I am Catholic: part 2

Yesterday I wrote about my journey through faith. Read about that here if you would like. Today I am writing about Catholic beliefs and practices. This is as a study guide/reminder to myself, as well as some information for family and friends who might be curious. I have answered some of the most common questions that I have received.  I have linked my sources in order to write this correctly. These are not all my words, but I do believe all of them very faithfully. For me, this is what makes sense here on Earth. I have chosen the Catholic faith because I identify with the structure of the faith. I feel comfortable in every Catholic Church I walk into. For me, it is a place of joy and salvation. I don't live a perfect life, but I do believe in living the teachings I have written about below. 

Disclaimer: I am not an expert at any of this. I have very little personal experience and knowledge of the Catholic faith.  I simply wish to write about some of the reasons why this is the right road for me. I in no way intend to give the impression that this is the right road for everyone. As I said in the last post... Whatever you believe will be right for you. There are many different roads to heaven, and mine just happens to be Catholic :) 

·         The first thing many people think of when they think of Catholic is the Sign of the Cross. We do this to recognize the Holy Trinity: The Father, The Son, and the Holy Ghost. The Sign of the Cross is performed before and after prayer; when entering and leaving a church; and before, during, and after mass. We are marking ourselves as Christian through this statement of belief. The Sign of the Cross is also performed by Lutherans, Anglicans, and some Protestants. 

·         What is Mass? Mass is the term Catholics use for the church service. We call it Mass after the original term "misso" meaning sending. The faithful are sent out to share what they have learned and use the graces we have received. We believe that Christ is present during Mass (in the form and bread and wine). He is sacrificing himself once again. This is the Holy Eucharist or "Mystery of Faith". Without faith it is simply bread and wine. We go to Mass to praise Him, to give thanks, to make up for our sins through the Penitential Act (I confess...) said at the beginning of Mass, and as a petition ("Ask and you shall receive").  I have broken down the Mass at the bottom if you would like to learn more about what happens during this time. 

·         Why do Catholic's worship Mary? The simple answer... We do not worship Mary! Mary is often considered the first Saint. We honor all of the Saints because they are the image of Christ, therefore, we wish to imitate them. We call upon them in prayer just as we would ask a friend to pray for us in time of need :) 

      Why do Catholic's pray the rosary? The word rosary means garland of roses symbolizing the Virgin Mary.   The rosary is a devotion in honor of the Virgin Mary. It is a set number of specific prayers. To learn more follow this link!

·         Why do Catholics believe in repentance? I have heard many people say, "Why should I have to do something to get into Heaven? Don't I just have to believe the Lord is my Savior?" The simple answer is yes. You must start there. However, Christ died on the Cross for our sins. How hard is it for us to fast, pray, or perform acts of kindness as a repentance? Shouldn't we feel something in return for our sins being forgiven? The word ‘repentance’ means seeking forgiveness for our sins, but more than that, it involves transforming our attitudes and our lives. By repenting, we see the world a different way. It allows us to see God's work right in front of us. 

·         Why do Catholics believe in purgatory? Catholics believe purgatory as a sort of middle ground between Heaven and Earth for any unclean souls. Purgatory is a place for purification of any sins not forgiven, or for someone who has not been cleaned of their sins either through baptism or confession and repentance. The purification is necessary because, as Scripture teaches, nothing unclean will enter the presence of God in heaven (Rev. 21:27) and, while we may die with our mortal sins forgiven, there can still be many impurities in us, specifically venial sins and the temporal punishment due to sins already forgiven. 

·         Catholics believe in 7 Sacraments: these are ceremonies that point to what is sacred, significant and important to Christians. I have participated in all of the Sacraments that I can until I die :) 

Sacrament of Baptism: typically performed on infants. The Rite of Baptism for Children emphasizes the importance of faithfulness on the part of parents when it says to parents: In asking to have your children baptized, "you are accepting the responsibility of training them in the practice of the faith."

Sacrament of Eucharist: Catholics believe the Eucharist, or Communion, is both a sacrifice and a meal. We believe in the real presence of Jesus, who died for our sins. As we receive Christ's Body and Blood, we also are nourished spiritually and brought closer to God. 

Sacrament of Reconciliation: conversion, confession and celebration. Confession has transformed through the years. Some people still believe in individual confession with a Priest. Others have started participating in communal confession with the entire congregation.  The church simply states that we must confess our sins once a year in order to remain worthy to receive communion. 

Sacrament of Confirmation: this is often performed around 16. It is a sort of "coming of age" sacrament. It is a way to strengthen the bonds of baptism, as well as give the gifts of the Holy Spirit. 

Sacrament of Marriage: or Holy Matrimony, is a public sign that one gives oneself totally to this other person. It is also a public statement about God: the loving union of husband and wife speaks of family values and also God's values.

Sacrament of Holy Orders: this is only for Priests being ordained to lead other Catholics. 

Sacrament of Anointing the Sick: formerly known as Last Rites, is a ritual of healing appropriate not only for physical but also for mental and spiritual sickness. It is performed to prepare the soul for salvation. 

Mass broken down -

Use of Water: we dip our right hand in water and make the sign of the cross as a reminder of our baptism and our sins.

Genuflection:  we kneel or bow as we enter the pew or approach the alter as a sign of honor

Posture: when the Mass begins, everyone stands as an expression of our attentiveness to the word of God.

Next is an opening song to unite our thoughts.

Greeting: the Priest will begin with asking us to make the Sign of the Cross and say, "The Lord be with you." We respond with, "And with your spirit." It is both a wish and statement of faith. 

Penitential Rite & Gloria: it is important to confess our sins and put ourselves in the proper condition to enjoy the Mass. Depending on the season, the Penitential Rite may be any of the following:

A	I confess to almighty God and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have sinned through my own fault - we strike our breast - in my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done, and in what I have failed to do; and I ask blessed Mary, ever virgin, all the angels and saints, and you, my brothers and sisters, to pray for me to the Lord our God. May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life. Amen. - the Kyrie may then be sung -
B	Lord, we have sinned against you: Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, show us your mercy and love. And grant us your salvation.  May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.
C	- Lord Jesus is acclaimed in praise, and we respond - ...: Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. ...: Christ, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. ...: Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.

For the Gloria, the hymm "Glory to God in the Highest" is often sung. 

Opening Prayer: the Priest will ask us to join our minds in prayer, have a moment of silence, followed by "Amen."

Liturgy of the Word: we sit down as reading from the Word of God are proclaimed. 

Three reading and a Psalm: the first reading is from the Hebrew scriptures giving background information for the Gospel reading. Next we will sing or recite a psalm. The second reading is from one of the letter of Paul or another apostolic writitng. Then we stand for the Gospel reading by the Priest as a sign of attentiveness to God's words. He will begin with, "The Lord be with you." Followed by the introduction of the gospel reading and the sign of the cross in three places: the forehead, the lips, and the heart with the thumb. We do this to clean or mind, our heart, and our lips for the presentation of the Word of the Lord. He finishes by saying, "The Gospel of the Lord", and we respond with, "Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ."

Homily:  homily has replaced the word sermon because it is more than just a talk, it is an act of worship. It is a way to take the words we have just heard and relate them to today's life situations. 

Creed: after a moment of silence/prayer, we recite the Creed. It is a statement of our faith in the word we have just heard. 

The Nicene Creed

I believe in one God,
the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all things visible and invisible.

I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the Only Begotten Son of God,
born of the Father before all ages.
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father;
through him all things were made.
For us men and for our salvation
he came down from heaven,
and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary,
and became man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate,
he suffered death and was buried,
and rose again on the third day
in accordance with the Scriptures.
He ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory
to judge the living and the dead
and his kingdom will have no end.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets.

I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.
I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins
and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead
and the life of the world to come. Amen.

General Intercessions: here we pray for the Church, nations and their leaders, people in special needs, the needs of our parish, etc. There is a moment of silence for as to add our own silent prayers. For each prayer, we respond, "Lord hear our prayer." 

Preparation of the Gifts: at this time there is a collection. The gifts: the collection, bread and wine,  are brought to the alter by members of the congregation. He then prepares the bread and the wine after washing his hands. 

The Eucharistic Prayer: this is when the bread and wine are transformed into the body and blood of Christ as the Priest prays. 

Invitation: to lift our heart up to the Lord, to give thanks and praise.

Preface & Acclamation: a prayer that prepares to come before the face of God followed by “Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory.”

Consecration: calling upon the Holy Spirit to change the gifts into His body and blood. 

Prayer for Unity & Intercessions: We look forward to that glorious day and raise our voices with those of all the saints who have gone before us as the priest raises the consecrated bread and wine and offers a toast, a doxology, a prayer of glory to God in the name of Christ: “Through him, with him, and in him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is yours, almighty Father, for ever and ever.” Our “Amen” to this prayer acclaims our assent and participation in the entire Eucharistic prayer.

Our Father & Sign of Peace: we recite the Our Father and offer a sign of peace to those around us. 

Invitation to Communion:  “This is the Lamb of God….Happy are those who are called to his supper.” The members of the assembly now approach the altar in procession.

Communion: we approach the minister with the bread. They say, "The Body of Christ." We respond, "Amen." The minister with the wine says, "The Blood of Christ." We again respond, "Amen." Then we pray silently in our hearts while standing or kneeling, thanking and praising God and asking for all that this sacrament promises.

Announcement: any news in the church bulletin the Priest wishes to point out.

Blessing and Dismissal: we make the Sign of the Cross with the lead of the Priest. The Deacon then offers the dismissal, often, "The Mass has ended, go in peace and proclaim the Word of the Lord", or something similar. To which we respond with, "Thanks be to God."