Back to the schedule . . .

My son serves almost daily Mass at our parish so we have a lot of early mornings getting up and ready and there in time for him to help set up. Tuesdays, we take off so a growing teen can have one morning to sleep in to his heart's content. It is also my day to get an early start on my weekly overhaul of the house and getting into some neglected nooks and crannies that need cleaning. Lately, I've had this need to downsize things so have been sorting and tossing and giving away items I only see when I dig far enough into the depths of the closet! Hey, even one really cleaned cupboard seems to make the whole house feel elevated to a new degree!

Back to first-thing-in-the morning Mass today. I like morning Mass during the week as it is usually quiet and you have time for reflection to find a bit of peace in your soul. That was until a week or so ago when three people in the congregation, without permission, decided to sing hymns during the entire Offertory, throughout Communion, and a lengthy recessional that went on long after the priest had exited the church. The hymns are not uplifting but seem to have the tone and beat of something better sung around a campfire. One woman when up to one of the instigators and point blank asked WHY they were doing this. The woman replied, "To make people happy." The questioning woman retorted, "Well, it's NOT making me happy!" I just listen and observe. I learned a long time ago to not sweat the small stuff and to stay out of fights that arent' worth winning.

Anyway, on Mondy, the trio picked out three hymns that THEY didn't know the music for and it went from annoying to painful. I don't know how long they struggled with the recessional hymn, however, as I exited the church when the priest did.

It is really kind of sad that the laity of today takes over aspects of the Mass like this without checking with the priest who has been as surprised as the rest of us over this recent evolution.

So, it is with some interest to see if the pastor has heard about the recent 'changes' in morning Mass and if things have been toned down. Don't get me wrong, I like some uplifting music even at daily Mass but there should be some restraint. If everyone acted out on their desires to have the Mass celebrated THEIR way, it would end up being a most unproductive time of worship as it would be dealing with more ME than GOD.