Spectacles at Holy Mass

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My parish priest gave a homily about a priest in our diocese that had recently passed away who did things like ride into mass on a motorcycle or play an electric light show before mass. Our priest read from some of this other priest’s homilies and they included things like telling a parishioner who had complained about a short skirt on a lector that something was wrong with him if it bothered him.

I think that all or most people struggle with sexual attraction due to the universality of concupiscence to varying degrees and therefore one must address the person wearing the scandalous clothes at mass.

I am a relatively new catholic trying to be faithful to the Magisterium. My first instinct is to say spectacles at mass are not desirable. My greater question is, why are spectacles like that wrong at mass?How can I articulate that this is not good?
 
The Mass is principally the re-presentation of Christ’s Sacrifice on the Cross to God the Father so anything that detracts from making that the central focus of the faithful is a problem. I suggest reading the Holy Father’s book *The Spirit of the Liturgy *for a more authoritative explanation of the nature of authentic worship.
 
thyrodandstaff said:
thyrodandstaff

My parish priest gave a homily about a priest in our diocese that had recently passed away who did things like ride into mass on a motorcycle or play an electric light show before mass. Our priest read from some of this other priest’s homilies and they included things like telling a parishioner who had complained about a short skirt on a lector that something was wrong with him if it bothered him.

I think that all or most people struggle with sexual attraction due to the universality of concupiscence to varying degrees and therefore one must address the person wearing the scandalous clothes at mass.

I am a relatively new catholic trying to be faithful to the Magisterium. My first instinct is to say spectacles at mass are not desirable. My greater question is, why are spectacles like that wrong at mass?How can I articulate that this is not good?
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At mass we should be focusing on the presence of Our Lord in the Eucharist. When people or priests do things such as ride a motorcycle into mass or similar they are only looking for attention for themselves. It takes away from our worship of the Lord and our focus on the sacrifice Jesus made for us and it takes away from our humbling ourselves before the Lord. It is very disrespectful.

Saying that he passed away, I am guessing maybe he was an older priest who followed a lot of the crazy things that happened in the 60’s and 70’s. My prayer is that those types of events will be coming to an end and Catholics can be taught what is truly happening at mass and be taught how to act respectfully.
 
My understanding on hearing that phrase, “riding into Mass on a motorcycle”, is that the priest rode his motorcycle to the church in order to celebrate the Mass there.
 
My first thought on reading the thread title was to leap to the defence of the short-sighted…
 
He rode INTO or TO Mass?

I ride to Mass, not for attention but because I enjoy it and it takes less gas.

Riding INTO Mass is a totally different order of riding!

Unless he had a ministry to bikers.

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zab said:
My understanding on hearing that phrase, “riding into Mass on a motorcycle”, is that the priest rode his motorcycle to the church in order to celebrate the Mass there.
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that isn’t my understanding 🤷
 
I was told to dress and act like your going to see the king of the world… because you are.
 
I hope he didn’t ride the motorcycle through a flaming hoop out in the parking lot. :eek:
 
triumphguy said:
He rode INTO or TO Mass?

I ride to Mass, not for attention but because I enjoy it and it takes less gas.

Riding INTO Mass is a totally different order of riding!

Unless he had a ministry to bikers.
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Well, if he rode INTO Mass, then who was celebrating the Mass he rode INTO?
 
It sounds to me like any spectacle was “before” Mass. I didn’t hear anything about riding “during” Mass or light shows “during” Mass. Riding a motorcycle into the Church sounds a little over the top, but i try not to judge without knowing all the facts. I’ve seen several places around the world where the Church is not a structure that most western people think of as a Church… It “may” have been more appropriate than it sounds.

As per the short skirt, I agree with the priest in question 100%… There are religions that say a woman sin if a man looks at them with lust in his heart. Jesus made it clear where the sin actually lies… Women should NEVER have to wear burkas (spelling) to Mass so that some guy doesn’t get all excited looking at a leg. It’s the job of the man in question to conquer the lust in their own heart. And I say that as a man that struggles with that sin. But i recognize the sin for what it is… MY problem, not the woman in a short skirt.

God bless.
 
Myqyl said:
As per the short skirt, I agree with the priest in question 100%… There are religions that say a woman sin if a man looks at them with lust in his heart. Jesus made it clear where the sin actually lies… Women should NEVER have to wear burkas (spelling) to Mass so that some guy doesn’t get all excited looking at a leg. It’s the job of the man in question to conquer the lust in their own heart. And I say that as a man that struggles with that sin. But i recognize the sin for what it is… MY problem, not the woman in a short skirt.

God bless.
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Now, I have to disagree. Jesus did not dismiss the woman who was about to be stoned. He wrote something in the sand and said, “He who has not sinned may cast the first stone” Then he said to the woman “go and sin no more.”
 
zab said:
Now, I have to disagree. Jesus did not dismiss the woman who was about to be stoned. He wrote something in the sand and said, “He who has not sinned may cast the first stone” Then he said to the woman “go and sin no more.”
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As I recall, that woman was NOT about to be stoned for wearing a short skirt!!! I refer more to what Jesus said if you look at a woman with lust in your heart… I’ll try to look up Chapter / Verse after work… Sorry for the confusion.

Found it… Matthew 5:28
 
Myqyl said:
As per the short skirt, I agree with the priest in question 100%… There are religions that say a woman sin if a man looks at them with lust in his heart. Jesus made it clear where the sin actually lies… Women should NEVER have to wear burkas (spelling) to Mass so that some guy doesn’t get all excited looking at a leg. It’s the job of the man in question to conquer the lust in their own heart. And I say that as a man that struggles with that sin. But i recognize the sin for what it is… MY problem, not the woman in a short skirt.

God bless.
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I also must disagree with the above to an extent.
the matter here is not a question of which one has sinned - but what are the problems displayed by each.
Yes the man has a problem if he lusts in his heart.
The woman likewise has a problem in thinking that a miniskirt is appropriate attire for mass - especially for entering the sanctuary and doing the readings.

Each is guilty of a sin…

Peace
James
 
Myqyl said:
As I recall, that woman was NOT about to be stoned for wearing a short skirt!!! I refer more to what Jesus said if you look at a woman with lust in your heart… I’ll try to look up Chapter / Verse after work… Sorry for the confusion.
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Well, of course, if the woman did nothing to cause the man to have lust in his heart then there would be no sin on her part. But we do bear some responsibility for how we dress or act in order that we do not tempt others to sin. Low necklines and short skirts are just not appropriate dress for church and in particular when one is assisting at Mass such as a reader.
 
thyrodandstaff said:
thyrodandstaff

My parish priest gave a homily about a priest in our diocese that had recently passed away who did things like ride into mass on a motorcycle or play an electric light show before mass. Our priest read from some of this other priest’s homilies and they included things like telling a parishioner who had complained about a short skirt on a lector that something was wrong with him if it bothered him.

I think that all or most people struggle with sexual attraction due to the universality of concupiscence to varying degrees and therefore one must address the person wearing the scandalous clothes at mass.

I am a relatively new catholic trying to be faithful to the Magisterium. My first instinct is to say spectacles at mass are not desirable. My greater question is, why are spectacles like that wrong at mass?How can I articulate that this is not good?
Click to expand...
What was the priest’s point for gossiping about a fellow priest? Sounds like detraction to me. If the deceased priest really did ride his motorcycle INTO the sanctuary, to make a point in his homily, that’s not appropriate because the parishioners would be thinking of that for the rest of the Mass, not the sacrifice of Jesus and His Body and Blood which they are about to receive. The light show sounds like entertainment…not a good choice but not during the Mass, at least.

Jesus is the star of the Mass. His sacrifice for our sins should be at the forefront of our minds no matter what the homily is. A homily should be directed toward the Gospel for that Sunday, should relate in some way to it and the other readings. Sometimes priests will go off in other directions and leave the Gospel behind…I don’t like it when it happens.

You will learn over time what a good homilist is. If something bothers you, chances are good it’s bothering the other Catholics around you. Trust your newly-hatched Catholic sensibilities!

👍
 
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