Fear of Joining

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meganfae,

WELCOME HOME!

When I went to mass in Utah we rarely sang more then 2 verses. The church building was also very Catholic with statues and such. When I got to Tulsa, OK the church I go to rarely sings less then all the verses. I can only recall one song with like 6 verses that was not sung all the way through. We sing long songs all the way through here. Of course my new church is UG-LY! Not much in the way of statues or reminders. It looks, well, almost protestant.

Perhaps the difference is the bishop? The priest? Perhaps the parish just likes one way or the other? Go and talk to the priest and tell him what you think about it.

By the way, I prefer my old church building but my new parish singing ALL the verses! We do not live in a perfect world, just a perfect Church!

Your question was great and I hope we have someone that can answer it better.

By the way, when I was younger back in the 60’s or very early 70’s, we had a priest that interrupted the song. He asked the parish why we even pretended to sing since they refused to partake? Only a couple of people actually sang outside the “paid” singers! Some/most Catholics just don’t even bother singing! Perhaps another thread to ponder that question?

One last thing, come home to the Catholic Church because you have Faith. Don’t join just to give lip service. You can raise your kids Catholic and you can marry a Catholic but don’t become Catholic to make your family happy, do it to make both you and God happy. Faith is the most important thing in your life. It is more important then your life, your family or anything else. I would rather see you a Methodist and married in the Catholic Church then a Catholic without Faith. Follow the Holy Spirit wherever He leads you no matter what. When one follows Him they will always end up Catholic though.

St. Mt 10:32-38 (DRV) "32 Every one therefore that shall confess me before men, I will also confess him before my Father who is in heaven. 33 But he that shall deny me before men, I will also deny him before my Father who is in heaven. 34 Do not think that I came to send peace upon earth: I came not to send peace, but the sword. 35 For I came to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.

*35 “I came to set a man at variance”… Not that this was the end or design of the coming of our Saviour; but that his coming and his doctrine would have this effect, by reason of the obstinate resistance that many would make, and of their persecuting all such as should adhere to him. *

**
36 And as a man’s enemies shall be they of his own household. 37 He that loveth father or mother more than me, is not worthy of me; and he that loveth son or daughter more than me, is not worthy of me. 38 And he that taketh not up his cross, and followeth me, is not worthy of me."

My wife is protestant and I am Catholic by “desire”. I know what it is like to sit in the pews while others receive Christ. I’ll settle for a blessing any day rather then go back to my former protestant ways believing whatever mutation of theology felt good at the time. If my wife doesn’t like it, she can hit the highway! God first always! Every time!

Gods peace be with you,
 
The Mass is a sacrifice. It’s about worship – adoration of the one true God.

It’s more solemn than a Protestant service, which is all about fellowship, some prayers, some singing, a sermon, and maybe a symbolic “Lord’s Supper.”

The Apostles and the early Christians weren’t singing at the ‘breaking of the bread’ – the name for the Mass in New Testament times. There was no singing in the Catholic Church for many centuries. There is still no singing at the Tridentine Latin Mass (except the choir), only at the Novus Ordo (the new [1965] Mass in English).

There are some great tapes of Catholic music and musicians available, and you can sing at home to your heart’s content. Congregational singing is a Protestant thing – it started in the 16th century with Luther. That’s why Catholics are not too good at it.

But, then, Protestants don’t have the Eucharist!

:DJay Damien
Ex-Southern Baptist, ex-agnostic, ex-atheist, ecstatic to be Catholic!
 
Meganfae,

**You wrote,"**I actually came here to ask a question today, but harsh posts in this forum have made me apprehensive about asking".

Look at the Book of JOHN, chapter 14. “Let not your heart be troubled”. “In my Father’s house are many mansions”. “I prepare a place for you”.

I too, was a convert at age 23. I was living on my on 2000 miles from home. I knew the Catholic Church was the one that Jesus started, and that Jesus was still the head of the Church. I had to become a Catholic. I think you feel that way too. You will become Catholic, but when?

I can understand a hesitancy to ask a sensitive question but hey, you have to ask or you won’t know the answer!

I will guarantee that if you want to PM me, I will do my very best to give you the Catholic answer, if I don’t know I will tell you so…
 
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meganfae:
Thank you for your kind help.
So my next question…why dont you sing the whole hymn?
Us Methodists love our hymn…I actually have most of the hymnal memorized (as John Wesley suggested). Music is so much like a prayer…you find music all through the Bible.
Over Christmas, I was unable to attend the church services at home because I was recovering from a surgery (nothing big, but it was right before Christmas), but a week later I was able to attend with my fiance at his family’s church…the hymn was “We Three Kings” and I’m singing it from memory as Christmas hymns are my second favorite kind (Easter is #1…“Christ the Lord is Risen Today…Hallelujah!”) and they only sang the first two verses. They just skipped over the verses about the last two gifts given. Those gifts are so symbolic…anyway, we sang it the next Sunday in my church…the whole song and I cried (I’m a baby). This has happened many times.
So, my question: Why don’t you sing the whole song? Is there a real reason or is it just an issue of time?
I submit this knowing you’re a gentle and wise audience.
“Peace of mind is knowing you are loved by God and that you are doing his will.” JPll I wish you this peace as you face the difficulties of this journey home. I beg of you, however, please don’t lose your love of music when you become Catholic! I have attended many parishes throughout my life and they have all been relatively weak in the music department. I doesn’t need to be that way, and you can change it. I am an amateur muscician, and I can’t stand when I hear people sing half-heartedly in church. I would rather have no music at all if given that choice! I mean, come on - we’re singing to God - the walls should be shaking! This is just my opinion, of course, but either do it well or don’t do it at all.

Phil
 
Take your time, you are in God’s palm. I waited 4 years to recieve after coming back from 25 gone.(non-cath marriage). you will soon discover the heritage you speak of is a tradition so old that it’s always new. Relax, pray and if I can offer advice it would be to read the saints. St. Catherine of Sienna, St. Theresa of Avila. They have so much to tell us, so much to share to bring us to holiness, for they all struggled so.

Peace and Love
 
About why they don’t sing all the verses of the songs:

I actually heard our choir director discuss this once. She said there were several differing ideas about this–especially with regard to the entrance song, and the ending song.

One group has the idea that you only need to sing enough verses to get the priest to or from the altar. The other group, including her, has the idea that if the author put all those verses in there, they were intended to be sung! So mostly, I think it’s a matter of personal preference by the song director. Sometimes you’re just happy if people will sing. The church needs more people who will sing!
 
Meganfae,
Welcome. I, personally, can be very grumpy when someone attacks the Catholic Church that I love because she was founded by Christ.
You haven’t done that. You came with trepidation and sincere questions. I say again, welcome.
The one question you have asked, about singing all the verses of the hymns, illustrates one of the differenced between Catholics and Protestants.
Yes, music is important in the Catholic Church, especially Gregorian Chant, which the Catechism oif the Catholic Church says has “pride of place,” in the Liturgy. But on the grand scale of things, singing all of the song is WAY down on the Cathlic list of priorities, and I in no way intend to belittle your question. It’s a good one. I guess it’s a matter of perspective.
As you learn more about the Church, I think you’ll understrand more of what I mean.
In any event, hang on. You have a great ride in learning the full richness of the Catholic Faith.
 
iridis.com/glivar/Martin_Luther

(Iridis Encyclopedia)

"Luther’s hymns sparked the development of congregational singing in Christianity."

Asking why Catholics don’t sing is like asking why Catholics aren’t Protestant.😃 Christians did not sing at all in Church until the 16th century and the so-called Reformation, when Luther substituted singing for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

Peace be to all who post at Catholic Answers.
 
“But be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and playing to the Lord in your hearts” Ephesians 5:19

Catholics sing. Well, at least St. Paul asked us to sing.

My mom used to embarass me by actually singing at Mass. (She had a beautiful voice). She was practically the only one in the congregation who could be heard, Today I have the pleasure of embarrassing my children in the same way.

Meganfae, if your any good, please consider joining the choir. This might help you feel part of what’s happening at Mass until such time as you are in full communion with the Church. We could use experienced singers who have hymnals memorized! (Just don’t let them throw you when they change beautiful age-old lyrics with the word “He” to something awkward…that’s a pet peeve of mine!)
 
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azcelt:
meganfae,i,m a newbie to this forum and i can really relate to this thread,i to am joining rcia in 2 weeks,i was raised lutheran,then became anglican,my wifes catholic and i have been attending mass with her nearly every sunday for the past 2 yrs,it kills me not to be able to receive our lords body and blood in the eucharist.i have felt a pull towards catholicism for most of my adult life but have always argued myself out of conversion,this time i,ll listen to the holy spirit and my heart and follow through!i,ve read everything i could get my hands on about catholicism for the past 5 yrs,i,m ready to come home,i hope i can get accelerated through the process and be received in this easter!best of luck,celt
Congratulations on the move that you are making. May the Lord be with you o this journey.

Maggie
 
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meganfae:
So, my question: Why don’t you sing the whole song? Is there a real reason or is it just an issue of time?
I submit this knowing you’re a gentle and wise audience.
Meganfae, as far as I know (I can’t quote a particular document) we should never keep the priest waiting. The Mass is far more important than any individual hymn. So, if there is only time to sing one or two verses, then that’s what we should do. Usually, in my parish church, there is time to sing the whole hymn when the collection is being picked up, because there are a lot of people, even with eight collectors! Also, the recessional hymn can be sung whole and entire, but the entrance hymn, and any other hymn during Mass are usually too long and the priest would have to stand, waiting for it to finish. This is not good. Of course, if we are singing the Gloria, or any other part of the Mass, that must be sung in it’s entirety.
 
Don’t be afraid 🙂

I grew up Baptist… with a Baptist Pastor as a father! That’s right… “preacher’s kid”… I haven’t gotten up the nerve to tell dad yet, heh… but I am entering the Church this March. It’s not about pleasing others, it’s about doing what’s right with God.

-Michael
 
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SouthCoast:
Don’t be afraid 🙂

I grew up Baptist… with a Baptist Pastor as a father! That’s right… “preacher’s kid”… I haven’t gotten up the nerve to tell dad yet, heh… but I am entering the Church this March. It’s not about pleasing others, it’s about doing what’s right with God.

-Michael
God Bless you, Michael! 🙂
 
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SouthCoast:
Don’t be afraid 🙂

I grew up Baptist… with a Baptist Pastor as a father! That’s right… “preacher’s kid”… I haven’t gotten up the nerve to tell dad yet, heh… but I am entering the Church this March. It’s not about pleasing others, it’s about doing what’s right with God.

-Michael
Hey, Michael, you may find consolation and encouragement by reading the conversion story of Patty Bonds. She is the sister of James White, who is probably the #1 radical anti-Catholic Protestant apologist in the U.S. today. He is a very good apologist – clever in his arguments, a shrewd debater, a prolific author – and a Reformed Baptist. Patty Bonds’ father is a retired Baptist preacher. So she has walked that gauntlet . . . You can read her story here:

chnetwork.org/

At the home page, click on “conversion stories” then scroll down to the name Patty Bonds.

BTW, you can read my story as well while you’re there. I was once a Baptist. There are over 250 kinds of Baptists, as you probably know.😃

A good website to check out belongs to Steve Ray – another ex-Baptist. Brilliant writer and Bible teacher. catholic-convert.com

Click on “writings” then on “Steve Ray.” Lots of good stuff there to help you answer questions. Rays book, Crossing the Tiber, the story of his conversion, is great. So is Born Fundamentalist, Born Again Catholic by David Currie.

I LOVE THIS CHURCH!

Jay Damien
 
Church Militant:
Has no one taught you The Act of Spiritual Communion?

Here:

My Jesus,
I believe that You
are present in the Most Holy Sacrament.
I love You above all things,
and I desire to receive You into my soul.
Since I cannot at this moment
receive You sacramentally,
come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already there and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You.

Amen.
Just wanted to let you know that this helped me too.

I have been married to a Catholic for almost 6 years and never know what to do when he goes up to receive Communion.

I believe in all that the Catholic Church teaches and hope to become Catholic myself soon.

Malia
 
I second that

“I’m so glad you’re coming home, Meganfae! Welcome!”

I feel Christ happy in me today Megan. That will help this fallen soul get through another glorious day!!!

It’s about 2 degrees outside. Thanks for the sun, spring has arrived!!!

From Utah!
 
Meganfae-
👋
I am also a convert to Catholicism. I was received into the Church
in October of 2001. My husband is Catholic, but before that I had felt drawn to the Catholic Church since I was 15 years old. I was 41 when I was received. I have never regetted the decision and every day I am grateful for the Church Christ established.
I was also raised in a Methodist Church. We did not finish the hymn. Once the minister was at the pulpit, we finished that verse and then continued with the service. So when I joined the Church, I never really thought about it, but it is a very good question and one that seems to have been answered here.
There is one exception, whether I was Methodist or Catholic, when the hymn “Amazing Grace” is sung, we do sing all the verses. It may because I am in the South, and it is such a standard hymn here no matter what faith you are. I don’t know, but I think even the local Jewish community may even sing it! 😃

Meganfae- Welcome. You are child of God, a follower of Christ and much loved by the Community.

:love: 👋
 
Dear meganfe, Please forgive me for not having read the majority of these posts, and still having the temerity to speak to your problem. The danger is that I will tell you things already well covered.

First, and of most importance, you are so very welcome in the Church.

If you do come into the Church, however, you will have to steel yourself to be confronted by things far more “harsh” than the posts to which you have referred. For some of us, “insults, persecutions and harsh things said about (us) for His sake” have been a way of life. Everything for which one can be criticized will elicit more and harsher criticism for you as a Catholic. If you doubt this, give more serious attention to the news.

You will have, however, the truly great consolation, that such treatment is exactly what He foretold.

God bless, 🙂

Anna
 
Actually I was afraid even after I joined! Catholics are not a pushy bunch. Just be patient. I became used to being Catholic after my first year or two. You will too.
 
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