A question for praticing Catholics

[jenfur]

I have to do a research paper for my religions class about different denominations and the only one that I have no experience with and cannot find a church nearby by is a one of the Catholic faith. So, would any of you want o tell me about your faith and practices and what goes on during a typical Snday morning service (mass?) I would really appreciate it. You can PM me if you don't want to actually post anything.

 

[JerseyJanice]

Have you tried searching on the web?

I could describe what Mass is like (e.g., what order it follows), but it would be off the top of my head and might not be totally accurate.

 

[JAP]

You may want to PM 6 time mommy. I have read several of her debate threads regarding the Catholic Faith and she seems to have a great deal of knowledge.

Hi 6 time!!!

 

[catheren]

Catholics believe that Jesus, was the son of God.
Mary was his mother, she was pure, and had no sin.
Joseph his father, was a carpenter.

Catholic masses are said, Saturdays 4:30pm and later or on Sunday mornings and some churches have evening Sunday mass.
Mass usually lasts from 45 minutes to an hour.

In addition, there are feasts/holy days.

The Mass is made of two main parts:

the Liturgy of the Word; and
the Liturgy of the Eucharist.

The Entrance
Mass begins with the entrance of the Priest. On Sundays and Feast Days, an entrance hymn will be sung. Otherwise, a short passage (usually from Scripture) is recited called the "Entrance Antiphon".

Being our greatest prayer, the Mass begins by making the Sign of the Cross (the traditional way that Catholics "bless themselves" and begin and conclude "formal" prayers).

The Penitential Rite
The Priest greets the people and invites everyone to reflect briefly on their unworthiness and sinfulness to prepare for the celebration of the Mass. The People may recite the "Confiteor":

I confess to Almighty God,
and to you here present,
that I have sinned through my own fault,
["mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa"]
in my thoughts and in my words,
in what I have done and in what I have failed to do.
And I ask Blessed Mary, ever Virgin,
all the Angels and Saints,
and you here present
to pray for me to the Lord, our God.
The Priest then leads the "Kyrie" -- "Lord have mercy", "Christ have mercy", "Lord have mercy" -- before giving a general absolution to prepare the People for reception of the Blessed Sacrament. (This does not apply to people in a state of Mortal Sin who must first receive absolution within the Sacrament of Penance before approaching the Blessed Sacrament.)

There is an then an opening prayer recited by the Priest. The prayers and the various readings chosen for the particular Mass follow a particular "theme".

The Liturgy of the Word
First, a passage from the Old Testament, the Acts of the Apostles or the Book of Revelation is read.

This is followed either by the singing or recitation of one of the Psalms. Usually a lector or cantor will recite or sing a verse, to which the People will respond with an antiphon from the Psalm.

Then, a passage from one of the Epistles (the New Testament "Letters") is read as the Second Reading.

At feria (weekday) Masses, only one reading and Psalm occurs. At some Masses, additional readings are also given -- at the Easter Vigil, the most important Mass of the year, celebrating the Resurrection, there can be up to 15 readings!

The First and Second Readings and Psalm are usually read by lay people, most properly by Lectors, lay people who have been formally commissioned to read the Readings in their parish.

The Readings are then followed by the Gospel Acclamation -- a great "Alleluia!" by the People welcoming the Word. The People stand for the Gospel Acclamation and remain standing while a Priest or Deacon reads a passage from the Gospel. On particularly special occasions, the Priest may chant the Gospel.

At the conclusion of the Gospel, the People sit to listen to the Priest's "Homily", a reflection on the various readings and their application to our lives.

Following the homily and a short time to reflect quietly on what Father has said, the People stand to rectie the Creed. Catholics, as do all Christians, recite together this formulation of our Faith.

Following the Creed, the People place the needs of the world before our Father in Heaven in the "General Intercessions" or "Prayers of the Faithful". A Lector will usually read a short intercession which the People make their own by responding, "Lord, Hear our Prayer". These prayers usually pray for the Pope and the Church, the Leaders of our Nation, for an increase in vocations to the priesthood, for those in difficulties, for the sick and infirm (especially those from the particular parish), for the dead.

This concludes the first part of the Mass.

The Offertory Rites
Some members of the congregation (quite often children or a family) then take up the "gifts": the candles that will sit on the altar to signal the presence of Christ, our Light, the bread which will beome the Body of Christ and the Wine which will become His Blood.

This is also when the first Collection is taken. The People are invited to give an offering which is forwarded to the Bishop or Archbishop to be used for the purposes of the Diocese.

The Liturgy of the Eucharist
The Priest receives these gifts and says a blessing over them, offering them to God, the work and fruit of our hands, highlighting the great mystery that God will take food and drink we have made and transform them into a Heavenly Meal, the Body and Blood of Our Lord Jesus.

After blessing the gifts, the Priest prays that God will cleanse him of all iniquity and symbolically washes his fingers which will touch the Lord.

The People then pray that God will accept the Priest's Sacrifice "for the Praise and Glory of His Name, for our good and the good of all His Church".

The Mass has its beginning in the Last Supper when Our Lord first changed bread and wine into His Body and Blood. But it also has its links in the great events of Good Friday. Each Mass is a continuation and a re-offering of Christ's sacrifice on Calvary. It takes the holocausts and burnt, bloody sacrifices of the Old Testament and transforms them into the Holy Sacrifice of the Lamb of God that redeemed all mankind.

After the Priest recites a short prayer of praise to God -- the "Preface" -- the People sing the Heavenly Chant of the "Sanctus" "with all the Angels and Saints":

Holy, Holy, Holy Lord,
God of Power and Might,
Heaven and Earth are full of Your glory
Hosanna in the Highest!
Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord
Hosanna in the Highest!
The People then kneel in readiness for the moment when Jesus will become truly, physcically present on the altar.

The Priest begins to pray a great prayer of thanksgiving and supplication to God called the "Eucharistic Prayer". There are a number of Eucharistic Prayers for the Priest to choose from:

The First Eucharistic Prayer is a translation of the Canon. The Canon was the only Eucharistic Prayer that was said in the Latin Rite from the time of the Counter-Reformation until Vatican II. It is rich in the history of the People of God, it calls on our Jewish heritage, it reminds us of our Heavenly goal, it calls on each of the Apostles and the Saints and the Martyrs of the Early Church, each by name, to intercede for us. (It is my personal favourite!)
The Second Eucharistic Prayer (one of the new ones introduced by Pope Paul VI after Vatican II) is based on the Eucharistic Prayers in use in the very early Church. It is beautiful in its simplicity and many appreciate how it links us to the prayer of the early Church. Many also appreciate that it is so much shorter than the others! (It is certainly the most often used, the "default" Eucharistic Prayer, if you like!)
The Third Eucharistic Prayer draws greatly on the liturgical traditions and imagery of the Eastern Church.
There is also a Fourth Eucharistic Prayer and a number written especially for Masses with Children.
The common elements of the Eucharistic Prayers are:

The Consecration -- the moment when the Priest transforms the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Our Lord by repeating the words of consecration:
This is my Body (hic est enim corpus meum)
This is the cup of my Blood (hoc est calix sanguinis meus)
Prayer for the Church
Prayer for the Pope, the local Ordinary (Bishop), all priests and all the Faithful
Prayer for the Faithful Departed (those Faithful who have died)
Invocation of the Blessed Virgin, the Apostles and the Saints
Finally, the Doxology of Praise by the Priest followed by the People's "Great Amen":
Through Him, with Him, in Him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honour are Yours, Almighty Father, for ever and ever. Amen.
The People then stand to say the Lord's Prayer together and to share the Kiss of Peace with each other (usually a handshake or a nod of the head!)

The Priest then breaks the Body of Christ while the People pray, "Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us." (Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis).

The Priest then invites us again to acknowledge our unworthiness in the "Domine, non sum dignus":

"Lord, I am not worthy to receive you but only say the word, and I shall be healed."
The Priest then eats and drinks the Body and Blood of the Lord before proceeding to distribute the Sacrament to each of the People in turn who wish and are able to receive communion.

This is the great pinnacle of the Mass, of the Christian Life, of the Church, the moment when Jesus, truly present, Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity, enters into our very being, our bodies and souls, making us one together with Him and with each other, cleaving us to His Mystical Body, the Church.

Needless to say, a few moments' quiet refletion and then a song of great joy and praise follow this blessed moment!

At this stage, a second collection is usually taken. The proceeds of this collection are for the needs of the parish (maintenance of the Church buildings, paying for the electricity, funds for the Parish School, etc.) and to provide for the priests.

After consuming any remaining Precious Blood and placing any remaining hosts in the Tabernacle, the Priest cleans and purifies the sacred vessels and then sits quietly for a time in reflection and thanksgiving.

The concluding rites
Finally, the Priest blesses the People and "dismisses" them "The Mass is ended! Go in Peace to love and serve the Lord!" He sends us out into the World to take Christ with us in our hearts and make Him known to whoever we meet. The Priest then proceeds out of the Church while the People sing a final hymn.


Hope this helps!

 

[JerseyJanice]

Thanks, Catheren, for posting that. This weekend was the first time I missed Mass in months. I enjoyed reading it.

A comment (because it's something I enjoy knowing)--the readings and gospel are selected by the Vatican (I think a year in advance), and every Catholic in every country on Earth hears the same ones each week. Makes us all part of a community.

It took me almost 38 years to appreciate Mass as much as I do now. You should go to one, Jenfur. It's always a beautiful service.

 

[catheren]

Welcome, JerseyJanice!
Yes, the same gospel/readings are read at churches all over on that date.

When I was a teenager and went to mass with my GF's -- rather than my family. That was a big thing, going to church w/ your friends -- independence/responsiblity.

It was easy for a parent to know if their teen did in fact go to mass. Bring home the mass newletter was proof but ..... the real proof was "what was the readings/gospel about".

 

[JerseyJanice]

Do you miss the "bells" during the Eucharist preparation? I do! I somehow still expect to hear them.

When I was a teen, I used to go to Mass with one of my friends, who would whisper to me, "ice cream! ice cream!"

I think they did away with them in the mid-80's when they updated the procedures for giving Communion, but I don't remember why.

 

[BethR]

Jersey Janice,

Here is why I THINK that there were bells at the Consecration. Before Vatican 2, the mass was celebrated in Latin. Although some may have a working knowledge of the interpretation of the words, I THINK that the bells were rung to alert people to the fact that "there is something extremely important going on now."
Since the liturgy is now in the language of the people, hopefully people are paying attention and KNOW that this is something extremely important.

I may be wrong though? Anyone else?

And BTW - I still hear bells rung at the Consecration in some parishes.

 

[JerseyJanice]

Beth, don't ask me why I think this--maybe it was something I heard in Catechism years ago--I thought the bells were to signify the presence of the Holy Spirit.

They stopped using them around the time that they started allowing Eucharistic ministers to hand out Communion and also allowed us to accept the host with our hands and take wine. It was around 1988, I think.

 

[BethR]

Janice,

You could very well be correct about the Holy Spirit thing with the bells. I don't know that I ever really learned (well, I probably DID, but I FORGOT ), so I just ASSUMED that was the reason for the bells. And you know what they say about assuming...

About the use of Eucharistic Ministers and the reception of the Eucharist in one's hand - that DID happen long before 1988. I am thinking that we received Eucharist in our hands when I was in HS - the mid 1970's - or even earlier.

 

[December99]

At one time, the host was not allowed to be touched by the hands - it was disrespect for the body of Christ. That was also before we could take the wine. I to this day cannot touch the host as I find it disrespectful and when going through classes with my daughter in preparation for her First Communion I asked why that changed and I never got a straight but I was told that it was absolutely fine not to touch the host if I felt it was disrespectful and what I was taught.

They also never allowed females to serve as Altar Servers and that has changed quite a few years ago. The mass and everything was disrespectful to Mary if it included females in anything but song (that was what we were taught). Today children can begin serving - male and female - in our church at the second semester of 4th grade. They receive their First Communion at 2nd grade and Confirmation, which is the adult acclamation into the church, anywhere from 7th grade to sophmore or later in high school - depends on the Diocese and the church and how well children have been taught and have learned the teachings.

 

[xoxmIcKeYzGaLxox]

We have a summer house in Maine, and this church still rings the bells; in fact they still have the alter rails and close them at communion. You kneel and have the choice of taking the host in you hands or given to you by mouth. Brings back memories!!

 

[paras4ri]

This thread is great! December99's mention of the host not touched by hands brought back a memory of my First Communion, in the 1960's.
I vividly remember our teacher telling us that if the host stuck to the top of our mouth to wait for it to dissolve and NOT to touch it with our fingers. We were also told if it dropped from our mouths by accident we should "cover it with your handerchief and call a priest." I appreciate the many changes that have occurred since I was a child, I think it makes my children feel more a part of the Mass.

 

[6_Time_Momma]

Our Church still rings bells with the Eucharist. It is quite a ting to see the Host held high and hear the bell sound. Seems so full of reverence. Things I miss? People kneeling before recieving communion, people recieiving only by mouth, and (believe it or not) women's head covers!!

 

[JerseyJanice]

I wonder whether the bells are now a parish-to-parish thing or come from the Archdiocese. They don't do them anymore at either our current parish or where I was married (and attended Mass as a young adult).

6-Time, how I remember the head coverings! So pretty. My mom used to bobby pin kerchiefs to my hair.

 

[Steve H.]

My current parish doesn't ring the bells, but the parish I grew up in still does. The parish DW grew up in doesn't have kneelers, but ours does. I think there's a number of areas where different Catholic parishes differ when it comes to the Mass, these are just a couple examples.

 

[paras4ri]

Here's another memory about head coverings. I used to lift my hat up little by little during Mass just to see if something would happen if my head wasn't covered! I guess I was expecting lightning or something to strike...but luckily it didn't.

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

<font color=navy>Catheren,

Thank you for such an eloquent explanation of how the Mass is celebrated. I'm going to print it out for future.

There are only a few things I would change... and, of course, this is just my own opinion...

* The times -- Not all parishes celebrate Mass @ 4:30pm. Ours has a 5:30 Mass, and it used to have a 5:30pm and a 7:30pm in Spanish. Due to the decreasing number of priests, they're having to cut down on the frequency of Sunday and weekday Mass. (Unfortunately)

* Jesus is the Son of God

* Between the Kyrie and opening prayer - We pray or sing the Gloria (Glory to God in the Highest) (This prayer always makes me cry when we sing it)

"Glory to God in the highest,
and peace to his people on earth.
Lord God, heavenly King,
almighty God and Father,
we worship you, we give you thanks,
we praise you for your glory.

Lord Jesus Christ, only son of the Father,
Lord God, Lamb of God,
you take away the sin of the world:
have mercy on us;
you are seated at the right hand of the Father:
receive our prayer.
For you alone are the Holy One,
you alone are the Lord,
you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ,
with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father.
Amen."

* Collections - maybe they do them differently at different parishes. I'm on the Finance Council at our parish & on one of the counting committees - we take one collection, and that is to support our parish - utilities, lay and priest wages, the various ministries (we have a wonderful youth ministry in Life Teen http://www.lifeteen.com), maintenance/repairs to the parish, school support, religious education support, etc. Once in awhile we have a second collection for such things as support for the poorer parishes in our region, missionary work, the Archdiocese, when the cardinal asks, vocations for priesthood..., etc. And we are always told ahead of time what the collection is for.

* The liturgy is cyclical in that there are three 1-year cycles A, B, and C -- shame on me, I forget which cycle we are in right now (I think we're in B right now. When we go through the three cycles we have read through the entire Bible - if you were to go to Mass everyday.

* This is an addition.... Catheren or 6_Time, correct me, please. There are also "themes" throughout the year. Right now we are at the end of Ordinary Time. Then we go into the Advent theme of Mass, and then another theme, and then Easter (or we may go from Advent to Easter - I'd have to check).

****

We used to have the bells up until 2 years ago when we got a new pastor - then he made a lot of changes that brought our parish up to date with the rest of the nation ... and he's got a lot of grief from parishioners who don't want change (especially the ones who were close to the former pastor). I miss the bells, and sometimes hear them in my mind, but not so much anymore.

Right now the Archidiocese is going through a Synod (A Gathering Together), where many priests, sisters and brothers, deacons, and many lay people get together to improve our Church. Last weekend, there was a meeting for our region - there were three hundred of us who consolidated concerns raised through the year through surveys taken at all the parishes, and chose a number of proposals to be addressed at the Synod that will be held in May 2003. It was such a learning experience for me! One of the categories was what people wanted to have again, and some people had said that they wanted the bells to be rung again. That was interesting.

I normally go to Mass on Sundays @ 5:30pm, which is a Lifeteen Mass... almost like charismatic. We have a wonderful youth minister who has brought many young people to Mass - they meet right after and discuss issues in their lives, and issues that concern us locally, and on a more global scale. Forty-three members of our church went to Canada for Youth Day to see the Pope, including more than 35 teens. I highly recommend that if you're Catholic, and your church doesn't have Lifeteen - look into it (check the link in my post).

May God Bless

 

[J&D]

They also never allowed females to serve as Altar Servers

I always wanted to be an altar server when I was a young girl.
I am NOT wanting to start a debate here, but do you think we will ever see female priests?

Did you see the news that the Pope is making changes to the rosary?

http://dailynews.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&cid=586&ncid=586&e=7&u=/nm/20021014/wl_nm/pope_dc
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/j...apl_20021016_rosarium-virginis-mariae_en.html

 

[gemmie214]

Originally posted by JerseyJanice
Do you miss the "bells" during the Eucharist preparation? I do! I somehow still expect to hear them.

When I was a teen, I used to go to Mass with one of my friends, who would whisper to me, "ice cream! ice cream!"

I think they did away with them in the mid-80's when they updated the procedures for giving Communion, but I don't remember why.

We still have bells and our Saturday Mass starts at 4:00PM