Roman Catholic questions

Factual Questions
1

I have some questions about the traditional (American English)Roman Catholic mass. I’m not sure where to start, or what all to ask, so any ‘extra’ information that anyone wants to provide is more than welcome. Basically I’m interested in learning more about the traditions of the church in an environment where I can ask questions, and get feedback. Certainly some things can be found online, but when you don’t really know what to look for, it’s hard to do.

As parishoners get in the pew then genuflect (kneel) towards the tabernacle(?) (where the eucharist is kept) to show reverence to the body of Christ. Is this correct?

Is the eucharist kept somewhere else during lent? I seem to remember from my church goings as a youth that the tabernacle door was kept open for the Easter period.

When a gospel is read, parishoners cross themselves with their thumb? I think it’s forehead, lips, heart? I presume that is so they will think about, speak, and live the gospel?

There are several responses to certain things that the priest says. Anyone care to go over any of those?
i.e.
Priest: Peace be with you.
response: And also with with.

While we’re at it, what are some of the other prayers that are frequently said during mass? I know the Our Father, and the Hail Mary. I don’t think I could get through the Nicene Creed on my own. I know there are others that I can’t think of.

After receiving Communion participants cross themselves, usually go back to their pew and pray. Is there a certain prayer for this particular time? i.e. “I’m not worthy to receive you…” etc.? Oh that reminds me. What is the prayer said right before Communion? “… I am not worthy to receive you, only say the word and ?? ?? ?..”

Thanks.

E3

2

Yes, that is the point of genuflecting.

The Eucharist is moved from the tabernacle to a separate repository after Holy Thursday Mass and returned to the tabernacle for the Easter Vigil Mass. During the rest of Lent, it’s still in the same place.

I was taught to say “Cleanse my mind, cleanse my lips, cleanse my heart.” I have the impression that this is just a local custom and can vary.

They have booklets in the pews that tell you what to say. “Amen” is always a good standby.

The Hail Mary is usually not said during Mass. As for the Nicene Creed, it’s printed in the same booklets (missalettes) that are found in the pews. If you go to Mass often enough, it’s pretty easy to remember.

Nope, just a time of silent meditation. You can pretty much do what you want.

Well, within reason.

[/QUOTE]

3

While genuflecting toward the tabernacle is a sign of reference to the Eucharist, the current suggestion from the liturgical commission is that a separate location (usually a chapel) be set up for the tabernacle, so many churches no longer have a tabernacle on or behind the altar in the main church. If it is there, the protocol is to genuflect, although not everyone still does.

When the tabernacle is kept in the principal part of the church, the Eucharist is removed at the end of the Good Friday service (as a sign of the death of Jesus) and placed in a separate location for silent meditation. The door to the tabernacle is left open until the beginning of the Easter Vigil and the sanctuary lamp is either extinguished or moved to th location of the hosts.

You have the explanation of the three crosses prayer at the reading of the Gospel correct.

The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
(This was from the Latin Dominus vobiscum (The lord be with you.)
Et cum spiritu tuo. (And with your spirit.)

The Our Father is a part of the mass. The Hail Mary is not.
The principle prayers (that I name first in Latin partly because they are well known by those names and partly because those names are short) that are spoken (some of them more appropriately sung) at mass are:
The Gloria Glory be to the Father. . . .
The Credo (now called the Profession of Faith)
The Sanctus Holy, Holy, Holy. . . .
The Our Father
The Agnus Dei Lamb of God. . . .

Directly before communion, the priest says “Lord, I am not worthy to receive you” and the congregation responds “But only say the word and my soul shall be healed.”

4

The “official rules” are set out in the General Instruction to the Roman Missal, 1975

5

Hmmm, the church I was at today only had the Glory and Praise books in the pews. Well, actually in this case, they’re chairs, and there are no kneelers. The church is only 3 or 4 years old, and I don’t know if that’s going to come as the building fund is paid into for a few more years or not.

I used to have a prayer book. I’m going to have to see if I can find that. Thanks, BobT.

Anyone else have something to add?

6

Thanks tomndebb! I tried to understand what the response was, but could never make it out.

BTW, I don’t know Ohio geography very well, but several years ago my daughter’s God-Parents (to be) lived near Cincinnati Ohio, and I lived in Dallas at the time. They couldn’t afford to come to Dallas for her baptism, so we flew up there, as I worked for “a major airline” at the time. That’s real pretty country you have there. I couldn’t believe how many trees there were!

Thanks for link. I’ll check it out.

E3

7

I shall be healed.

8

I have another one…
There is Holy Water available at the entrance to the church and to the chapel. It is customary to cross yourself after touching the Holy Water upon entering and exiting the church. Is this a means of blessing one’s self?

9

You might check and make sure they don’t have a “cart” at the back of the church with missalettes on it - I remember when I first moved to Atlanta I had trouble figuring this out at the parish I attended. And there’s a parish here in Knoxville that I won’t go to because there are no missalettes provided (that’s just my personal preference).

10

Yes, or at least, that’s what I was taught.

11

Some specifics that weren’t mentioned directly above, although undoubtedly the links offered will cover them:

The Penitential Rite at the beginning of Mass is often, although not always, a congregational recitation of: I confess, to Almight God, and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have sinned through my own fault, 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,
my brothers and sisters, to pray for me to the Lord our God.

The proper response to Christ, have mercy, is Christ, have mercy, and to Lord, have mercy, is Lord, have mercy.

After the first and second readings, the lector will conclude with The Word of the Lord, to which the congregation responds, Thanks be to God.

Just prior to the Gospel reading, the priest will stand and the congregation should follow suit; he will announce, A reading from the Holy Gospel according to xxxxx; the congregation responds Glory to you, oh Lord - and this is where the small cross traced on your forehead, lips, and heart, followed by the regular Sign of the Cross, is done. Following the Gospel he says, The Gospel of the Lord, and the congregation responds Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Following the homily, the Profession of Faith - usually the Nicean Creed - is recited.

During the Liturgy of the Eucharist, the priest will say: Pray, my brothers and sisters, that these sacrifices are acceptable to God, the Father Almighty; the congregation responds, May the Lord accept the sacrifice at your hands, for the praise and glory of His name, for our good, and for the good of all the Church.

Hope some of that helps!

  • Rick
12

It sure does. Thanks everyone.

E3

13

Enright3:

You seem to have a fairly good grasp on the practices, but, more importantly, a sincere interest in the faith.

Have you considered investigated the RCIA process at the parish you are attending? RCIA is an acronym for Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults and is an excellent process for learning more about the faith in a group setting. In my parish, these meetings are open to anyone interested in learning more about the faith.

You’ve asked some great questions! I wouldn’t add much of anything given the very good answers you’ve gotten so far.

Some very good links that may help you are:

http://www.usccb.org/

(The US Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Web Site) Much info here worth digging around for it; including a complete “Catechism of the Catholic Church.”

The Archdiocese of Atlanta.

All the Best,

Herm

14

“Lord, I am not worthy to recieve you, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.”

I was always taught that to recieve the sacrament of the Eucharist with a sin on your soul was
A VERY BAD THING
so you must first take the sacrament of Reconcilliation (going to confession and repenting your sins).

But the above prayer seems to serve as a general purpose absolution to the congregation.

15

The notion that one needed to be absolved of all sins before receiving communion was a belief that arose among the people at various times (and was certainly carried forth by the priests and teachers who, themselves, came from the people). It was never church doctrine, that I am aware. It springs from a nearly scrupulous interpretation of the passage in Paul to not partake of the Lord’s banquet unworthily (I Cor 11: 27 -29).

In fact, current teaching empasizes that the Eucharist, itself, is a prime Sacrament of forgiveness.

(Receiving communion when one is in a state of mortal sin remains a “very bad thing” and compounds the sin. However, the thought behind that is that if one has turned absolutely from God (which is both the cause and effect of mortal sin), then it is a desecration to pretend that one is in communion with the Body of Christ by participating in that sacrament.)

16

hermn8r, tomndeb,

As you may have suspected, I’m a “cradle Catholic” (yeah I know, some people really hate that phrase) who has never really gone to church.

My wife was agnostic (and pregnant) when we got married (in a Methodist church). After my son was born two things happened.

One, she realized that the joy and miracle of birth was proof that there was a God. I can see some of her confusion. She never went to church as kid either. Her father is Jewish. If her mother was anything, she’d say Methodist. (which is why we got married in the Methodist church)

Two, My wife and I both agreed that our children needed to be brought up in a church.

Being the son of two divorced parents (alcoholic, but devout Catholic raised and schooled father, and convert mother), so believing in God wasn’t a problem. What little I went to church was always Catholic, so really that was the only way I believed on that too. However, being the pragmatic, open minded sort that I am, I agreed with my wife that we would ‘try out’ a few other churches as well. This was because of my insistance that we get involved in the Catholic church, and my wife’s insistance that we “not”. We tried a few (i.e. we lived in Tulsa at the time, and even went to the City of Faith. you know… Oral Roberts) I always kept coming back to Catholicism. I went to RCIA with my wife (but don’t really remember learning anything). Received first communion at age 24. Baptized all my childred soon after birth. I was actively involved in the church. My wife worked for our parish in Tulsa as a secretary. We moved to Dallas/Ft. Worth. I was pretty active in the church there. I was a money counter, participated in K of C. The family, not so much so. I Moved to Atlanta 9 years ago, and have been to mass maybe 3 or 4 times… twice in the last couple of weeks.

The bottom line is this. My faith has always been there, my participation has not. I want to do it right. I don’t want to just ‘attend’ mass. I want to go and enjoy it because I’m part of it, and I’m ‘experiencing’ it.

Anyway… sorry about the long confession. I appreciate the indulgence you all have given me. I’m going to humbly keep posting all my questions as they come up.

E3

Enola, you reminded me of something… I remember going to Catholic church as a youth. I had also gone to other churches as a kid, where everyone received communion in those little bitty glasses about an inch tall, and a little square communion niblit about the size of a kernal of corn. Anyway, I saw everyone in line for communion at the Catholic church, so I got in line too. I think the priest knew I hadn’t been to church much when he said “Body of Christ”, and handed me a wafer, and I said “Thank-you” and ate the wafer.

17

I thought there was a smiley with halo. I’ll just use the jewish one… ;j

Growing up, my mother (and other Catholics I new) always had a picture of Jesus by the front door.

Significance? So I’ll think about Christ when I’m out?

E3

18

The actual 1970 Roman Missal is at this page on the Catholic Litugical Library site. (It is not an “official” Catholic site, but he has done a decent job of assembling documents and links.)

19

I captured the wrong url: The missal begins on this page. The page I previously linked was to the beginning of the Liturgy of the Word.