Questions about Mass

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MissClaire

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Hey ya’ll. I’ve got a couple questions…I am not a member of the Church (yet) and I was just wondering what was ok for me to do at Mass. Like, I’ve been told it’s ok to do the Sign of the Cross if I’m comfortable with it. Obviously I can’t partake in Communion. But when I walk in, is okay for me to cross myself using Holy Water?
Please help me! I don’t want to look a fool at Mass, especially since I’m kinda shy…😊
 
You can do anything but receive the Sacraments - no Communion as you noted, also no Confession until you are properly catechized and before Communion (if you’re already Baptized) or after Baptism (if not).

Holy water, Sign of the Cross, genuflecting, and saying all the people’s part of the Mass are not Sacraments, so you’re good! Holy water is actually a sacramental - see the Wikipedia article for a decent explanation. Non-Catholic can participate in sacramentals, which would also include the ashes on Ash Wednesday.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacramentals
 
Thank ya’ll so much. My parish is having a “Catholic Intersession” so I’m going to go to that during the month…I was meant to go to RCIA last year, but I write for a newspaper, and we meetings at the same time RCIA was. 😦 But I’m super excited for RCIA to start back up!😃
Is there anything else ya’ll think I should know?
 
MissClaire said:
Thank ya’ll so much. My parish is having a “Catholic Intersession” so I’m going to go to that during the month…I was meant to go to RCIA last year, but I write for a newspaper, and we meetings at the same time RCIA was. 😦 But I’m super excited for RCIA to start back up!😃
Is there anything else ya’ll think I should know?
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If you’re serious about coming into the Church (and I hope you are!), take the opportunity to be as involved as you can with your not-Catholic-yet status. Go to Masses and events other than just Sundays and Holy Days. Learn to pray the Rosary and other Catholic prayers, maybe even part of the Liturgy of the Hours (Universalis is an easy way to start the latter). You probably can’t volunteer with much yet, but I was able to help out with our parish Fall Festival before coming into the Church. Introduce yourself to the people you sit near at Mass (after Mass). I’m still working on that last one! Get to know the priest if you can.

Welcome!
 
MissClaire said:
. . … But when I walk in, is okay for me to cross myself using Holy Water?
. . .
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You are free to participate fully except for receiving the Sacraments - Communion, Confession etc.

Regarding using the Holy Water: If you have been baptized any place then you are encouraged to make the sign of the cross with it in commemoration of that baptism and renewal of the commitment you made then. If you have not been baptized then you bless yourself with it in anticipation of the baptism you seek. Either way, it is a great practice, providing you are comfortable in doing it.
 
I was baptized in the Methodist church. Does that count for baptism? Idk how ya’ll exactly see it…
 
MissClaire said:
I was baptized in the Methodist church. Does that count for baptism? Idk how ya’ll exactly see it…
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From the Nicene Creed:
I acknowledge one holy, catholic and apostolic church,
and one baptism for the remission of sins.
I look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.
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If you were *baptized in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost *you have already been baptized.
Check, of course, with your parish priest to be sure that there was nothing that made your baptism invalid.
 
MissClaire said:
Hey ya’ll. I’ve got a couple questions…I am not a member of the Church (yet) and I was just wondering what was ok for me to do at Mass. Like, I’ve been told it’s ok to do the Sign of the Cross if I’m comfortable with it. Obviously I can’t partake in Communion. But when I walk in, is okay for me to cross myself using Holy Water?
Please help me! I don’t want to look a fool at Mass, especially since I’m kinda shy…😊
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First off Catholics don’t say it but we love you. Use holy water and make all the sign’s of the cross you want. When Dad passed away I sprinkled him with Holy Water. I will do the same with Mom when she passes away. I hope my children will do the same for me. If I could be near to YOU when YOU pass away, I would do the same. If you don’t join the catholic church it’s OK. Just Love Jesus. I’m proud to be Catholic and Hope if the time comes, I will die for it. PUTZ
 
Thanks Putz. Reginator-I am 99.9% sure my baptism was valid, considering we use the same creed at the Methodist church, and can even recite it along for the most part. Even the Invitation to Communion they use at the church I usually attend at home is almost exactly the one at Mass. I guess I’m just kind of nervous going into this…especially with what my friends and family might think. I’ve already lost friends because my faith was “too Catholic” for them and I didn’t agree with their crazy claims that Catholicism is idolatry and that Baptists preceded the formation of the Church because of John the Baptist…
 
MissClaire said:
Thanks Putz. Reginator-I am 99.9% sure my baptism was valid, considering we use the same creed at the Methodist church, and can even recite it along for the most part. Even the Invitation to Communion they use at the church I usually attend at home is almost exactly the one at Mass. I guess I’m just kind of nervous going into this…especially with what my friends and family might think. I’ve already lost friends because my faith was “too Catholic” for them and I didn’t agree with their crazy claims that Catholicism is idolatry and that Baptists preceded the formation of the Church because of John the Baptist…
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I can understand you being nervous! I was too, starting in February 2009 when I decided to convert and began to tell people about it. Of course, I don’t know your friends and family. My parents were and still are against my conversion to Catholicism, but they haven’t disowned me or anything and still believe I am a Christian and a decent person (albeit in some error). My friends and most of the rest of my family have been okay with it, and many have been very supportive even if they aren’t interested in converting themselves.

Be straightforward, charitable, and kind about telling people. I’ve found that the more I learned about the Faith, the more comfortable I’ve felt about talking about it openly. Since actually entering the Church at Easter, it’s been much easier to talk about - those graces from Confession, Confirmation, and the Eucharist are pretty amazing!
 
MissClaire said:
Thanks Putz. Reginator-I am 99.9% sure my baptism was valid, considering we use the same creed at the Methodist church, and can even recite it along for the most part. Even the Invitation to Communion they use at the church I usually attend at home is almost exactly the one at Mass. I guess I’m just kind of nervous going into this…especially with what my friends and family might think. I’ve already lost friends because my faith was “too Catholic” for them and I didn’t agree with their crazy claims that Catholicism is idolatry and that Baptists preceded the formation of the Church because of John the Baptist…
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That’s okay. You’re going to make lots of new friends in the Catholic Church. It’s best to be honest with people right from the start, rather than spring it on them the day before your Confirmation. Those who’ve walked with you on your spiritual journey this far have the right to know - they’re part of your life, too. If they “disown” you or whatever, at least it will be for a reason that you can live with.

If you let them in early enough, and they feel like they are part of things, though, there will be a lot less trouble. 🙂
 
MissClaire said:
I was baptized in the Methodist church. Does that count for baptism? Idk how ya’ll exactly see it…
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Welcome! I hope you stay! 🙂

Most Protestant baptisms are valid. I think Mormons do not believe in the trinity in the same way we do, so their baptism is not considered valid. Also if someone baptized in the name of the “Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier” instead of “Father, Son, and Holy Spirit” then that is not valid. Other than that, Christian baptism is mostly Christian baptism.

Also, if you don’t have one, I’d get a Catechism and read just a bit a day. And/or you could watch Fr. Corapi’s Catechism show on EWTN every Sunday at 8pm, if you get EWTN. The Catechism is really great and really clear (except for a couple small points which are maybe a little vague).

God bless you!

–Jen
 
MissClaire said:
I was baptized in the Methodist church. Does that count for baptism? Idk how ya’ll exactly see it…
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Yes, Methodist baptism is accepted as valid. In general, a baptism by any of the main line churches is accepted. Mormon, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Unitarian would be the major exceptions that come to mind. I think some of the smaller fundamentalist ones are also not accepted, but don’t have my list at hand.
 
=MissClaire;6737067]Hey ya’ll. I’ve got a couple questions…I am not a member of the Church (yet) and I was just wondering what was ok for me to do at Mass. Like, I’ve been told it’s ok to do the Sign of the Cross if I’m comfortable with it. Obviously I can’t partake in Communion. But when I walk in, is okay for me to cross myself using Holy Water?
Click to expand...
Please help me! I don’t want to look a fool at Mass, especially since I’m kinda shy…😊
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You can do “it all” except for Holy Communion. Most non-Catholic sit when we kneel but that is just an option for you.

As a FYI… When you make the sign of the Cross you get additional grace for using holy whater. Plus it’s a good practice to say something like: “thank you Jesus, I love You!”

Also I suggest that you sit near the rear the first few times so you can see what everyone is doing. Again that is a personal option.

THANKS for asking,

Have you looked into RCIA yet?

Love and prayers,
Pat
 
PJM said:
. . .

Also I suggest that you sit near the rear the first few times so you can see what everyone is doing. Again that is a personal option.

. .
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Sit a couple of rows back so you can see what others are doing, but notso far back that you cannot see what is going on at the altar.
 
I went to Mass tonight, and did as ya’ll recommended. Thanks. I feel a lot more comfortable about it. 😃 We also had “Catholic Intersession” afterwards and did a quick review of the Sacraments and then talked about Tradition and Scripture and how they’re connected. I’m really excited about this. RCIA doesn’t start until the fall. I’m hoping that my weekly meeting won’t be scheduled for the same time.
 
MissClaire said:
I GOT A ROSARY!!! OH MY GOSH I’M SO EXCITED! :extrahappy:
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Thats great if you have a chance get a priest from your church to bless it. he might even have some type of instructional sheet on how to pray the rosary. (or you can find one online)
Good luck
 
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