Why would EF be considered less social?

[Peeps]

I do think a better time for a 'sign of peace" would be at some time earlier in the Mass, whether right at the beginning of the Mass entirely, or at least before the Consecration. In practice it results in many Masses in my experience (generally the NE of the USA) where people, including the pastor, walk around and greet each other, all while Christ is on the altar, and without the intent of making amends prior to reception of Holy Communion, at least as far as I can tell - - since I have never seen anything like you describe having seen in Protestant communities you were familiar with. FWIW I was Methodist b/f my conversion, and I never saw anything like what you describe in my limited experience in the Methodist church.

Perhaps you’ve had better experiences, but in my 62 years in church, including the last 15 years in the Catholic Church, I have seen many MANY people depart from church because of a feud with someone in the church.

Many of these folks claim that they will continue to worship the Lord on their own, without the “church” to create conflicts and pain for them. But many don’t. The Lord did not intend for most Christians to be by themselves, but to be part of a local body of believers. People without a church just tend to drift away from the Lord.

My point is that churches split over conflicts, souls are endangered, so this “Making Peace” is serious stuff. I think that Holy Mother Church is wise to leave the Sign of Peace right before Holy Communion–to make sure that believers know the seriousness of making peace with anyone that they are holding a grudge against or feuding with.

 

[GiftofMercy]

The Sign of Peace is a “reminder” or “symbol” of what Christians should do when they become aware of a rift between themselves and someone else.

It is optional in the OF mass and we don’t use it within my community. It is not a sign of weakness, to state that is disrespect for the ways that Mass is allowed to be celebrated.

I consider this a “weakness” in the EF Mass.

It is in both the EF and the OF Mass that this can be omitted. And IMHO much better in the OF Mass when omitted.

We are not shaking hands with people we have issues with, we are shaking hands with sometimes random people beside us in the pews we don’t know.

If we want to

if we have something against “our brother” or if “our brother” has something against us. We are to “make peace.”

Then we have to go and physically do this with those we are squabbling with or have caused us grievances.

 

[IanM]

Interestingly, the Latin Mass actually continues the truth that the sign erected on the Cross proclaimed in those very same languages i.e. The greater part is in Latin. The Kyrie Eleison (“Lord have mercy”) is Greek. Vestiges of the Hebrew are found in words “Alleluia” “Amen” and “Hosanna”.

 

[ProVobis]

Also Sabaoth which the Latin Mass left untranslated.

 

[jesusmademe]

Please elaborate.

 

[choose_to_love]

Thanks for the reply. I think you have moved the goalposts. I understood the discussion to be the symbolism of the sign of peace, and if people actually ever use that time in Mass to reconcile with someone.

Do you agree that it is exceedingly rare that a member of the congregation at Mass steps out for a reconciliation with another member of the congregation at the sign of peace?

If you have seen “many” people depart from church because a feud with someone, and it includes the last 15 years as a Catholic, how effective is the sign of peace? Have you ever seen Catholics step out of Mass and reconcile?

No one is disputing that feuds or disagreements with fellow parishioners can be terrible and lead to separation from the parish or even the Church, but that is not the topic under discussion. The issue, as I understood it, was the symbolism of the sign of peace, and whether anyone actually uses it as an opportunity to reconcile with one’s brother.

Your understanding of the sign of peace is rich and beautiful, but as practiced it seems to me it is much more frequently the ‘howdy do’ time, as you put it earlier.

I submit that whatever the motivation was when the sign of peace was instituted, as practiced it has lost that meaning.

 

[Peeps]

I submit that whatever the motivation was when the sign of peace was instituted, as practiced it has lost that meaning.

Yes, I agree with this. And it’s a shame.

It’s not part of the “Catholic personality” to do anything as weird as leaving the Mass to call the person that you’re mad at and making up with them. It probably never will be, unless converts from Evangelical Protestantism like me and my husband start outnumbering the cradle Catholics.

I do hope, though, that if, during Mass, a “cradle” or “otherwise” Catholic remembers a sin that is on their conscience, that they would not receive Holy Communion until they confess and make it right.

 

[DissidentMantis]

ICKSP

My experience has been quite the opposite. I attended a ICKSP Church and was quickly pulled into a conversation after mass. Before i knew it I was exchanging phone numbers and getting invited to dinners. Never had this experience at OF.

 

[jesusmademe]

There is probably a simple explanaition:
The EF has smaller groups of attendees. This means that they will see you as an outsider coming to their group. They will notice you.
With the OF there are too many people so they might not see you. Also, OF has many groups attending but at the EF all the people attending ussually form one group sharing the same love for the EF. I mean, at the OF there is no feeling of “one group”.
This is my experience. It might be easier to bee seen at the EF.