Should I go to mass if i’m not joining RCIA until September?

  • Thread starter Thread starter roseyelephant
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I’d suggest going to Mass.

Before even starting RCIA, I’d go to the church and sit and pray (believe it or not, I wasn’t even sure what I was praying to for a while). However, I don’t know if the church in your area stays open, or is even safe to be in when Mass isn’t occurring. My current hometown is ~20,000 (if that), and the church stays open from ~7:00AM → ~9:00PM or 10:00PM most week days. Have had some transients wander in later in the day, but have the benefit of a reasonably safe community, and the ability to come armed too 🙂

If it is available, and safe to do so, I would take time to sit and pray, maybe spend an hour in Eucharistic Adoration. Five (5) years ago, I would have laughed at the suggestion. My experience has been that there is a deep, and indescribable peace that I generally feel while doing so.

Don’t worry about feeling like an outcast. I was an atheist for ~8 years, and a Methodist for a long time before that, and I didn’t spontaneously combust when entering the church 🙂

Simonjosiah: the Latin Mass might be a bit much for a new person. I plan on going to the one tomorrow at 2:00PM (weather permitting) and haven’t finished RCIA, but do have some rudimentary understanding of what is being said through previous music work, the law, and biosciences.
 
His is s no brained, dear,
Yes.
You still worship God. If you are a believer, you live as a believer. Have someone talk to you about a Spirityal communion. You pray the Confetior for forgiveness. You can partake of Holy Water. Study he mass and prayers. If you love God you want to go.
In Christ’s Love
Tweedlealice
Congrats on your new journey.
 
Melodeonist said:
If it’s in your area, I highly recommend you check out the Traditional Latin Mass. Its far more beautiful and reverent than the NO Mass
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Subjective statement. Opinion, not fact. I say this as someone who attends both forms.

Let’s not pit the OF against the EF. Both are legitimate forms of the Roman rite.
 
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roseyelephant said:
I’m going to college in the fall so the local catholic church said he would get in contact with the church up by my college and i can start RCIA there
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So good you contacted your local Catholic Church and will have support at the church by your college. It’s important to have close contacts like that. There will likely be someone to journey with you through RCIA.

For sure you can go to mass as other posters said.
 
Yes. You don’t have to be baptized to come for mass. Since you have the desire, you can live as a Catholic. There are many things that a Catholic does other than receiving Communion or other Sacraments. You can involve in the church’s activities if you can or flow along with them.

Have a blessed journey in faith.

God bless.
 
I can go to Eucharistic Adoration without being a part of the church? And how should I know if the mass is in Latin? It doesn’t specify on their website
 
Two expressions of the Mass in the Roman Rite. The OF (Ordinary Form, Novus Ordo, or Mass of 1970) is the liturgy offered in most Catholic parishes. To those unfamiliar with Catholic liturgy, it is most immediately recognizable by being offered in the vernacular, or local language. In general, this means that an OF Mass in the US would be offered in English. I live in France, so the OF in my area is offered in French. Note, however, that the OF may also be offered in Latin, though in my experience this is relatively rare.

The EF (Extraordinary Form, Vetus Ordo, or Mass of 1962) is the liturgy as offered prior to the changes brought about by the Second Vatican Council. It is offered exclusively in Latin. The readings may be in Latin or in the vernacular; if the former, they may be translated after the Gospel and before the homily. The homily will be delivered in the vernacular.

These are just a few of the basic observable differences between the two forms, but they should be enough for you to determine which is being employed at the Masses you attend. I’m deliberately not going into much detail because I don’t want to overwhelm you. Chances are that the parish where you will go through RCIA will offer the Mass in the OF. Whether the Mass is offered in the OF or EF, however, please keep in mind that both forms are valid and neither is better than the other. Some people find one more beneficial for them, but that doesn’t mean their choice is the best option for you. I find them both beneficial, so I attend both (in different parishes; the church near my home only offers Mass in the OF while the other church only offers Mass in the EF).
 
roseyelephant said:
I can go to Eucharistic Adoration without being a part of the church?
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Yes.
roseyelephant said:
And how should I know if the mass is in Latin? It doesn’t specify on their website
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In general, if the Mass will be offered in Latin, whatever info you are looking at will specify that. If it does not, the Mass is most likely in the vernacular.

There are exceptions to this. The Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest (Institutum Christi Regis Summi Sacerdotis in Latin, or ICRSS) only offers Mass in the EF so, at least in France, none of their info specifies that the Mass is in Latin because all their Masses are.
 
If you intend to enter the Catholic Church then you would benefit by attending mass every Sunday,
 
roseyelephant said:
I’m going to college in the fall so the local catholic church said he would get in contact with the church up by my college and i can start RCIA there. Until then, should i attend mass (without receiving any sacraments, confession, etc.), learn about catholicism on my own a bit, pray to saints, read a catholics bible version until then? or should i just continue to attend my nondenominational church? and should i wait to be baptized with the catholic church?
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I guess it would make sense to ask God and follow what you believe His spirit advises.

Best wishes.
 
Catholic and haven’t taken communion in years due to some marital issues. Don’t worry, plenty of people don’t take communion.
 
UpUpAndAway said:
It is a mortal sin for Catholics to miss Sunday Mass without valid cause. You are not Catholic yet, so there’s no sin in your not going to Mass on Sundays. Still, I encourage you to go if you can. Do not worry about feeling like an outcast. Everyone is welcome at Mass. Non-Catholics should refrain from receiving Communion, but you know that already.

Be at peace, and welcome home. 🙂
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Just throwing it out there, your mileage may vary on this one. I’ve been going to Mass with my wife (and now kids) for over 15 years now and always feel like an outcast.

I’d recommend, if you go, hang in the back and try to gauge the temperature towards non-Catholics. I hear that “everyone is welcome” a lot, but from my experience that isn’t necessarily always the case everywhere.
 
TC3033 said:
Just throwing it out there, your mileage may vary on this one. I’ve been going to Mass with my wife (and now kids) for over 15 years now and always feel like an outcast.

I’d recommend, if you go, hang in the back and try to gauge the temperature towards non-Catholics. I hear that “everyone is welcome” a lot, but from my experience that isn’t necessarily always the case everywhere.
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When I say “everyone is welcome at Mass,” I mean that objectively no one is forbidden from attending if they are respectful. I admit that some communities do not do what they should to insure people attending feel welcome, and that is unfortunate. It happens in my parish as well - The non-Catholic Husband says he never feels included on the rare occasions that he comes to Mass despite the fact that I myself am hardly unknown in the community (I’m the head sacristan). But no one is going to be barred entry or ejected unless they’re being disruptive or present a security risk to others. So even if someone feels like an outcast, (s)he need not be concerned about being cast out.
 
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UpUpAndAway said:
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TC3033:
Just throwing it out there, your mileage may vary on this one. I’ve been going to Mass with my wife (and now kids) for over 15 years now and always feel like an outcast.

I’d recommend, if you go, hang in the back and try to gauge the temperature towards non-Catholics. I hear that “everyone is welcome” a lot, but from my experience that isn’t necessarily always the case everywhere.
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When I say “everyone is welcome at Mass,” I mean that objectively no one is forbidden from attending if they are respectful. I admit that some communities do not do what they should to insure people attending feel welcome, and that is unfortunate. It happens in my parish as well - The non-Catholic Husband says he never feels included on the rare occasions that he comes to Mass despite the fact that I myself am hardly unknown in the community (I’m the head sacristan). But no one is going to be barred entry or ejected unless they’re being disruptive or present a security risk to others. So even if someone feels like an outcast, (s)he need not be concerned about being cast out.
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Yes, I agree that no one would actually be asked to leave or removed, but I still don’t think that everyone is exactly welcome either.

I’ve had enough side-eyses and snickering while staying in my pew as my family goes up for communion or heard enough "ugh, I need to sit next to / behind the non-Catholic to know enough that I’m not exactly welcome at Mass. That’s my n=1 though and why I told the OP his mileage may very and I’d personally test the waters there first before jumping right in and sitting with everyone.
 
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@TC3033 Please do not tell new posters they will be look down on for attending Mass as a non-Catholic. It just isn’t true.

I know you believe you are singled out in your wife’s parish but I have a hard time believing, after 15 years of attendance, there are folks who do this each & every week.
 
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