I am Going to My First Roman Catholic Mass Tomorrow

[nsper7]

Hey everyone,

I am an Anglican/Episcopalian, but tomorrow I will be attending a Roman Catholic Mass since my Episcopal Chapel House that I attend is closed for the semester break. I spoke to the Catholic Priest there and he said it would be okay for me to take Communion (as long as my conscience consents to paraphrase him) since this is an odd situation, I am validly Baptized, believe in the Real Presence, will be in a state of grace (by Anglican standards as if I were going to an Anglican Eucharist service…which is what he says matters) and will adhere to local customs (i.e. fast one hour before Mass).

EDIT: As an Anglican I have no problem with this since we recognize Roman Catholic Holy Orders. When I told a Protestant friend of mine (he is Anti-Roman Catholic so I always rib him whenever I do anything he might define as ‘Catholic’), he was not pleased.

 

[Andruschak]

Great! But remember…when you get to the “Our Father”, you pause after “And deliver us from evil”. Wait for the Priest to finish before resuming

Oh, and no playing patty-pat with the Holy Water in the font.

 

[Trishie]

May the Holy Spirit fill you with grace and joy! You sound like a great person.

God’s blessing on your friend in his concern for you!

Trishie

 

[nsper7]

Great! But remember…when you get to the “Our Father”, you pause after “And deliver us from evil”. Wait for the Priest to finish before resuming

Check.

Oh, and no playing patty-pat with the Holy Water in the font.

What do you mean? In the Episcopal Church, it is common to dip two fingers in the Holy Water and Cross yourself with it.

 

[margya]

I am not sure from your post if you were baptized Catholic and attend an Anglican Church. If you are Anglican and go to Mass, you are not allowed to receive Holy Communion.

 

[water]

I hope you have a fruitful time at the mass; however, one thing you need to be told is that a non-Catholic cannot receive the Holy Communion. The priest cannot allow this in your case.

 

[jmcrae]

I am not sure from your post if you were baptized Catholic and attend an Anglican Church. If you are Anglican and go to Mass, you are not allowed to receive Holy Communion.

This is true. The priest may be operating from an old understanding. At present (since 1983), Anglicans are not permitted to receive Holy Communion in Catholic Churches. Used to be (for a very short time), but not any more.

 

[water]

It looks like the priest should not have said that you could receive the Holy Communion; even if you believe the real present, you are not Catholic and you may not be in the state of grace.

In order to receive the Holy Communion, one must be:

• First, you must be in a state of grace.
• Second, you must have been to confession since your last mortal sin.
• Third, you must believe in the doctrine of transubstantiation.

“For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment upon himself” (1 Cor. 11:29).

Source: catholic.com/library/Who_Can_Receive_Communion.asp

Besides this, I hope you would go to Catholic mass more this summer.

 

[Andruschak]

Check.

What do you mean? In the Episcopal Church, it is common to dip two fingers in the Holy Water and Cross yourself with it.

Yes, but I was joking. You know, some kids playing with the holy water, pat-pat-pat to make circles. O well. By the way, do you know how to genuflect.

 

[nsper7]

It looks like the priest should not have said that you could receive the Holy Communion; even if you believe the real present, you are not Catholic and you may not be in the state of grace.

In order to receive the Holy Communion, one must be:

• First, you must be in a state of grace.
• Second, you must have been to confession since your last mortal sin.
• Third, you must believe in the doctrine of transubstantiation.

“For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment upon himself” (1 Cor. 11:29).

Source: catholic.com/library/Who_Can_Receive_Communion.asp

Besides this, I hope you would go to Catholic mass more this summer.

Here is specifically what the Priest told me (he is the head priest at the Catholic Student Center/Church). In order for the Non-Roman Catholic to take Communion at an RC Church, the following must be true:

1. The individual must be validly Baptized
2. They must be in a state of grace as their own Rite/denomination would define it (in other words, how would I prepare spiritually before receiving Eucharist at an Episcopal Church?)
3. They must believe in the Real Presence (when I told him I believe in the RP, but not necessarily transubstantiation, he said it was okay)
4. They must adhere to local customs and forms (i.e. obey required fast, receive as others in parish receive, etc.)
5. Must be an unusual circumstance or some kind of reason (he said it is left up to the individual’s conscience which he claims overrules even Canon Law)

When he explained this to me, it seemed that hew viewed as the norm.

EDIT: This will only be for a couple of weeks at most (until the Episcopal Chapel re-opens).

 

[buffalo]

I heard this once - what prevents you from being Catholic prevents you from receiving Holy Communion.

 

[nsper7]

Yes, but I was joking. You know, some kids playing with the holy water, pat-pat-pat to make circles. O well. By the way, do you know how to genuflect.

What is the proper way to genuflect?

 

[margya]

Here is link on receiving Communion:

catholic.com/library/Who_Can_Receive_Communion.asp

This is from the above link:

Other Christians and Communion

The guidelines for receiving Communion, which are issued by the U.S. bishops and published in many missalettes, explain, "We welcome our fellow Christians to this celebration of the Eucharist as our brothers and sisters. We pray that our common baptism and the action of the Holy Spirit in this Eucharist will draw us closer to one another and begin to dispel the sad divisions which separate us. We pray that these will lessen and finally disappear, in keeping with Christ’s prayer for us ‘that they may all be one’ (John 17:21).

"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. . . . "

Scripture is clear that partaking of the Eucharist is among the highest signs of Christian unity: “Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread” (1 Cor. 10:17). For this reason, it is normally impossible for non-Catholic Christians to receive Holy Communion, for to do so would be to proclaim a unity to exist that, regrettably, does not.

Another reason that many non-Catholics may not ordinarily receive Communion is for their own protection, since many reject the doctrine of the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Scripture warns that it is very dangerous for one not believing in the Real Presence to receive Communion: “For any one who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment upon himself. That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died” (1 Cor. 11:29–30).

 

[BarbaraTherese]

What is the proper way to genuflect?

Hi snper7…Praying your experience of our Catholic Mass will be a wonderful experience for you and will pray too that it will lead you to the Catholic Church.
I think you will get this after you have been to Mass (I’m an Aussie and on Aussie time - hence most are asleep when I am celebrating my day). To properly genuflect bend the left knee to the floor only and face the Tabernacle and many bow their heads or look at The Lord Present in the Tabernacle and say a very short prayer or aspiration as we call very short prayers…“My Lord and my God”…“Jesus Son of David Have Mercy on me”…or perhaps something more ‘casual’ “Thanks for bringing me here, Lord” or some short aspiration of your own that expresses your heart.

God’s riches blessings and His Peace upon you and yours…regards…Barb

 

[Muzhik]

Hi snper7…Praying your experience of our Catholic Mass will be a wonderful experience for you and will pray too that it will lead you to the Catholic Church.
I think you will get this after you have been to Mass (I’m an Aussie and on Aussie time - hence most are asleep when I am celebrating my day). To properly genuflect bend the left knee to the floor only and face the Tabernacle and many bow their heads or look at The Lord Present in the Tabernacle and say a very short prayer or aspiration as we call very short prayers…“My Lord and my God”…“Jesus Son of David Have Mercy on me”…or perhaps something more ‘casual’ “Thanks for bringing me here, Lord” or some short aspiration of your own that expresses your heart.

God’s riches blessings and His Peace upon you and yours…regards…Barb

Snper7, Shalom!

The way BarbaraTheres may be the tradition in Australia, which is part of the British Commonwealth. In America, it’s different in that you use the RIGHT knee. As it was explained to me many many years ago (when the world was young and dinosaurs ruled the Earth), protocol requires that you reserve the right knee for genuflecting before your king or queen, while the left knee is used for other (presumably lesser) persons. Since Americans don’t recognize any human king, we genuflect using the right knee to show our fealty to King Jesus. If I were in a formal service before the bishop, for example, or the Pope, I would genuflect before either of them on my left knee, reserving my right knee for the Holy Eucharist.

I recall going to Mass while attending a Society for Creative Anachronism event – a medieval recreation society event – with some people who were dressed in full garb as lords and ladies. (I was a simple bookbinder, so nothing fancy for me.) Of course all the “regular” people were staring at us, so we showed them what PROPER respect for the Eucharist entails! For us commons, it was down on both knees, arms crossed over our chests, and bowing the head.

For the lords, however, it was something different. After removing the peace bonding on their swords (the straps that keep you or anyone else from pulling the sword from its scabbard), the lord would pull the sword about three inches out from its scabbard, and genuflect on the right knee while holding the sword and scabbard towards the tabernacle. This is how you show or offer your fealty to your king: by offering your sword to the king, you are offering your life to his service. The king or queen accepts the proffered sword by touching the handle. After a few seconds, the lord would rise, re-tie the peace bonding, and take his place in the pew. VERY powerful, if you understand the symbolism.

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[jmcrae]

1. Must be an unusual circumstance or some kind of reason (he said it is left up to the individual’s conscience which he claims overrules even Canon Law)

Personal conscience overrules Canon Law in situations:

a) that Canon Law has not foreseen, where the individual conscience is Catholic-educated.

b) an emergency situation in which an uneducated person must make an immediate decision and has no opportunity to consult a higher authority.

In this case, the priest is aware of what Canon Law states (in danger of death, non-Catholics may receive the Eucharist, if they have no access to their own minister, and express the Catholic belief concerning the Real Presence), there is no situation here that the Canon Law has not foreseen (since it is actually addressing the subject of non-Catholics receiving Holy Communion) and there is no emergency situation here that requires anybody to be making their best guess.

 

[nsper7]

Personal conscience overrules Canon Law in situations:

a) that Canon Law has not foreseen, where the individual conscience is Catholic-educated.

b) an emergency situation in which an uneducated person must make an immediate decision and has no opportunity to consult a higher authority.

In this case, the priest is aware of what Canon Law states (in danger of death, non-Catholics may receive the Eucharist, if they have no access to their own minister, and express the Catholic belief concerning the Real Presence), there is no situation here that the Canon Law has not foreseen (since it is actually addressing the subject of non-Catholics receiving Holy Communion) and there is no emergency situation here that requires anybody to be making their best guess.

I was merely repeating what the Priest told me. He is the top priest at the Student Center/Church. I have spoken to a friend of mine who is Roman Catholic and regularly attends this Student Center/Church and I will be meeting him before services to receive Confession prior to receiving Communion.

 

[jmcrae]

I was merely repeating what the Priest told me. He is the top priest at the Student Center/Church. I have spoken to a friend of mine who is Roman Catholic and regularly attends this Student Center/Church and I will be meeting him before services to receive Confession prior to receiving Communion.

You are going to Confession with a Catholic priest?

If you make a Profession of Faith and get Confirmed before receiving Holy Communion, you will be Catholic.

PS: If this priest accepts your Confirmation as valid, you will be officially a Roman Catholic at the moment that you receive Holy Communion.

 

[nsper7]

You are going to Confession with a Catholic priest?

If you make a Profession of Faith and get Confirmed before receiving Holy Communion, you will be Catholic.

PS: If this priest accepts your Confirmation as valid, you will be officially a Roman Catholic at the moment that you receive Holy Communion.

Well, I am actually already Confirmed…into the Episcopal Church/Anglican Communion. Remember, Anglicanism recognizes Roman Catholic Holy Orders and the validity of RC Sacraments.

 

[jmcrae]

Well, I am actually already Confirmed…into the Episcopal Church/Anglican Communion. Remember, Anglicanism recognizes Roman Catholic Holy Orders and the validity of RC Sacraments.

If he sees it as equivalent to a Catholic Confirmation - then you just made First Confession and First Holy Communion in the Catholic Church. Congrats, you’re a full member, now.