Clapping After Homily

[DiscerningCatholic]

With age comes rigidity, stubbornness and often senility... and perhaps no one has ever explained to the two, why applause is frowned upon.

 

It could be that the senior man is advanced in the spiritual life, and draws close to the heart of Jesus, although he is liturgically illiterate. Be gentle as Jesus is gentle :)

 

Fr. Brown only explains that he doesn't want clapping and why he doesn't want clapping almost every other week...

 

These are the same people who stand up during the Eucharistic prayer, though, so it really shouldn't surprise me. :|

[PadrePioOfPietrelcino]

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/deaconsbench/2012/12/when-its-appropriate-to-clap-at-mass-a-handy-list/

Thought this might fit in with this discussion good ;)

[Jacen Marx]

Clapping during Mass is ridiculous.  Even more so when you are clapping for a homily or a choir.  Excuse me but aren't we at Mass to worship God?  We are not there to honor some other person.  If the homily was good or if the singing was good tell them after Mass, it's what I do.

[cmaD2006]

These are the same people who stand up during the Eucharistic prayer, though, so it really shouldn't surprise me. :|

 

 

Did you consider that maybe these people do have a hard time kneeling?  If you can't kneel, technically you are supposed to stand.

 

There are times that for me kneeling becomes painful (and at that point so does prolonged standing).  I then do the next logical thing -- sit.  It isn't a sign of my irreverence, it is a sign of my physical weakness.  At least even through the pain I am at Mass, so that should count for something ;)

 

We can be so judgmental at times that the other person is forgotten.  Mercy is always called for -- it is easy to judge without knowing all of the facts.  It is true -- some people may choose to stand because of laziness, or even worse a lack of reverence for the Blessed Sacrament.  Some may stand because of ignorance (and lack of catechesis).  Others may stand (or even sit) for a perfectly valid reason.  So I play it safe -- unless I know the person, (or can tell that the person is new, or never has been at Mass, etc) I let it be.  And if the person is new, then I with a smile on my face and with gentleness let them know that they should kneel.  They usually follow along.

Edited January 3, 2013 by cmariadiaz

[Quietfire]

I gotta be honest here. 

I've heard some smokin' homilies before.  Ya know, like Cure of Ars homilies where you wanna jump up afterword shouting "AMEN!!" and clapping hard.

 

Instead I always thank the priest afterward for such a fantastic homily.  Their humility is always refreshing, giving thanks to God.

 

 

Still.....

 

 

 

 

:clap:

AMEN!!!!!

[Lil Red]

I gotta be honest here. 

I've heard some smokin' homilies before.  Ya know, like Cure of Ars homilies where you wanna jump up afterword shouting "AMEN!!" and clapping hard.

 

Instead I always thank the priest afterward for such a fantastic homily.  Their humility is always refreshing, giving thanks to God.

 

 

Still.....

 

 

 

 

:clap:

AMEN!!!!!

 

First: QUIETFIRE!!!!! :woot: :w00t:

 

Second: I love those homilies - and I do make it a point to tell my priest he did a great job on the homily. :)

[Apotheoun]

There is no place for applause during the divine liturgy.  If people want to clap they should do so in the parish hall after the service has ended.

[AnneLine]

(With tongue FIRMLY in cheek... I am not serious so don't set up the fire bazookas, ok....)

 

The ONLY place for clapping during Mass would be when God transforms ordinary bread into the Body and Blood of Jesus. 

 

THAT is worth whatever praise, acknowledgement and love we can muster.....

 

 

(and I am with you on not liking the clapping, but tend to try to look at the quality of love (the children analogy of a few weeks ago) that is intended.....)

[MissScripture]

Did you consider that maybe these people do have a hard time kneeling?  If you can't kneel, technically you are supposed to stand.

 

There are times that for me kneeling becomes painful (and at that point so does prolonged standing).  I then do the next logical thing -- sit.  It isn't a sign of my irreverence, it is a sign of my physical weakness.  At least even through the pain I am at Mass, so that should count for something ;)

 

We can be so judgmental at times that the other person is forgotten.  Mercy is always called for -- it is easy to judge without knowing all of the facts.  It is true -- some people may choose to stand because of laziness, or even worse a lack of reverence for the Blessed Sacrament.  Some may stand because of ignorance (and lack of catechesis).  Others may stand (or even sit) for a perfectly valid reason.  So I play it safe -- unless I know the person, (or can tell that the person is new, or never has been at Mass, etc) I let it be.  And if the person is new, then I with a smile on my face and with gentleness let them know that they should kneel.  They usually follow along.

This. A thousand times this. I've had the lovely experience of being beaned over the head with the Holy 2x4 for my judgement. With the kneeling stuff- it always bothered me, not so much with older people, but younger, healthy looking people. And then I developed a heart condition and nearly passed out every time I kneeled down or stood for too long. So, there I was, at 23 years old, looking healthy as could be on the outside, but sitting on my butt. Talk about a nice dose of humility! 

[AnneLine]

Had exactly the same problem with a serious bad back problem at one point. 

 

I would have never expected I would spend the entire holy Mass flat on my BACK on the floor... and be grateful when I could sit.  And I hope and pray no one knew what it cost to just drag myself to the Church (and I mean drag, because I couldn't ride the bus and I don't drive.... so it was a very slow, very painful walk....)

 

It is hard to sit during a Mass... when all around you are kneeling and when you have a pretty good suspicion that others are wonderring....

 

And we don't know if someone has some other kind of hidden disability.... we just don't know.  so I try to be respectful of that, and of healthy-looking people in the senior/disabled seats on buss.... we just don't know.

[Debra Little]

This happened today during Mass, and I for one think it is completely inappropriate during the liturgy. It is way too distracting and takes the focus off of the sacrifice that is about to happen.

The deacon gave his homily, and came down into the pew area and talked to a little girl, and told her a story, and then addressed the rest of us, still standing "across the border," if that makes sense.

I'm not trying to start a huge debate (else I'd have posted in the debate board), but I am wondering what y'all think. Everyone is entitled to their opinion.

Should clapping ensue after what one may perceive as a particularly good homily, or not?

I just don't think we should be exalting the servant of God, but rather focus on the exaltation of God Himself, which happens on the altar.

If this needs to move to the debate board, I apologize.

 

Woa!  Not Cool!

[PadrePioOfPietrelcino]

Had exactly the same problem with a serious bad back problem at one point.

I would have never expected I would spend the entire holy Mass flat on my BACK on the floor... and be grateful when I could sit. And I hope and pray no one knew what it cost to just drag myself to the Church (and I mean drag, because I couldn't ride the bus and I don't drive.... so it was a very slow, very painful walk....)

It is hard to sit during a Mass... when all around you are kneeling and when you have a pretty good suspicion that others are wonderring....

And we don't know if someone has some other kind of hidden disability.... we just don't know. so I try to be respectful of that, and of healthy-looking people in the senior/disabled seats on buss.... we just don't know.

I head injuries which prevented kneeling as well...plus, I always remember when I was joining the Church, there were times in which I didn't kneel during Mass, because I didn't understand what was going on, so I didn't feel comfortable doing it. Point is there are indeed many reasons that "inappropriate" behavior happens during the liturgy, we sometimes need to stay charitable among ourselves.

[Groo the Wanderer]

Always have to keep in mind that the abuses and other weirdness we see in Mass that irk the heck out of us are generally due to ignorance, not a desire to innovate.  That helps to keep me more charitable.  There is one guy at our 945 Mass that loves to go up and down the main aisle at the sign of peace.  He's a very friendly dude and is doing out of love of neighbor. He likely has never been properly catechized about how this is a disruption and how he needs to be singing the Agnus Dei along with the rest of us instead of being on the return leg of his trip shaking hands.

 

 

[Nihil Obstat]

Always have to keep in mind that the abuses and other weirdness we see in Mass that irk the heck out of us are generally due to ignorance, not a desire to innovate.  That helps to keep me more charitable.  There is one guy at our 945 Mass that loves to go up and down the main aisle at the sign of peace.  He's a very friendly dude and is doing out of love of neighbor. He likely has never been properly catechized about how this is a disruption and how he needs to be singing the Agnus Dei along with the rest of us instead of being on the return leg of his trip shaking hands.

 

You should set bear traps.

[eagle_eye222001]

Mass is set up to be a sacred prayerful reverent liturgy.  Since there is nothing sacred, reverent, or prayerful in applause, it can only detract from the intentions of the liturgy.  If it adds anything, it adds the wrong attitude.

 

I do not think people clap maliciously, but rather it is a subconscious sign of the ignorant lackadaisical attitude towards the Mass.