Question about Mass

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Ashurie

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Hello everyone,

This Sunday, I will be attending my first Mass - as I am becoming a Catholic, my local Parish have invited me to attend weekend Mass until May, where I will be formally be part of the Parish.

However, I am wondering, what should expect to happen in Mass? Also what should I wear? I have dress shorts that reach just below my knees and a nice shirt…I was considering to wear.

Thank you for your help.
 
I won’t be much help on the dress question – although I might vote for something a little more formal than shorts.

As for what to expect… Expect to hear lots of Bible readings, and beautiful prayers, and (hopefully) beautiful music! You may already know that there is lots of standing, sitting, kneeling. Just stand when everyone else does, etc. (But later in the Mass when everyone processes forward for Holy Communion, you should simply stay in the pews.) Unlike some Protestant churches that are very intimate and everyone knows each other, Catholic churches are used to strange faces in the pews because it’s a universal Church and people can drop in even if they are visiting your town just for a day or two.
 
Thank you so much for your insight.

My shorts are business/dress ones.
 
One of the sites that helped me initially was grigaitis.net/?doc=articles/guide.html titled “Why Do Catholics Bounce On One Knee?” It walks you through the Mass so you know what to expect however since I can’t very well pull out a multi-page printout I still get lost sometimes. :o
 
surritter said:
I won’t be much help on the dress question – although I might vote for something a little more formal than shorts.
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I think the original poster lives in Australia, and I have read that in parts of Australia, Bermuda shorts with a dress shirt are appropriate business wear. So this is probably fine.
 
Yes, I live in Australia. It is quite common to see business women wearing the shorts in summer. ^^ I used to wear them in my old job place
 
Ashurie said:
Yes, I live in Australia. It is quite common to see business women wearing the shorts in summer. ^^ I used to wear them in my old job place
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He will take you however you come, of course.
As for what will happen at the Mass, … if our eyes could only see !
Heaven coming to Earth is a good description,
WELCOME !

St Francis said it as well as anyone:
Let humanity kneel in fear, let the whole universe tremble, and let heaven rejoice when Christ the Son of the Living God is on the altar in the hands of the priest!
O wonderful ascent, O stupendous ascent! O sublime humility! O humble sublimity, that the Lord of the Universe, God and Son of God, should humbly hide himself, for our salvation, in what seems to be only a small piece of bread! Look, then, upon the humility of God! And pour out your hearts before Him. Humble yourselves that He might exalt you. Hold back nothing of yourselves for yourselves, that He may receive your all who gave His all for you!
Saint Francis of Assisi
Letter to the Whole Order
 
PhilotheaZ said:
I think the original poster lives in Australia, and I have read that in parts of Australia, Bermuda shorts with a dress shirt are appropriate business wear. So this is probably fine.
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Assuming it’s a Latin Church. In an Eastern Catholic Church, probably not good attire. 🙂

I would think the place to find out what to wear would be for OP to ask someone in that parish, for example those who did the inviting.
 
This is for both our OP and the one who said he still gets lost. There is a great children’s book “The Mass” written by Fr. Lovasik that is wonderfully illustrated and quite simple so it can help you both follow along at Mass and still pay attention to what is going on. It was mentioned in another thread. I also pulled up another more advanced book that can be used at Mass but I currently don’t remember what the title was.

Using these tools at Mass and the website mentioned earlier can help you learn the Mass better. There is also a book out called “Mass Confusion” written by Jimmy Akin. He also wrote “Mass Appeal” which might come in handy. Check out his web-site, jimmyakin.org/

Of course all of this won’t necessarily help you for this Sunday but, go ahead and search for them and see if you can find them, most Catholic book stores should carry them.

And OP, what you want to wear to Mass is perfectly acceptable for some parts of the US too, like where I live except right now it is winter here so dress shorts just don’t sound right :D.

Brenda V.
 
I would think the place to find out what to wear would be for OP to ask someone in that parish, for example those who did the inviting.
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Agreed. The dress in churches varies greatly, depending on the people who attend and the area. I know two churches within 100 miles of each other. Normal attire for Sunday Mass is a nice dress or dress pants, often a tie. Normal attire at the other (for a Baptism, no less) is a T-shirt and ripped jeans.

And welcome!
 
All well and good, but try not to focus too much on what to wear.
Open your heart to the Holy Mass, focus on what is Happening.
Ask Jesus and Our Lady, they’ll help you understand.
However you are dressed, They want you there. They want you to know what’s really happening !
 
SophieG said:
Agreed. The dress in churches varies greatly, depending on the people who attend and the area. I know two churches within 100 miles of each other. Normal attire for Sunday Mass is a nice dress or dress pants, often a tie. Normal attire at the other (for a Baptism, no less) is a T-shirt and ripped jeans.
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And at my parish normal attire includes both, every Sunday. Older folk tend to dress more formally.
 
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