Why is the Mass so Short

[Bob_Aliano]

Then they should be re-structured.

For what it’s worth, my parish seats about 1,100 and there are less than 30 spaces…

Could you clarify? I assume you mean the driveways but even with an ideal traffic pattern the cars trying to enter and park would still have nowhere to go and the street would still be a jam up. Need to clear the lot before the following Mass crowd arrives. To make matters worse, the pedestrian traffic exiting the church building wanders across and through the driveways and parking lot adding to the congestion. Allowing more dead-time between services is the only reasonable solution.

Eleven-hundred seats and 30 spaces, bet the church neighbors love Sunday mornings!

 

[Lost_Wanderer]

Again, you failed.

Just to set the record straight there can be reverent 30 minute EF and OF Masses. I’m just curious to why some are some so -]vehemently/-] desperately opposed adding to any sign of reverence or pageantry that might lengthen the typical one hour Sunday Mass.

This is not about being “excessive” as one tried to ridiculously suggest. It’s about something (or somethings) entirely different and I think it’s been brewing for a great many decades. Like 10+ decades.

Actually it’s more like “Again, you prove my point.”

As much as it makes you cry to hear this, adding anything that makes Mass longer IS excessive especially to those who can’t afford that time at all. We don’t live in the dark ages where the only thing that kept people busy was farming their crops and tending to the livestock.

And by the way? Saying things along the lines of “adding reverence or pageantry” just makes you sound more -]self-contradictory/-] ironic.

Not because they necessarily believe it, but probably because they have never stopped to think about it. Obviously some just want to exert control – they will fight any change whatsoever – particularly any change to something they may have influenced years ago. Others are simply lazy. Still others are just horribly catechized. Most who fight any lengthening of the Mass are likely a combination of the above.

Or maybe they just have other really important things they gotta take care of that no amount of scheduling can de-prioritize. I’d bet even some priests take comfort in only having to celebrate for an hour in one place since they’re allegedly so few of them to go around.

Yet then again, such people are somehow less Christian than you are on the grounds that they don’t spend too much time sitting in a pew.

 

[OraLabora]

Mass for Pentecost Sunday was exactly two hours long.

But it was a special and moving event. A young monk made his solemn profession during Mass.

 

[bilop]

I find Mass in the Extraordinary form can run 1:45 and be beautiful, and not seem long at all, if it is a sung Mass or High Mass. All that time is taken up with prayers and chant.

I find that when Mass in the OF exceeds one hour (except for an exceptional feast), it becomes grating. It only gets that long b/c something has been added that distracts from the Mass itself; overlong homilies, additional speakers, excessive hymns, etc.

There is really nothing in the OF texts and rubrics that should ever legitimately cause it to run over 1 hour (excepting the Easter Vigil, Palm Sunday, Ordinations, Confirmations, etc.). The Mass is stripped down so lean, that it just can’t get that long on a regular Sunday w/o someone adding something that doesn’t really belong.

Likewise an EF low Mass shouldn’t really exceed an hour, maybe 1:10 if there are a ton of parishioners and only one priest or deacon to distribute Communion.

God Bless

 

[BernadetteM]

With regard to the bold, why does this happen? Of course there are a few cases where it is done for good contextual reasons, but otherwise why not sing the whole thing? Hymns are prayers, so why cut them short - most are not excessively long.

I have no idea, as a former Anglo Catholic we sang every verse, except many one if it had 5, even then we sometimes sang the whole hymn.

I noticed in all Catholic churches they only sing two maybe three verses. Of course there is a time element involved, when you have 5 Masses in a day, with only 30 minutes to get ready for the next one. Also we do have confessions before every Mass so time is limited.

God Bless

 

[boatbearer]

Could you clarify? I assume you mean the driveways but even with an ideal traffic pattern the cars trying to enter and park would still have nowhere to go and the street would still be a jam up. Need to clear the lot before the following Mass crowd arrives. To make matters worse, the pedestrian traffic exiting the church building wanders across and through the driveways and parking lot adding to the congestion. Allowing more dead-time between services is the only reasonable solution.

Eleven-hundred seats and 30 spaces, bet the church neighbors love Sunday mornings!

Re-plan things. Makes something/someone else give rather than the Mass. My parish has 6 Masses on Sunday. Two of them were only about 1/2 hour apart (if the first one took no longer than an hour.) It was always rush-rush-rush. It was that way for decades. A new pastor came in, studied the situation and gently changed the schedule. People still complained but they got over it and now things work a lot better.

Further in your case, it sounds like your parking lot needs ushers/crowd control of sorts. That shouldn’t be a big deal to coordinate.

 

[boatbearer]

I find Mass in the Extraordinary form can run 1:45 and be beautiful, and not seem long at all, if it is a sung Mass or High Mass. All that time is taken up with prayers and chant.

I find that when Mass in the OF exceeds one hour (except for an exceptional feast), it becomes grating. It only gets that long b/c something has been added that distracts from the Mass itself; overlong homilies, additional speakers, excessive hymns, etc.

**There is really nothing in the OF texts and rubrics that should ever legitimately cause it to run over 1 hour **(excepting the Easter Vigil, Palm Sunday, Ordinations, Confirmations, etc.). The Mass is stripped down so lean, that it just can’t get that long on a regular Sunday w/o someone adding something that doesn’t really belong.

Likewise an EF low Mass shouldn’t really exceed an hour, maybe 1:10 if there are a ton of parishioners and only one priest or deacon to distribute Communion.

God Bless

That’s absolutely ridiculous.

The OF can easily last as long as a EF Pontifical High Mass if all the options are exercised. Similarly it can be very short like the “stripped-down” EF Low Mass.

The OF can have every bit as much singing as a Pontifical.

The obvious example of an OF running well past the 90 minute mark (and often the 2 hour mark) is when the Pope celebrates the Mass.

 

[jmcrae]

Yet here you are, implying I don’t make God my top priority simply because I prefer a 1-hour mass so that I could do my homework and study.

I finished a BFA, including a thesis, with straight A’s, without ever doing homework or working on Sundays, so - it can be done.

I worked 16-18 hours a day on the other six days of the week, I didn’t watch any television, and I only attended parties during Christmas and summer breaks. It goes without saying that I also didn’t play any video games, or indulge in any other time-wasting amusements.

 

[Musicadmirer]

Mass for Pentecost Sunday was exactly two hours long.

But it was a special and moving event. A young monk made his solemn profession during Mass.

The Mass I attended was also two hours long. Our Bishop said the Mass and 68 people received the Sacrament of Confirmation.

 

[Lost_Wanderer]

I finished a BFA, including a thesis, with straight A’s, without ever doing homework or working on Sundays, so - it can be done.

That still heavily depends on what exactly you have to work on. Me, I spent my whole summer attending classes on subjects I missed because I changed courses. All the while I had to juggle with finishing a writing project so I can prepare myself for a workshop that I applied prior to enrolling for summer.

Furthermore, I get a lot of ideas from video games, just as much as I get a lot of ideas from movies, books, shows, etc. All in all, I wouldn’t exactly call it a waste of time since it’s sorta related to what I do (not that that’s what I always/only do). Heck the only time I go excess on gaming is because I had to do excess on homework right before (or just had a really long day at class).

 

[boatbearer]

Actually it’s more like “Again, you prove my point.”

As much as it makes you cry to hear this, adding anything that makes Mass longer IS excessive especially to those who can’t afford that time at all. We don’t live in the dark ages where the only thing that kept people busy was farming their crops and tending to the livestock.

And by the way? Saying things along the lines of “adding reverence or pageantry” just makes you sound more -]self-contradictory/-] ironic.

Or maybe they just have other really important things they gotta take care of that no amount of scheduling can de-prioritize. I’d bet even some priests take comfort in only having to celebrate for an hour in one place since they’re allegedly so few of them to go around.

Yet then again, such people are somehow less Christian than you are on the grounds that they don’t spend too much time sitting in a pew.

Look at your posting. Simply put you cannot carry on a conversation, much less make an “argument.” Thankfully in this case we have a “paper trail.”

You started by making some unsubstantiated claims. When questioned you gave us your CV which in no way worked in your favor. Then you attempted to obfuscate by introducing red herrings. Then you tried to speak for me in a manner that would required horribly tortured logic. In sum you did fail. You’re not getting over on me or anyone else here.

 

[boatbearer]

I finished a BFA, including a thesis, with straight A’s, without ever doing homework or working on Sundays, so - it can be done.

I worked 16-18 hours a day on the other six days of the week, I didn’t watch any television, and I only attended parties during Christmas and summer breaks. It goes without saying that I also didn’t play any video games, or indulge in any other time-wasting amusements.

Excellent posting.I’m guessing you also didn’t spend much time posting on CAF to hone your “argumentation skills” either… I have a few degrees and I can say with absolute certainty that anyone who cannot afford an extra 30-60 mins/week for God is either not telling the truth or they desperately need help developing time management skills.

 

[boatbearer]

That still heavily depends on what exactly you have to work on. Me, I spent my whole summer attending classes on subjects I missed because I changed courses. All the while I had to juggle with finishing a writing project so I can prepare myself for a workshop that I applied prior to enrolling for summer.

Furthermore, I get a lot of ideas from video games, just as much as I get a lot of ideas from movies, books, shows, etc. All in all, I wouldn’t exactly call it a waste of time since it’s sorta related to what I do (not that that’s what I always/only do). Heck the only time I go excess on gaming is because I had to do excess on homework right before (or just had a really long day at class).

You have time for gaming and not for the Mass?

 

[Musicadmirer]

If no one here on CAF had free time, it would be empty. That logically leads me to the conclusion that a person with free time needn’t be running out of the church doors exactly 60 minutes after Mass started.

 

[Lost_Wanderer]

I have a few degrees and I can say with absolute certainty that anyone who cannot afford an extra 30-60 mins/week for God is either not telling the truth or they desperately need help developing time management skills.

Yet apparently you deem that 30-60 minutes too short. Will it kill you to stop sounding so ironic?

You have time for gaming and not for the Mass?

Again with your tendency to make condescending assumptions? Like I said, a 1-hour mass is just right for me to put in all other things. I have a life outside the pew you know.

 

[ProVobis]

I finished a BFA, including a thesis, with straight A’s, without ever doing homework or working on Sundays, so - it can be done.

It goes without saying that I also didn’t play any video games, or indulge in any other time-wasting amusements.

You shouldn’t put down video games like that. Did it ever occur to you that many might consider a BFA a waste of time too?

 

[ProVobis]

Excellent posting.I’m guessing you also didn’t spend much time posting on CAF to hone your “argumentation skills” either… I have a few degrees and I can say with absolute certainty that anyone who cannot afford an extra 30-60 mins/week for God is either not telling the truth or they desperately need help developing time management skills.

And you keep dwelling on that point. That’s all well and good if you don’t have far to drive or walk to church. I know some who drive over an hour to go to Mass. I suppose that doesn’t count, though. I left yesterday for Mass at around 9 and didn’t come home till after noon. And I didn’t even pay attention to the time. But you’d only give me credit for one hour of Mass, probably. Hey, I can’t control the length of the Mass time and I performed what I thought was fulfilling my Sunday obligation so why judge me or anyone else for that? I’m in agreement with that poster who implies or states that we can give quality time to God outside the pew too. And doing it by not bragging about our degrees either.

 

[Lost_Wanderer]

You started by making some unsubstantiated claims. When questioned you gave us your CV which in no way worked in your favor. Then you attempted to obfuscate by introducing red herrings. Then you tried to speak for me in a manner that would required horribly tortured logic. In sum you did fail. You’re not getting over on me or anyone else here.

I can’t see how someone who claims to be so educated cannot understand the simple logic that not everybody can afford a mass that’s excessively longer than an hour and instead peppers his retorts with hollow eloquence and charges of red herrings.

The fact that you don’t address the evidence against you regarding your holier-than-thou attitude doesn’t help.