance that she was going to speak for less than five minutes, that he had cut his homily short to account for the extra time and to please be respectful and at least listen to her, even if you had no intention of making a donation. As soon as she started speaking, two whole pews at the front of the church stood up and walked out, followed by at least another 2-3 dozen people.

When I read this, I began to wonder if much of what we see is not just a matter of priorities, as much as it is of propriety. Are we a ruder people today than in the past? If so, that could explain why some of this is going on. If we need to grow in our understanding of the Eucharist and the priority of the Holy Sacrifice, then we also need to grow in our dying to selfishness and putting the needs of others first. Let the good of those in the other cars leaving Mass matter more than our own good, of the comfort of a guest speaker come before our own desire not to hear her.

 

[Sarabande]

When I read this, I began to wonder if much of what we see is not just a matter of priorities, as much as it is of propriety. Are we a ruder people today than in the past? If so, that could explain why some of this is going on. If we need to grow in our understanding of the Eucharist and the priority of the Holy Sacrifice, then we also need to grow in our dying to selfishness and putting the needs of others first. Let the good of those in the other cars leaving Mass matter more than our own good, of the comfort of a guest speaker come before our own desire not to hear her.

That is a very good point. I personally have felt that we are a ruder people. Our culture doesn’t really care much for decorum and propriety. It’s looked down upon. And you hit the nail on the head. Our culture has become much more selfish. It is being ruled more by a secular mindset. It’s always, Me! Me! Me! and hardly ever about the good and needs of others.

 

[jmcrae]

If Catholics adopt this practice and eschew all sports that meet or compete on Sundays, then there will be no more Catholics in sports.

I don’t think that’s a good situation. We are to be salt and light, not hidden away in a safe fortress.

There are sports that meet at 5 am on weekdays - Catholics could join those.

 

[jmcrae]

Honestly, the fact that these sports organizations schedule events during times when people of various denominations would be attending mass or services is very telling of what they think about religion and faith and how much lack of respect there is for those who are devout, practicing Catholics and believe in not missing mass.

I had cousins who were very involved in sports and almost every single weekend on Saturdays and Sundays they were doing some sort of event. They missed mass often because of it and they would have been kicked off the team had they chosen to attend mass instead of the event.

That’s ridiculous. Sports are leisure time activities. These people puff themselves up too much - they are not that important. Families need to stand up for themselves.

What I think they really should do is respect the faiths of people and not schedule events on Sunday mornings when most people would be attending mass or services. It shouldn’t be the other way around.

I agree. But as long as families allow sports organizations to rule their lives, in the mistaken belief that there is something over-ridingly important about belonging to a team, they will continue to get away with it.

Sports need to be at the bottom of the list - something to do when there is time; not at the top, and not pushing out school, church, family life and all of the other things that really are essential to a happy life, for the emptiness of endless competition in games that no one cares about and that no one will ever remember.

 

[jmcrae]

But there are plenty of religions that don’t require Sunday worship. If sports organizations tried to schedule practices and competitions around everyone’s beliefs, there wouldn’t be any sports.

If such were the case, then half the population wouldn’t have time to go to school, either - fortunately, the vast majority of religions meet on weekends, leaving weekday mornings before school and weekday evenings after school free for everyone (including atheists). Also, sports organizations don’t need to accommodate everyone in the whole world; they only need to accommodate their own members. If 90% of the team are Christians of some description, it makes sense not to schedule events on Sunday mornings.

 

[Hopey]

We had something in our bulletin like thing that did address this, Please do not leave before the priest.
We are doing something beautiful, in my opinion, during Lent. We kneel in silence for the entrance and dismissal. That is solving the problem of people talking a lot. It still happens and at Easter. I guess I will just have to say “Want to talk, can we do it outside?” or something.

 

[jimkhong]

We had something in our bulletin like thing that did address this, Please do not leave before the priest.
We are doing something beautiful, in my opinion, during Lent. We kneel in silence for the entrance and dismissal. That is solving the problem of people talking a lot. It still happens and at Easter. I guess I will just have to say “Want to talk, can we do it outside?” or something.

I always tell the children at our Litrugy of the Word for Children that someone left the first mass early. Do they want to be like that person?

I normally let them go off once the priest starts to walk after bowing to the tabernacle.

 

[Hopey]

I always tell the children at our Litrugy of the Word for Children that someone left the first mass early. Do they want to be like that person?

I normally let them go off once the priest starts to walk after bowing to the tabernacle.

We usually send the children back, in CLOW, when the offertory starts. It looks like you must still have them at dismissal?
I was under the impression that Mass ended when the priest said “The Mass has ended”. I was corrected as the procession is part of it.
If those dear children were running out to make a few bucks after Mass, then they would be like Judas in my book (love of money is the root of all evil).
Just because someone leaves earlier, doesn’t mean they are Judas like, traitor. In general, I wouldn’t mind if everyone started over in how to behave at Mass because it would take care of my dilemma, talking in Church.
I also accept there may come a day where I can’t be as social as I would like to be due to medicine that makes me more susceptible to infections. I will cross that bridge when I get there and know that Judas didn’t leave early because he was afraid of catching a cold that could turn into pneumonia.

 

[jimkhong]

We usually send the children back, in CLOW, when the offertory starts. It looks like you must still have them at dismissal?

Yes we do, we gather the children in our little corner before mass starts and keep them in our little corner until end of mass. Practicality dictates it as we have many children and it can be a little disruptive sending them back once to their parents all over our rather large church (>1000 Sunday attendance). It wouldn’t be a problem if the parish priest would stop the mass to welcome them back (as we have done in another parish) but because we are a Jesuit parish, it will be a little difficult to coordinate with many different priests saying mass at different Sundays, particularly with visiting priests.

 

[Hopey]

Yes we do, we gather the children in our little corner before mass starts and keep them in our little corner until end of mass. Practicality dictates it as we have many children and it can be a little disruptive sending them back once to their parents all over our rather large church (>1000 Sunday attendance). It wouldn’t be a problem if the parish priest would stop the mass to welcome them back (as we have done in another parish) but because we are a Jesuit parish, it will be a little difficult to coordinate with many different priests saying mass at different Sundays, particularly with visiting priests.

I see! Thank you for your ministry.
It seems where we are, and we have a similarly large parish, they drown out the little patter of the feet during the offertory - singing. They also invite the children up front during that time to put a donation in the jar. From there, they go back to their parents. Since the parish is so large, it takes awhile for them to take up the collection in the pews, providing ample time for children to get back with their parents.
Again, thank you for helping with the ministry.

 

[Hopey]

I see! Thank you for your ministry.
It seems where we are, and we have a similarly large parish, they drown out the little patter of the feet during the offertory - singing. They also invite the children up front during that time to put a donation in the jar. From there, they go back to their parents. Since the parish is so large, it takes awhile for them to take up the collection in the pews, providing ample time for children to get back with their parents.
Again, thank you for helping with the ministry.

And just one further thing, especially regarding the impact of divorce on children and society as a whole, the Church doesn’t wait to see IF it has a negative impact on the children, as she already knows in her wisdom the truth behind that (no-fault divorce), YOU DO NO HARM TO CHILDREN - THEY ARE NOT MEANT TO BE EXPERIMENTED WITH.

So, as gay marriage and unions are more accepted as normal in society, here, you will see as these children get old enough to speak for themselves, as with the casualties of divorce/remarriage/serial adulterers, her adjusting the stats and adding them to reflect this. This is also why it is underscored that there are some who in those households come out confused as to their sexuality.

 

[Lin123]

I’m a born and raised catholic … I’ve always felt sorry for the people that left early they are missing the blessing… God Bless… and HAPPY EASTER!!!