Articles

Things You Should Not Do At Mass And May Not Know

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Small details that make the difference and unite the Church

1. Do not be late. Remember that God is waiting for you to fill you with your love, give your forgiveness and a hug, speak to your ear, and say what you need to hear. He separated a place on the table for you. Do not keep him waiting;

2. Do not wear provocative clothing. Do not wear attention-grabbing or provocative clothing (neckline, miniskirt, and shorts);

3. Do not enter the church without greeting the Lord. When you arrive, make the sign of the cross. He is there, happy to see you. Thank him for he invited him;

4. Do not be lazy to bow or genuflect. If you walk past the altar, which represents Christ, do reverence. If you pass through the Tabernacle, where Christ is, kneel (touch the ground with the knee);

5. Do not chew gum or eat or drink. Only water is allowed and if necessary and for health reasons;

6. Do not cross your legs. The act of crossing the legs is considered not very respectful. Your body should express your devotion;

7. The same person should not do the Reading and the Psalm. If you see a single reader or reader, offer to read, for the Readings and the Psalm should be proclaimed by different readers (two in the middle of the week and three on Sundays or holidays, when there is a Second Reading);

8. Do not add sentences when doing the Readings and the Psalm. Do not read the red letters or say “First Reading” or “Responsorial Psalm”;

9. Never recite the Hallelujah in advance. Do not go forth to say “Hallelujah, Hallelujah”. Wait a few seconds, surely someone will sing it. If neither the priest nor anybody sing, omit it, but never recite it;

10. Do not make the sign of the cross in the proclamation of the Gospel. You should only make three small crosses: one on the forehead, one on the lips and the last on the chest;

11. Do not respond in the plural when Creed is made in the form of questions. Who presides at Mass can ask: “Believe in God the Father Almighty?” In this case, do not answer “yes, we believe”, because faith is personal. Answer: “Yes, I do.”

12. Do not collect the offer during the Universal Prayer. The offering must be collected during the presentation of the gifts, when all are seated and the priest thanks God for the bread and the wine and purifies the hands;

13. Do not stand up during the presentation of the gifts. Sometimes someone gets up and, on impulse, others also stand up. Perhaps, on seeing the priest raise the chalice and the host, people think that it is already the Consecration. But it is not;

14. Do not kneel after the “Saint.” One must wait for the priest to ask the Holy Spirit to turn the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ. It is at this moment that one should kneel (if there is bell, kneel when it sounds);

15. Do not sit during the Consecration. If you can not kneel down, stand up, but never sit down, unless it is for some illness. It is a lack of respect for Christ, which is present at the altar;

16. Do not say anything out loud during the Consecration. There are people who, during the Consecration, say out loud: “My Lord, My God”. But it distracts those who are making a personal prayer in silence;

17. Do not say out loud: “For Christ, with Christ, in Christ …”. Only who should say this is who presides over the Mass;

18. Do not leave your place to go and give Peace. You should only greet those who are close to you, not other people, in other banks. Neither should he take advantage to go congratulate someone or give condolences;

19. If you are not prepared, do not commune. You must have kept the Eucharistic fast (not having eaten or drunk anything an hour before committing) and having no serious sin;

20. Do not just make a line of Communion (the priest’s). Jesus is present in the Consecrated Host, no matter if it is the Host insured by the priest or by an Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist, who is a person prepared and authorized by the Church to distribute Communion at Mass and to take it to the elderly and sick;

21. After commune, do not talk to others. Go back to your place and talk to the Lord. If you have not communed, make a spiritual communion and talk to Him;

22. When you finish distributing the Communion, do not continue singing. The song of Communion must end when the last person receives the host so that there is a sacred silence, in which each person enters into dialogue with God;

23. Turn off the phone. Do not keep messaging or talking on the cell phone during Mass, as it distracts you and the others. Turn your attention to the Lord, who is dedicating His attention to you;

24. Do not miss the children’s view. Teach them to enjoy the Father’s house and to behave at Mass;

25. Do not leave until the Mass is over. Do not miss the fine blessing, through which the priest sends you into the world to bear witness in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Come out of the Church with a new purpose, which has been inspired in the Lord, to build the world, your Kingdom of love.