New changes at mass
            QUESTION from John on January 6, 2004

I have a question regarding the proper way to tell people about the changes at mass. Is it proper for a priest to instruct the congregation as to the changes while he is celebrating the mass on Sundays? What I mean is that the priest would stop a points and tell us what changes were being made any what they meant. I felt very unconfortable because it didnt seem like mass but an instruction session. I have been reading that the Orans position is not to be done by the congregation and holding hands is not called for, yet this is one thing the priest never mentioned. We still held hands and I did it so as to avoid embarrasment. Also, the congregation recites together with the priest the "through Him, with Him, and in Him". I thought this was only to be done by the priest. Even the Deacon says this part of the mass. If he was instructing us, should he not have told everybody not to hold hands and stopped them when he was saying the "through Him...."? Thank you.