Teaching Mass

[powerlinemom]

We had something similar to this when I was in RCIA 2 years ago. Our priest teaches most of the RCIA sessions, and one week we met in the church and he went through all the parts of the mass and what they meant without it actually being a Mass. He started out with all of the vestments and what they symbolized, all the different parts of the Mass, when to stand/sit/kneel and why, etc. He went through everything in the actual order that the Mass would be in so people could follow along and learn how to use the Missal if they wanted to. It was very appropriate for people who weren’t used to going to Mass. Going through it there in the church was more helpful than just talking about it in the classroom, too.

 

[Ohana]

The Pastor of my daughter’s parish did teachings on the Mass during the homilies during the six weeks of Lent one year. Since this was going to extend the length of the Mass, he did announce this previously so people would be prepared or choose to attend another parish. They also videotaped them and put them on the parish website. They are very good. It was enormously popular and the church remained packed for Lent–these people really wanted to learn.

He also did this with the Rosary the next year. He taught them how to say the Rosary and taught all the mysteries. It too, was very popular.

My daughter said he was appalled at the lack of basic Catholic education in the parish and decided to teach his parishioners himself. He calls it the Parish Lenten Penance.

This parish is one of the most engaged parishes I have ever been to–they are amazing.

Really good post! I think there was a real lack of instruction in the 70’s and early 80’s. New teaching materials were being developed and some of the really basic teaching on liturgy and prayer forms was missed. Good for your pastor for filling in some of the gaps.

This is one of those things that happens with change. The Vatican Council made some good and necessary changes, it is just taking us time to catch up in our teaching content and methods.

I think the instructional Mass is a wonderful experience. We attended on some years ago and it was a really effective experience. Maybe the critic need to step back and consider whether it is b etter to have an occasional teaching Mass to more fully bring parishioners into participation in the liturgy, or whether the focus on rubrics etc should be so rigidly enforced as to support and continue ignorance. No contest for me.

 

[Reuben_J]

I think the instructional Mass is a wonderful experience. We attended on some years ago and it was a really effective experience. Maybe the critic need to step back and consider whether it is b etter to have an occasional teaching Mass to more fully bring parishioners into participation in the liturgy, or whether the focus on rubrics etc should be so rigidly enforced as to support and continue ignorance. No contest for me.

If you put it that way, I am afraid it will always be controversial. Rubric and the correct nature of the mass are very important for the mass. So you will always find ‘mass purist’ will object to anything that might be construed as tinkling with it. Don’t get me wrong, your intention is right and good. The question probably is appropriateness here.

Those who insist on correct rubric surely would not want people to be ignorant too about the mass. I think they want people to be conversant with the mass. It is strange to say the least that Catholics should not be familiar with the most important aspect of their spiritual life and the summit of their worship, the mass. But again, not all Catholics are ignorant. Probably the majority of them are not. So where would that put us?

I think the pastor of that church mentioned did very well but I would caution that was appropriate for his parish and may not apply to others. There are certainly many ways to educate the parishioners about the Church’s teaching. For those who decide that the teaching on mass to be done in another forum for certain targeted parishioners can also be as effective.

 

[maryjk]

Our parish holds a “Come and See” Mass every year. It is not on a Sunday or Holy Day of obligation. It is normally held on a Thursday evening. It is the time to invite your non-Catholic friends or family members to, well, come and see what it is all about.

It is always well attended, so I am sure he will continue to hold it.

 

[Reuben_J]

Our parish holds a “Come and See” Mass every year. It is not on a Sunday or Holy Day of obligation. It is normally held on a Thursday evening. It is the time to invite your non-Catholic friends or family members to, well, come and see what it is all about.

It is always well attended, so I am sure he will continue to hold it.

That’s great. That’s what I mean. I wish more churches will do that. Not during Sundays and days of obligation where people will have a choice.

 

[mikelionheart]

These teaching masses sound fantastic.

This is exactly what we need.

The laity are shockingly uneducated in the faith.

We need more priests who actually want to teach the faith to people.

OldCatholicGuy - thanks for your posts. They were very interesting.

 

[lizaanne]

That’s all fine and dandy, but the Mass isn’t a classroom. Anyways, most people who would go to a teaching Mass will have been to Mass many times before, so it’s not like there’s any great loss in teaching about the Mass beforehand. It’s not as if they won’t know what you’re talking about as the priest talks them through the Mass and explains it.

Exactly.

I think this is a HORRIFIC idea. The focus of the Mass is the Holy Sacrifice - PERIOD. If one wishes to teach about the various pieces and parts of the Mass, then do it in a classroom setting, outside of the sanctuary. The actual Mass is NOT the proper setting for such things.

No wonder the Church is such a flipping mess when priests are using the altar of Christ as a whiteboard.

~Liza

 

[superamazingman]

We had something similar to this when I was in RCIA 2 years ago. Our priest teaches most of the RCIA sessions, and one week we met in the church and he went through all the parts of the mass and what they meant without it actually being a Mass. He started out with all of the vestments and what they symbolized, all the different parts of the Mass, when to stand/sit/kneel and why, etc. He went through everything in the actual order that the Mass would be in so people could follow along and learn how to use the Missal if they wanted to. It was very appropriate for people who weren’t used to going to Mass. Going through it there in the church was more helpful than just talking about it in the classroom, too.

That sounds like a very good way of doing it.

 

[superamazingman]

Exactly.

I think this is a HORRIFIC idea. The focus of the Mass is the Holy Sacrifice - PERIOD. If one wishes to teach about the various pieces and parts of the Mass, then do it in a classroom setting, outside of the sanctuary. The actual Mass is NOT the proper setting for such things.

No wonder the Church is such a flipping mess when priests are using the altar of Christ as a whiteboard.

~Liza

Finally, someone who gets it. I ask that the instructions in the missal simply be followed, and I get called an extreme purist…ugh.

Why can’t priests just teach in the way described in post 20? Yes, people need to learn about the Mass, but you shouldn’t desecrate the Mass in the process.

 

[Boulder257]

Exactly.

I think this is a HORRIFIC idea. The focus of the Mass is the Holy Sacrifice - PERIOD. If one wishes to teach about the various pieces and parts of the Mass, then do it in a classroom setting, outside of the sanctuary. The actual Mass is NOT the proper setting for such things.

No wonder the Church is such a flipping mess when priests are using the altar of Christ as a whiteboard.

~Liza

My Church (the Catholic Church) may not be perfect, but She is NOT a “flipping mess.” She may not do things the way one prefers, but it’s not really about our personal preferences or even our personal opinions.

The Mass is as much an instrument of learning and instruction as it is a Holy Sacrifice. Or should we do away with the homily and readings since they are instructional? The Mass is also about glorifying our Lord, or should we remove the Gloria? It’s about being sorry for our sins, or should we get rid of the Confiteor?

I’m very confused, because it sounds like you would be fine if we just all arrived, knelt, heard the words of consecration, took Communion, and then left since it’s only a Holy Sacrifice - PERIOD.

 

[Boulder257]

Finally, someone who gets it. I ask that the instructions in the missal simply be followed, and I get called an extreme purist…ugh.

Why can’t priests just teach in the way described in post 20? Yes, people need to learn about the Mass, but you shouldn’t desecrate the Mass in the process.

I’m having trouble finding source documents to support your claim. Can you provide me with any official Church teaching that describes a teaching Mass as a “desecration” of the Mass?

 

[superamazingman]

I’m having trouble finding source documents to support your claim. Can you provide me with any official Church teaching that describes a teaching Mass as a “desecration” of the Mass?

The correct word I should have used was “corruption” of the Mass. That’s the word I was thinking of.

Redemptonis Sacramentum no. 31 states clearly:

[Priests] ought not to detract from the profound meaning of their own ministry by corrupting the liturgical celebration either through alteration or omission, or through arbitrary additions.

It’s quite clear: the missal does not give permission for such “teaching moments” to be added throughout the Mass, therefore, it’s an alteration and addition to the Mass, which, as RS says, is a corruption of the Mass.

The GIRM also echoes the same sentiments:

However, the priest will remember that he is the servant of the Sacred Liturgy and that he himself is not permitted, on his own initiative, to add, to remove, or to change anything in the celebration of Mass.

 

[Mrs_Sally]

Papal Message on Liturgy as Source of Catechesis

 

[Boulder257]

The correct word I should have used was “corruption” of the Mass. That’s the word I was thinking of.

Redemptonis Sacramentum no. 31 states clearly:

[Priests] ought not to detract from the profound meaning of their own ministry by corrupting the liturgical celebration either through alteration or omission, or through arbitrary additions.

It’s quite clear: the missal does not give permission for such “teaching moments” to be added throughout the Mass, therefore, it’s an alteration and addition to the Mass, which, as RS says, is a corruption of the Mass.

The GIRM also echoes the same sentiments:

However, the priest will remember that he is the servant of the Sacred Liturgy and that he himself is not permitted, on his own initiative, to add, to remove, or to change anything in the celebration of Mass.

Gotcha. Thanks for clarifying the word choice.

 

[Boulder257]

Papal Message on Liturgy as Source of Catechesis

Mrs. Sally, thanks for sharing this document. Can you point me in the direction of the portion that pertains to this thread? I have to admit, I read through it and can see where a person could draw certain conclusions, but I couldn’t find anything concrete that addressed this particular type of situation. I am horrible when it comes to reading these types of documents and typically need help when it comes to understanding the intended message. Thank goodness I have had wonderful Priests and Bishops who have helped me to understand these types of things!

Thanks!

 

[Mrs_Sally]

Mrs. Sally, thanks for sharing this document. Can you point me in the direction of the portion that pertains to this thread? I have to admit, I read through it and can see where a person could draw certain conclusions, but I couldn’t find anything concrete that addressed this particular type of situation. I am horrible when it comes to reading these types of documents and typically need help when it comes to understanding the intended message. Thank goodness I have had wonderful Priests and Bishops who have helped me to understand these types of things!

Thanks!

I would love to see wome of the other documents presented during this session, but I imagine they are only in Italian.

The sense I got was that 1) simply attending (reverant, orthodox) liturgy has the ability to teach us our faith, but that 2) teaching about the liturgy is also important.

So I think a “teaching Mass” like that described by powerlinemom would be acceptable to the Vatican. I haven’t seen anyone on this thread so far advocating that a normal Sunday Mass should be turned into a “teaching Mass”. But I do think there is value in explaining what all the ‘piece-parts’ of the Mass are.

 

[dee_burk]

WOW…i have read all the comments on this thread and now must make my own statement.

I would love to attend a special teaching mass that would explain the symbolism and mystery of Mass. There is so much i want to learn and know but am too afraid to ask. Sure, not an obligatory Mass for those who already “know” everything there is to know about Mass and would hate to learn something that they might not be aware of. What an ego crusher that would be.

But…did the disciples not consider Christ a “teacher”? I think having people going through the motions of Mass and not understanding how “sacred” and mysterious it is, would leave Christ the Teacher - sad…

 

[lizaanne]

Will someone please answer this one question for me with a direct answer…

In what way would this proposed teaching situation be any less useful or effective if it were outside the sanctuary during a “real Mass”, but rather in a classroom setting where no actual consecration is taking place? Why is it so imperative that this occur during a real Mass?

~Liza

 

[superamazingman]

I would love to see wome of the other documents presented during this session, but I imagine they are only in Italian.

The sense I got was that 1) simply attending (reverant, orthodox) liturgy has the ability to teach us our faith, but that 2) teaching about the liturgy is also important.

So I think a “teaching Mass” like that described by powerlinemom would be acceptable to the Vatican. I haven’t seen anyone on this thread so far advocating that a normal Sunday Mass should be turned into a “teaching Mass”. But I do think there is value in explaining what all the ‘piece-parts’ of the Mass are.

But here’s the thing: it doesn’t matter if it’s a normal Sunday Mass, or a special Mass. The Mass is the Mass, as it’s integrity must be preserved. To add all of the extra parts only corrupts.

Why can’t we just do it outside of Mass?

 

[superamazingman]

Will someone please answer this one question for me with a direct answer…

In what way would this proposed teaching situation be any less useful or effective if it were outside the sanctuary during a “real Mass”, but rather in a classroom setting where no actual consecration is taking place? Why is it so imperative that this occur during a real Mass?

~Liza

Or even respectfully and quietly in the church explaining everything outside of a Mass?