Amen amen I say unto you. Read this post at the Anchoress. I quote in part…
Yep, yep, yep, to all of it, but I have to jump on that last point about applause, every freaking week, at the end of mass for “the music ministers.”
Hello — if this is “ministry” then it is not about the musicians and their “performance,” and it should not be applauded as though they’d provided entertainment breaks. Should we applaud the ushers? Should we applaud the priest and deacon?
I keep waiting for one “music minister” — just one — to announce before mass, “we appreciate the sentiment behind the applause, but really, it’s not what we’re here for, and we really wish you would just sing out with us during the recessional, and then make your thanksgiving. The applause really is not appropriate.”
So far, I haven’t heard anyone say something like that, but if they won’t, I wish the pastors would. Too often, and always meaning well, our priests facilitate the increasingly annoying and unavoidable clap-clap-clappiness of mass. Let’s clap for the children who went downstairs to hear the Word! “Yay!” Let’s clap for the musicians! “Yay!” Don’t forget the greeters! “Yay!”
Yay Anchoress!
Read the whole thing!
July 8, 2011 at 4:35 pm
Yes, please, don't clap during Mass. But also don't hesitate to give the musicians some feedback. We're only human, and a little encouragement or honest (charitable) criticism would be most helpful. I've been providing the music at our parish for almost two years now. I had never played organ (although I played piano) until Father asked me to try. Before then we were stuck with recorded music. Now I play organ and cantor (there is no choir). I put in anywhere from 10 to 20 hours per week on this ministry; I also work part-time and homeschool seven children. Especially for holidays and special events (such as the recent confirmation) some type of acknowledgement or thank you would have been so nice- and I don't feel it would be inappropriate. I know I'm doing what I do for the Lord, but I'm also doing it for the folks in the pews.
July 8, 2011 at 5:06 pm
Hi. I'm a clapper(and I'm not talking about that little device that turns lights on and off when a person claps twice). If fact, I clap so much, they call me Claudia the Clapper in my parish. I clap because it's fun. It makes Mass seem more relevant and engaging. Sometimes, after there's a pregnant pause after a song, I'll do one really loud CLAP to see if I can start the congregation in the clap-a-thon; it makes me feel like I'm a real leader. So the next time you feel like you shouldn't be clapping at mass, just think of Claudia the Clapper and how it makes her feel good too, not just the people being clapped at. (yes, I like to end sentences in prepositions too).
July 8, 2011 at 6:07 pm
Claudia, you are awesome. I just hope you never sit next to Paul the Puncher. Now THAT would make Mass more "engaging" indeed.
Great job, Anchoress!
July 8, 2011 at 6:24 pm
Some people just don't know any better and weren't given the Mass etiquette. It feels inappropriate to clap at Mass for me, and I wonder what the others are thinking. On another note, why is it wrong to hold out your hands during the "our father"? If it's inappropriate I need to know because I do it to "and also with you" and I don't want to be making a fool of myself because you don't know what you don't know until you know it. Is there a etiquette during Mass site? Honestly, I just don't want to look like an idiot because I am trying to learn this stuff as a Catholic Coming Home who didn't know much before.
July 8, 2011 at 7:08 pm
The little ones came to Mass ushered in by the teachers in reverence and silence. After Mass the adults began talking in the ailse and several of the young faces lit up to say: "I can't wait to grow up so that I may be able to talk in church too." Only the Catholic Church has the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist. When there is talking or clapping to be done the persons involved need to invite each other OUT for a meal. As St. Thomas More said to his friend who had asked him to take the Oath of Supremacy for fellowship: "When I go to hell, will you come too, for fellowship?"
Mary De Voe
July 8, 2011 at 7:16 pm
Several problems:
Our parish doesn't usually applaud unless invited to on special occasions; however, we just got a new young priest. He closed his first weekend's Masses by asking everyone to applaud the music ministers (I'm one, was embarrassed) and everyone else he could think of. Then, after he introduced himself as our new pastor, everyone applauded HIM. I'm hoping this was a one-time occurrence. He's from a foreign country and is young and inexperienced. Perhaps he doesn't know any better.
About what to do with hands during the Our Father — the holding hands is not forbidden, but most definitely "discouraged", per instructions from Rome. The practice crept into the Mass in the U.S. from a former Freemason who thought it was a pleasant thing to do. SO, many conservative priests, with encouragement from bishops, began instructing the people to raise hands in the "orans" posture instead. This posture goes back through the early Church all the way to Jewish practice.
July 9, 2011 at 12:01 am
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_S16Myw3frAw/TBA8dlsZ9hI/AAAAAAAAA6U/-8TMNp1mOzc/s1600/n1311204347_126353_8292.jpg
July 9, 2011 at 12:50 am
Oh dear Claudia, do you not realize that your clapping mission is all about YOU? How it makes YOU feel? How it makes YOU a real leader? You, you, you…..all praise be to Clapping Claudia, the self-promoting Clapper and interrupter of reverent worship! Peace be upon you, oh clapper of clap trap!
July 9, 2011 at 1:08 am
Anonymous wanted to know if it is wrong to raise your hands during the Our Father.
I can only speak for myself when I talk about this issue. As far as I know, it was never part of the rubics of the mass and I think it was indeed started by charismatics in the pews. It was never directed by the priests. I also notice that it is popular with the latinos in my church so maybe there is a cultural element. I don't think is wrong to do, but I myself find it distracting and irritating. Then again, I am old fashioned and I don't like the handshake of peace either (to put it mildly!) I have this habit of trying to find a seat not within hand shaking distance because it makes me so uncomfortable.
I wonder what some of the other bloggers think about these things?
July 9, 2011 at 2:23 am
My understanding is that the "orans" position of prayer is OK for private prayer but NOT at Mass during the Our Father. And please STOP with the hand-holding during same; we are NOT Protestants for God's sake!
July 9, 2011 at 6:54 pm
It's interesting you bring this up during the current SSM / Dolan / NYS bishops discussion. I attended a mass at the cathedral in Rochester, NY. For outsiders, Rochester, NY is where priests are promoted for speaking in favor of homosexuality and sent packing if they speak the truth. The national Catholic media continues to fumble this story and not report the truth. Anyways, I bring this up because Archbishop Dolan was invited to a mass at the cathedral by Bishop Matthew Clark (who subversively promotes the homosexual agenda through the Catholic Church). In spite of this and other radical progressive views and dictatorian style leadership or Bishop Clark, Archbishop Dolan DURING MASS stopped to have everyone applaud for Bishop Clark. It lasted far too long. Bishop Clark returned the favor to Archbishop Dolan later on. The hypocrisy of our bishops and the national Catholic media's lack of desire to cover the truth (the WHOLE truth) has left me shaking my head.
July 9, 2011 at 7:13 pm
I just returned from a vacation in Maui. It was like stepping back into the '80s – clapping for visitors, clapping for musicians, clapping for the layman telling his programmed joke at the end of announcements – at every Mass (even the daily Masses!) clapping, hand holding… . And, what's with the deranged sanctuaries!? Altar candles shuffled off to some extreme position guarding a planter (at least four churches I visited); the Tabernacle removed to a completely separate building (yes, really!); and folk leaving en-masse prior to the last hymn even beginning. On most occasions I witnessed the church was half as many than before communion. What's the rush? – a surfing competition to get to? For all the posters with words of welcome and pleasant greetings by commentators, ushers and priests, people were sure in a hurry to flee as soon as possible.
The most welcoming people I met were those kneeling and praying (for a real Catholic renewal perhaps?) before the Lord in the Tabernacle (when you could actually find the Tabernacle). There, in the Presence of the Lord, those few individuals I met gave a moment of their time to welcome me and invite me to join them in silent prayer at the feet of the Lord. No attempts to win me with effusive ("look how welcoming we are") googly-eyed greetings from the lectern.
There were some lovely buildings and sanctuary arrangements that actually resembled Catholic churches, but the liturgies within them were highly protestantized – and I know protestant, having been one for the first two decades of my life.
July 10, 2011 at 10:46 pm
I raise my hands for the Pater Noster only when I am the celebrating priest at mass.
July 11, 2011 at 12:40 am
Today at mass, there were people raising their hands during the "Our Father" and before the "Our Father" and any time they thought the priest was about to raise his hands. One lady even raised her hands while sitting down. Kinda looked liked she was doing a yoga position in the pew.
During the handshake of peace, I can't tell you how many people did the Bat Dance-you know, making the sign of peace while doing a 360 degree spin while also raising the hand up and down to get in the direct field of vision of people that are not anywhere near them. It reminds me of that dance Batman and Boy Wonder made famous-remember the movement of fingers sweeping across their eyes in v-formation?
Then we had a family in the first row who stood standing when everyone else was sitting because there was no one in front of them to follow. It was like the loosing team that was left standing during the game of musical chairs. The poor women behind them looked to them for direction and stood along with them and didn't sit down until they sat down. Some people are clueless and look to other clueless people in the pews to see what to do next.
This would be hysterically funny if it weren't so distracting.
I wish the pastor would insert a mass etiquette column into the weekly bulletin every week or else speak about what is proper or not before the mass begins.
It is soooo distracting!
July 12, 2011 at 7:55 pm
Were they alive back in the day, liturgists would have held a picnic on Calvary
July 13, 2011 at 3:50 pm
Spartacus-lol!
I wonder what music the music committee would select for your scenario? Phantom on the Opera perhaps? Just change a few words here and there and it works. lol!
Throw in a few gay actor/waiters serving Brie and Chardonnay, you got some major theater goin on.
Hey, if you don't laugh, these sad times will destroy your spirit, right?