What's Hurting the Church: Utilitarian Masses

[Luna_Lovecraft]

…and then headed to breakfast at a favorite diner. As I was slowing down to pull into the lot I saw my pastor get out of a car with a few of his friends from the parish. He seemed quite happy.

I suggest you make an appointment with him find out why he seemed happy to be having breakfast with his friends.

 

[Mrs_Sally]

We weren’t at the Mass and don’t know what the OPs examples of “utilitarian” vs “beautiful” are. It seems from the reading of the OP that he was more concerned that Mass is short than that anything is abusive. Yet with a congregation of 200, I wouldn’t expect and ordinary Sunday Mass, done with grace and reverence, would be any longer.

The length of the Mass is most dependent on the number and length of the hymns, length of the homily, and the number of communicants. It may be that this Mass was only 41 minutes long because the hymns were short.

 

[Cat]

What’s hurting the Church is the failure of Catholics to recognize the last six words in of the Mass.

Go forth, the Mass is ended.

Only three words for those who prefer Latin.

***Ite, missa est. ***

The Mass is a sending forth. The Mass is just the beginning. The Mass is supposed to give us strength to go forth and live what we just experienced in our daily live and witness to other poeple that which we have just experienced.

And what we experienced is the ressurection of life on the altar.

We kneel. We pray. We recieve Jesus. The Mass isn’t the problem.

What happens the other 167 hours of the week is the problem. Failing to live the life of Christ who we just saw made present on the altar and whome we just recieved - that’s what is hurting the Church.

-Tim-

This is such an excellent and thought-provoking post.

This weekend, our pastor’s homily dealt with this. Very convicting to many of us, and I include myself in that number.

 

[ProVobis]

What’s hurting the Church is the failure of Catholics to recognize the last six words in of the Mass.

Go forth, the Mass is ended.

Only three words for those who prefer Latin.

***Ite, missa est. ***

The Mass is a sending forth. The Mass is just the beginning.

This is true. However, other options now are afforded:

Go forth, the Mass is ended.

Or: Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord.

Or: Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life.

Or: Go in peace.

And in the 1962 form: Ite Missa est although Benedicamus Domino (“let us give blessing to the Lord”) is being used now too.

 

[Cathryn]

Yeah, what else could they be? I have asked both he and our parochial vicar in the nicest terms why they are in such a hurry to celebrate the Mass? The pastor ignored me. The PV just smiled and changed the subject.

My strong feeling is both of these priests entered my parish where such behavior is SOP (it certainly did not begin with them) and both have found it to be agreeable so long as they can get away with it. I suspect if they tried this in other parishes, they would eventually get reprimanded by the local ordinary.

And? This situation is critical enough and has enough negative impact on the parish that one would think they would work to overcome whatever is making them treat the Mass in this manner.

You sound so hostile towards “these priests” who have entered “your” parish. There is no liturgical abuses taking place. Please give your Pastor a break. When you ask the Pastor “in the nicest terms” why he is in “such a hurry to celebrate the Mass” you are insulting him. It is admirable that he ingnored your question. It seems that he is trying to be charitable. As another poster pointed out, some parishoners leave the parish when the Mass is too long, others too short. They know they can’t please everyone. If your Pastor has his own pace, that should be respected.

 

[EcceAgnusDei]

My parish has the opposite problem–Saturday Vigil and Sunday Masses typically last 65 to 75 minutes. Three years ago, our new pastor increased the time. In the past, these Masses were 40 to 45 minutes. We’ve had quite the exodus from our parish to surrounding parishes.

I don’t want to give the impression, length of Mass was the main complaint responsible for the exodus. There were other complaints, however, length of Mass is in the top 5.

That’s too bad… people are willing to go to 3 hour long movies, or sporting events, or watch James Bond marathons, or whatever, but then they get upset when God asks them for an hour of time for liturgical prayer, for the Mass, the most important of all prayers, and on Sunday, too, which is the Lord’s Day.

We are the ADHD society…

• PAX

 

[thewanderer]

That’s too bad… people are willing to go to 3 hour long movies, or sporting events, or watch James Bond marathons, or whatever, but then they get upset when God asks them for an hour of time for liturgical prayer, for the Mass, the most important of all prayers, and on Sunday, too, which is the Lord’s Day.

We are the ADHD society…

• PAX

While this is true to a certain extent, I must say, there comes a point where extending the length of the mass by longer more elabarote music etc is really distracting. I love more traditional music, but while at college I always attended the later mass without music because the one with music was just too distracting for me. When the hymns stretch on forever it makes it really hard for me to actually focus and concentrate on the mass. Longer is not always better!!

 

[maltmom]

That’s too bad… people are willing to go to 3 hour long movies, or sporting events, or watch James Bond marathons, or whatever, but then they get upset when God asks them for an hour of time for liturgical prayer, for the Mass, the most important of all prayers, and on Sunday, too, which is the Lord’s Day.

We are the ADHD society…

• PAX

Well said.

 

[Jegudiel]

Thank God our priest is not like that. He shows the utmost respect and reverence for the Mass and all that it entails. He would never rush through Our Lord’s Supper- never!

It’s truly a puzzlement to me. We have at least a full hour between Masses at my parish so there is no schedule crunch. Based on the schedule he had two Masses to celebrate that day, 7:00am and 6:00pm. He clearly didn’t have a plane to catch or a pint of blood to donate.

My best guess is that he came into a parish where the norm is rushed Masses (except when we have a visiting priest) and it’s simply agreeable to him and other priests. Maybe there is another reason but I certainly can’t think what it might be, hence my posting.

 

[Jegudiel]

One can always go to two Masses if they feel one isn’t long enough, right?

But the obligation part is a good point. I’ve often wondered what the Church attendance would be if they removed the obligation altogether. IMO, there seems to be more spiritual benefits in a weekday Mass these days. Just saying.

So I can experience TWO Masses being slammed through? No thanks. Instead I skipped breakfast and went to an Eastern Divine Liturgy. Nearly 90 minutes long and very reverent.

You comment about the weekday Masses ring true. Sunday’s Mass seemed to be truly about processing people through a sacrament of the Church and fulfilling an obligation. Almost like an industrial process. Just get it done.

If the obligation did not exist I suspect my pastor would close the church altogether on Sunday with the explanation that we don’t have to go to Mass but if we really want to, we can go sometime during the week.

 

[Jegudiel]

1. Some priests are just fast talkers. It has nothing to do with irreverence its just their personality.
2. A usual Sunday Mass is around 45 minutes so 41 minutes isn’t exactly a rush job.
3. I’m not sure what “toll” it’s taking since the parishes with the “quickest” Masses seem to be the fullest.

He actually appeared as if he was under a time limit to finish within a certain number of minutes. He looked stressed and if he was hurrying. It was disquieting.

A usual Sunday Mass with 200+ attendees and communion under both kinds is not around 45 minutes – unless it’s a burn through it utilitarian Mass.

For those priests who are “fast talkers”, maybe they need some help to speak with a more reverent cadence?

 

[NewEnglandPriest]

That’s too bad… people are willing to go to 3 hour long movies, or sporting events, or watch James Bond marathons, or whatever, but then they get upset when God asks them for an hour of time for liturgical prayer, for the Mass, the most important of all prayers, and on Sunday, too, which is the Lord’s Day.

We are the ADHD society…

Apples and oranges. People go to movies, sporting events, etc. to be entertained. We don’t go to Mass to be entertained. We go to Mass to be spiritually fed.

When it comes to physically eating, I recognize the importance of eating and even important eating well. However, I also know that I don’t want to attend a 3 hour meal every week. In a similar way, people who come to be fed spiritually don’t necessary need/want a certain length of time.

 

[Jegudiel]

@OP,

Unfortunately a lot of Catholics have very low standards for what they expect to see and hear at Mass, because they have never had to opportunity to see it done any better. You said this has been SOP at your parish since before these priests came, right?

I suggest making an appointment with the pastor on a Saturday or something to present your concerns as respectfully as you can. I don’t go to the bishop just because father blew you off (or it seemed like he did) after Mass. Priests are very busy around Mass times.

I pray your parish improves.

Excellent point! I think some of the lowest standards are held by our sacristans and the people who are in charge or training and scheduling readers and EMsHC. It truly is a matter of “we have always done it this way.”

I already spoke to my pastor about this over a year ago. It was very respectful, away from the parish grounds after he asked me for feedback about my spiritual life with regard to the parish. Based on his facial expression and him ignoring my question it, I doubt it was the first time he had heard it.

 

[Jegudiel]

Smarter Catholics than I would know whether that Mass obligation is merely a discipline (thus changable) or not, but I’d say look at the Friday penance. As soon as the Church said it’s a very worthy thing to do but not a sin if you don’t, it practically disappeared from our lives.

I would agree.

 

[Jegudiel]

Is it possible that this priest has schedule that you are not aware of?

Maybe he says Mass at a nursing home within 2-3 hours of the first Mass, and he would like to have breakfast with his friends before the nursing home Mass and still keep the 1-hour fast.

Maybe he has a diocesan meeting in a couple of hours. I know my priest has had to go to meetings on a Sunday.

My point is, you don’t know the priest’s schedule. So he celebrates a morning Mass and an evening Mass that you know of. What does he do in between that you don’t know of? Be charitable.

If any of what you suggest are true (and I suspect in his case none of them are), he could have taken more time (possibly 15-20 minutes?) to reverently celebrate the Mass before grabbing a snack on his way to wherever instead of going out to breakfast with his friends. That alone was 30+ minutes.

 

[Cathryn]

That’s too bad… people are willing to go to 3 hour long movies, or sporting events, or watch James Bond marathons, or whatever, but then they get upset when God asks them for an hour of time for liturgical prayer, for the Mass, the most important of all prayers, and on Sunday, too, which is the Lord’s Day.

We are the ADHD society…

• PAX

I do Eucharistic Adoration for one hour because of Christ’s words to His apostles about praying with Him, but there is no where that Christ or His Church say the Mass should be one hour. It can be longer or shorter. We can not judge our Pastors on rules we make up. Remember Christ set us free. The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass can take as long as the Mass takes.

 

[NewEnglandPriest]

He actually appeared as if he was under a time limit to finish within a certain number of minutes. He looked stressed and if he was hurrying. It was disquieting.

Is he like that often? Perhaps that’s just his outward personality appearance.

A usual Sunday Mass with 200+ attendees and communion under both kinds is not around 45 minutes – unless it’s a burn through it utilitarian Mass.

Nope, sorry. With proper arrangement of communion lines 200 communicants still is around 45 minutes.
The usual things that lengthen Mass are: how many verses of hymns are sung, if there’s a post-communion hymn and its duration, the arrangement of communion lines. How fast the priest speaks rarely takes off more than a few minutes from the overall time.

For those priests who are “fast talkers”, maybe they need some help to speak with a more reverent cadence?

Really? Like the reverent cadence of the low Mass in the 50’s and 60’s when the priest would mumble through the Latin without pauses or punctuation?

I think we need to be careful about redefining reverence to mean “what **I **like.”

 

[NewEnglandPriest]

If any of what you suggest are true (and I suspect in his case none of them are), he could have taken more time (possibly 15-20 minutes?) to reverently celebrate the Mass before grabbing a snack on his way to wherever instead of going out to breakfast with his friends. That alone was 30+ minutes.

Sorry, there’s no way a priest’s fast talking or moving is going to cut 20 minutes off of Mass time. I think there’s some misunderstandings about time management and Mass.

 

[Cat]

You sound so hostile towards “these priests” who have entered “your” parish. There is no liturgical abuses taking place. Please give your Pastor a break. When you ask the Pastor “in the nicest terms” why he is in “such a hurry to celebrate the Mass” you are insulting him. It is admirable that he ingnored your question. It seems that he is trying to be charitable. As another poster pointed out, some parishoners leave the parish when the Mass is too long, others too short. They know they can’t please everyone. If your Pastor has his own pace, that should be respected.

A very lovely post that emphasizes the need for us to set our minds on what is good, true, etc.

I think that perhaps we should not speculate so much about people, especially priests, and situations that we are not fully informed about. It’s all just our own imaginings, and these could very well be totally off kilter. It would be better for us to spend more time in more wholesome mental pursuits.

 

[Jegudiel]

Utilitarian Masses have pushed liturgical developments over the centuries. Popes and bishops went back and forth with adding and removing parts of the liturgy because of time and/or theological constraints. The question should be really about the true utility of that change and who should decide the change.

I am not talking about the contents or the order of the Mass. Everything that had to be there was. Any options were not. That which was there was rushed through with great speed.

This Sunday I had the same reaction, that you are writing about, when the priest skipped, as he often does, the Gloria but then he spent quite a bit of time on the homily. I think that liturgical changes can be very appropriate but I honestly doubt that the fruitful ones come ad impromptu from an individual priest or a parochial liturgical committee.

My pastor didn’t skip anything.