On the Holy Mass: On Being Punctual at Mass
“All of the Mass is important. Don’t be late!” Pope Francis. “It is not a good habit to look at the clock and say: I am on time, I will arrive after the sermon and with this fulfill the commandment,” he further said.
Before Vatican II, there was a clear demarcation line defining tardiness. If one arrives after the Offertory Rite, Sunday obligation is not fulfilled and therefore must not receive communion. But after Vatican II, because of the importance of all parts of the Mass, we are told not to be late. I remember when I was still in the seminary, we were taught that to be late at Mass is a venial sin and it is a grave sin to miss a Sunday Mass.
To be habitually late tells on how we value the Holy Mass itself. And if we continually say to ourselves, “It is okay to be late, God understands anyway,” we have to reevaluate the importance of the Holy Mass in our lives. If we can be punctual, even early at social functions, seeing movies or watching television, games, or other activities, why not be punctual for the Holy Mass?
There are, of course, a million reasons why we can be late for the Holy Mass. Today, when traffic is unpredictable, for example, we may be late even if we left home early. We may be near the church, yet because traffic is not moving, we may even still miss the Mass. Inadvertence may excuse us. But if we purposely miss or be late for the Mass, that is another thing. Habitually making traffic as an excuse also means not making necessary adjustments to anticipate the possibility of heavy traffic.
Pope Francis admonishes us, “Don’t worry if you are 30 minutes or even an hour early for the Mass.” It is never a waste of time to be in the church to wait and dispose ourselves for the start of the Mass.
Tardiness and Receiving Communion
What if I arrived when the priest is still distributing Communion, may I still join the line and receive Communion?
We keep in mind here that Holy Communion is a part of the Mass and can even be received outside of the Mass. However, we have to examine our conscience carefully if we really should receive Communion or not, based on our motivation and reason for not participating in the complete rites of the Mass.
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