...this weekend, helping out with babysitting. A happy time, involving a Birthday celebration for Mother (89!), with a cake and singing and presents and fun, four generations together...
Mass today at a big local parish in Surrey - large and very crowded church, quantities of children, including the small ones in our family group. Mass feels quite different with small wriggly people under one's care...these were well-behaved and the three-year-old even put his hands together solemnly when instructed to do so in a whisper as the bell rang for the Elevation. But why do parishes insist on having lengthy speeches/announcements from various groups before the final blessing? It breaks the flow of the Mass in that crucial after-Communion part, and makes everyone feel restless: the announcements were all about excellent things but could easily have been mentioned quickly at sermon-time with more in the newsletter...
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4 comments:
I must disagree with you here. I think that a whole list of announcements at sermon time interrupts the unity of the Mass. I much prefer announcements to be made after communion just before the last blessing.
Actually Victoria, if there are notices, they ought to be read out before the Sermon, however many, or however long it takes to narrate. What I object to is the breaking up of the Liturgy into parts that it was not intended for, and very often at the whim and will of the priest. It is sheer arrogance.
With the internet as a means to pass messages. Why have Mass ruined at all.I feel nearly all of are Churches have web sites.They can give info on them.I,m quite sure that people who do not have the internet know someone that does and if they are that bothered they could always ask for a print off. usually the announcements are rubbish anyway.
Unless of course they are from our Holy Father.In which case this is very different indeed and must be listen to.
Hello, I just found your blog. Your comments on the notices set my mind working (no bad thing). it seems to me that wherever we have notices we are "interrupting" the Liturgy, but in the Old Rite notices were given at homily time - before I think, but that could be a distraction from the homily, and one of the best things about the Ordinary Rite is that the homily is part of the Liturgy of the Word. That emphasis on preaching is important.
My understanding - from the Instruction in the Missal - is that notices are to be given before the dismissal. On the whole I think this is till the best time for them. I would like not to give notices at all, but I have people in my parish who say, "I don't read the bulletin!"
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