A Poll For Catholics On The Glad-Handing Aspects of Modern Liturgy

The Anchoress posted a great poll on her blog, and I'l like to re-rpint it here and encourage our readers to post their answers in the comments section:

1) A few minutes before Mass begins, are you:

a) praying/reading
b) talking to a neighbor
c) simply sitting quietly

2) Sign of Peace:

a) I love it and look forward to greeting my neighbors
b) I hate it and wish it would go away or be moved to the start of Mass
c) I don’t love it or hate it.

3) Holding Hands during the Our Father

a) I love it - it’s so unifying
b) I hate it, find it intrusive and wish people would stop doing it.
c) I don’t love it or hate it

4) The Ushers at your parish DO or DO NOT greet you and shake your hand as you are exiting your pew for Communion:

If they DO:

a) I like it - it’s friendly.
b) I don’t like it.  We’ve finished the sign of peace and I’m preparing for Communion.
c) I don’t like it or hate it

If they DO NOT:

a) I wish they would!
b) Please, God, don’t give them ideas!
c) I don’t really care

My answers:

1) a) praying/reading [or trying to get the little ones to settle down]

2) b) I hate it and wish it would go away or be moved to the start of Mass

3) b) I hate it, find it intrusive and wish people would stop doing it. [I used to employ the head-down-eyes-closed-I'm-too-deep-in-prayer-to-notice-the-outstretched-hand-of-my-neighbor method of passive resistance, but caved in last year.

4) IF THEY DO NOT b) Please, God, don’t give them ideas!

Comments

[rodander]

1. a
2. a
3. c
4. DO NOT : b.

There are times, during Mass, in which we ought to embrace our fellow worshipers -- sign of peace is certainly one, Our Father can be.

There are times, during Mass, in which we must be and remain in personal contemplation and prayer. Preparing to receive, receiving, and after receiving, the Eucharist is certainly that time. Leave me alone then.

[WP]

1) A few minutes before Mass begins, I am (a) praying/reading

2) Sign of Peace: (b) I hate it and wish it would go away or be moved to the start of Mass

3) Holding Hands during the Our Father: (b) I hate it, find it intrusive and wish people would stop doing it.

4) The Ushers at your parish DO or DO NOT greet you and shake your hand as you are exiting your pew for Communion: Ushers? What ushers? But if they did this, I would dislike it intensely.

WP

[Alan]

There is a new post that I think you might be interested at All Too Common (http://all2common.blogspot.com).

Alan

[Boethius]

1.a
2.b (I wish it would go away entirely)
3.b
4.They do not. b. Don't give them ideas.

I just noticed. Mine are the same as yours. That would have been quicker type. Oh well.

[Disillusioned]

1) A few minutes before Mass begins, are you:
a) [making an attempt at] praying/reading [while the din of socialization drones on around me]

2) Sign of Peace:
b) I hate [strongly dislike] it and wish it would go away or be moved to the start of Mass

3) Holding Hands during the Our Father
b) I hate [strongly oppose] it, find it intrusive and wish people would stop doing it.

4) The Ushers at your parish DO or DO NOT greet you and shake your hand as you are exiting your pew for Communion:
If they DO NOT:
b) Please, God, don’t give them ideas!

[Stephen Joseph]

Same answers as Maximus.

[TW]

1) a) or c)

2) a)

3) c) I think it's a nice act, but can't say that I "love it"

4) DO NOT: b) Please, God, don’t give them ideas!

[Mary C]

1. A) I try to pray but it's hard as most of the time it sounds like a ballpark in the church with loud conversations going on.

2. B) I can't stand the sign of peace. I'm sure it sounded good at the time, but it's very distracting and sad when the Blessed Sacrament in on the altar and Father is breaking his neck to run down to shake hands with the front rows.

3. B) The hand holding during the Our Father is not only not Catholic (and a Pentecostal tradition) but annoying. I go to worship God, not my neighbor.

4. B) The ushers don't try to shake my hand before Communion. But I have had one who always tries to shake my hand right after I have received the Blessed Sacrament. Ugh.

[Doug]

We go to a Maronite Mass, which is usually more than two hours long. Immediately before the Holy Mysteries, I'm not sitting, or praying, or talking - I'm taking the children to the bathroom! Before that, though, we usually spend some time in Eucharistic adoration. Nobody chats in the sanctuary.

My wife dislikes the kiss of peace, but I like it. At a Maronite church, the "Aboona" (Father) greets the altar boys, who then spread the greeting throughout the church. You don't greet anyone until it reaches you.

Holding hands during the Our Father is weird. I wouldn't like it. We hold our hands up, palms out.

We also don't have ushers shaking hands during communion. I wouldn't like that either!

[john]

I am shocked by all of the responses of this poll. Not wanting to hold hands or acknowledge each other with the sign of peace, seems to be the opposite of Christ's teachings. These are expression's of love, which Jesus is all about.

[Disillusioned]

Releasing doves could be an expression of love. Distributing flowers could be an expression of love. Kissing on the cheeks could be an expression of love. Public declarations could be expressions of love. All may be wonderful, but their place is not during the Mass.

I was taught that the Mass was a bloodless renewal of Christ's sacrifice at Calvary; a sacrifice which accomplished the salvation of mankind. During the Mass, and through the rubrics and the priest, our Lord and Savior becomes truly present in the symbols of the Holy Mass; those symbols become Jesus Christ and the Sacrament of the Eucharist.

Considering that, please forgive those of us who would prefer to shun hand-holding and other innovations so that we may actually focus on the mysteries of the Mass while praying quietly and reverently. There is plenty of time, before or after Mass, to hold hands, shake hands, and extend peaceful greetings. During the Holy Mass, however, we should be focused on the purpose of the Mass and the greatest expression of love ever made: the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross and the redemption it brings.

[Der Tommissar]

Being the Evil Traditionalist that I am, during the sign of peace and the Pater (those times I've attended the New Mass) I go with the "withering glance".

Works for me.

[Petra]

1) praying/reading (the churches where I go to, most other people do this as well)

2) c) I don't love it or hate it.
I prefer if it's not done (I find it a bit embarrassing), but it doesn't give me fits - there are worse things...

3) b) Hate it - but it's not common at the places I go anyway.

4) They don't. b) Please God, don't give them ideas!

Greetings at the doorstep of the church before Mass are not common here in Austria at all. I mean, the Mass is not exactly a birthday party...

[DL]

Pet Mass Peeves: I believe that holding hands during the Our Father is not an approved practice. Socializing out loud before Mass interferes with contemplation and prayer. And my #1 pet peeve is calling the priest (whose sacred gift alone is in recreating the sacrifice of Christ on Calvery)a presider. It's if he was elected by the laity to run a meeting. But that's what you get in the Catholic (pro-choice) Northeast these days.

[Sam Doucette]

1) A few minutes before Mass begins, are you:

c) simply sitting quietly

2) Sign of Peace:

c) I don’t love it or hate it.

3) Holding Hands during the Our Father

c) I don’t love it or hate it

4) The Ushers at your parish DO or DO NOT greet you and shake your hand as you are exiting your pew for Communion:

If they DO NOT:

b) Please, God, don’t give them ideas!

=====
A little explanation is in order. In 1c, I often sit quietly, and I am often disturbed by busybodies who can't shut up. I try not to get angry or pharisaical, but I can't help it sometimes.

In 2c, I've grown to be resigned to the Sign of Peace, and I keep it as dignified as I can. For example, I say "Peace of Christ be with you" and I don't smile effusively as if we were at a Lions Club convention.

In 3c, my wife and I hold hands during the Our Father. I don't like it when the whole congregation does it.

In 4b, no explanation is required. Introducing that would bring more of the Lions Club atmosphere into the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.