Don’t worry. I’m not asking for audience participation here. It was a revelation to me; the reason why I didn’t like attending Mass at my cousin’s parish with all the waving and dancing in the pews. It’s because I don’t like Mass when it requires me to do something other than just recite the prayers I already know. Not that I was waving and dancing, but it’s just something I’m not comfortable with. Frank, on the other hand, likes that stuff.
Not me. And do you want to know what I really dislike? We have this one priest at our parish who comes in and starts off by saying, “Good Morning.” Everyone is required to say it back. Not just say it back but loudly. Otherwise, he says, “I can’t hear you,” and they have to do it again. Then, when he’s doing his homily, he asks questions. Not rhetorical questions. Nope, he wants the congregation to answer them. Apparently he doesn’t realize that I am a creature of habit. I like things to be familiar. I like knowing what’s coming next. I don’t like surprises. I don’t like the unknown.
I was thinking about all that today because, as the Mass concluded, our cantor made an announcement about next week being Stephen’s candidacy Mass. After the Mass was over, the cantor came over to us and said he wanted to point to us as he made the announcement. “There are Steve’s parents!” Now I thought that was pretty funny but if someone had actually done that (the cantor wouldn’t really have pointed to us) I wouldn’t have thought it quite so funny.
Now just watch – 4 years from now Steve will end up in a parish like my cousin’s where the congregation expects to dance in the pews and he’ll love doing audience participation. Of course the good news is they never assign priests to their home parish so I won’t be expected to get up and do the wave.
I’m with you, Monk. I particularly hate concerts where the star exhorts the audience to stand up and then acts as if he or she has received a real standing ovation. Sheesh!
I want to join this chorus! I grew up going to military churches, where you sit there and keep your yap shut and do as you’re told (sing a certain hymn, bow your head and nothing else). I suffered culture shock at civilian churches, where members of the congregation sometimes call out “amen!” and “yes, Lord” or variations thereof. At first, I thought they’d get tossed out on their ears for daring to speak, but when that didn’t happen, I fled. Yes, Lord, I fled. Amen!
Since then, I’ve visited a couple of predominantly black churches. Holy cow – drums, electric guitars, dancing and shouting out willy nilly. It was great. I love the energy, but would not want to attend a church like that regularly.
Why don’t they let priests serve in their home parishes, Monk?
[quote comment="2860"] Why don’t they let priests serve in their home parishes, Monk?[/quote]
I’m not sure what the Church’s official reason is & I’m too lazy to find out but I can think up 1 or 2 reasons on my own. Say our parish is down to only 1 priest & it’s Steve. Do you think I’m gonna go to confession to my son?? I don’t think so!
Well, I think confession would be good for HIS soul. I can hear it, now:
“I sacrificed – oh, how I sacrificed! – for my children, especially my dear son. I worked my fingers to the bone, went hungry, went barefoot in the snow….”
OTOH, I suppose the rule makes sense.
Oh, by the way, I became a grandma for the first (and hopefully, only) time this morning.
Aw, Monk, say it isn’t so. Waving and swaying and such at a Catholic Church? No. Not right. Not right ANYWHERE, but especially not right…well, I know I’m really, really traditional when it comes to what I like in church, but especially not in a Catholic Church. Ya know? No conversing, either. And I also don’t like when they change Creeds and such around. Ex-squeeze me? Who said they could do that. Oh my. I’m about to get whipped up. Moving on to the next comment page…BWA!