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Post by Deleted on Apr 19, 2013 17:21:17 GMT
Can someone explain to me about having a Mass said for someone's intentions and/or someone who has died? My question is this, I asked for a Mass to be said for a relative who has died and the man serving me was offering an individual one, enrolling in the Mass Association permanently or for the year.
I brought up the question of how efficacious it is to have one Mass said offered for a thousand souls versus one for one person. If there's no difference, why pay for the difference? I was just curious and thought he may know the difference. He replied it's about the feelings of the family member and it's just like praying for the dead.
I called nonsense on that in my head but let it go. So what is the difference?
How can one Mass for one soul not be better? I'm not talking about my feelings but about how efficient it is for the soul in purgatory.
Also what about the Mass Association?
How about the Gregorian Masses for the Dead? I know about the origin but in terms of the soul in Purgatory? I know about the 30 and they're out belief (I don't necessarily believe that but it is a loving thing to do).
How can being enrolled for a Mass with thousands of others forever be equal to an individual Mass be equal to one year enrollment be equal to 30 Gregorian Masses?
I apologise if this is a daft question that no Catholic should ask but I am stumped.
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Post by annie on Apr 24, 2013 1:27:52 GMT
It's to do with money. For a very small sum you can have a share in a Mass while if you want a Mass said for one person specifically, you would be expected to pay the equivalent of a day labourer's pay to the priest. Usually priests say only one Mass a day. In our diocese, people are asked to give a minimum of €10 for each full Mass request. If the priest is not able to say all Masses within a month, the names and the offerings are passed over to a missionary group of priests so that no further delays might occur.
As to the value to the souls, these are incalculable. At each Mass, we are transported back to the Hill of Calvary and are united to the gift of Jesus to His Father on our behalf. I remember seeing a long time ago a statement to the effect that one Holy Mass heard while one was alive were much better than very many offered after one's death. I expect that it was because we are more hampered in Purgatory than in this life in acceding to actual grace.
It is a good and holy thing to pray for the dead. The parish priest in Knock had just finished saying his hundreded Mass for the Holy Souls in Purgatory who perhaps died during the famine when the parish was visited by Heaven. It is believed that the newly released Souls petitioned for this in thanksgiving.
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Post by annie on Apr 25, 2013 11:48:50 GMT
It's to accommodate poor people. In a diocese near me they have a problem with simony - you can get a card for €5 purporting to be a signed Mass Card from a commercial operation. The local bishop is doing what he can including providing blank Mass cards for €1 that you sign yourself having attended at Mass and praying for the person concerned. In rural Ireland, offering Masses for the dead and giving the Mass card to the bereaved is still very popular since the custom of giving offerings at funerals was done away with.
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Post by Alaisdir Ua Séaghdha on Apr 25, 2013 11:54:35 GMT
I remember hearing on mission territory, families often brought chickens or cuts of meat to the priest as a stipend. If you were to give a priest a day labourer's wage as a stipend, it would cost more than €10. You would be doing well to get lunch for €10 in Dublin City, so we probably shouldn't begrudge this to the clergy.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 17, 2013 12:35:44 GMT
Thanks for the information! I didn't realise funeral offerings consisted of more than Mass Cards and wreaths. I don't begrudge the money at all, and the day's labour makes a lot of sense. Thank God they don't actually do that now, it would be so expensive.
I am trying to understand the difference. In our parish you can have have a single Mass said for one person or put them in the Association. Although the receptionists always try to push the Mass Association. What I still don't understand is how it works for the benefit of the soul. I would have thought the single Mass works better. For example, each Sunday members of the Association are prayed for at the afternoon Mass each week. Or you can have one Mass said for one person on a Thursday at 8am for example. But what is the difference for the soul? Is there any information on that?
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