Saturday, February 19, 2011

Mass Confusion

Have you read this book?  You should.  Seriously.

Recently, I was having a discussion with a friend about the practice of holding hands during the Our Father.  I shared the results of that discussion with my mother in law and right away she suggested this book!  I've spent the last day or so perusing it's contents.  Wow!  All I can say is...you will be AMAZED!

In the introduction, Jimmy Akin states, "This work is intended as a guide to the Church's law concerning the proper way to celebrate the liturgy.  It also attempts to answer some of the most commonly asked questions about what are and are not liturgical abuses."

Here are some examples...

DID YOU KNOW (according to Jimmy Akins book)...

.......that it is permitted for a homily to be omitted during mass on a weekday?
.......that it is prohibited for people at the altar to receive communion at the same time as the priest?
.......that it is prohibited for women to have their feet washed on Holy Thursday?
.......that it is prohibited for peopled to imitate gestures made by the priest that are appropriate to his role?
.......that it is prohibited for people to stand around the altar holding hands during the consecration?
.......that it is discouraged for people to hold hands during the Our Father?
.......that it is prohibited for Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion to be used excessively or unnecessarily?

I highly recommend reading this book if you have not done so.   It's definitely opened my eyes to a few things.

6 comments:

Elizabeth said...

oh, I knew all of those things...if I could just get my PASTOR to know and follow them...THAT is the rub. He is the one who encouraged the congregation to hold hands or mimic the priest during the Our Father. My family folds our hands the way we should. Just trying to be a witness :)
Actually some of that has been fixed in the last few years and I have great hope for the movement of the Tabernacle back to the center of the Altar!
Pax Christi

liz said...

Jimmy Akin's a smart guy! I think this year the new version of this book should be coming out incorporating changes to the mass (Mass Revision is title I think). I learned so much about the Church by listening to folks like Jimmy Akin and Tim Staples on Catholic Answers radio show-- I listen to podcasts b/c we don't have Catholic Radio in my area. Without their awesome show it might have taken me much longer to convert!

Sarah Oldham said...

Ack, if Rome would just say it's prohibited to hold hands during the OF, then great! Because it's discouraged, folks still make up their own minds. I do not want to hold anyone's hand during prayer. Period.

;)

Kara said...

I knew these things because I'm a convert and overly researched everything when I converted :) But, whether the particular parish cares and follows the rules is another story. BIG pet peeve of mine, really.

Michelle said...

I ordered this book based on your post and I'm looking forward to diving in!

Jenny said...

I have not read the book, but my husband and I began attending the Traditional Latin Mass 16 years ago. Partly out of curiosity, we were both born after Vatican II and wanted to see what the old Latin Mass was all about. Partly due to the fact that things seem to always change, based on the priest or who knows what else else?

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