Happy Holy Thursday

Re: Happy Holy Thursday

• SoHappyToBeMrsC

  

  April 2011 edited December 2011

  Happy Holy Thursday! I got back from Mass not long ago also. It was amazing, the music was incredible. One of our 12 apostles to get their feet washed was a little baby, it was so cute!
  
  I have to say though - I was DISGUSTED at the way some people dressed to come to church. Gym shorts, flip flops, sweatshirts, spaghetti strap tops, mini skirts, jean shorts and team jersey's. It is never acceptable to go to church like that, but during Holy Week I think it's exceptionally bad, and SO disrespectful to the church.
  
  This one woman went up to receive Communion from the Monsignor. She was wearing an oversized sweatshirt that must have been her husband's, a pair of black Umbro soccer shorts that were so short they were maybe 6 inches down her thighs, flip flops with dirty feet, and hair that looked like it hadn't been brushed in 2 days. Her child looked just as bad (not the kid's fault) in a dirty onesie, mismatched pants, no shoes and a dirty snotty face.
  
  i would have died from shame from appearing in church that way, much less approaching the Monsignor to receive Communion. I just feel that it's so appallingly disrespectful.
  
  Sorry, rant over, LOL.
  

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• Equine Osmosis member

  

  April 2011 edited December 2011

  Aghouston- That's special that you got to be one of the "chosen" people.  I've always wanted to do that!

  
  

  SoHappy- I agree but my issue tonight was not with the parishioners but with a group of girls participating in the mass.  We were at FIs church and I'm not really accustomed to how they do things but they had about 6 teenage girls all dressed in white dresses with a sequenced waist band and they ceremoniously dressed the alter, brought up the oils and sort of did interpretive kind of dance in place to some of the songs (I don't know how to better describe it).  Besides the fact that I found it distracting, especially since they walked back and forth about a dozen times in front of us and everyone else standing on the wall, I can put all that aside since I'm not a regular there but I was most appalled that they were BAREFOOT!  Walking out one door to enter through another entrance and then up on the alter, back and forth all barefoot.  I found that seriously disrespectful!  Anyone else have a problem with that or is it just me?  

  
  

  
  

  

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• aghouston86 member

  

  April 2011 edited December 2011

  @Equine praise dancers maybe? I know they do that in other Christian, mostly black churches, but hmm sounds different. I love this time of year in the Church, its like a re-birth! @SoHappy how cute that baby must have been I was a little shocked at some of the attire of a few parishioners tonight as well. In particular two teenagers that felt it was appropriate to wear slippers to mass. And it was very noticeable that they were slippers. I did a double take, lol. I don't know what some people are thinking sometimes

  

  

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• Calypso1977 member

  

  April 2011 edited December 2011

  ive given up on being frustrated wtih the clothing people wear to Mass.  its really  just indicative of how sloppy our society in general has become.  i can understand not having nice clothes if you are poor, but IMO, there is no excuse for being dirty.

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• audreyjem

  

  April 2011 edited December 2011

  It's disappointing to read a post title "Happy Holy Thursday" and see rants critiquing your fellow Catholics. Why can't we celebrate that people are involved in the church during this season and leave the judgement out?

  ~The Future Mrs. L~ Planning Bio

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• agapecarrie member

  

  April 2011 edited December 2011

  In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/cultural-wedding-boards_catholic-weddings_happy-holy-thursday?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Cultural%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:615Discussion:45b2c21e-4f43-4b1e-8ee0-4b1dac79beaaPost:a3337da7-8abc-480d-a39f-8e7bbc528269">Re: Happy Holy Thursday</a>:
  [QUOTE]Aghouston- That's special that you got to be one of the "chosen" people.  I've always wanted to do that! SoHappy- I agree but my issue tonight was not with the parishioners but with a group of girls participating in the mass.  We were at FIs church and I'm not really accustomed to how they do things but they had about 6 teenage girls all dressed in white dresses with a sequenced waist band and they ceremoniously dressed the alter, brought up the oils and sort of did interpretive kind of dance in place to some of the songs (I don't know how to better describe it).  Besides the fact that I found it distracting, especially since they walked back and forth about a dozen times in front of us and everyone else standing on the wall, I can put all that aside since I'm not a regular there but I was most appalled that they were BAREFOOT!  Walking out one door to enter through another entrance and then up on the alter, back and forth all barefoot.  I found that seriously disrespectful!  Anyone else have a problem with that or is it just me?  
  Posted by Equine Osmosis[/QUOTE]
  
  This sounds like "liturgical dance" which is not allowed in the USA.
  
  That aside, going barefoot was probably an instruction to them, because modern dance is almost always done barefoot...so that part itself I doubt was intentionally disrespectful.
  
  But in India (in a few rites I believe) it is disrespectful to not take your shoes off at mass. When the Eucharist is present, shoes come off. I was at  matt Maher concert/adoration event, and there were a couple people who were indian in front of me that automatically took their shoes off when the Eucharist was exposed.

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• GulfCoaster

  

  April 2011 edited December 2011

  "But in India (in a few rites I believe) it is disrespectful to not take your shoes off at mass. When the Eucharist is present, shoes come off. I was at  matt Maher concert/adoration event, and there were a couple people who were indian in front of me that automatically took their shoes off when the Eucharist was exposed."
  
  The same is true in other countries across the world, too.  I attended Mass in Japan and everyone took off their shoes in the entryway to the church.  (In Japan this custom applies to more places than church.)  A friend of mine works in Ethiopia and says that the Eastern Orthodox there also remove their shoes before entering church.  Remember that when Moses saw the burning bush, God told him to remove his sandals bc he was on holy ground...  So there is precedent for being barefoot, although in American culture being barefoot is definitely regarded differently than it is in some other cultures.

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• SoHappyToBeMrsC

  

  April 2011 edited December 2011

  In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/cultural-wedding-boards_catholic-weddings_happy-holy-thursday?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Cultural%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:615Discussion:45b2c21e-4f43-4b1e-8ee0-4b1dac79beaaPost:7d89eb94-7b1f-40b5-a23c-eeb6e7d08142">Re: Happy Holy Thursday</a>:
  [QUOTE]It's disappointing to read a post title "Happy Holy Thursday" and see rants critiquing your fellow Catholics. Why can't we celebrate that people are involved in the church during this season and leave the judgement out?
  Posted by audreyjem[/QUOTE]
  
  
  I don't feel that we are being judgmental by observing what is in front of our eyes. You can't help but see it. Now, if we said something like "those people that don't dress up for church must be poor and have a drug problem" or something like that, THAT would be judging.  I think that it shows respect to God and the church to come dressed decently, and be clean.

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• clearheavens member

  

  April 2011 edited December 2011

  I chime in with audreyjem.  Sometimes the people we go to Mass with are going to be the smelly people, the noisy people, the beach attired, the immodestly dressed.  I know it can be difficult to focus on worship when you look at these people.  Unless you already know them well, I don't find it effective to approach them and say, "Hey, is that how you present yourselves to our Lord?"  They can't feel any love from that.  It isolates them.  It distracts them from being called to gather.  The best we can do is to extend our charity to them and smile.

  
  

  I think we should try to look pass the clothes and enjoy that this is the humanity that are all welcomed to the Church.

  
  
  

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• ellen73

  

  April 2011 edited December 2011

  In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/cultural-wedding-boards_catholic-weddings_happy-holy-thursday?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Cultural%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:615Discussion:45b2c21e-4f43-4b1e-8ee0-4b1dac79beaaPost:80442f14-79cf-4442-b463-0fbdcdf5ec22">Re: Happy Holy Thursday</a>:
  [QUOTE]I chime in with  audreyjem .  Sometimes the people we go to Mass with are going to be  the smelly people, the noisy people, the beach attired, the immodestly dressed.  I know it can be difficult to focus on worship when you look at these people.  Unless you already know them well, I don't find it effective to approach them and say, "Hey, is that how you present yourselves to our Lord?"  They can't feel any love from that.  It isolates them.  It distracts them from being called to gather.   The best we can do is to  extend our charity to them and smile. I think we should try to look pass the clothes and enjoy that this is the humanity that are all welcomed to the Church.
  Posted by clearheavens[/QUOTE]
  
  I have to agree with you on this one.  You never know what other people's "Sunday best" is.  Maybe that is the best.  Maybe that was the best they could do for that day (for whatever reason).   Maybe it took all the will they had just to get up, get some clothes on and get to church in the first place.   You just never know.     And even if you know them well,  saying "hey, is everything ok" is probably more effective than the "is that the best you can do?" approach. 

  

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