{"id":783,"date":"2010-02-06T02:31:45","date_gmt":"2010-02-06T07:31:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/praytellblog.com\/?p=783"},"modified":"2011-03-31T14:47:15","modified_gmt":"2011-03-31T19:47:15","slug":"keeping-count","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/praytellblog.com\/index.php\/2010\/02\/06\/keeping-count\/","title":{"rendered":"Keeping Count?"},"content":{"rendered":"

A few days ago, Reuters reported<\/a> of a priest in Poland installing a finger-print reader in church, ostensibly to keep count of confirmation students’ attendance at the Eucharist.<\/p>\n

Two thoughts jumped immediately to mind — the first, I won’t repeat as some people think that our reporting here plays to mass-hysteria (pun intended) enough as-is. A little creative thought will lead you where my mind went.<\/p>\n

The second, though, I will repeat: what the report indicates is that the priest is keeping track of mass<\/em> attendance. What I wonder is what if these youngsters were to attend, say, Solemn Vespers, or a Baptism celebrated outside the Eucharistic liturgy, or the Stations of the Way of the Cross? In other words, do these liturgical and para-liturgical services “count”? Do they matter to the developmental life of faith, and the adult practice of spirituality? Or does keeping mass-count only reinforce the idea that it’s the only liturgical service that really matters?<\/p>\n

I’ve seen remarks in the comments boxes on the New Liturgical Movement blog to the effect that God’s people have been “massed-to-death.” Even from the Episcopal perspective, where the centrality of the Sunday Eucharist was a hard-won victory in the latter-half of the 20th century, non-eucharistic liturgies like Evensong are becoming a rare breed.<\/p>\n

On the one hand, the Eucharist and its liturgy are of inestimable value. On the other hand, perhaps we’ve over-valued the Mass. Tracking attendance has been an important component in catechesis and preparation for confirmation — but what message does it send?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

On the one hand, the Eucharist and its liturgy are of inestimable value. On the other hand, perhaps we’ve over-valued the Mass. 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