DAY 10: What is "Mass?"

     I've had a couple of non-Catholic Christian friends who have asked me, "What is Mass?" So, I thought I'd address it....Essentially, "Mass" is the Catholic (and Orthodox, Anglican, and Protestant) church service. It is the Celebration of the Eucharist. ( Eucharist- the spiritual communion with God; Holy Communion)

     Mass in the Catholic Church begins with an opening prayer and a general confession of one's sins. Then, a lector - a lay person who reads aloud the readings; not a priest- gets up and reads the first reading. The first reading, which is usually a passage from the Old Testament, is followed by some singing. Then, we have the second reading (from the New Testament,) more singing, and the gospel- which is read by the priest. After the gospel, the priest gives a homily- sort of a fancy word for preaching-and we sing again. Following this is the breaking of the bread, everyone in the Church prays the "Our Father" together and then we share the Holy Communion (basically, we recreate the Last Supper on a larger scale because Jesus himself said "Do this in remembrance of me...") After Communion, we sing one last time and mass is over. Wa-La!

Any questions? Please comment, and I will try to answer them!

DAY 9: What is a rosary?

     The Rosary is a set of prayer beads. The word "rosary" means a garland of roses. According to http://www.hail-mary-rosaries.com/paternoster-beads.html, throughout the Middle Ages, Bibles were expensive and rare.  Many people were also illiterate. Devout lay people, who wanted to share the devotion of praying the psalms with the monks of the day, "substituted  a series of recited or chanted  'Our Fathers' - one for each psalm.  The knotted, and later beaded, strings used by lay people to count their prayers were called ‘Paternosters’  (Latin for ‘Our Fathers’.)"  Many Protestants have also begun using the rosary because they recognize "it as a truly biblical form of prayer—after all, the prayers that comprise it come mainly from the Bible."

HOW TO PRAY THE ROSARY

Make the Sign of the Cross and say the "Apostles' Creed."

1. Say the "Our Father."
2. Say three "Hail Marys."
3. Say the "Glory be to the Father."
4. Announce the First Mystery; then say the "Our Father."
5. Say ten "Hail Marys," while meditating on the Mystery.
6. Say the "Glory be to the Father."
7. Announce the Second Mystery; then say the "Our Father." Repeat 6 and 7 and continue with Third, Fourth and Fifth Mysteries in the same manner.

The Apostles' Creed is the basics of the Catholic beliefs. If a non-Catholic Christian were to read the Creed, they would find that they believe most of what Catholics believe.... The " Our Father" is straight out of the Bible. The "Hail Mary" came from Luke 1:42, and the "Glory Be" is a simple prayer of praise to God.

Thanks for reading....

DAY 8: Idols in the Church?

    So, what is an idol? According to Merriam-Webster.com, an idol is a representation or symbol of an object of worship; broadly : a false god;  or an object of extreme devotion <a movie idol>   Many people claim that Catholics worship "idols"- like the crucifix above the altar- because they have seen Catholics kneel towards it. We don't, but, there are two explanations for this. 1.) Underneath the Crucifix is a box. In that box is where the Communion is- the Hosts (or what Catholics call the Living Body of Christ.)  2.)  Since Christ is our King, we kneel before Him.....
      Ok, let me describe what statues/paintings are in my church. Most, if not all, Catholic Churches have a crucifix (which I have already explained as a symbol, a picture, and NOT an idol.... ) and the stations of the cross. The stations of the cross are the stations of Jesus' journey with the cross. (From carrying it, to the final burial.... it is just another reminder of God's sacrifice..) We go through the stations and pray... NOT TO them... My understanding is that they are similar to tools... like the rosary (prayer beads... more detail later...) We also have stained glass windows picturing the holy Mother Mary (among others) and paintings depicting the Good Samaritan and some of the other Bible stories. The only thing Catholics kneel to is our Saviour and King.
       
In the meantime, keep your mind open and your hearts pure.  Thanks.

DAY 7: Why do Catholics use crucifixes instead of an empty cross?

     Catholics use the crucifix as a symbol of our faith. The crucifix is a reminder of the sacrifice and suffering Christ went through to eradicate our sins. It is also a way to keep Him in our memory... think of it not as an idol, but of a picture. If you look at a picture, you are reminded what was going on that day, who was taking the picture, maybe even what you were thinking when the picture was taken. Personally, (don't get mad at me) when I see a cross, I just think, "Oh that person is a Christian! Awesome! Good for them!" When I look at a crucifix, however, I see My Savior dying on a cross FOR ME!
      Obviously no one (who is alive to day) really knows what the Christ looked liked, but the crucifix is a picture of Him in one of his biggest hours. It reminds us to pick up our own cross and suffer as He did (one of the other points of Lent.)
     Whereas the crucifix is a symbol of God's love and victory over death, the cross symbolizes Jesus' Resurrection. From my research, the difference is just a matter of theology.

So I'll talk to everyone tomorrow, and God Bless!

DAY 6: Why can't women be Priests?

     Now, I'm not sure if this goes for any other branch of Christianity, but I learned pretty early on that in the Catholic Church, women can't be priests. (I say that because at one point I actually wanted to become a priest...) It is not because the Church is sexist, as some may think, but because it has always been a tradition of the Church. It goes back to what I wrote about priests being called "father." ( if your a woman would you want to be called "father" ...its like Hey Father Elizabeth!... it doesn't work.)  Priests represent Christ in His Church and since Christ was male...
   The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that "Only a baptized man validly receives sacred ordination." For this reason, it's not possible for women to become priests. Jesus chose  men for the twelve apostles (no women), and the apostles did the same when they chose their students. Also, I think that Jesus did have the option to choose women. He had Mary Magdalene, Martha, Elizabeth and His Mother, among others. The fact that He chose men seems to have been an important precedent for the Church. Therefore, we have male priests! : )

DAY 5: Forgetting Sundays?

     So, you may be wondering why I did not write yesterday.... No, it's not because I forgot or I was to tired to do it. No, yesterday was Sunday, the Sabbath. Now stick with me, I'm learning too. The Lenten season from Ash Wednesday to Holy Thursday is a span of 46 days, but I'm only supposed to follow my fast (what I gave up) for 40 days (on weekdays and Saturdays. In some Eastern Churches, they feast Saturday and Sunday.) Sunday is a Feast Day. Most Christians who celebrate Lent just keep Sunday in their fast, because it is easier and/or they are unaware of this; I, myself did not know about it until yesterday, so no worries.
   It is not a sin to "fast" on Sundays nor is it a sin to "feast."  It is up to the individual to decide what they think is best for them...