Taking a Non-Catholic to Mass - What should I warn him about?

[Penitant]

I’m going to be bringing a friend of mine to Mass this Sunday. He happens to be a Baptist, but has been curious about Mass for some time.

I’ve never been to a Baptist service before, so I don’t know what he’ll be expecting.

I’ve already told him that he should not receive the Eucharist, but is there anything else I should warn him about?

Thanks in advance,
Penitant

 

[EBSSTF4]

I’m going to be bringing a friend of mine to Mass this Sunday. He happens to be a Baptist, but has been curious about Mass for some time.

I’ve never been to a Baptist service before, so I don’t know what he’ll be expecting.

I’ve already told him that he should not receive the Eucharist, but is there anything else I should warn him about?

Thanks in advance,
Penitant

Warn him

Sounds like the first time I took my wife to a family reunion and had to warn her to stay away from Uncle Joe.

There is nothing inappropriate in the mass. To advise him of the requirements for receiving Eucharist, and educate him to our belief in the Real Presence is a good idea. Otherwise tell him to follow you’re lead, and you can answer any questions that arise after mass.

 

[YinYangMom]

I’m going to be bringing a friend of mine to Mass this Sunday. He happens to be a Baptist, but has been curious about Mass for some time.

I’ve never been to a Baptist service before, so I don’t know what he’ll be expecting.

I’ve already told him that he should not receive the Eucharist, but is there anything else I should warn him about?

Thanks in advance,
Penitant

Just make sure he has a missal to follow along with the Mass…they’re used to the written word, and truly, reading the liturgy (and the explanations of what we’re doing, why and how which precede each segment in the missals) will answer most questions which might arise.

I’d arrive early with him so that he can start reading in preparation while you kneel and pray in preparation. Certainly invite him to pray with you.

I suppose most importantly you would want to point out where Jesus is present in the tabernacle, that the tabernacle has many of the same features as the original tabernacle, and explaine why people genuflect before it ('cause Jesus is there and He is King and Savior). I imagine it would help him see that everything we do once we enter the church is centered around Jesus (not the priest or the musicians or our neighbors). It might help his perspective.

Oh, also let him know that in the opening procession we aren’t focusing on the priest entering the building…we are focusing on the Book of the Gospels because we recognize it to be the Living Word, Jesus entering the sanctuary to offer the sacrifice of the mass.

 

[InLight247]

In stead of warning, why not explaining?

You can give him an overview of Mass so he will have a better understanding.

Mass, in memory of the death and resurrection of Christ, nourishes our souls and renews our spirits. It includes two major parts:

1.Liturgy of the Word

• Entrance
• Introductory rites
• Penitential rite
• Readings from Scripture

1. Liturgy of the Eucharist

• The offertory

When people bring bread, wine and donation to the front, the whole congregation participate as following:
We offer ourselves and all that we have. The Lord can take what is temporal and make it eternal, take what is human and make it divine. The offering of the laity includes: our work, prayers, apostolic endeavors, ordinary married and family life, daily labor… all of these become spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

• The Eucharistic Prayer

During the celebration of the Eucharist all our sacrifices are most lovingly offered to the Father along with the Lord’s body. Everything we have goes on the altar, to be made holy in Christ. “By the mystery of this water and wine, may we come to share in the divinity of Christ, Who humbled Himself to share in our humanity.”
The climax is the Eucharistic sacrifice. The priest places his hands over the gifts and call down the Holy Spirit. This is the moment the Spirit and the Word transform the elements from bread and wine into the body and blood, soul and divinity of Jesus Christ.

• The Communion rite

We can’t overemphasize the relationship between “our daily bread” and the Eucharistic host.
We say “Our Father….” Then give the “sign of Peace”, and next prayer is
“Lamb of God”, “Lord, I am not worthy to receive You, but only say the word, I shall be healed.” (Mathew 8:8)
Then we receive Him in Holy Communion. When the body and blood are inside us, that is the most intimate moment with the Lord. Pray to Him.

• The concluding rite

Mass is a sending-forth. We have united ourselves to Christ’s sacrifice. We leave Mass now in order to live the mystery, the sacrifice, we have just celebrated, through the splendor of ordinary life in the home and in the world.

 

[LilyM]

Tell him there aren’t any prayers to Mary in the Mass in case he’s wondering. He’ll probably be pleasantly surprised to hear how little we do mention her.

And that if he listens carefully a lot of the words will be familiar to him - many of the words of the prayers are literally lifted straight out of Scripture. Tell him about the shaking hands thing at the sign of Peace - that’s one I forgot with my Baptist friend.

Encourage him to recite the Our Father when it comes up - I don’t know if Baptists recite the Nicene Creed, but that’s one that he can participate in too if he knows the words.

He knows he’s not supposed to go up for Communion, but let him know that he can get in line and ask just to get a blessing from the priest (he probably won’t).

 

[Andruschak]

He knows he’s not supposed to go up for Communion, but let him know that he can get in line and ask just to get a blessing from the priest (he probably won’t).

What? Do you mean to say that an RCIA Candidate like me, while not yet allowed to have the bread and wine, can just go up and ask the Priest for a blessing? DURING THE COMMUNION?What is the correct wording for this request, and would I be required to warn the Priest in advance?

 

[Rawb]

No warning required. You get in line with everyone else but cross your hands over your chest when you get to the priest (like they used to pose corpses…which is sort of odd now that I think about it LoL) He’ll bless you and you follow the line back to the pew.

And I’m in RCIA right now too, so I know for sure you can do this.

 

[Katholikos]

Tell him there aren’t any prayers to Mary in the Mass in case he’s wondering. He’ll probably be pleasantly surprised to hear how little we do mention her.

In the Diocese of Phoenix, the Hail Mary is prayed at Mass. It is also prayed at Mass on EWTN.

Encourage him to recite the Our Father when it comes up

All Protestants learned the wrong “Lord’s Prayer.” They add “for thine is the glory, etc.” not realizing that those are the words of the doxology, not the words of Our Lord. It’s an error in the KJV.

• I don’t know if Baptists recite the Nicene Creed, but that’s one that he can participate in too if he knows the words.

The Baptist motto is “No creed but Christ.” They’re very anti-creed.

He knows he’s not supposed to go up for Communion, but let him know that he can get in line and ask just to get a blessing from the priest (he probably won’t).

The liturgical laws of the Church do not permit this practice, and although it’s done in some Catholic Churches, it shouldn’t be. The Communion queue is for those properly disposed to receive Holy Communion. Everyone, visitors included, gets blessed five minutes later, at the dismissal. Personal blessings are superfluous and send a wrong message.

Tell your friend he is permitted to do anything a Catholic does (make the Sign of the Cross, use holy water, genuflect, sit, kneel, stand, etc.) except receive the Eucharist.

Katholikos
former Baptist

 

[Katholikos]

What? Do you mean to say that an RCIA Candidate like me, while not yet allowed to have the bread and wine, can just go up and ask the Priest for a blessing? DURING THE COMMUNION?What is the correct wording for this request, and would I be required to warn the Priest in advance?

Please, don’t do it. This practice has caused untold unhappiness and misunderstandings. Church law does not authorize it. You get blessed at the dismissal. You don’t need two blessings, five minutes apart. You should stay in your pew and make a spiritual communion. Ask Jesus to come into your heart spiritually, since you can’t now receive Him sacramentally.

Katholikos

 

[Andruschak]

No warning required. You get in line with everyone else but cross your hands over your chest when you get to the priest (like they used to pose corpses…which is sort of odd now that I think about it LoL) He’ll bless you and you follow the line back to the pew.

And I’m in RCIA right now too, so I know for sure you can do this.

THANK YOU! What wonderful news! And hopefully that earns something for the souls in Purhatory? (I have made the Act Of Charity).

 

[Katholikos]

No warning required. You get in line with everyone else but cross your hands over your chest when you get to the priest (like they used to pose corpses…which is sort of odd now that I think about it LoL) He’ll bless you and you follow the line back to the pew.

And I’m in RCIA right now too, so I know for sure you can do this.

Ask your RCIA instructor to tell you or show you where this practice is authorized in the liturgy laws of the Church. It isn’t.

Peace, Katholikos

 

[Andruschak]

Please, don’t do it. This practice has caused untold unhappiness and misunderstandings. Church law does not authorize it. You get blessed at the dismissal. You don’t need two blessings, five minutes apart. You should stay in your pew and make a spiritual communion. Ask Jesus to come into your heart spiritually, since you can’t now receive Him sacramentally.

Katholikos

Oh. Hmmm, two different opinions. Maybe I can check with the Church Office. If I am feeling sadistic, I can ask the RCIA Moderator

 

[Katholikos]

TO: Harry Andruschak; High fives. My son is a friend of Bill W’s.

 

[Andruschak]

Ask your RCIA instructor to tell you or show you where this practice is authorized in the liturgy laws of the Church. It isn’t.

Peace, Katholikos

OK, I will, just to see if she actually knows anything about it (doubtful), or can find out about it (doubtful). I’ll post the results next Sunday in the Spirituality Forum

 

[LilyM]

My apologies if I have steered you wrong Harry. I never did check to see whether communion blessings are in fact an authorised practice. My bad.

 

[Rawb]

I’d never heard anything about it not being allowed either.

I’m really going to have to get a copy of the GIRM sometime (I know you can get it online, but I like having hardcopies of things).

Sorry if I misled you!

 

[Katholikos]

Oh. Hmmm, two different opinions. Maybe I can check with the Church Office. If I am feeling sadistic, I can ask the RCIA Moderator

There are two documents you should check: One is called the GIRM (General Instructions for the Roman Missal) and the other is Redemptionis Sacramentum. RS was written to stop the Liturgy abuses that are rampant, particularly in the U.S. Both are on line. Church law tells you what to do – not what not to do. But any practice not authorized by the Church is not permitted. Hand-holding during the Our Father fits under this category as well, but the American Bishops chose to ignore the handholding, hoping it would go away on its own.

And, of course, there are the documents of Vatican II.

“(3) Therefore no other person, not even a priest, may add, remove, or change anything in the liturgy on his own authority.”

As I said, the Churches that do allow it should not be doing it.

When we got a new, very orthodox bishop that practice came to a screeching halt in my diocese. It spread all over the country and overseas through the Life Teen program that has its hq here.

This practice implies that the blessing of the congregation at the dismissal is somehow defective – that it doesn’t “take” unless you get a personal blessing. It also implies that a personal blessing is a substitute for Communion, which has serious ramifications. And, It’s totally redundant.

Why don’t Catholics receiving Communion also get a personal blessing from the priest ?

Peace to all, Katholikos

 

[Katholikos]

Hey guys, no criticism of you! The fault lies with your teachers and sometimes also with your priests and bishops.

Have I told you that I’m a convert and that I LOVE THIS CHURCH!

Peace be with you, Katholikos (Jay)

 

[Penitant]

Thank you all for your replies.

When I said ‘warn’ I meant it with a wink and a grin; sorry for any misunderstandings.

I’ve already told him about the Eucharist ( I showed him John 6 when it came up…he didn’t have a response, but I didn’t push the subject at that point).

I always thought that asking the priest for a blessing at that time was permissible. I’m actually a bit surprised that it’s not, but it makes sense.
I told my friend that it was ok to do so, but he’s already said that he probably wouldn’t. So, thankfully, no harm done. If it comes up again, I’ll point out that I was wrong.

Again, thank you all,
Penitant

 

[introibo]

This might seem pretty basic but you might want to

a) make sure the Mass is in English
b) make sure there aren’t any particularly odd innovations taking place.

All of the times I’ve brought non-Catholic friends to Mass, one or both of these guidelines has been broken. The first was at the procathedral Dublin, and the Mass was in Latin, which was fine for me, but was really confusing for everyone else. Additionally, the homily was about how Diarmuid Martin had invited Patriarch Bartholomew II of Constantinople to the procathedral the following week- nothing about scripture, nothing about anything except for that.

The second time was at an American parish. They decided they were going to have a “Litany of Benefactors” where they named everyone that had ever made a significant contribution to the parish with the response “Pray for us.” It was awkward, and took a very long time…