What does a Roman Catholic week look like?

[catholictiger]

What does the path to salvation consist of for a Roman Catholic?

Say an atheist walks in off the street and tells the priest he needs Christ in his life. What happens before this atheist becomes a regular mass attending catholic?

He goes to his local parish and joins an RCIA program, and through that process he will learn about the faith, in what ever way the RCIA program is done. They have a few services during the year as they go through the process. Then on the Easter Vigil (night before easter) they are baptized, if they haven’t been validly baptized yet, then they are confirmed into the Catholic Faith.

If the Atheist was born an atheist he would have both baptism and confirmation

if he was a fallen a way christian not Catholic, and he was baptized, with the correct form and matter, simply water poured on his head or immersed in water, and the person administering the sacrament said I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirt" they have been validly baptized, he is confirmed and he is a Catholic

if he was a fallen away Catholic he goes to confession, and is back with the Church, in the sense that he can he can receive the sacrament of the Eucharist. If he was never confirmed he would do that also but he wouldn’t be barred from the Sacrament of the Eucharist.

 

[DebChris]

I’m curious as to what the usual worship activities and education are for Roman Catholics. I think if I number my questions it’ll make answering easier.

1. On Sunday, is there some type of Sunday school that occurs before or after service?
2. Is Mass what most folks go to?
3. How long is Mass usually?
4. Is that one service all that most catholics attend each week?
5. How many days out of a week do Roman Catholics spend at church?

The Mass is a Eucharistic celebration. Eucharistic means thanksgiving. It is divided into 2 parts, the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist. During the Liturgy of the Word, we listen to scriptural readings being proclaimed. Daily Mass has one OT reading plus a Gospel reading. On Sunday, the one day of the week in which all Catholics are obligated to attend Mass, there is both a OT and a NT reading before the Gospel. There are also a few Holy Days of Obligation such as Christmas.
The second part of the Mass is the Liturgy of the Eucharist in which we commemorate the Sacrifice of the Cross. It is during this part of the Mass that the priest acts in persona of Christ and ordinary bread and wine become the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. We receive Christ when we receive the Eucharist.

Growing up, one of the ways my friends knew I was Catholic came from my attending religious education (catechism) on Wednesday afternoons. Many parishes now offer religious education between scheduled Mass times.

Catholic churches offer daily Mass. There may be other activities also offered including Bible and Enriching the Faith Programs designed for adults. Lay people may lead rosary groups or Charismatic prayer groups that meet on a weekly basis. Catholics are encouraged to maintain an active prayer life. Even if a person does not attend any of the special parish activities or novenas, he/she is expected to have private devotional practices. The rosary takes about 15 minutes a day to pray. Others may also pray the Liturgy of the Hours which sanctifies the hours of the day so that the Church pays unceasingly as the Apostle Paul admonishes.

What does the path to salvation consist of for a Roman Catholic?

Say an atheist walks in off the street and tells the priest he needs Christ in his life. What happens before this atheist becomes a regular mass attending catholic?

Going back to the days of persecution by the Romans, the Catholic Church provides an instructional program (RCIA) through which an individual learns what the Catholic Church teaches. One of my favorite services to attend is the Easter Vigil Mass during which catechumens come into full union with the Church through the Sacraments of Baptism (if not already received) and Confirmation. The Catholic Church also recognizes a Baptism of Desire for those who die before they are able to receive the Sacrament and a Baptism of Blood for individuals martyred for the Faith.
Salvation is a process. We are sealed with the Holy Spirit through the Sacrament of Baptism and Confirmation. A Sacrament is an efficacious sign of God’s grace. We still have free will and as a result we still sin (backslide). This is where the Sacrament of Reconciliation is important as a means of returning to God’s grace.

 

[PacoG]

The Mass is the action around which the Body and Blood of Christ is made present. It is the series of sacred actions that surrounds the priest’s consecration of the bread and wine which turn into the literal Body and Blood of Christ. The word of God is read, various songs are sung (of various quality…), various actions are made, and these are all exactly scripted, so to speak.

If I can expound…

Protestant services and Catholic Masses vary greatly. A Protestant service is a prayer service. Mass and the Eastern Divine Liturgy are the work of Christ. It is one and the same as the heavenly liturgy and the sacrifice of Calvary. The priest–acting in personna Christi (in the person of Christ) represents in a bloodless manner the Sacrifice of Calvary. Put another way, we are one with the Heavenly Liturgy where Christ the High Priest (using the instrumentality of the priest) offers the One and Perfect Sacrifice on our behalf and for the Church. Although we actively participate in the Mass, it isn’t our work, but His work.

 

[DebChris]

If I can expound…

Protestant services and Catholic Masses vary greatly. A Protestant service is a prayer service. Mass and the Eastern Divine Liturgy are the work of Christ. It is one and the same as the heavenly liturgy and the sacrifice of Calvary. The priest–acting in personna Christi (in the person of Christ) represents in a bloodless manner the Sacrifice of Calvary. Put another way, we are one with the Heavenly Liturgy where Christ the High Priest (using the instrumentality of the priest) offers the One and Perfect Sacrifice on our behalf and for the Church. Although we actively participate in the Mass, it isn’t our work, but His work.

Liturgical means to follow the life of Christ. The Mass itself is considered to be “outside of time.” We are present during the Sacrifice of the Cross. The liturgical year is arranged in such a way that we follow the life of Christ. Advent is a time of preparation for the birth of our Lord. At Christmas, we celebrate His birth. The 40 days of Lent represent the 40 days that Jesus spent in the desert which brings us to His Passion and Death by Crucifixion. This is followed by His Easter Resurrection ending with Pentecost when the Apostles were filled with the Holy Spirit and the birth of the Church. The rest of the Sundays during the year are considered Ordinary time as we celebrate Christ’s ministry on earth.
The rosary is a private devotion that involves meditation on the Life of Christ. There are other ways in which we as Catholics meditate on the life of Christ. During Lent, we have the Stations of the Cross. Offered as a communal service mostly on Fridays, some individuals include meditation on the Stations as part of their daily devotions throughout the year. While the tenets of the Catholic Faith are fairly simple, there is a depth and richness to the devotions which have developed over time that cannot be found elsewhere.

 

[Laudate_Dominum]

Liturgical means to follow the life of Christ.

Liturgy is the public prayer of the Church united with the prayers of Our Lord before His Father. It’s the entire body of the Church, the Church herself, independent of us and united with us at the same time, faceless yet full of expression, united with the prayer of her Head Jesus Christ.

There are of course liturgical seasons in which the Church themes her prayer around the life of Christ. Of course. But that isn’t what liturgy is.

We wouldn’t have the Feast of Saint Francis, etc., otherwise .

 

[DJK100]

(If a Catholic wants to reach heaven he needs work on it. He needs to pray, regularly frequent the Sacraments, etc. Spiritual reading is not to be taken lightly. Reading the works of the saints, Lectio Divina (reading the Bible like it’s meant to be read).

I just wanted to clarify here that we don’t work our way to salvation. I think Laudate Dominum meant that but I just wanted to make sure you didn’t get a misconception. Catholics do not believe that we can affect our own salvation, ie doing enough prayers or good deeds that our salvation is “earned.” For Catholics we are saved by the grace of God only. It is upto us to respond to the grace that God gives us which is manifested to us through our faith and the works we do. Doing these works (prayer/feeding and clothing the poor etc.) serves to help strenghten our faith because it is a way of showing that we are part of the body of Christ and responding to his call to us through His grace given us.

So basically we are saved only by the grace of God.

Hope that makes sense.

 

[Calgar]

What are catechisms? Do they take the place of reading the Bible?

 

[sicutincensum]

What are catechisms? Do they take the place of reading the Bible?

*Pax tecum! *No, a Cathecism (there are several, *e.g. *Baltimore Catechism, Saint Pius X Catechism, Cathecism of the Catholic Church) is like a FAQ for the most common issues of Faith, Morals, Theology and Ecclesiology (the science which has the Church as its object). It does not substitute the Bible, but it complements it.

 

[PerfectTiming]

What are catechisms? Do they take the place of reading the Bible?

No. We read from Scripture at every Mass. A Sunday Mass will have three readings, a daily Mass has two.
The Catechism is a reference text for the teachings of the Church. It summarises the teachings and beliefs of the Church.

 

[lindaharry]

Hello ,

My name is Miss linda, i will like to have a good relationship with you please write me with my ID (linda.harry27@yahoo.com)
so that i will send you my photo and tell you about me.

linda

 

[rhiannonh]

Do Catholics only go to church when there is a Mass happening?

 

[lindaharry]

Hello ,

My name is Miss linda, i will like to have a good relationship with you please write me with my ID (linda.harry27@yahoo.com)
so that i will send you my photo and tell you about me.

linda

 

[DebChris]

What are catechisms? Do they take the place of reading the Bible?

Catechism is instruction in Christian faith. No, a catechism does not take the place of reading the Bible. A catechism teaches the basic tenets of our faith. The Catechism of the Catholic Church is a reference text, “a statement of the Church’s faith and catholic doctrine, attested to or illuminated by Sacred Scripture, the Apostolic Tradition, and the Church’s Magisterium.”*Apostolic Constitution * Fedei Despositum].
The Catechism of the Catholic Church is divided into 4 parts with each related to one another. The Christian mystery is the object of our faith (part 1) celebrated and communicated in liturgical actions (part 2); it is present to enlighten and sustain God’s children in their actions (part 3); and is the basis of our prayer (part 4).
*The Liturgy itself is prayer; the confession of faith finds its proper place in the celebration of worship. Grace, the fruit of the Sacraments, is the irreplaceable condition for Christian living, just as participation in the Church’s Liturgy requires faith. If faith is not expressed in works, it is dead (James 2:14-16) and cannot bear fruit unto eternal life**Apostolic Constitution * Fedei Despositum].

 

[Rich_C]

What are catechisms? Do they take the place of reading the Bible?

A catechism is book that summarizes all the teachings of the Church. New ones get produced from time to time to adapt to the language and understanding of people, and some have more complete explanations for adults while others have simpler answers for children.

We read a catechism for a very different purpose than we read the Bible so it can’t replace that.

We read a catechism to learn all the doctrines God has given us through revelation, taught systematically, explained, and organized, in order to better know the Truth.

We read the Bible for various reasons, such as to edify ourselves, to internalize the words of Our Lord from the Holy Gospels so we can deepen our relationship with Him, or to study.

But like the earliest Christians and unlike Protestants, we believe that while everything in the Bible is the Word of God, not all the Word of God is contained in the Bible (John 21:25) because the apostles didn’t have it all written down, much of it was passed down in oral tradition (Thes 2:15, Tim 2:1-2) and passed down generation after generation, not in secret but openly so all Christians would know it, and evidence of what these teaching are abound in the writing of the Christians who lives just after the last apostle died.

You can read Justin Martyr, Clement, Ignatius of Antioch, Polycarp, and dozens of other to see what early Christians believed about the weight that the oral teachings of the apostles carried; they considered anything apostolic to be equal in authority to the New Testament writings.

Does that help?

 

[DebChris]

Do Catholics only go to church when there is a Mass happening?

It is our obligation & privilege to attend Mass. No, that is not the only time that Catholics go to Church. A Catholic may go to Church to participate in novenas and other types of communal prayer services. During Lent, we participate in the Stations of the Cross as a community. Parishes may have days of renewal. During Lent and Advent, we participate in Communal Penance Services as a prelude to individual confession. In some parishes, members pray the rosary before or after Mass or join with others in praying Lauds (morning prayer) and Vespers (evening prayer).
In my parish, we have a First Friday Holy Hour. The Eucharist is exposed in a monstrance as we pray together in community.
Silent adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is also available in some parishes, usually in a separate Adoration Chapel. It may also be offered in the main church on First Fridays. My current parish does have a separate Adoration Chapel.
We receive the Sacraments at Church, often as part of the Eucharistic Celebration (Mass). We go to Church in order to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation in the confessional. Baptism is also generally administered outside Mass, although some parishes are incorporating it into the Eucharistic celebration.

 

[OraLabora]

Do Catholics only go to church when there is a Mass happening?

No. There are other services that can be had in the church. Examples include the Liturgy of the Hours (which will happen in the chapel of most religious communities, and in many parishes and cathedrals at least in part), Stations of the Cross, adoration, to name a few.

Some people also just drop in to pray.

 

[RedSoxWife]

I’m curious as to what the usual worship activities and education are for Roman Catholics. I think if I number my questions it’ll make answering easier.

1. On Sunday, is there some type of Sunday school that occurs before or after service?

Nope. When we lived in Northern California there were Faith Formation classes during the week for children, RCIA classes for people converting and the new priest was starting a once a week religious education class. That was at a tiny parish though, in a remote area.

In our current area, with three large Catholic Churches in a short distance there are numerous opportunities to be involved and to learn. Just off the top of my head (and I’m just naming the one’s relevant to me as a mom with a 1 year old and 3 year old) there’s a pre-school Bible study on Monday’s, a women’s group that meets a couple of Wednesdays a month and a playgroup on Friday’s. I know that one of the parishes has a teen group that meets on Sundays too. There are so many different groups and activities here that you could fill up pretty much all your time if you had the desire and drive.

But most of our education takes place at home, reading to the girls from the Bible and about the lives of the saints and praying with them.

1. Is Mass what most folks go to?

Yes. We’re supposed to go on Sundays on on Holy Days of Obligation.

1. How long is Mass usually?

On Sunday’s usually around an hour, but our often go as long as 90 minutes.

1. Is that one service all that most catholics attend each week?

The majority of practicing Catholics probably only attend once a week. Many would like to attend more, but between family life and work it can be hard to get there during the week. I went 2-3 times a week when I didn’t have children and then when I only had one, but lately it’s been only Sunday’s since my 1 year old is a lot to wrangle during morning Mass these days. I do long for the days when I can go during the week, but I know it will probably vary over the years.

1. How many days out of a week do Roman Catholics spend at church?

Anywhere from one to seven depending on their position in life at the moment. I’m at one day at the moment, longing for more, while one of my close friends is there pretty much every day, for a large portion of her day.

 

[White_Peony]

1. On Sunday, is there some type of Sunday school that occurs before or after service?

No.

1. Is Mass what most folks go to?

Yes, that is what it is called.

1. How long is Mass usually?

An hour

1. Is that one service all that most catholics attend each week?

Yes. But some go to daily Mass.

1. How many days out of a week do Roman Catholics spend at church?

Depends on the person.

 

[Calgar]

I hear a lot about tradition. How does that work in relation to the Holy Bible? Does tradition trump the Bible? Does it fill in gaps?

 

[Cardinalidae]

I hear a lot about tradition. How does that work in relation to the Holy Bible? Does tradition trump the Bible? Does it fill in gaps?

Tradition doesn’t trump the Bible; however, the Bible is a product of Tradition.