The Mass I went to today

[zwergel88]

Today I went to the 10 o'clock mass at my parish. My parish is having this thing this week where they are inviting people from the community to come listen to speakers talk about the faith or whatever. The presenters are a Paulist priest and a lay women.

Today the priest who is presenting said mass. At first he seemed normal, but then when it got to the part where the children leave to do whatever they do, he asked us all to "raise our hands in blessing of the children" or something. I sat motionless. Then when it got to be time for the homily, the lay women presenter comes up and starts talking! She introduced herself and they her and the priest traded back and forth talking about different things. She made references to todays readings which lead me to believe that this was supposed to be some kind of homily.

I however was under the impression that only priests and deacons were allowed to speak during the homily. So I'm wondering what the heck this lady was doing up there????

Am I over reacting or was this really hokey??

[Colleen]

[quote name='zwergel88' date='Oct 2 2005, 10:39 AM']I however was under the impression that only priests and deacons were allowed to speak during the homily.  So I'm wondering what the heck this lady was doing up there???? [right][snapback]743643[/snapback][/right]
[/quote]
You are correct. Not only was that innappropriate, that was against Canon Law.

Canon 767 of the Code of Canon Law states,"Among the forms of preaching the homily is preeminent; it is a part of the liturgy itself and is reserved to a priest or to a deacon; in the homily the mysteries of faith and the norms of Christian living are to be expounded from the sacred text throughout the course of the liturgical year. Whenever a congregation is present a homily is to be given at all Sunday Masses and at Masses celebrated on holy days of obligation; it cannot be omitted without a serious reason."

[zwergel88]

Yeah, I figured this was bad. Was the mass still valid and everything?

[Thumper]

The blessing, however, I don't find odd. After all, it is not only priests who can do blessings (you do it to yourself after dipping your fingers into holy water), and it seems like a nice way of sending the children out without feeling like the worshipping community is casting them forth in order to have some adult worship time.

[morostheos]

They've done that at my church before too, and it's definitely a no no.

From Redemptoris Sacramentum:
[quote]
[64.] The homily, which is given in the course of the celebration of Holy Mass and is a part of the Liturgy itself,[142] “should ordinarily be given by the Priest celebrant himself. He may entrust it to a concelebrating Priest or occasionally, according to circumstances, to a Deacon, but never to a layperson.[143] In particular cases and for a just cause, the homily may even be given by a Bishop or a Priest who is present at the celebration but cannot concelebrate”.[144]

[65.] It should be borne in mind that any previous norm that may have admitted non-ordained faithful to give the homily during the eucharistic celebration is to be considered abrogated by the norm of canon 767 §1.[145] This practice is reprobated, so that it cannot be permitted to attain the force of custom.

[66.] The prohibition of the admission of laypersons to preach within the Mass applies also to seminarians, students of theological disciplines, and those who have assumed the function of those known as “pastoral assistants”; nor is there to be any exception for any other kind of layperson, or group, or community, or association.[146] [/quote]

[morostheos]

[quote name='zwergel88' date='Oct 2 2005, 11:56 AM']Yeah, I figured this was bad.  Was the mass still valid and everything?
[right][snapback]743649[/snapback][/right]
[/quote]

The Mass is still valid, it's just against the rules

[zabbazooey]

wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong.


well the homily part anyways....

[Jaime]

Lay homilists are an abuse. But it happens. Especially when its time for the pledge drive.

Blessings aren't a big deal. Perhaps one of the children sneezed.

[zabbazooey]

that's so ignorant and dumb that they will disobey canon law to reap in a few more bucks!!

[Piccoli Fiori JMJ]

[quote name='zabbazooey' date='Oct 2 2005, 10:16 AM']that's so ignorant and dumb that they will disobey canon law to reap in a few more bucks!!
[right][snapback]743664[/snapback][/right]
[/quote]
Sometimes they do it to "advertise" upcoming events like CHRP and last weekend we had a bunch of Youth who went to WYD come up and kinda give a witness about it... It was after the homily, but it still bugged me...
Somethimes they like to give out awards right after the homily. I don't like anything right after the homily. It can wait for after Mass!
Most of the time they do that to make sure the people who leave after Communion can hear too...

[zabbazooey]

my church does announcements right before dismissal


or disMASSal


I'm so corny.

[Piccoli Fiori JMJ]

Today I realized that no Mass will ever be the same as a Monastery Mass... Even if I thought the parish was the best one around, nothing matches the beauty and simplicity of Sunday Mass at the Monastery...

[zabbazooey]

Really??!?!


you're really making me anxious for st. louis!!!!!!!!!!!

[Piccoli Fiori JMJ]

[quote name='zabbazooey' date='Oct 2 2005, 10:37 AM']Really??!?!
you're really making me anxious for st. louis!!!!!!!!!!!
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[/quote]
: I'd be anxious anyways! NUNS!
I might be going to see the Sisters later this month
(Hooray! zabbazooey added me to her yahoo messenger!) :

[zabbazooey]

Yahooooooooooo! Now we can talk on Yahoo.

[Piccoli Fiori JMJ]

[quote name='zabbazooey' date='Oct 2 2005, 10:40 AM']Yahooooooooooo! Now we can talk on Yahoo.
[right][snapback]743684[/snapback][/right]
[/quote]
Totally... and if you have Yahoo with talk, we can "call" each other too! And leave messages!

[zabbazooey]

cool! I'm going to log on the other computer right now

[Piccoli Fiori JMJ]

[quote name='zabbazooey' date='Oct 2 2005, 10:42 AM']cool! I'm going to log on the other computer right now
[right][snapback]743689[/snapback][/right]
[/quote]

I guess I'll see you soon then, lol

[MissScripture]

[quote name='zwergel88' date='Oct 2 2005, 10:39 AM']Today the priest who is presenting said mass.  At first he seemed normal, but then when it got to the part where the children leave to do whatever they do, he asked us all to "raise our hands in blessing of the children" or something.  I sat motionless.    [right][snapback]743643[/snapback][/right]
[/quote]

While that blessing thing is okay, it's always made me REALLY uncomfortable, being we (at least most places where I have gone) raise the right hand. I've always felt awkward doing that...and then last year, we had a group of German students visiting our school during a school Mass where we did a blessing. That made things very, very awkward. A teacher had explained to them what we were doing and why, but it still seemed wrong and very uncomfortable.

[megrc]

My church sends the kids away with a blessing and a song. We are trying to make the kids feel special and show them how loved they are by the rest of the congregation.

As for the homily, I was under the impression that as long as the lay person didn't stand on the alter to give their talk, and as long as the priest or deacon did talk about the readings, this is an accepted practice. However, it is not encouraged. They would prefer that those kinds of talks be held until after communion. Usually lay people are only supposed to come up just before the final blessing and say what they have to say and then they step down. There isn't supposed to be a dialogue between the priest and another person during the homily.