Please Help an Ignorant

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**Greetings, everyone!

Please bear with me with what I’m about to relate to you and ask of you. If this is an inappropriate forum to be posting this in, then Moderators, please feel free to move it to another one.

Though I’ve been a Catholic for over 2/3 of my 34 year life, I’m ashamed to say that I do not know even one full prayer, save for The Our Father prayer, nor do I know the “proceedings” of a mass. I’ve attended masses every now and then and all I end up doing is just faking it. I hated every moment when I had to do that and feel ashamed and embarrassed as well.

To make a long story short, at the age of 12, our family immigrated to Canada and my parents decided to start attending a Catholic church. Prior to that, we did not belong to any religion/denominations. My parents decided to have us baptised, so the process was to attend several pre-baptism classes held by the church every week to learn about Catholocism (my brother and I had to attend classes meant for the adults because there were no separate classes for youths) and once the teachings were over, the baptisim took place, during which the priest poured some holy water on my forehead. (Most of you I’m sure are gasping in shock by now at my level of ignorance and inability to use and apply the correct terms and also just how shabbily the baptism process was carried out at the church I was attending, but that’s just the way it was at the time).

Now, what I wish to do is this and was wondering if someone can please help me out by providing some online resources, if such exists. I wish to start off by learning the basic and most used prayers and also learn the “proceedings” and prayers of a regular mass. And also, if possible, learn the “curriculum” which I should’ve properly learned during those teachings before being baptised.

So, if there are online resource which I can learn these things from, I’d appreciate it if someone can point me to the right directions. Thank you for your time and courtesy.
%between%**
 
Liguori has a full range of materials for RCIA instruction (what you should have gone through before your baptism), including Catholic Home Study which will have what you need for a basic course in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the Mass and Sacraments and prayers. Don’t get discouraged, it will take you at least a year to work through what they send you, but well worth the time and effort. Make this a prayer experience, rather than a study experience.
www.liguorian.org

Liguori has several good pamphlets about the Mass, sacraments, etc."What every CAtholic should know about . . . ". Start there to get the basics. Get their little red pamphlet “Handbook for Catholics” which has the prayers and a digest of the basics of the faith, and all the prayers, which is what you need right away. This is what I give to people when they first come in the parish office to inquire about becoming Catholic.

Now go to a CAtholic bookstore. Buy a rosary and a little booklet on how to say it. Start there, and Mary will be your teacher on how to pray. You say you were taught the Our Father. That is the basic prayer for all Christians. Read the section of the catechism on the Our Father - it is an education in Christian prayer.

While in the bookstore, ask for a paperback St. Joseph Sunday Missal. It is pocket size, easy to follow with the prayers of the Mass, and the Sunday readings (old testament, psalm, epistle and gospel). This will help you learn to follow along, and easier to use than the missalette in the pew, but use that if you have nothing else. Go to the children’s section and find a Mass book for children that has the responses. REad it at home to get you grounded (if you take it to church, let your favorite child relative hold it if you like). I don’t mean to speak down to you at all, but we are all children when it comes to being instructed in the faith. You have the honesty to admit it, most of us don’t.

you are about to be overwhelmed by posters with a wealth of suggestions, all of them good, but don’t bury yourself in stuff yet. Get the basics. Buy a Catholic Bible - New International Student Bible for Catholics (New American Bible, a white paperback thomas Nelson Publishers) is good because in the front are short sections that will answer a lot of your questions. Don’t try to read it cover to cover yet. Use it to look up references in other materials you are using, so you learn how to navigate.

Buy a catechism of the Catholic church, but don’t dive right in, you will drown. Use it when the other material you are using refers to it.
 
another suggestion, on the back cover of many Catholic magazines, like Catholic Digest, is an add for the MIssionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, or for the Jesuits. In thanksgiving for a small donation to help their missionary work, they will send you a rosary and a prayer book. The blue Lourdes prayerbook from the Oblates is very good introduction to meditating on the gospel with the rosary.
 
I think that asquared has given you some good advice.

Go slowly, you have the rest of your life to learn to live the Faith.

Since the Mass is the centre of our Faith I would start with an understanding of the Sacrifice. As well as the booklet recommended I would suggest you have a look at Mass Matters by Jimmy Akin available from Catholic Answers. Catholicism For Dummies by Frs Trigilio and Brighanti I found good for giving a good outline of Catholicism.

All the very best. 🙂
 
Welcome home!!!

These are all great suggestions, I have little to add but my prayers and a humble suggestion that you might try to make a small amount of time available every week (perhaps before/after work, or on a lunch break, or Saturday morning) to just go and sit in front of the Blessed Sacrament, Jesus in the Eucharist. Even if you just have 10-15 minutes.

All Catholic churches have the Blessed Sacrament in the tabernacle (the gold colored box, usually by the altar, sometimes off to the side–there is usually a large red candle lit near it). Some Catholic churches also have what is called “Perpetual Adoration” in a small chapel inside the church – this is a quiet meditation place for anyone to come and just pray quietly before our Lord in the Eucharist (the Host is “exposed”, or placed in a big display stand, called a monstrance, set on an altar).

I try to go and sit in my local church’s Perpetual Adoration chapel for at least an hour a week – I use the time to pray or read, and just be still and know that He is God at least once a week! Sometimes I go to a different Catholic church, that doesn’t have Perpetual Adoration but does have our Lord in the tabernacle, and just sit in the pews. Either way is fine, our Lord is there in both cases!! Give it a try!

Also - I do make cord rosaries for my parish to give away to people who need them. Each rosary has an attached medal with Jesus on one side and Mary on the other; and the cross is knotted cord as well so this is a great “portable” rosary that you don’t have to worry about breaking or being uncomfortable in the pocket. I also include a great little pamphlet in the package that explains how to pray the rosary and has all the prayers for it.

If you would like me to mail you one, please e-mail me with your address and I will drop one in the mail to you. I will even have it blessed by my parish priest for you before mailing it. 🙂

God bless,

+veritas+
 
St. Charles Borromeo Church in Picayune, Miss. has a wonderful website where you can learn everything you ever wanted to know about the Catholic Faith. Especially helpful is the “Glad You Asked!” and “The Truth” areas. It also includes a Catechism search feature and very helpful Bible Studies for every Sunday of the year.

scborromeo.org/index2.htm

There is so much to learn about our beautiful Catholic Faith, but as was wisely pointed out above, don’t try to drink it all in at once. Take slow sips, and try to live a life of prayer, virtue and charity at the same time.
 
Wow, thank you so much for all your help and suggestions so far. I’m actually rather excited about this. I’ve actually printed out your replies and will be looking in the Yellowpages for Catholic or religious bookstores 🙂

Will keep you folks updated on my path from being ignorant to…well, let’s just say less ignorant for now 😃 Thanks again!!
 
I was 30 yrs old & went to Mass the first time & had no clue what was going on. Just listened, knelt when others did, etc. After a few weeks I began to catch on. There is usually a missal or missalette that goes thru the order of the Mass, but sometimes they can be hard to follow, because they skip around a lot.

“Mass Appeal” is another good one from Jimmy Akin. Very, very elementary exlanation of what is going on during the Mass & explanations of the things you will see inside a Catholic Church.Only costs like $1.95

Another poster recommended Handbook for Catholics. This was one of my first purchases from a Catholic bookstore. Good choice! Very concise & referenced to the Catechism. Maybe read this first then check out any section of the Catechism that you think needs further explanation.

One thing that I wish I knew about when I was a new Catholic: the parish library!!! I spent so much $$$$ reading as many Catholic books as I could. I could have borrowed many of them from the parish library for free!

I also recommend getting yourself an booklet about confession, including an examination of conscience(things to think about regarding what you’ve done, failed to do). If/when you feel ready to go to confession, be sure you tell the priest about your poor/lack of instruction. He will be understanding. Don’t be afraid to take a card with the Act of Contrition written on it, if you don’t think you can memorize it.

Good Luck to you!
Jennifer
 
veritas has the best suggestion of all. while reading and research is great, you will have questions about what your read, and need to assimilate it. Let Jesus be your first and best catechist. Sit before him silently, open your heart, and let him instruct you.
 
In addition to the other good answers you have received, you should spend time on these boards reading what people have to say. You will shortly recognize the good ones. It is amazing what some of these people know and how deep their faith is. If it is available in your area listen to Catholic Answers radio, they are excellent. Ask questions here and I think you will find that most if not all of us are so happy to have you that we will help you any way we can. 👍
 
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