When Does Mass Finish

[GangGreen]

Ite Missa Est.

Although one should wait for the recession of the priest/deacon/servers to finish. This means that in the OF, it’s Ite Missa Est and then recessional. In the EF it’s Ite Missa Est, Final Blessing, Last Gospel (along with Marian Antiphon in Missa Cantata), and in Low Mass followed by the Leonine prayers.

 

[ProVobis]

True.

But in this context, I think it’s safe to say that we can use just one formula to make the point without having to type all the different variations in every post.

It’s important to remember that these variations are perfectly legitimate, and also to note that they convey important messages such as “go and announce the Gospel” instead of just “go home you aren’t a Christian again until next Sunday’s Mass”

Answering with the simple “Ite Missa est” is merely the most concise response; it’s surely not the only one.

And in the EF, “Benedicamus Domino” (Let us bless the Lord) and “Requiescant in pace” (All Soul’s Day, etc.) are options. The former is used when there is no Gloria. Also, according to one Missal, when there is a procession that follows. IMO, it doesn’t make sense to use “Ite Missa Est” when there is a Last Gospel and Leonine Prayers following.

 

[johnmann]

I’ll stay for a Marian antiphon or other traditional recessional but sing On Eagle’s Wings and I’m voting with my feet.

 

[FrDavid96]

I’ll stay for a Marian antiphon or other traditional recessional but sing On Eagle’s Wings and I’m voting with my feet.

When I was newly-arrived at my current assignment, I used to do exactly that. If the choir started singing something along those lines, I would leave the sanctuary immediately. Literally, as soon as the title was announced, I would genuflect and walk away, which, naturally gave everyone else in church license to leave; whereas if they sang proper hymns, I would stick around for 2 (maybe even 3 or more) verses, timing it so that the final verse would end roughly when I left the building. It didn’t take them long to figure things out. The nice thing was that I didn’t actually have to “say” anything (not always good for a new pastor to say something too early), and when I did say something, they already knew that there would be no point in trying to argue with me (of course, here I mean only those who wanted to argue, most agreed).

 

[CyrilSebastian]

When there was a recessional hymn, our previous pastor (priest) did not want us altar servers, after we had walked down the aisle, to leave the front of the church entrance until the hymn was sung and the congregation began to leave.

 

[roadsend]

Quote:
Originally Posted by johnmann View Post
I’ll stay for a Marian antiphon or other traditional recessional but sing On Eagle’s Wings and I’m voting with my feet.

When I was newly-arrived at my current assignment, I used to do exactly that. If the choir started singing something along those lines, I would leave the sanctuary immediately. Literally, as soon as the title was announced, I would genuflect and walk away, which, naturally gave everyone else in church license to leave; whereas if they sang proper hymns, I would stick around for 2 (maybe even 3 or more) verses, timing it so that the final verse would end roughly when I left the building. It didn’t take them long to figure things out. The nice thing was that I didn’t actually have to “say” anything (not always good for a new pastor to say something too early), and when I did say something, they already knew that there would be no point in trying to argue with me (of course, here I mean only those who wanted to argue, most agreed).

Yup.

 

[andrewstx]

Sounds like this local liturgist may also be in the choir.

I think we should all sing until the end of the hymn, otherwise would be rude. The choir is there to sing with us and not to us for our entertainment.

 

[EasterJoy]

I think we should all sing until the end of the hymn, otherwise would be rude. The choir is there to sing with us and not to us for our entertainment.

The problem with this theory is if a group of musicians know they are supposed to provide music for a “recessional”, they’re going to keep going until the crowd has shown some sign of “receding”. I can predict that there is no way that the choir and musicians at most churches will ever let the entire congregation outlast them. If the crowd isn’t moving at all after three verses, they’ll sing five. If they sing all five and no one has moved yet, they’ll switch to something instrumental.

If the crowd is dismissed with “Go in peace” and the priest starts a solemn recessional, it is started. The congregation is going to follow him out of the church, singing, just as he left the church singing. The choir is there to provide music appropriate for that* event*. You may as well say that everyone ought to stay in the pews and finish the communion song before they actually come forward for communion!

 

[GangGreen]

When I was newly-arrived at my current assignment, I used to do exactly that. If the choir started singing something along those lines, I would leave the sanctuary immediately. Literally, as soon as the title was announced, I would genuflect and walk away, which, naturally gave everyone else in church license to leave; whereas if they sang proper hymns, I would stick around for 2 (maybe even 3 or more) verses, timing it so that the final verse would end roughly when I left the building. It didn’t take them long to figure things out. The nice thing was that I didn’t actually have to “say” anything (not always good for a new pastor to say something too early), and when I did say something, they already knew that there would be no point in trying to argue with me (of course, here I mean only those who wanted to argue, most agreed).

:clapping::clapping::clapping:

 

[YoungTradCath]

Of course, as some alluded to, a traditional, short Marian antiphon, followed by (my recommendation) a nice organ postlude is quite beautiful. This is what is done at the Papal Masses at St. Peter’s and it is traditional, beautiful, dignified, and doesn’t last long at all! It takes what, 45 seconds to sing most Marian antiphons? The organ postlude has the added benefit of ending Mass on a joyful note, assuming it isn’t Lent or Advent.

 

[PhiloMed]

I’ll stay for a Marian antiphon or other traditional recessional but sing On Eagle’s Wings and I’m voting with my feet.

I am reminded of two amusing anecdotes.

As a child of the 80’s, Bette Midler and the movie Beaches were quite popular. I would confuse “On Eagles Wings” and “You Are The Wind Beneath My Wings” all the time. We sang On Eagles Wings every.blessed.time at our elementary school masses and inevitably when our choir director would introduce the song I would start in with “Did you ever know that you’re my hero….”

Also, on the topic of the OP’s question. If I saw that written I would forever have Last Dance in my head when the recessional was sung. Donna Summer isn’t remotely liturgical, but she did sing the quintessential last song.

Come to think of it, the lyrics could be prayerful if being sung to Christ instead of a dance partner!
“I need you, by me,
Beside me, to guide me,
To hold me, to scold me,
‘Cause when I’m bad
I’m so’ so bad”

Better than the eagles wings song in my opinion.

 

[Elizium23]

When I was newly-arrived at my current assignment, I used to do exactly that. If the choir started singing something along those lines, I would leave the sanctuary immediately. Literally, as soon as the title was announced, I would genuflect and walk away, which, naturally gave everyone else in church license to leave; whereas if they sang proper hymns, I would stick around for 2 (maybe even 3 or more) verses, timing it so that the final verse would end roughly when I left the building. It didn’t take them long to figure things out. The nice thing was that I didn’t actually have to “say” anything (not always good for a new pastor to say something too early), and when I did say something, they already knew that there would be no point in trying to argue with me (of course, here I mean only those who wanted to argue, most agreed).

:extrahappy: :harp:

 

[RitasKid]

I’m sure the Latin “missa” means something about sending and not “the Mass”. Does the Mass ever end?

 

[Symeon]

The Mass never ends. It is a participation in the eternal heavenly worship of God with the cherubim and seraphim and saints of all times.

 

[Tarpeian_Rock]

I’m sure the Latin “missa” means something about sending and not “the Mass”. Does the Mass ever end?

As I understand it, the word “Mass” does come from the root of the word “dismissal,” in the sense that after worship we are sent into the world to be witnesses to Christ. However, in the setting of “Ite, Missa est,” Missa means Mass.

 

[Tarpeian_Rock]

The Mass never ends. It is a participation in the eternal heavenly worship of God with the cherubim and seraphim and saints of all times.

Yes, but a particular celebration of the Mass DOES end, else we would never be able to leave church, such being the original point of this thread.

 

[ChemicalBean]

I was thinking the same thing. I don’t question all of the scholars here, of course, but I have seen people jumping out of the pew in front of the celebrant to get to the doors, which is highly disrespectful.
On the other hand, a choir director that doesn’t cut off the last hymn in a timely fashion (if the celebrant has fully processed out and you ** continue with 5 verses because you have 5 verses??? for what reason? To make a point?) **That’s nuts.
But I have to say, staying at least until the music stops is nice. Not obligatory as everyone has pretty much pointed out, but it’s nice. **The music is also a prayer. At least it’s supposed to be. **At one of our Masses, once the priest hits the back door, the servers literally run to the sacristy, throw off their albs, race around the altar blowing out candles, lay people hurry to the front to remove the lectionary, clear the credence table, etc. Really annoying if you want to stay and pray post Mass. As a result, we get people talking, standing the aisle laughing, visiting. I think that is more what is at the heart here. Of course the rubrics are the rubrics.

I think you just answered your own question.

At our parish, if there are 5 verses, we sing all 5 verses. As you said, it’s a prayer.

Imagine if we were singing a song like:

V1: Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.
V2: Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
V3: Holy Mary, Mother of God
V4: Pray for us sinners now, and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Annnnd, we only sang the first 2 verses because that’s all the time Fr. X needed to get down the aisle. In fact, by the time we got to “fruit” we’ve already closed our hymnals and are tripping over ourselves to put on coats and genuflect our way out of the pew.

The prayer as composed is incomplete! It won’t shave that many seconds off your life to finish it out! We’ve already deflected our attention from worshipping God in Christian community and put it right back on ourselves!

Or, imagine a family dinner. Leaving right after receiving communion is like taking a cookie and running for the door. Bolting right after you were dismissed from the table is permissible, but visibly selfish. Sticking around to finish up conversations and offering to help clear the table is the polite and proper thing to do.

 

[PClark456]

In my 5th Grade CCD class we learned about the Concluding Rites. In the class book it say that Mass comes from the Latin root word missa, which means to send forth. The Mass may end but it’s celebration does not. Mass connects us and gives us the strength to be sent out into the world to continue the work of Christ present in the Eucharist,

 

[EasterJoy]

I think you just answered your own question.

At our parish, if there are 5 verses, we sing all 5 verses. As you said, it’s a prayer.

Imagine if we were singing a song like:

V1: Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.
V2: Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
V3: Holy Mary, Mother of God
V4: Pray for us sinners now, and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Annnnd, we only sang the first 2 verses because that’s all the time Fr. X needed to get down the aisle. In fact, by the time we got to “fruit” we’ve already closed our hymnals and are tripping over ourselves to put on coats and genuflect our way out of the pew.

The prayer as composed is incomplete! It won’t shave that many seconds off your life to finish it out! We’ve already deflected our attention from worshipping God in Christian community and put it right back on ourselves!

Or, imagine a family dinner. Leaving right after receiving communion is like taking a cookie and running for the door. Bolting right after you were dismissed from the table is permissible, but visibly selfish. Sticking around to finish up conversations and offering to help clear the table is the polite and proper thing to do.

This is something tacked on…it is not in the rubrics. Why is it “bolting” to be told “the Mass is ended, go in peace” and the head of the table leaves ahead of you, and so you leave? Surely if this was a prayer that had to be completed, the priest would stay for it, too?

 

[Bob_Crowley]

I was thinking the same thing. I don’t question all of the scholars here, of course, but I have seen people jumping out of the pew in front of the celebrant to get to the doors, which is highly disrespectful.
On the other hand, a choir director that doesn’t cut off the last hymn in a timely fashion (if the celebrant has fully processed out and you continue with 5 verses because you have 5 verses??? for what reason? To make a point?) That’s nuts.
But I have to say, staying at least until the music stops is nice. Not obligatory as everyone has pretty much pointed out, but it’s nice. The music is also a prayer. At least it’s supposed to be. At one of our Masses, once the priest hits the back door, the servers literally run to the sacristy, throw off their albs, race around the altar blowing out candles, lay people hurry to the front to remove the lectionary, clear the credence table, etc. Really annoying if you want to stay and pray post Mass. As a result, we get people talking, standing the aisle laughing, visiting. I think that is more what is at the heart here. Of course the rubrics are the rubrics.

Coming from a Protestant background originally, and attending my wife’s Baptist church on about a monthly basis, I am struck by the difference in attitude to music. Her Baptist Church will have about 3 or 4 songs at the beginning, and a full song at the end, plus at least one in the middle somewhere. Then there’ll be coffee afterwards, and people stop and talk.

While I find the beginnings a bit over the top, Catholics go the other way. Two verses in, two verses out, with a song during communion, with everybody moving out the door ASAP, down to the car park and off…

Then we wonder why the Protestants leave us for dead in evangelising.