Catholics: please help.?

Question

I'm writing a paper about going to church with a religion not my own..but problem is I haven't been able to go.

So if there are Catholics out there reading this..could you please tell me what its like from the moment you walk through the door of the church, and the kind of rituals that are done...i've been to a catholic church once and i've noticed that they do things ritually and in order etc. thanks

Answer 1

i would say "be careful!!" but here is help.
http://www.grigaitis.net/articles/guide/

Answer 2

When I go to Mass I feel the presence of God there, a kind of peace, like I am home

Below is the Mass


Order of Mass
Gathering and Entrance Procession
Greeting
Penitential Rite
Opening Prayer
Prayer of Praise
Liturgy of the Word:
First Reading (usually from the Old Testament)
Psalm Response
Second Reading (usually from an epistle in the New Testament)
Gospel
Homily
Creed
Prayer of the Faithful


Liturgy of the Eucharist:
Preparation and Offering of the Gifts of Bread and Wine
Preface Prayer of Praise and Thanksgiving
Eucharistic Prayer (including words of consecration and concluding with the community's great AMEN).
Communion Rite:
Lords Prayer
Sign of Peace
Communion
Meditation


Concluding Prayer
Blessing
Dismissal

Answer 3

The moment you want into church I get this tingling sensation down my spine like I feel comfortable around everybody. Before I go sit down I turn towards the altar, get my head down, kneel on one knee, and do the sign of the cross. Then there's the songs and I'm not ashame to sing along even if I know I can't sing. We listen to two scriptures somehow relating to each other and then we stand up to listen to the new testament.

We do the Apostle's creed and that just brings up my faith and makes me feel so proud to be Catholic. I can feel the Holy Ghost all around me and sometimes I just close my eyes to concentrate more. Then the moment of the Eucharist, the most important ritual in which bread transforms into the flesh of Jesus, which I haven't taken because I need to go to confession first. At the end of mass I just feel like helping everyone and feel like I'm at peace with my soul.

Answer 4

Thank you for showing respect by asking.

Here is an outline of the Mass:

+ Introductory Rites
. + Entrance (All stand)
. + Greeting
. + Act of Penitence
. + Kyrie Eleison (Latin for "Lord have mercy")
. + Gloria
. + Opening Prayer

+ Liturgy of the Word
. + First Reading - usually from the Old Testament (All sit)
. + Responsorial Psalm
. + Second Reading - usually from a New Testament Epistle
. + Gospel Reading (All stand)
. + Homily (All sit for the sermon)
. + Profession of Faith (the Nicene Creed) (All stand)
. + Prayer of the Faithful (prayers of petition)

+ Liturgy of the Eucharist
. + The Preparation of the Gifts - the bread and wine are brought forward and placed on the altar, our monetary offerings are also collected at this time (All sit)
. + The Prayer over the Offerings (All stand)
. + The Eucharistic Prayer - during this prayer the bread and wine change into the Body and Blood of Christ (Catholics kneel, visitors may kneel or sit)
. + The Lord's Prayer (All stand)
. + The Rite of Peace (We offer each other a sign of peace)
. + The Breaking of the Bread
. + Communion - non-Catholics are requested out of respect not to receive Communion, they may approach the altar with their arms crossed over their chest to receive a blessing (Stand or kneel according to local custom)

+ The Concluding Rites
. + Announcements (All sit)
. + Blessing (All stand)
. + Dismissal
. + Procession

For more information, see the General Instruction of the Roman Missal: http://www.usccb.org/liturgy/current/chapter2.shtml#sect3a
and http://stbrigids-kilbirnie.com/Pages/mass-1.html

With love in Christ.

Answer 5

well when i enter the Churh i feel empty because i've been far from God. When the priest starts to read the Holy Gosple i feel as if God is talking to me. its like nothing in the world compares to His words not even money. then when we say the Creed i listen and i can hear ever thing that explains what the churc is really about. Now the Liturgy of the Eucharist is my favorite part of mass because This is when God tell the apostels that He is going to give Him self for us. As mass reaches this point i know that Jesus suffered more then all my sins equal together. i feel ashemed of myself for making sins. this is when that empty feeling gets feeled with love.Anyways when mass ends i feel at peace with my soul.

Answer 6

well, we come in, face the altar to kneel on one knee, and make the sign of the cross...some people , after going to their seats, pray...