Bringing a friend to mass for the first time can intimidate even the most confident evangelists. You try to quickly brief them before mass begins, “Oh yeah, we’ll listen to some readings from the Bible and then we will move onto the second part and draw in some stuff from the Last Supper…you know, pretty cool”. But as you enter the church, you will realize the dozens of approaching moments you forgot to mention. Keep it cool, my friend, the Holy Spirit has got this one under control. Use this time to remember all the awesome components of the mass we often forget.
1. The Holy Water
CC Image by Ann Oro on Flickr
Did I mention we bless ourselves?
2. We still chant
CC Image by British Province of Carmelites on Flickr
And sometimes in Latin, too. Ancient never goes out of style.
3. You may see some of this:
CC Image by James Bradley on Flickr
And if you don’t see it, you’ll smell it!
4. We all kneel at the same time
CC Image by Bowsk on Flickr
We kneel, then we kneel again. And then we kneel more. This all occurs during the most reverent parts of the mass.
5. “Peace be with you”.
CC Image by Zach Taylor on Flickr
We exchange a sign of peace, typically a handshake, to those sitting close to us.
6. The priest is holding Jesus
![[CC Image by British Province of Carmelites on Flickr]](https://i0.wp.com/epicpew.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/eucharist.jpg?resize=678%2C242&ssl=1)
[CC Image by British Province of Carmelites on Flickr]
7. You can follow along with the missal
![[CC Image by Charles Clegg]](https://i0.wp.com/epicpew.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/missal.jpg?resize=318%2C425&ssl=1)
[CC Image by Charles Clegg]
My friend’s first encounter with any church occurred when she spontaneously came with me to daily mass one evening. I told her the one-sentence Bible-readings-plus-Last-Supper explanation and mentioned nothing else. We entered the chapel and I immediately wanted to smack my palm to my forehead because I realized the benefit in this particular situation of sharing the above seven things.But every situation is different – Sometimes the Lord places great details on our hearts to share while other times places only silence.
So what do you forget to share but want to? Do you give details or just a one-sentence overview? If your first mass occurred after infancy, what do you wish someone told you?
Where were you my first time at Mass?
You forgot to mention that your non Catholic friends can still go to the front during the Eucharist to receive a blessing, just have them cross their arms over their chest… Knowing this was a LIFESAVER for me the first time I went to mass, I didn’t want to be the ONLY one to not leave my seat seeing as how I was the ONLY non Catholic at a Catholic conference of 900 people… I’m so glad my friend was looking out for me :) Also, I keep forgetting to ask, as a non Catholic, do I sprinkle Holy Water? I just kind of stand there with a not so bright look on my face… I never want to be irreverent…
Blessings are not to be given in the communion line.
Well I have been blessed in this manner twice… None the less, I am very grateful to have not been excluded!
Regardless of your receiving a blessing in the communion–they are not to be given. Think for just one moment: Prior to communion, a blessing has been given in the Sign of Peace. Furthermore, I have see EMHC giving blessings, which is a further abuse. EMHC have no power or authority to do so. If the Churches’ pastors cannot follow the rubrics of the mass and continue to disregard them, the liturgy can, and has devolved into chaos.
Perhaps my friend you can become a recovering legalist, like myself. I also used to get angry and disjointed when the exact rituals were not followed. As I have aged I have also gained wisdom, if it isn’t “perfect” it’s ok. The liturgies were celebrated and in the end Jesus’ command “Do this in memory of Me” was followed. Jesus never said Do it exactly this way. One last thing, we would not recognize the Mass as it was performed 100 years ago & we would not recognize the Mass 100 years from now.
But it happens, Bill. Perhaps the Bishops then need to put a stop to it? Do you believe they are aware of it?
At the Churches around me-if you’re in line with a Priest, you will receive a blessing.
If you are in a line-where there is a Eucharistic Minister, they cannot give a blessing. They should not, if they do.
Both times it was a priest!