Lets Give Them a Hand!

This post again not my official message from this Sunday, and again not a thought that originated from my attendance at mass. Rather this is a post that has been welling up inside or some time now, and my attendance at mass simply unleashed it.

This post is about a very simple thing. Clapping during mass. Over the summer and these past couple of weeks I have seen this topic splash across my Facebook a number of times. Whether it was an request for the bishop of GR to place an official ban on all clapping at masses, or an article posted about how irreverent such an act is.

My simple, and impassioned response to these people. "What the hell is wrong with you?!?"

Now I will be the first to admit, there are times that I agree you should not be clapping at mass, during the eucharistic prayer perhaps, or maybe hold the applause until after the Gospel has finished being read.

But lets be real, a ban on applause makes it so that after a baptism, or confirmation, or a wedding, or any other occasion where applause can be most beautiful.

Now the number one criticism that my traditionalist, or conservative leaning friends will offer me is that its inappropriate, the purpose of the mass is the Eucharist. At this point their argument is already flawed, yes of course the Eucharist could be labeled the pinnacle of the mass, but it is not the sole purpose. If it were there would be no readings, there would be no sign of peace, there would be no community aspect. We would all sit there and mass would suddenly turn into a weekly adoration session.

Perhaps the number one instance where people are most opposed to applause is the not of recognition offered to musicians after a mass. People make the claims that this is horribly inappropriate how dare we be so self centered!?! I have even thought this, in part because I thought the music wasn't that great, and I was in a bad mood I'm sure.

However I have now come to a new conclusion, a less grumpy one, and a more loving one, and that is why I'm posting this. To loosely quote Blessed Mother Teresa, My God people if you can't find God in the people around you, how will you ever find him in the Eucharist?!?!


Here's the thing, when we celebrate each other, and out accomplishments, we are praising God in one of the best possible ways.

Find God in front of you, by truly loving another person, and give them a hand!

Peace and Blessings Always 

~M