K
KathleenGee
Guest
Tweedle Dee,
Thank you and most welcome to you for taking time and being brave to visit a Catholic Mass. I always want to invite others to it.
We are not shaking hands in our diocese because of the swine flu. Our lady who heads a large group here, very healthy, just got over being very sick with the swine flu.
People bow at the altar table when Mass is not being said because Christ is present there only during that time. The people genuflect always before the Tabernacle because that is God’s earthly dwelling place among us, the sanctuary light always lit when He is there…if the Sacred Host is removed, the doors are opened and the sanctuary candle light put out. The candlelight also symbolizes one of the signs of God’s presence.
If people are serving at the altar and go back near the tabernacle…He is there…you are then to genuflect only once for the Mass, otherwise people notice you repeatedly genuflecting during the Liturgy.
There are some excellent sources out there on the origins of the Mass. Christians since earliest times centered their faith on the Eucharist…some of our prayers go back to the Old Testament…Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord power and might.
At the beginning of the Mass is the greeting exchanged between presbyter (priest) and the gathering. Then the priest intercedes for us to be forgiven of ordinary sin followed by Lord Have Mercy. You just had witnessed a public confession rite. The standing, sitting, kneeling are all forms of outward prayer. We recall our baptism with the sign of the cross when blessing ourselves with holy water in and out of church.
I love the liturgy and am beginning more studies on it.
God bless you for such a loving and open heart.
Thank you and most welcome to you for taking time and being brave to visit a Catholic Mass. I always want to invite others to it.
We are not shaking hands in our diocese because of the swine flu. Our lady who heads a large group here, very healthy, just got over being very sick with the swine flu.
People bow at the altar table when Mass is not being said because Christ is present there only during that time. The people genuflect always before the Tabernacle because that is God’s earthly dwelling place among us, the sanctuary light always lit when He is there…if the Sacred Host is removed, the doors are opened and the sanctuary candle light put out. The candlelight also symbolizes one of the signs of God’s presence.
If people are serving at the altar and go back near the tabernacle…He is there…you are then to genuflect only once for the Mass, otherwise people notice you repeatedly genuflecting during the Liturgy.
There are some excellent sources out there on the origins of the Mass. Christians since earliest times centered their faith on the Eucharist…some of our prayers go back to the Old Testament…Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord power and might.
At the beginning of the Mass is the greeting exchanged between presbyter (priest) and the gathering. Then the priest intercedes for us to be forgiven of ordinary sin followed by Lord Have Mercy. You just had witnessed a public confession rite. The standing, sitting, kneeling are all forms of outward prayer. We recall our baptism with the sign of the cross when blessing ourselves with holy water in and out of church.
I love the liturgy and am beginning more studies on it.
God bless you for such a loving and open heart.