First mass questions

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maize

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i went to my first mass today and have a few questions.
  1. i wasnt really sure how to do a lot of the congregation response because i didnt know what to say, is all of that pretty standard or does it change some? should the parish have a booklet that has the words in it or should i search out on my own for one.
  2. when the pastor consecrates the bread (holds up one) is he also consecrating the small pieces that are given to the congregation, or are they already consecrated from a past service?, i assumed he was and just didnt see them. he then ate the large one and passed out the smaller ones.
  3. what is considered being in a state of grace to receive communion? i noticed that everyone but me of course went up to receive the body and blood. in my thinking if i was catholic i wouldnt have received then because im sure ive commited some small sin since sunday mass. how does that work?
  4. would i have benefited as a non-catholic having stayed for the rosary when i was invited. are non-catholics encouraged to say the rosary? was i rude for turning down the invitation (i did so with kindness and humility of course)
ill probably go for another month or so before i finally decide to speak to the pastor.

it was really nice though, i feel blessed to have been led down this path.
 
maize said:
i went to my first mass today and have a couple questions.
  1. i wasnt really sure how to do a lot of the congregation response because i didnt know what to say, is all of that pretty standard or does it change some? should the parish have a booklet that has the words in it or should i search out on my own for one.
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The best way to learn it is to listen to it, but a second-best way is to obtain a Missal, and learn the prayers at home. 🙂
  1. when the pastor consecrates the bread (holds up one) is he also consecrating the small pieces that are given to the congregation, or are they already consecrated from a past service?, i assumed he was and just didnt see them. he then ate the large one and passed out the smaller ones.
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All of them that are on the Altar are being consecrated at the same time. Those that were in the Tabernacle (the little “house” thingy) were consecrated at a previous Mass.
  1. what is considered being in a state of grace to receive communion? i noticed that everyone but me of course went up to receive the body and blood. in my thinking if i was catholic i wouldnt have received then because im sure ive commited some small sin since sunday mass. how does that work?
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First, you need to be a Catholic who has received your First Holy Communion.

Next, you need to be properly disposed - that is, not severely distracted from what you are doing, and having fasted for at least one hour.

And third, you must be in the state of grace, which means that you have not committed any serious sins since your last good Confession. (You will go to First Confession either shortly after your Baptism or at some point near the end of the time when you are receiving formal instructions in the Catholic faith.)
ill probably go for another month or so before i finally decide to speak to the pastor.
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I seem to recall thinking exactly the same thing, after my first Mass. 🙂
it was really nice though, i feel blessed to have been led down this path.
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Welcome!! You have embarked on a very interesting journey. Whether or not you ever become a Catholic, your life will be changed for the better. 🙂
 
maize said:
  1. would i have benefited as a non-catholic having stayed for the rosary when i was invited. are non-catholics encouraged to say the rosary? was i rude for turning down the invitation (i did so with kindness and humility of course)
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You are perfectly welcome to pray the rosary before you are Catholic. It is a wonderful and powerful devotion. You, however, were not rude for turning them down! 😃

And welcome to the journey, it is an amazing one! 😃
 
jmcrae said:
And third, you must be in the state of grace, which means that you have not committed any serious sins since your last good Confession.
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yeah, what i was wondering if only mortal sins (and of course being catholic) that prevented you from receiving.
 
maize said:
  1. would i have benefited as a non-catholic having stayed for the rosary when i was invited. are non-catholics encouraged to say the rosary? was i rude for turning down the invitation (i did so with kindness and humility of course)
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In my case, I saved the Rosary until after I was familiar with the Mass, and that worked out well for me.

It is also possible to learn them both at the same time, so if I were you I would just decide what will work best with my abilities and my comfort level.
 
maize said:
yeah, what i was wondering if only mortal sins (and of course being catholic) that prevented you from receiving.
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Yes, only mortal sins. Venial sins are washed away when you use holy water or pray the Rosary, and when you participate in the prayers at the very beginning of the Mass, in the Penitential Rite (from the first Sign of the Cross until the Gloria, or until the opening prayer if there is no Gloria).
 
maize said:
yeah, what i was wondering if only mortal sins (and of course being catholic) that prevented you from receiving.
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That is correct…Mortal sins require Reconciliation through Confession before receiving the Eucharist. Venial sins are generally considered things that can lead to a life of Mortal sinning, and they can also be confessed during Confession

I too remember my first mass and how confused I was. Once I learned why each thing was done, it all made so much sense and led me to becoming Catholic through the RCIA process.
 
Before I became a Catholic, I learned to pray the Rosary from watching EWTN. I bought a set of rosary beads from the local church’s gift counter and prayed it out in the woods. If you don’t own a rosary, use your ten fingers. There are groups within many Protestant churches that have discovered the Rosary and pray it (at least most of the mysteries) as a means of meditating on the life of Christ.

Many churches have paperback missals (“missalettes”) in the pews or on racks in the vestibule that contain the order of the Mass and the responses.
 
maize said:
i went to my first mass today and have a few questions.
  1. i wasnt really sure how to do a lot of the congregation response because i didnt know what to say, is all of that pretty standard or does it change some? should the parish have a booklet that has the words in it or should i search out on my own for one.
Click to expand...
Yes, it is pretty standard from parish to parish. Most parishes have little books that have the mass in the first half, the readings in the middle, and the music at the back.
maize said:
  1. when the pastor consecrates the bread (holds up one) is he also consecrating the small pieces that are given to the congregation, or are they already consecrated from a past service?, i assumed he was and just didnt see them. he then ate the large one and passed out the smaller ones.
Click to expand...
The priest consecrates all of the hosts, and he just holds up the one, so that we can see Our Lord and adore him. Some people look down, but the Church tells us to look at Our Lord and worship him, then when the priest puts the consecrated host down, then we may look down. When Our Lord is raised up, people usually say something like “My Lord and My God” and some people beat their breast three times as a sign of adoration.
maize said:
  1. what is considered being in a state of grace to receive communion? i noticed that everyone but me of course went up to receive the body and blood. in my thinking if i was catholic i wouldnt have received then because im sure ive commited some small sin since sunday mass. how does that work?
Click to expand...
Mortal sin is deadly sin, it kills God’s life within us, if we died in the state of mortal sin, we would go straight to hell. Venial sins are the lesser sins, they just weaken us and make it easier for us to do mortal sins. It is sort of like our soul is a white cloth, the venial sins put little splashes of dark ink on the white garment, and when we wash it in confessional, it leaves the threads weakened until we commit a mortal sin and then there is a huge dark spot on the garment, confession washes the garment clean, but the stain is still there. That is why Catholics believe in purgatory, that is where the stained garment becomes pure white again.
maize said:
  1. would i have benefited as a non-catholic having stayed for the rosary when i was invited. are non-catholics encouraged to say the rosary? was i rude for turning down the invitation (i did so with kindness and humility of course)
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Yes, it would benefit you, but no it was not rude. Often times, my family walks out as they start the rosary because we say ours together, and the slow pace of the older people irritates some of the people in my family. Also, we don’t have time to stay, we will pray the rosary at night, or while we are driving, but I can’t remember ever staying to say the rosary after mass.🤷 It is just a matter of preference. It isn’t rude, in the least bit.
maize said:
ill probably go for another month or so before i finally decide to speak to the pastor.
it was really nice though, i feel blessed to have been led down this path.
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I am so happy for you that you are coming home to the Church. Pray the Rosary, Our Lady will help you on your journey home.👍

PS: If you want to watch conversion stories, watch The Journey Home on EWTN, it has great stories!👍
 
maize said:
ill probably go for another month or so before i finally decide to speak to the pastor.

it was really nice though, i feel blessed to have been led down this path.
Click to expand...
I experienced the same thing as you when I started going to a Catholic church(my parents are non-denominational protestants). It gets far easier as you keep going, especially when you ask questions like you are and look stuff up on Catholic Encyclopedia(just skim their articles, sometimes they get waaay too into the theological stuff) and Catholic Answers =D

Priests can be scary, no matter how nice they are (I still have yet to speak a coherent sentence to my pastor, and I’ve been going to this church for more than a year, and he’s the one who baptised me, nor have I been able to call him ‘Father Harris’, it still seems to clumsy and akward). Attend Mass enough, and yes, pray the rosary afterwards, go to church functions and stuff when you feel comfortable, and then get to know people and eventually they’ll ask you if you want to be Catholic, etc, and get you signed up. 👍

If you have more questions, everyone here would be willing to answer them, I’m sure.
 
maize said:
i went to my first mass today and have a few questions.
  1. i wasnt really sure how to do a lot of the congregation response because i didnt know what to say, is all of that pretty standard or does it change some? should the parish have a booklet that has the words in it or should i search out on my own for one.
Click to expand...
Just as others have said above, there are usually paperback missalettes in the Church and/or chapel to help you follow along. Some actually give a little guidance as to what postures, etc you are supposed to do. And of course just listen and learn.
  1. when the pastor consecrates the bread (holds up one) is he also consecrating the small pieces that are given to the congregation, or are they already consecrated from a past service?, i assumed he was and just didnt see them. he then ate the large one and passed out the smaller ones.
Click to expand...
Yes, the ones you don’t see are consecrated along with the large one when they are on the altar. The tabernacle, “the gold box, maybe wooden”, where they put what is left over holds the previously consecrated hosts. It is also the reason why we genuflect when entering a pew. Because the presence of Jesus Christ in the Tabernacle. There are 2 signs that you know He is present.

  1. *]The door is shut and locked, if opened then there are no consecrated hosts inside, and you actually don’t need to genuflect
    *]The candle burning above/beside the tabernacle
    1. what is considered being in a state of grace to receive communion? i noticed that everyone but me of course went up to receive the body and blood. in my thinking if i was catholic i wouldnt have received then because im sure ive commited some small sin since sunday mass. how does that work?
    Click to expand...
    Mortal sins are what keep us from being in a state of grace. Venial sins are washed away especially with the “Lord have mercy”, the “I confess…”, and even right before we receive the Eucharist when we say “Lord I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word and I shall be healed” These are all penitential rites to wash away venial sins.
    1. would i have benefited as a non-catholic having stayed for the rosary when i was invited. are non-catholics encouraged to say the rosary? was i rude for turning down the invitation (i did so with kindness and humility of course)
    Click to expand...
    Everyone benefits from prayer 😉 but if you don’t feel comfortable, then take it slowly.
    ill probably go for another month or so before i finally decide to speak to the pastor.
    Click to expand...
    Sure, take your time, thats why RCIA takes quite a while to go through, its to make sure that you are making a true discernment, a decision that will last, not just an emotion/warm fuzzy.
    it was really nice though, i feel blessed to have been led down this path.
    Click to expand...
    Welcome, and enjoy. May His light shine in your life. Don’t know how often you are going, whether daily or just on the weekends, but every parish usually has a daily Mass. Cathedral’s usually have 2-3 a day. Good luck!
 
Today is the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart! So you don’t have to fast from meat or anything, today is a great feast day! Thank Our Lord for his great mercy and ask St. Margaret Mary Alacoque and St. Claude de la Colombier for their intercession! (I was born on the feast of the Sacred Heart and my confirmation name is after St. Margaret Mary thus Margarite;))!
 
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