Mass

[The_Thinker]

I have just returned from Sunday Mass, and am feeling very disenchanted with the way Mass is held. It is incredibly complicated, and even with a degree, I never know what is coming next! I’m sure in Jesus’ time amongst his disciples his acts of worship to Our Father were relatively simple, so why do Catholics make it so confusing? Is it to keep Outsiders out? In the Bible Jesus encouraged ALL to come to him, he did not seem to put up hurdles/barriers to His Fathers Love…

 

[PhilotheaZ]

I’m sorry to hear you experienced that confusion. It should not be so. Most churches have a booklet you can use to follow along. If yours doesn’t, maybe you can purchase an inexpensive missal for next time, or ask the priest if he has one tucked away somewhere.

Sometimes rather than looking at all the “details” it helps to get the “big picture.” Here is what we do at Mass:

• We gather as a community, usually with an openining hymn.
• We express sorrow for our sins in preparation for what we are about to do.
• We listen to the word of God from Scripture (sometimes with a homily from the priest to further explain it).
• We profess our faith (the Creed).
• The priest offers to God on our behalf gifts of bread and wine (as Melchisedech did in the Old Testament), and we mentally join to these gifts the gifts of our lives and everything we do.
• In the Eucharistic Prayer, we become mystically present at Our Lord’s saving actions: the Last Supper, the Crucifixion, and the Resurrection. The bread and wine that were offered a little while ago really become the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus! The priest offers this absolutely perfect gift to the Father on our behalf.
• Catholics who are properly disposed receive the Body and Blood of Christ in Holy Communion.
• We are dismissed to bring the fruits of these saving mysteries to the rest of the world by our acts of charity.

I encourage you to keep attending Mass; it will make more sense as it becomes more familiar to you. God bless you!

 

[Trishie]

If you seldom or never previously have been to Mass, it might be confusing. To those who go regularly, there isn’t any doubt as to what is coming next.
When Jesus instituted the Mass with the consecration and sharing of the transubstanciated bread and wine in the last supper, he made a ceremony of the event. Scripture readings and profession of faith, and prayers aren’t an unreasonable part of Sunday worship!

There is no intention of keeping ‘outsiders’ out.

“Jesus took some bread, and when He had said the blessing He broke it and gave it to His disciples. ‘Take it and eat,’ He said ‘this is My body.’ Then He took a cup, and when He had returned thanks, He gave it to them. ‘Drink all of you from this,’ He said, for this is My blood, the blood of the covenant, which is to be poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.’” [Matthew 26:26-28] The sharing of the cup and the consecrated bread around the table was also part of his ceremony.

God bless you. You are always welcome at Mass;
whic you might find easier to follow if you obtained use of a Sunday Mass book until you become familiar with the sequence and the prayers.

Trishie

 

[Aramis]

Most parishes have some form of missal available, usually a missalette booklet.

The book may require some flipping, as in order to save space, the parts used every time are separated from the parts used once (in a great while, for perpetual missals).

So you have the opening section, then turn to the section for the lesson (Liturgy of the Word), then turn to the section for the general prayers of preparation, then to the section for the specific eucharistic prayer being used, then to the closing prayers.

 

[The_Thinker]

Thank you for taking the time to explain the order of service. It’s all the add-on bits that cause the confusion. The congregation sing hymns/prayers in different ways. The mind boggles and I just feel like a stranger in a foreign land. I went to a Catholic Convent and have been going to my local Catholic church the last few years. I’m drawn to your moral stance on major issues, but have just felt today that I can’t go there any more as I feel like a fish out of water.

 

[Stewmont]

I have just returned from Sunday Mass, and am feeling very disenchanted with the way Mass is held. It is incredibly complicated, and even with a degree, I never know what is coming next! I’m sure in Jesus’ time amongst his disciples his acts of worship to Our Father were relatively simple, so why do Catholics make it so confusing? Is it to keep Outsiders out? In the Bible Jesus encouraged ALL to come to him, he did not seem to put up hurdles/barriers to His Fathers Love…

Catholics don’t make it “complicated” – God does.

Get yourself a little reference on the order and the meaning of the Mass and soon enough it will seem quite simple and easy to understand.

 

[PhilotheaZ]

It’s all the add-on bits that cause the confusion.

They’re really not “add-ons.” Most of the prayers of the Mass are very ancient. A lot of it comes straight from Scripture. And much of it has been part of the Mass from the earliest centuries of the Church. Here is a description of the Mass by Saint Justin, who described the Christian liturgy in the year 155 [the bracketed words are my comments]:

On the day we call the day of the sun [Sunday], all who dwell in the city or country gather in the same place [the gathering rite of the Mass].

The memoirs of the apostles and the writings of the prophets are read, as much as time permits [Scripture readings from the Old and New Testaments at Mass].

When the reader has finished, he who presides over those gathered admonishes and challenges them to imitate these beautiful things [the homily at Mass].

Then we all rise together and offer prayers for ourselves … and for all others, wherever they may be, so that we may be found righteous by our life and actions, and faithful to the commandments, so as to obtain our eternal salvation [the Prayers of the Faithful following the homily and creed].

When the prayers are concluded we exchange the kiss [the Sign of Peace at Mass; right now it occurs before Communion, but it might possibly be moved back to its original location in the liturgy].

Then someone brings bread and a cup of water and wine mixed together to him who presides over the brethren [the Offertory procession].

He takes them and offers praise and glory to the Father of the universe, through the name of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and for a considerable time he gives thanks (Greek: eucharistian) that we have been judged worthy of these gifts [the Offertory and Eucharistic Prayer].

When he has concluded the prayers and thanksgivings, all present give voice to an acclamation by saying: “Amen” [the Great Amen at the end of the Eucharistic Prayer].

When he who presides has given thanks and the people have responded, those whom we call deacons give to those present the “eucharisted” bread, wine and wather and take them to those who are absent [reception of Holy Communion; bringing Communion to the sick after Mass].

Saint Justin also said that “The food that has been made the Eucharist by the prayer of His word, and which nourishes our flesh and blood by assimilation, is both the flesh and blood of that Jesus who was made flesh.”

So you can see here that our Mass is essentially the same as the Mass that has been celebrated for 2000 years.

And you can see that belief that Jesus is truly present under the forms of bread and wine has been consistently believed for 2000 years.

 

[Aramis]

Thank you for taking the time to explain the order of service. It’s all the add-on bits that cause the confusion. The congregation sing hymns/prayers in different ways. The mind boggles and I just feel like a stranger in a foreign land. I went to a Catholic Convent and have been going to my local Catholic church the last few years. I’m drawn to your moral stance on major issues, but have just felt today that I can’t go there any more as I feel like a fish out of water.

It may be that the parish in question is engaging in some form of improper activity.

But also, know this: there are more than 20 Catholic Churches in Union, each with many parishes… the Roman expression is not the only one.

These different expressions are termed Rites; there are 5 Eastern Rites (Alexandrian, Antiochene, Armenian, Chaldean and Constantinopolitan; with 23 ritual churches amongst the 5 rites, so some rites have more than one ritual church sui iuris), and one western church sui iuris (the Roman Church), with one Rite, and at least 6 sub-rites (Latin, Dominican, Carmelite, Carthusian, Bragan, Mozarabic, and Ambrosian “rites”).

So don’t fret that there is variation in the liturgy.

 

[Tepeyac]

Even within the same Rite there are variations because we all come from different backgrounds and live in different communities and bring different things to the Church. That’s one of the cool things about being Catholic. We’re all different but we join in the same faith. I’m sorry that you felt confused on your last visits. Can I suggest a couple of books to help you? The How-To Book of the Mass: Everything You Need to Know but No One Ever Taught You for a who, what, where, why and how of the Mass. Why Do Catholics Do That? is a good reference on why we do a lot of things we do. I hope that reading these books makes things less confusing for you.

 

[Aramis]

Dummies Guide to Catholics is a decent intro to the Roman church, and even has a chapter covering the Eastern Rites (in a very superficial way).