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FIVE (5) COMMON MISTAKES WE MAKE DURING MASS.
1- SIT BEFORE THE PRIEST SITS.
During Mass, the priest represents Christ and it is inappropriate for the faithful to sit before him. Once the priest has finished saying the opening prayers and it is time for the Mass readings (the readings from the Old Testament, the Book of Psalms, the letters of Paul and the Holy Gospels), the community should wait for the priest to join first before doing so. Except in certain situations where the priest asks to do so.
2- MAKE THE SIGN OF THE CROSS SEVERAL TIMES DURING MASS.
This is the mistake that many Catholics make, including some Church leaders most of the time. Making the Sign of the Cross several times during Mass, especially after receiving Holy Communion, which is not good. The sign of the cross is made only in two parts of the mass, at the beginning and at the end.
3- KNEEL WITH THE LEFT KNEE.
During the passion of Christ, the Roman soldiers knelt with their left knees before Jesus, but they were actually laughing at him. Genuflection of Catholics i.e. kneeling with the right knee as a sign of respect for the Holy Eucharist. Some Catholics often make the mistake of genuflecting with the left knee, which is not good.
4- MEETING WITH THE PRIEST FOR BLESSINGS IMMEDIATELY AFTER MASS.
The priest has already pronounced the words of blessing during the closing rite of the mass. So there is no need to follow him for personal blessings after he has gone out of the church.
5- TO LEAVE THE CHURCH BEFORE THE PRIEST.
It is advisable to wait until the priest has completely withdrawn from the church before leaving. But unfortunately, many of the faithful leave mass immediately after the post-communion prayers and some immediately after mass when the priest has not yet left. Please be Catholic in practice not just with mere words.
6 comments:
1. I am guilty on most counts and not particularly proud of it either.
2. I still fail to see what's wrong with making the sign of the cross, and would appreciate having it explained to me. I stopped doing it at Communion, but I still do so when the priest gives us an absolution after the Confiteor.
3. I never knew about the left knee/right knee controversy, but, being right-handed, I always go to the right.
4. Are these people meeting with the priest to get THEMSELVES blessed or to have the priest bless certain items? Sometimes the only way I can get a scapular or medal or statue of some other sacramental blessed is by nabbing the priest after Mass. Most have been pretty nice about it.
5. Yes, I frequently do, for a number of reasons...to avoid traffic, to avoid the glut of people in the vestibule who block the way talking with the priest--which they have every right to do. Mainly, I do it to avoid listening to the horrid music that is usually offered at the end of Mass--most recently I escaped having to hear more than the first four lines of that horror called "Anthem" in the Glory and Praise book.
Are these REALLY that serious though? I am not saying they are not, but to me, the worst offense and one only used in times of dire clock-tightening, is the "Judas Shuffle" (leaving after receiving Communion or during Communion).
I want to thank you for publishing this however, because you have given me some fresh ammunition to accuse myself with at my next confession.
When kissing ring of bishop and above, does one not go down on left knee?
William I don’t know about that. What I have problems with is the pastoral and personal that we should allow the laity. While there are rubrics designed for the laity in the Modern Mass as to how to receive, and designed for the standing position, in practice there are all kinds of improvisations. Some bow before receive, some genuflect, some do nothing. Some kneel. As far as the Sign of the Cross, I have no problem with the Sign of the Cross after receiving. Big deal.
There is an obsession by some and even the liturgy about useless repetition. But is it useless? The Roman Canon has been impoverished by the lack of religious sign language that once was lavish, the multiple signs of the cross, bowing, genuflections, etc.
I know that many do make the sign of the Cross at the “absolution” during the Penitential Act. It’s no big deal, but it shouldn’t be done at those words. It should be done at the EF’s second absolution during the PATFOTA, which has been erased in the Modern Missal: +May the almighty and merciful Lord grant us pardon, absolution, and remission of our sins. Amen
Most of this wrong, e.g. leaving Mass early. The kneeling is to the right knee is related to the Sign of the Cross with right hand, a martial convention showing subjugation to the Lord. Making the sign of the cross multiple times is related to praying the Rosary during Mass. there is wide latitude. I make the Sign of the Cross with the servers as I recite their parts, my active participation.
These are good as guides, but there is latitude fot the most part.
Only the first one has real merit, and even then, it's a fine point. How nice it would be to have a parish where that is the liturgical detail that gets attention!
Who cares how many times the faithful cross themselves? This sort of advice will only cause scrupulous people to lose sleep.
Left v. right. I am left-handed and I can remember being told by other boys in school that I'd go to hell for crossing myself with my left hand. I knew that was dumb then. I use my right hand because as a priest, there's no value in confusing people on this point.
As far as which *knee,* I ask again, who cares? Again, this will only serve to torment the scrupulous.
As to a post-Mass blessing: there is a venerable custom of the celebrant blessing those who assisted at the altar.
Finally, as to departing before the priest: there's a valid point there, but again, a small point. Had the author of this stressed leaving before Mass ends, that would have merit. But the priest says, "Ite!" -- that means "Go!" So I won't get technical on that point. Besides, seriously, what if the priest, for whatever reason, lingers at the foot of the altar after Mass is completed? Everyone in church is supposed to freeze in place? Why?
2- MAKE THE SIGN OF THE CROSS SEVERAL TIMES DURING MASS.
This is the mistake that many Catholics make, including some Church leaders most of the time. Making the Sign of the Cross several times during Mass, especially after receiving Holy Communion, which is not good. The sign of the cross is made only in two parts of the mass, at the beginning and at the end.
Lol. The person who wrote this might faint if he showed up at one of our eparchial parishes.
At a typical Sunday liturgy at my parish, the sign of the cross is made about 2 dozen times within the first 5 minutes.
In one prayer alone, the Trisagion, we cross ourselves 5 times.
In our equivalent of the Roman Confiteor, most people nowadays cross themselves 6 times (I do it an "old way," so thrice), then immediately before communing and immediately after.
If it's a weekday, and you're in the front row and you receive, it's possible that you will have crossed yourself no less than 8 times within a span of perhaps 3 minutes, on average about every 25 seconds.
At every doxology we cross ourselves, before the reading of the Gospel (some also do it before the epistle), and every time the priest blesses.
For a person who crosses himself along with the deacon, it would not be unusual to make the sign of the cross no less than 50 times during a typical Sunday Liturgy.
And if the bishop is present, plan on adding more.
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