Question for respectful protestants only!

[Reuben_J]

A few brief descriptions of what to expect should be helpful, along with some short explanations of the significance of things like crossing oneself.

I went to a Catholic church several times with a Catholic friend some years ago; when I visit a strange church, I always appreciate the sense of having someone around as a friend to help me understand what to do. If you think your family won’t be offended, perhaps you can “plant” some of your own friends next to them to guide them while you’re occupied with the baptism.

Good feedback on what to do the next time. A friend of our daughter who is a non-Catholic,came along with us to the mass last month. It was the first time he set foot in a Catholic church. My thought was that he should be free to do what he like since he was under no obligation to follow what the Catholics do. It was my wife who sat next to my daughter who tried to explain to him what was going on. I really felt the urge to ask her to keep quiet. In any case, the friend was rather intrigued with the service; he really paid attention the whole way through.

 

[Chemcpherson]

Thats what I dont want to do…talk or have others talk to them the entire service. I think it takes away from the experience.
Thanks for all the feedback so far, its really helpful. For the record, our families are african american baptists. They’re used to the foot stomping, hand clapping, soul preaching atmosphere. So this will be very different for them.

 

[JonNC]

=Reuben J;10118619]Hi Jon. Genuflecting is Catholics second nature, it is not surprising they do that in your church. I guess the atmosphere is reverence enough or rather Catholic enough for them to do that.

Yes, that’s what I was trying to relay, but you did it better. I was using the crucifix as a symbol of the catholicity they may have experienced.

We don’t kneel before the crucifix but the tabernacle if there is one.

Yes. Its the real presence of Christ in the Tabernacle.

It is a compliment for your church that they do so. Even though Catholic teaches you don’t have the real presence, I guess they forget that they were in a Lutheran church when they see the surrounding is so familiar with their church.

Honestly, I took it that way - a compliment.

Jon

 

[AbideWithMe]

Thats what I dont want to do…talk or have others talk to them the entire service. I think it takes away from the experience.
Thanks for all the feedback so far, its really helpful. For the record, our families are african american baptists. They’re used to the foot stomping, hand clapping, soul preaching atmosphere. So this will be very different for them.

You know your family best.

I think a few explanations beforehand can go a long way towards making the service meaningful rather than incomprehensible and strange. Hopefully, your family will respect that this is a day that’s about your children and God, more so than for their benefit. But, as an Evangelical myself, I feel pretty confident in saying we like understanding the meaning behind things—how does a ritual show or facilitate devotion toward God?—and, if someone explains that, hopefully your family will be more supportive than if they are left in the dark concerning the service.

Best wishes.

 

[Reuben_J]

Thats what I dont want to do…talk or have others talk to them the entire service. I think it takes away from the experience.
Thanks for all the feedback so far, its really helpful. For the record, our families are african american baptists. They’re used to the foot stomping, hand clapping, soul preaching atmosphere. So this will be very different for them.

Hi. Welcome to the Forum and welcome home!

Yes, in a sense, the mass will be quite different. There is not much room for personal expression. We are not free with personal response like saying, “praise the Lord” or “Amen”. In some parishes, it would not be prudent for the congregation to shake or hold hands as responses to the sign of peace or the Lord’s prayer. The rite is fixed and we can only follow it meaningfully and perhaps to give it a meditation on what does each sequence mean.

God bless.

 

[joe370]

My wife was a former nun, and having gone into the Catholic church for the first time it was quite different. I wondered about the liturgy in comparison to the Protestant church I was accustomed to. My biggest question was concerning the sacrifice of the Mass. And I asked; why does Christ need to be re-crucified? The book of Hebrews says For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, [which are] the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: ** Nor yet that he should offer himself often**, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others; **For then must he often have suffered **since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.Heb 9:24-26 My question was if sin was put away by Christ 2000 years ago why do it again. Also the word **once means ONE TIME and the result has perpetually validity meaning never to be repeated. You and I have a birth certificate and the action of our birth was one time never to be repeated. that certificate is valid forever.It is the same for a death certificate perpetual validity never to be repeated. So I said if my sin was put away and in Hebrews chap 10 I read For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. Referring to me, why does it need to be repeated? That was my question and probably will be theirs. That may be what you encounter.

It’s not repeated! That would be impossible, for the simple fact that Jesus is in heaven. I never understood, as a former protestant, why protestants were lead to believe that… That one sacrifice of Calvary is simply renewed at each and every Mass; it’s not another sacrifice! Very important to remember that…

 

[Chemcpherson]

^^Great points!
Id like to make them cute programs as explanations and keepsakes. I wouldnt dare leave them in the hands of the confusing missals in the parish or a quick dont take communion. So Im just wondering what do protestants find “strange” about Mass?

 

[Reuben_J]

Yes, that’s what I was trying to relay, but you did it better. I was using the crucifix as a symbol of the catholicity they may have experienced.

Yes. I understand what you’re trying to say about the crucifix. Perhaps it is a bigger and more familiar recognizable symbol for them. I jump too fast in saying that we kneel before the Tabernacle.

God bless.

 

[joe370]

If I may, and others may clarify better than I can, but He is not being re-crucified at Mass. Rather, we are participating in the original sacrifice Jesus made. God transcends time and the sacrifice during Mass is the same one at both places at both times. Christ’s crucifixtion is present at Mass.

God mystically speaking, via the power of the holy spirit (not the priest) transforms the bread and wine into His Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity, thereby fulfilling the prophecy of Malachi. Jesus being sacrificed again and again and again…never made any sense to me, even as a former non-catholic…

 

[AbideWithMe]

^^Great points!
Id like to make them cute programs as explanations and keepsakes. I wouldnt dare leave them in the hands of the confusing missals in the parish or a quick dont take communion. So Im just wondering what do protestants find “strange” about Mass?

I think the idea of making programs as keepsakes is good.

Hmm…As to what seems “strange” about Mass…well, I used to wonder why Catholics crossed themselves, for one thing. I mean (being a bit facetious), in movies I’d see some Mafia guy go into a Catholic Church, dip his fingers in holy water, cross himself, genuflect, etc. and then go break someone’s knees the next day. So, though I am being a bit humorous, as an Evangelical I wondered what was the purpose and meaning of the rituals? Until I read some explanations of how the rituals really are devotional, and most importantly, until I met Catholics who were genuinely devout, the rituals seemed kind of like meaningless, cultural Christianity.

 

[mlz]

Please let them know that they can’t receive Communion but can cross themselves to receive a blessing. I feel this at least allows them to feel welcomed rather than sit in the pew feeling rejected (unless your priest does not allow this, ours does) If they can’t receive communion help them to understand that having communion in a Catholic Church means that you must agree with ALL the teachings of the Catholic Church to be able to commune as that is how they view it, that it isn’t that they don’t recognize believers of Christ in other churches because they DO, they just don’t allow communion until you are in FULL COMMUNION with the Catholic Church. Other than that it’s the up and down, kneeling that they can be helped to understand that they can kneel if they wish (explain why you kneel) but don’t need to if they are uncomfortable. Otherwise, if they are from a “mainline” protestant church it will have some similarities.

mlz

 

[Reuben_J]

I think the idea of making programs as keepsakes is good.

Hmm…As to what seems “strange” about Mass…well, I used to wonder why Catholics crossed themselves, for one thing. I mean (being a bit facetious), in movies I’d see some Mafia guy go into a Catholic Church, dip his fingers in holy water, cross himself, genuflect, etc. and then go break someone’s knees the next day. So, though I am being a bit humorous, as an Evangelical I wondered what was the purpose and meaning of the rituals? Until I read some explanations of how the rituals really are devotional, and most importantly, until I met Catholics who were genuinely devout, the rituals seemed kind of like meaningless, cultural Christianity.

In short, the sign of the cross is a blessing of the Blessed Trinity and genuflecting toward the Tabernacle is a sign of reverence for the body of Christ in there.

Yes, it can become cultural for Catholics to do that and to be seen doing that but for those who genuinely believe, there are reasons for doing them.

 

[FabiusMaximus]

I wish someone had told me to not try to follow along with the missal and to simply take in the liturgy. The first time in the missal won’t help anyway, and you miss so much of the liturgy.

 

[AbideWithMe]

If they can’t receive communion help them to understand that having communion in a Catholic Church means that you must agree with ALL the teachings of the Catholic Church to be able to commune as that is how they view it, that it isn’t that they don’t recognize believers of Christ in other churches because they DO, they just don’t allow communion until you are in FULL COMMUNION with the Catholic Church.

This seems like a good way to explain closed communion to the OP’s family.

 

[Matt_Guitar_Man]

This reminds me 2 years ago my mother died after a long illness. And of corse we had a requiem mass.
I was in charge of organisation of the mass and funeral and wake etc. I have a lot of protestant friends, and my wife comes from a strongly athiest family, with everything on my mind I did not take the time to explain to those non catholics who had never been to a catholic mass or inside a catholic church what to expect.
Needless to say it was quite an eye openner for them. Bells, incense, sprinkling of holy water over the coffin, kneeling then standing, the readings, prayers for the faithfull and probably the most surprising of all no eulogy.
After, at the wake I was bombarded with questions, I think a lot of the non catholics had thier worst fears confirmed thinking to themselves all of those rumors about pagan rituale are true, during the wake I deliverd the eulogy and explained why we dont do the eulogy during the mass and talked about some of the more interesting Traditions of the mass.

My advice, when taking non catholics to a service of this kind for the first time, it’s probably best to ask them to come with an open mind and to just enjoy the liturgy and experiance, and then after the event go through one aspect of the mass at a time explaining what is being done and why.

 

[AbideWithMe]

In short, the sign of the cross is a blessing of the Blessed Trinity and genuflecting toward the Tabernacle is a sign of reverence for the body of Christ in there.

Many the OP can find some written explanations like these to print out for her family, folded inside nice keepsake cards, which they could read while awaiting the start of the service?

 

[Reuben_J]

Many the OP can find some written explanations like these to print out for her family, folded inside nice keepsake cards, which they could read while awaiting the start of the service?

That’s a good suggestion but probably depends very much on the individual initiative.

As a whole, the Catholic churches have not been very thoughtful on this and I think that’s perhaps the problem. Like I said, we often take it for granted that people know what to expect during the mass. I had given my own example. I think no Catholic church would print fliers on very basic information like the sign of cross and genuflection. And yet, these could be useful for non-Catholics.

There are some improvement in marriage or funeral mass where more non-Catholics in the attendance are to be expected. Usually the congregation, knowing that there are non-Catholics, would be briefed on what to do.

 

[maltmom]

As an ex-Baptist I would find a way to let them know that when they see everyone kneeling and they aren’t planning to kneel as well they should lean forward or sit on the edge of their seat. If not, they may get poked in the back or have someone breathing down the back of their neck.

God’s blessings to your family.

 

[Razanir]

Many the OP can find some written explanations like these to print out for her family, folded inside nice keepsake cards, which they could read while awaiting the start of the service?

I can try to help with this

 

[bitznbitez]

I wish someone had told me to not try to follow along with the missal and to simply take in the liturgy. The first time in the missal won’t help anyway, and you miss so much of the liturgy.

Exactly. From experience that is certainly true.