Why don't we hear about sin at mass anymore?

  • Thread starter Thread starter MCH1
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
I think what was meant by that was at the sinners will. That they would have to truly repent.

But it’s also an HBO series so take it all with a grain of salt
 
Why not tell people what they SHOULD do instead of preaching (literally, in this case) about what they SHOULDN’T do?

I’m with @CD45 on this. We had two priests. One was an excellent homilist - he didn’t shy away from issues like reconciliation and our need to seek forgiveness for wrongs, to be aware of our failings in our daily life, but the emphasis was on how we use Jesus’s example to do better. To be better people and to grow closer to God.

The other talked constantly about how we were sinners and failures and how we needed to be grateful that God loved us because of how we failed so often and on and on and on.

The first priest left on a trip for a short time (like, weeks, not months), and by the time he came back the daily Mass attendance had dropped to half. He and I were talking just after he got back, and I had been so beat up and bothered by the constant negative tone of the Masses during his time away that he said something like “So how did you all make out with Fr X?” and I broke down into tears because Mass had gone from something I loved to something I dreaded in that short period of time.

Jesus said to go forth and spread the Good News. He didn’t say to go forth and chastise the sinners. I think we need to focus on spreading the Good News.
 
There is a difference between being told how bad you are, which is not good, and warning someone about sin.
 
casslean said:
One was an excellent homilist - he didn’t shy away from issues like reconciliation and our need to seek forgiveness for wrongs, to be aware of our failings in our daily life, but the emphasis was on how we use Jesus’s example to do better. To be better people and to grow closer to God.
Click to expand...
That is what I wish we heard more of.
 
Yes, here we’re God’s holy people and we’re so sacred that when the year of faith ended the parish (which had ‘holy doors’ as one of the diocese’s chosen places for same) was told that the doors were still holy and would always be holy because WE come through them all the time.

Of course we are told to shy away from things like republicans (the priest remembers as a child hearing the story of the pharisee and the publican and being astonished because nobody in HIS family, the parish, or the priest EVER had a good word to say about a republican before), and from ‘bad things’ like not recycling, but that’s because we’re Earth’s Children and need to be good to Mother Earth.
 
I think it is important to hear about avoiding sin and to learn about the Faith during a homily. Thankfully there is a pairsh near me where the priests give very good, reflective homilies - the “meat and potatoes” kind, I guess you could say. 😊 God bless.
 
I was completely blown away after attending my first few FSSP masses and heard the words “penance” and “sin” and “sacrifice” along with sprinkled in quotes from saints. Of course, it was all well prepared and not off the cuff, really drove the point home. Amazing compared to what I’m used to.
 
Last edited:
QwertyGirl said:
Isn’t Mass supposed to be a celebration, after all?
Click to expand...
It’s a sacrifice and a thanksgiving for what God went through for us. But it’s also a reflection on how our sins have caused the painful, painful sorrowful death of Jesus and how we so rightly deserve punishment for them.
 
Last edited:
If it makes you feel better, my brother-in-law is an Evangelical and has the same complaint of the few churches he’s been to over the past 5 years. We had a pretty newly ordained associate for a while and he wasn’t afraid to talk about the reality of sin, of Hell, the need for confession and authentic repentance. Also, about half the Church didn’t like him. Said he was too “preachy”.
 
Pretty sure that happened to Jesus, too! I got a good dose of fire and brimstone as a Baptist, yet another reason I started looking elsewhere for Truth. I think it’s important if we’re going to talk about sin we also need to talk about Mercy. And some people need to maybe hear one side more than the other, as the Lord sees fit. But it needs to be preached. Fear of the Lord is another topic that causes some writhing in the pews.
 
I guess my parish is really lucky. Our pastor gives a mix of the “feel good” stuff and also talks about sin, reconcilliation, penance and hell. It’s not at all heavy handed, but he makes his point.
 
QwertyGirl said:
But then you would have a lot of people walking away from you because they aren’t up for listening to it. It is a real downer. Maybe the priests have it right. Isn’t Mass supposed to be a celebration, after all?
Click to expand...
Then let them go.

We don’t need lukewarm people who don’t accept the Church’s teachings poisoning the Church.
 
At my parish we hear about a need for confession maybe twice a year. Sin? I don’t hear about that very often. I love our parish priest, he’s a good preacher, but I feel like a good dose of fire and brimstone preaching would do the whole parish good. I’ve heard about hell in a homily maybe once in the past year.
 
It makes me wonder. If you listen to an FSSP homily like those shared via Regina Prophetarum, there is no shortage of talk of sin. And the FSSP seem to be doing quite well. So how do parishioners in FSSP churches differ?
 
Liberal priests of the ‘spirit’ of Vatican II don’t want to talk about it and liberal parishioners of the ‘spirit’ of Vatican II don’t want to hear about it.
 
Thing is, they’re the ones that need to hear it most.
 
Yes, I understand. I’m just curious about the differences between those who choose to attend an FSSP parish and those who are part of regular diocesan churches. FSSP parishioners can stomach talk of sin. In fact, they choose to attend parishes that speak on it. Have they been catechized differently?

Understand I would readily attend an FSSP parish if there were one near me.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top