Questions about Catholic beliefs

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Hi does anyone know why the church only focusses on 1 single thing which is the mass what about the rest of the bible stories etc.
And why is there no teaching right from little children to adults like Sunday school all through the ages from 0 to 80.
And why is there no fellowship with other people in the church as you have no luncheon or dinners etc together its as soon as the half an hour mass is over everyone leaves no fellowship

So when can we find the send button

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With the new 3 year cycle of readings for Sunday Masses and the two year cycle of readings for weekday Masses we cover the great majority of the Bible, both New and Old Testaments.

My parish has coffee and donuts after the morning Sunday Masses, and once a moth they have a breakfast (fund raiser, by the Knights of Columbus). We are definitely not unique. There are some 17,200+/- parishes in the US, so it is difficult to say “nobody does this”.

In the parish I was raised in, they had a Mass on Sunday at 7, 8:15; 9:30, 10:45 and 12. Due to parking restraints, they ha to get people out o there so the next group could come. Some of the same issues apply still today with some parishes.

Most parishes have religious education for children; it might be done on Sunday, or during the week. Adult education likewise is during the week when it is offered.

There are periodic dinners, most parishes have those once a year and depending on the size of the parish, parking availability and Mass times it may go on for a number o hours, usually ending by early evening.

There normally is a luncheon for funerals. One we had recently probably fed 200 or more.
 
If you were to actually attend Mass every Sunday you would see the bible unfold throughout the liturgical calendar. The year begins in early December when we celebrate Advent. We prepare for the coming of the Messiah.

We celebrate His birth into time at Christmas.

We repent as a people & turn back to the Lord in Lent. We celebrate His resurrection at Easter.

I’ve been a member of three parishes in my 46 years. Adult formation is offered at each. They each also had a social hall for fellowship after Mass. The sanctuary was reserved for worship. Many people would leave after Mass, many would go to the social hall for fellowship.
 
Interesting answers from you guys bad sadly this doesn’t happen here in Australia its no fellowship unless there’s a funeral and no Sunday school for either children or adults. Its just a thing of 40 minutes of mass then everyone is desperate to get home in a hurry and that is why the Catholic Church is dying here in Australia and only proped up by recently migrant community
 
Then it is time for you to talk with 5-6 people and start the fellowship after Mass or another service. It could be as simple as tea/coffee and a bun or sandwich.
 
I almost always see study/fellowship/prayer groups in bulletins at different parishes I’ve been to, or special festival/events that take place periodically at different points in the year. That’s in Pennsylvania/Colorado/New Mexico, at any rate. Doesn’t mean more can’t be done, but it’s there.

The entire Mass is heavily drawn from the Bible, OT and NT. Not just in the readings but in the petitions and in the Liturgy of the Eucharist. Every line from the priest is either directly or indirectly drawn from scripture.

Evangelical protestants tend to be quite strong in building community and this results in strong participation.
 
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Yeah would be great but every one is running away in
Mmedidietly sp can’t grt anyone to stay and have a chat
 
As as you leave the church every one is in their cars leaving so you can’t get a hold of anyone
 
Rabbits44 said:
As as you leave the church every one is in their cars leaving so you can’t get a hold of anyone
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I understand where you are coming from. I’m one of those who jet after the Mass. But if I do stay, I rather be alone in the sanctuary praying before the tabernacle. I used to feel bad about that, but I’ve reconciled in my mind that I am called to Mass to worship, then sent back out into the world.

Fellowship is a big deal for others though, & I get that. All I’m saying is don’t think I’ll towards your fellow Catholics because they don’t feel the way you do. I will also say I disagree that a lack of fellowship is what’s killing the Catholic Tradition in Australia. I admit I don’t know much about your country but if reading the bible is any clue, a decline in your country is probably more due to a lack of the faithful doing what they are supposed to do. Turn to God with all your heart, & all your mind, & all your strength.

I’m not saying it is, I don’t know Australia. But that’s the way it was in the bible. Give it some thought. If nothing else, be the one (through prayer, fasting, giving alms) to strengthen the faith in your community. If you feel called to evangelize, do it. Pray & he’ll show you the way. Ask for help, if you feel you’re alone, look to the saints, most especially the Blessed Virgin Mary. Pray to the poor souls in purgatory, to pray with you.

As an aside, have you spoken to your parish office about cathecism & formation? There’s got to be something available.
 
First of all, OP, Catholics are at Mass primarily to worship Jesus, not to have social time after the Mass. While some people do complain about this, other people actually like attending a church where they can focus on the worship of the Lord and not be social. When you seem to be putting the Lord second to chatting with people after Mass, it’s a bit difficult to relate to your post. You’ve also said some very negative things about the Church on this thread, and if you have that attitude in person, that doesn’t really encourage other Catholics to want to chat with you.

Second, your experience at one parish in Australia is not representative of what goes on at every one of the many thousands of Catholic parishes out there. I attend quite a few different parishes in USA and some of them definitely have a lot of chit chat and social time after the Mass and some do not. Many churches have a social time with refreshments after a particular Sunday Mass, sometimes every Sunday, sometimes once or twice a month. There are also usually opportunities to socialize by joining particular parish groups, attending particular parish events etc. Of course even with these opportunities some people go and complain that they still don’t like it for some reason, like everybody there was older than them.

My suggestion would be if you really want to have some social time through the Catholic Church, seek out some parish or diocesan events for Catholics that are more social in nature, such as Bible study, or pot luck dinners, or church -sponsored outings, or food/ wine tasting nights etc. The Catholic churches where I live have all these things and more. These groups and events are a better way to meet people than just expecting those at Sunday Mass to take time to visit with you after Mass when they are mostly focused on fulfilling their worship obligation and then moving ahead with their family plans for the weekend.
 
Rabbits44 said:
Hi does anyone know why the church only focusses on 1 single thing which is the mass what about the rest of the bible stories etc.
And why is there no teaching right from little children to adults like Sunday school all through the ages from 0 to 80.
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Now, to address these parts of your post:

The Mass contains different “Bible Stories” each day because there is a different scripture reading each day from the Bible. The readings cycle takes 3 years to complete and covers a large part of the Bible. So I don’t know what you mean by “Rest of the Bible Stories”. If you want to do Catholic Bible Study and look at all of the Bible, many parishes offer Bible study groups, or if there isn’t a Catholic Bible Study group in your area then you can study the Bible on your own, using many different books or online resources. The entire Bible relates to the Catholic church, so it’s not like the Church is ignoring the Bible.

As for teaching children to adults, many parishes do have a children’s study group for the small children - a couple of parishes I attend send the small children out for a “Sunday school” during the homily of the Sunday Mass. It’s true that not all parishes can offer this because some don’t have enough children to make it worthwhile or they don’t have anyone to teach the program, but it is done at some places, so for you to say “No teaching of little children” Is incorrect.

For the older children, they either attend Catholic school or attend a Catholic teaching program to prepare them for the sacraments. If you don’t see this happening right at your church, it may be happening through another parish or at some time when you’re not aware of it.

For adults, there is an RCIA program for those who are new to the church. Once a person has joined the church, he can come to Mass and learn from the Scripture readings, homily etc there and he can also pursue other catechesis programs of his choice, like Bible study or even reading CAF forum. Mass is primarily to worship God, not for people to be taught about their faith, so if all you’re doing is coming to Mass, you aren’t going to see any teaching that’s going on other than whatever is in the homily, because most of it is happening some place other than Mass.
 
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Rabbits44 said:
Hi does anyone know why the church only focusses on 1 single thing which is the mass
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@Rabbits44 , the sole focus is not on the Eucharist .

One of the Gospel readings this week was about Jesus going off to be alone to pray .

Now this might not connect with the other things you have said , but the priest , reflecting on that event , emphasised the need to find time to be alone with God in prayer .

Today is the feast of St Anthony of Egypt who was at one time a hermit .

The priest , using the example of this saint , again stressed the need to find time to be alone in prayer .

I’m not a Catholic to go to luncheons and dinners .

One thing Jesus does focus on is our action for the needy . So I am a member of the parish’s conference of The Society of St Vincent de Paul . That gets me out visiting those suffering from the hunger of loneliness .

Have you an SVP conference , or something similar in your parish ? I’m sure you will find it fulfilling .

Jesus doesn’t call us to be lovey dovey in a holy huddle .

He calls us to action .
 
If you are not in Sydney Diocese, look at your Diocese webpage. They have an office of Faith Formation or PRE or CCD (different names for the same thing). These are the “Sunday School” classes for children.

After that, look at the Office of Youth Ministry, College Ministry, Adult Faith Formation.

Have you made sure these things are not happening at your parish? The classes may be on a different day than Sunday. Our kid’s classes and youth group are on Wednesday evening. There are Bible Studies/Fellowship Groups that meet on different days at different times.

Have you volunteered to begin an after Mass fellowship? Buy a box of donuts and put on a pot of coffee? Start a Bible study or a book club?
 
TheLittleLady said:
Have you volunteered to begin an after Mass fellowship? Buy a box of donuts and put on a pot of coffee? Start a Bible study or a book club?
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@Rabbits44: This!!! 👍

The pastor of the parish doesn’t just work on Sundays; it’s a full-time job for him. Get in touch with him in the office during the week and make an appointment to meet with him. Ask about ministries that already exist in the parish, and if they don’t exist, volunteer to start them!
 
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