First Time Attending Mass... Help!

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No worries…I am glad you were able to read it, that is the important thing…

I understand where you are coming from, and have been through it…although I was raised in the Church I left and came back…from the same theology as you describe…so I do get it…

If you allow Him to work through you, and discover that the sacraments and mass are so integral to this that after some time you will be amazed at just what changes occur within you and your life…such clarity, such love…something I never found in the time away…something that rings so true.

This whole situation you have coming up could just be Gods way of getting you to come to His house…😎
 
FYI – even now, the word “pray” has a meaning of “ask”. There are documents in the legal world, I believe, that are called “prayer to the court”. It doesn’t mean someone is worshiping the court, it means the petitioner is asking something from the court.
 
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Welcome addlib - - wishing you success and happiness in your new job!
 
A few basics about the prayer known as the “Hail Mary”:

"The prayer incorporates two passages from Saint Luke’s Gospel: “Hail, the Lord is with thee.”[1] and “Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.”[2] In mid-13th-century Western Europe the prayer consisted only of these words with the single addition of the name “Mary” after the word “Hail”, as is evident from the commentary of Saint Thomas Aquinas on the prayer.[3]

The first of the two passages from Saint Luke’s Gospel is the greeting of the Angel Gabriel to Mary, originally written in Koine Greek. The opening word of greeting, χαῖρε, chaíre, here translated “Hail”, literally has the meaning “rejoice” or “be glad”. This was the normal greeting in the language in which Saint Luke’s Gospel is written and continues to be used in the same sense in Modern Greek. Accordingly, both “Hail” and “Rejoice” are valid English translations of the word (“Hail” reflecting the Latin translation, and “Rejoice” reflecting the original Greek)."

en.wikipedia.org

Hail Mary - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org
 
I’ll add that in addition to the responses above, Communion signifies that you are in agreement with our faith to the fullest extent: Mary, the Saints, the primacy of the Pope, all of it. If you receive the Eucharist at Mass and say “amen”, you’re saying, “I agree”.
 
Another important point, as this paragraph notes, is that we Christians are not all united. That’s an important part of receiving Holy Communion.

Who Can Receive Communion

"Because Catholics believe that the celebration of the Eucharist is a sign of the reality of the oneness of faith, life, and worship, members of those churches with whom we are not yet fully united are ordinarily not admitted to Communion. Eucharistic sharing in exceptional circumstances by other Christians requires permission according to the directives of the diocesan bishop and the provisions of canon law. . . . "
 
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We worship the Trinity at mass. It starts in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. The mass is about Jesus because He is the Fathers revolation to the world. The mass is very biblical. Some parishes may pray a Hail Mary but most don’t. Praying is just talking. Praying is not worship.
 
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I’m not good at Bible debates. But Christ is our Great High Priest. The saints are “friends in heaven” – not mediators. They are intercessors. That’s the difference. I came here to help you with tips about Mass. The Hail Mary says, “Pray for us sinners, now and the hour of our death.” I would never refuse the Blessed Mothers prayers FOR me.
 
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brian_custer said:
then why is OP questioning what is “done” at catholic mass?

just attend, shut up & collect your paycheck
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That’s sort of a blunt way of putting it, but pretty much truthful.

What the OP should not is that a lot of Catholics do more listening that praying the prayers aloud, and the school knows he isn’t Catholic, looking solemn, and barely saying a word would not even be noticed in most places.

The traditional Latin Mass had the faithful remain silent, and I think a lot of Catholics still hold to this
 
It is unlikely that a prayer to Mary will even come up, as that is generally only done at Mass during Marian feasts. Even if it did, I doubt anyone would even notice if you didn’t participate; they certainly wouldn’t consider you disrespectful for not participating.
 
I presume the school knows you are not Catholic. There are many others at school that should be a resource to your worries while at mass and other occasions that may have a religious tone. I presume your Christian faith is respected by the school administration. Please respect our faith and encourage your students in the Catholic faith. Any questions you have regarding the Catholic faith should not be presented to the students as a challenge. Thank you for wanting to educate the students in a Christian environment. I wish you a successful school year and may you receive many blessings.
 
My husband and I were Evangelical Protestant for the first 47 years of our lives before converting to Catholicism . We were active members of churches with some of the most influential Evangelical Protestant teachers and musicians in the world.

brian_custer, you say that the OP should first attend Mass, then ask questions.

That’s not the way Evangelical Protestants do things.

They study first, then take action.

They study a lot. Give the OP credit for coming to Catholics instead of getting all their information from Protestant anti-Catholic apologists, or Protestant teachers who are not anti-Catholics, but who debate against Catholicism (e.g., Sproul).

Many Evangelical Protestants have had teachings that the Catholic Mass is idol-worship, descended from the Babylonian mystery cults, full of occult references and practices.

If the OP has had exposure to this kind of scary teaching, do you blame them for wanting to check it out BEFORE stepping into it?

Good for you, OP! Keep asking questions! I would recommend asking the church office to have some of the members who converted to Catholicism from Evangelical Protestantism contact you and then you can pick their brains and observe their hearts. They will know your “language” and culture, and they won’t be uncomfortable with a discussion referencing the Bible.

Just FYI–one of the main reasons my husband and I converted to Catholicism is that it lined up with everything we had read and studied in the Bible over the decades, and I mean EVERYTHING, even those weird little passages that Protestant pastors and teachers always seem to ignore or gloss over! You will see the Mass in the book of Revelation, and you will see the Book of Revelation in the Mass. And so much more–so many Old Testament passages will make sense to you.
 
Mary got a bad “freshness” from her Son at the the Canaa wadding

perhaps Jesus had been “imbibing”; He was human, after all…

but the result of it all was good
 
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Addlib said:
Hello all!

I am a Christian who was raised Baptist, but I suppose now I’d have to say I’m non-denominational.
I have accepted a position at a local Catholic school, and I’m supposed to attend a special Mass service for all employees this coming Monday (three days from now). I respect the Catholic faith, and though I disagree with certain points of doctrine, I don’t want to seem disrespectful or ignorant to my coworkers and superiors. Can anyone give me tips on what to expect? My specific concern is my differences in belief over the Virgin Mary. I do not believe in praying to/in the name of Mary (e.g. The “Hail Mary”) and honestly I believe it is wrong to pray this. Since I don’t know what to expect during Mass, I’m concerned that I might be put in a situation where this belief will be exposed/challenged. Can someone inform me if any problems would arise in this area? Will it be extremely disrespectful of me to not participate?
The last thing I want to do is offend anyone, so any help would be greatly appreciated!
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How exciting! New job and a new school year – I pray your work is blessed by God and a blessing to everyone you encounter!

I think others here have answered your questions (except for maybe that one CAF member who seems to have forgotten his manners – I guess we all have those days, eh?).

I just wanted to add that as you get to know your colleagues and establish relationships, I am sure that there will be someone who will gladly help you participate at mass by helping you follow with a missal (little book with the text of the mass in it, with all of its variations). And you will certainly be able to identify others who will be able to answer questions that may come up.

Just like CAF, there may be that one person who just can’t handle honest questions. Act like a professional and politely walk away from that sort of poison. But in my experience when my son was attending a Catholic school, most of the teachers and staff were completely welcoming to every person who walked in the door, regardless of their religious affiliation.

God bless you – and have fun with your new work!
 
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brian_custer said:
you keep throwing scripture at us;
like catholics haven’t read or have been instructed on scripture

just pretend to’ve gone to mass; go out to the parking lot & have a beer & cigarette
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Unnecessary post. A little more respect, please. The posters is not a troll.
 
With standing after Communion, I want to say I’ve done that once or twice at a nearby parish where the church is under remodel so they had Mass in the school gym. But where keepers are present, I prefer to use them.
 
Please understand, we Catholics don’t pray to Mary in the same manner we pray to God. Mary is not divine. If, in your protestant experience, you have witnessed or been a part of prayer groups, or asked the prayerful intercession of friends and fellow worshippers, like them, we pray to Jesus through Mary as an intercessor.
As a couple of other posters have said, in a non-Marian feast mass, I think Mary is only alluded to a couple times and as I’ve said, it is an intercessory role.
Enjoy mass, if you listen closely you will hear much Scripture, not only in the readings, but in the prayers themselves. And as others have said, please don’t take communion; at this point your presence at communion given your personal choices and beliefs would be “false witness.”
 
In the diocese of Orange, California, where my mom lives, their bishop asked everyone to remain standing after the Lamb of God and until everyone who wished to had received Holy Communion.

I have to admit it was a bit jolting to my cradle-Catholic system when we were visiting the first time after the change. I did NOT like it. [insert pouty baby face here] I don’t know if that is still the norm in that diocese or not.
 
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