Clapping In Mass

[dUSt]

[quote name='Cam42' timestamp='1303423530' post='2230958']
I will simply point you back to the rubrics. If it's not in the rubrics, it shouldn't be done.
[/quote]
Laughing at a funny comment the priests makes during the homily is not in the rubrics either.
Do you advocate that priests do not display humor, or do you simply advocate that we not laugh at their jokes?

[Cam42]

[quote name='dUSt' timestamp='1303423723' post='2230962']

Laughing at a funny comment the priests makes during the homily is not in the rubrics either.
[/quote]


No, but clapping isn't on the same level. Please don't be absurd.

As a matter of personal note, I rarely laugh at Mass, regardless of the joking; it isn't supposed to be a jovial moment, it is supposed to be a solemn moment.

Edited April 21, 2011 by Cam42

[dUSt]

[quote name='Cam42' timestamp='1303424363' post='2230975']
No, but clapping isn't on the same level. Please don't be absurd.
[/quote]
Absurd? This point is[b] far[/b] from absurd.

Laughing, in my opinion, is way less reverent than clapping. I don't understand how you can make a [i]"it's not in the rubrics"[/i] argument when you selectively exclude certain actions based on your personal opinion of what is or isn't acceptable.

You say clapping isn't allow because it is not in the rubrics, but you say laughing out loud during the liturgy is allowed, yet, it is not in the rubrics either. You confuse me. You really do.

[quote]As a matter of personal note, I rarely laugh at Mass, regardless of the joking; it isn't supposed to be a jovial moment, it is supposed to be a solemn moment. [/quote]
And I rarely clap at mass. Yet, you imply I am wrong for the one time I clapped, but you were not in violation those rare times you laughed. Interesting.

[Nihil Obstat]

1382 “The Mass is at the same time, and inseparably, the sacrificial memorial in which the sacrifice of the cross is perpetuated and the sacred banquet of communion with the Lord’s body and blood. But the celebration of the Eucharistic sacrifice is wholly directed toward the intimate union of the faithful with Christ through communion. To receive communion is to receive Christ himself who has offered himself for us.”


Given that the celebration of the Eucharistic sacrifice, a.k.a. the Holy Mass, is *wholly directed* towards worshipping God, we see right away that applause has no place within it. Clapping is not worship. Applause is a secular response to entertainment which expresses appreciation. We do not applaud God.
The Body and Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ is present in the Tabernacle or on the altar during Mass, and He is present for us to worship. There is no other purpose for the Mass. Applause is utterly foreign in the context of worship; it is appropriate to recognize the talents or achievements of another person. It is not reverent, it is not solemn, and it is not an act of worship.
In any situation during Mass where one is tempted to applaud, a reverent silence should instead be practiced. We may worship in reverent silence. It is a special characteristic of the Latin Rite especially, more so than in the East. During a reverent silence we may reflect on God, or pray to Him, or adore Him. Applause is not conducive to reflection, prayer, or adoration.
Applause is raucous, noisy, and frivolous. By its very nature it cannot be reverent or submissive or humble. All applause during Mass redirects attention away from Christ on the altar or in the Tabernacle, and towards those who applaud, as well as those to whom the applause is directed.
Again, we do not applaud God.

[franciscanheart]

[quote name='Nihil Obstat' timestamp='1303425123' post='2230984']
1382 “The Mass is at the same time, and inseparably, the sacrificial memorial in which the sacrifice of the cross is perpetuated and the sacred banquet of communion with the Lord’s body and blood. But the celebration of the Eucharistic sacrifice is wholly directed toward the intimate union of the faithful with Christ through communion. To receive communion is to receive Christ himself who has offered himself for us.”


Given that the celebration of the Eucharistic sacrifice, a.k.a. the Holy Mass, is *wholly directed* towards worshipping God, we see right away that applause has no place within it. Clapping is not worship. Applause is a secular response to entertainment which expresses appreciation. We do not applaud God.
The Body and Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ is present in the Tabernacle or on the altar during Mass, and He is present for us to worship. There is no other purpose for the Mass. Applause is utterly foreign in the context of worship; it is appropriate to recognize the talents or achievements of another person. It is not reverent, it is not solemn, and it is not an act of worship.
In any situation during Mass where one is tempted to applaud, a reverent silence should instead be practiced. We may worship in reverent silence. It is a special characteristic of the Latin Rite especially, more so than in the East. During a reverent silence we may reflect on God, or pray to Him, or adore Him. Applause is not conducive to reflection, prayer, or adoration.
Applause is raucous, noisy, and frivolous. By its very nature it cannot be reverent or submissive or humble. All applause during Mass redirects attention away from Christ on the altar or in the Tabernacle, and towards those who applaud, as well as those to whom the applause is directed.
Again, we do not applaud God.
[/quote]
For your sake, I hope you never attend World Youth Day.

[Lil Red]

i think part of the problem with applause anymore is that simply people do not know how to show their appreciation in any other way. as a culture, we have become so inured that applause is the only way to show appreciation. if people would go back to phone calls, letters, or invitations to their priests to dinner, that would go along way to showing appropriate appreciation.

sorry for posting after you dUSt, i didn't realize i was doing that.

[dUSt]

I'm going to end this thread with an excellent answer and final word from Father Edward McNamara, professor of liturgy at the Regina Apostolorum university.

[quote][b]ROME, 20 JAN. 2009 (ZENIT)[/b]

[i]Answered by Legionary of Christ Father Edward McNamara, professor of liturgy at the Regina Apostolorum university.
[/i]
[color="#8B0000"]Q: The parishioners in our church used to be spontaneous in their reactions to excellent homilies that the priests deliver. The parishioners, sometimes, respectfully applaud after the homily, either to communicate that they are in agreement with the priest, or to offer their appreciation. However, when a newly ordained priest came, and this happened after a homily he gave, he gravely scolded the people for the impropriety of their action and reminded them that they are attending a Mass and not a performance. From then on, people's spontaneity is gone; occasionally, applause would be heard, but one can sadly sense the hesitation. Could you enlighten us on the propriety of people applauding after the homily? D.B., Denver, Colorado[/color]

A: First of all, it is a very hopeful sign of overall improvement in the quality of homilies that the faithful consider them worthy of applause.

That said, the young priest was correct in stating that,[b] in general, applause is to be discouraged during Mass.[/b]

[b]It is not an absolute rule, however[/b]; the Pope's homilies usually conclude with applause and are even sometimes interrupted by enthusiastic ovations. In the ancient world, great sermons, such as those of a St. Augustine, were occasionally interspersed with appreciative accolades on the part of the people.

There are also some cultures where applause or hand-clapping is a spontaneous sign of respect and even veneration. For example, some African peoples even clap their hands during the consecration, because this was the traditional gesture observed when their kings were present and it seemed natural to carry it over to greet the presence of the King of kings.

[b]Therefore, while respecting cultural differences and not excluding an occasional spontaneous applause for a particularly inspired and inspiring homily, I would agree that the practice should not be encouraged or regular in Western parish settings.[/b]

First of all, the Roman liturgical tradition is usually sober in its external manifestations. This holds true even in those Catholic cultures that are exuberant in the demonstrations of popular piety such as the processions of Latin America, the Iberian Peninsula and southern Italy where applause, cheers and the like are regular features.

After the homily, the liturgy recommends a moment of silence in order to reflect upon and assimilate the message. Applause easily breaks the concentration and makes it harder to gather one's thoughts and bring them to bear on the essential questions of living the Gospel.

When applause is neither common nor expected a priest can prepare the homily with greater freedom, both regarding the doctrine he wishes to transmit and the best means of delivery. In other words, although he should always strive to prepare an excellent homily from the rhetorical point of view, not having to worry about applause makes him less subject to the temptation of striving more to please than to instruct and exhort toward sanctity.

Not being expected to applaud also frees both priests and parishioners from the danger of making subtle and not-so-subtle comparisons among priests. Father X's homily received timed respect; Father Y got a standing ovation, while Father Z's preaching on Christian morals got the silent treatment. I am exaggerating, of course, but the point is that any element that might induce disharmony should be avoided.

The best reaction to a well-thought and delivered homily is a decision to move forward and grow as a Christian. If this is lacking, then all external applause is just so much fluff.

In his book "The Spirit of the Liturgy" the then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger wrote: "Whenever applause breaks out in the liturgy because of some human achievement, it is a sure sign that the essence of liturgy has totally disappeared and been replaced by a kind of religious entertainment" (Page 198).

The context of the present Pope's remarks was regarding applause after so-called liturgical dancing; it did not directly address our present case of applause as a sign of respect and agreement to the message of the homily. [b]The principle involved, however, of not applauding the merely human achievement of one of the liturgical actors could be a good rule of thumb for deciding when applause is appropriate or not.[/b][/quote]