When choosing a religious service I was very limited on my choices so I was intrigued to go back to my roots and try the Catholic denomination. This denomination is the one that is most prevalent in my community and also in my social circle as well. Since I have actually been to a Catholic church as a child I thought I knew what to expect but I was shocked at how naive I was to the subject. My preconceived ideas and thoughts were that there would be a lot of getting down on your knees then back up again then saying your Hail Mary’s with not much depth to a service. Also growing up with a social group that was full of Catholics you would always hear of confession so that was something I was particularly dreading for the fact that I did not quite understand the concept and believe in it. This did not take place however which was a sigh of relief on my part cause I was not ready for that big of a leap from my own comfort zone. Attending a non-denominational church we start out with worship and being free to sing and dance and let our spirits take over. This may come out as someone running around the pews, or on their knees, but while in the Catholic Church the environment was much different. It was a lot more structured and formal in a sense than that of the non-denominational church where I practice my faith. Another difference was the offering, or as the Catholic Church calls it, the Gift. I am use to this concept, but rather than taking Gifts at the beginning of the service they take it at the end; then came communion. This is where you take part in eating the bread and drinking the wine in symbolism of Jesus’ body and blood. This I was also familiar with, but was informed by the couple that I went with that they partake in com... ... middle of paper ... ...conceived notions were proven inconsistent with the experience. Having the opportunity to compare the similarities and differences of these two churches was an eye-opening experience. It was surprising to see so many differences between the two when half of my congregation is made up of individuals that use to belong to the Catholic Church. Being able to better understand the Catholic faith and their taboos helps me better access the things that happen around my community. Works Cited Lewis M. Hopfe & Mark R. Woodward, Religions of the World, Prentice-Hall, 11th edition (2009). Ordinary Time-Christ the King Today's Missal June 19-November 26, 2011. Portland: John J. Limb, 2010. O'Reilly, David. "Catholic Crossroads: Catholicism Is a Faith in Flux Across U.S." Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia, PA). 27 Jun 2006: n.p. SIRS Researcher. Web. 24 Sep 2011.
This experience was really out of my comfort zone. It was hard to be an outsider and not prepared for what was to come and not speaking one of the languages used to understand the entire service. This service learning project gave me the opportunity to try a new church and gain a deeper respect for a different religion. Everyone at the service was very educated on speaking the sacred texts and participating in the rituals practiced. I hope to have gained a better understanding for those who are new to religions and are nervous to come to a worship service. I will make more of an effort to be welcoming and accommodating to those who are new to our church.
The goal of this paper is to determine if the Catholic religion has continued to modernize since Vatican II. In order to help analyze the modernization of Catholicism, this paper will examine the immigration of Catholics to America in the 19th and 20th centuries. Throughout this paper, I will reference Dr. Julie Byrne’s commentary, a professor in American religious history at Duke University, as a means of explaining how Catholicism has assimilated into American culture. Next, this paper suggests three challenges that Catholics are presently facing in the 21st century. Finally, this paper will elaborate on the growth in “irreligious Catholics” and its potential dangers. Although Catholicism assimilated into American culture during the 19th and 20th centuries, research and the rise in “irreligious Catholics” in the 21st century suggests it is possible that Catholicism has not continued to modernize.
I am a nondenominational Christian and I decided to attend a catholic mass. I attended mass at the Conversion of St Paul Parish on April 6, 2014. The preside was Father Senan Glass and the starting time was 10am. The Conversion of St Paul Parish’s location is 4120 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, Ohio 44103. The church was very big and the stain glass windows were beautiful. At first, I felt uncomfortable because I did not know where to sit or what to do. I really did not have an idea of what to expect. Everything seemed very formal and the service was easy to follow because of the bulletin I was given, which had the order of service on it. The service was concise and it only lasted about an hour.
Of course, as a Catholic, I am not opposed to the Church’s traditions, nor do I see them as inadequate. Since the Church is a human institution meant to represent the divine and is not divine itself, however, I feel that there must be room for improvement. For example, I recently became curious as to why women were still not allowed to become priests, so I decided to find out. I questioned two priests, my religion teacher, and numerous other practicing Catholics, and the best answer anyone could give me was, “That’s just the way we’ve always done it.” While traditions provide stability and unity within a group of people, to be unquestionably planted in tradition can restrict growth. How often do traditions that once held deep meaning fade to become mundane tasks too difficult to let go? Too often, I see the congregation of a church monotonously reciting the Lord’s prayer, a prayer which Catholics believe was spoken directly from the mouth of God, with little regard for its meaning, or singing a joyful song such as the “Alleluia” with a positively depressing expression. No fault lies within these traditions themselves, but only in the way we view them. The Church must remind its members of the purpose of every prayer, every symbol, and every law so that Catholics do not lose the meaning of their religion.
Comparison of the Roman Catholic Church and the United Reformed Church All Christian denominations celebrate Holy Communion in some form, although how they do this varies. The two I have chosen to compare are the Roman Catholic Church and the United Reformed Church. In the Roman Catholic Church the act of worship is called Mass. Catholics are expected to attend Mass. Only those who have been Christened and then later confirmed can receive Holy Communion. The Mass consists of six parts as follows : The Foremass consists of the entrance, procession, and chant, which are then followed by the confession, which includes a litany ( Kyrie eleison) and ends with the Gloria.
First off Catholics believe that they are receiving the very Body and Blood of Christ Himself. At the Last Supper Jesus said, "This is my body which is given for you" and offering His disciples the cup of wine said, "Drink from it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed on behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins." In the Gospel of John they read: "Jesus said to them, 'Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day, for my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink (St. Louis Parish para 1).” When receiving communion and the person ahead of you is receiving Communion you offer a simple bow of reverence with your head and then step forward. You receive Holy Communion either in your hands or directly on the tongue. If you receive in the hands you should take care that they are clean (as a sign of reverence) and place one hand over the other and raise them up high, forming a throne with our hands to receive Jesus. As the priest places the host in our hands and says "The Body of Christ" you should respond loudly and clearly "Amen (St. Louis Parish para 5)." Also, one major point in Catholic Communion is with non-Catholics. Non-Catholics are not permitted to receive Holy Communion. The very action of receiving Communion says that the church believes it is the Body and Blood of Christ and that we share in the whole life of the Catholic Church. Inviting non-Catholics to Communion can be an obstacle to one day reaching full communion by blurring the differences in belief among Christian denominations.
In our modern time our world is becoming a global village as we are connecting with one another of other faiths. The Catholic Church wants to address the relationship with Non-Christian religions as we connect more and more with them and unite as one. God created the whole human race and wishes goodness for all. Hinduism and Buddhism for many years recognize and believe that there is a Supreme Being. These religions give answers to questions, teach teachings about the rules of life and etc.
Catholics and Protestants share a fair amount of fundamental ideas and concepts from the Christian faith, but there are critical differences which continue to make prominent and contrasting differences between their beliefs and practices. Those differences are just as important in defining the religions today as they were during the Protestant Reformation. In the sixteenth century, the Protestant Reformation began and religious leaders such Luther, Zwingli, Calvin, and others that protested against some of the practices and abuses of the Catholic Church. The protest is actually what spawned the name of Protestantism; the root of the word is Protestantism is “protest.” The main purpose for the protests was to reform the church from within; they saw a need for reformation to eliminate the blatant corruption and the abusive practices, such as “indulgences.” But as the years passed by, it became abundantly clear that their movement was unable to coexist with the Rome Catholic ideology, so those with Protestant beliefs/views broke away and organized their own church hierarchy and structures, this purge from Catholicism and new
Many times couples will incorporate Communion into the wedding ceremony, making Communion their very first act as a married couple.
The Roman Rite has many traditions that developed over time have been kept fundamentally the same, though they differ a lot from the Eastern Rite. In the Roman Rite, the liturgy is referred to as the Mass or The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. In the Roman Rite, instead of using leavened bread, it is typical that unleavened bread is used when celebrating the Eucharist during Mass. Also, instead of bowing, like done in the Eastern Rite, genuflecting is what is done when venerating the Blessed Sacrament. In the Eastern Catholic Church all three Sacraments of Initiation are done at the same moment, but in the Roman Catholic Church each sacrament takes place at a different time in a persons life. The events are separated and given to the individual as they grow in their
...ery emotional responses such as tears. However, this should not be a discouragement because all Catholics are very sensitive to this dramatic difference in celebrating God and it does take time to get use to. Mainly it must be known that whether Protestant or Catholic we are worshipping to the same God. By taking a step back and analyzing the differences in religious celebration of this mystery, one can realize the true similarities between the too. In this realization Catholics will be able to fully appreciate and identify with Protestant religious ceremonies.
...faith in the God who creates the world, people will always fail to grasp the idea behind the Catholic Vision and Imagination. Furthermore, although God remains always present in the midst of His flock, one can easily lose the awareness and consciousness of this Presence that accompany all human being. When people forget what is to be a Church, that community that is to be formed and lived is also lost. However, there remains the tradition, images, and architecture that speaks and transmits a voice beyond themselves that definitely calls people to relate their desires for depth and truth to the living God.
As I was attending mass, I noticed, it was very organized. There was a lot of sitting and standing, where I found myself struggling to understand. I noticed that they read some passages from the bible and sang a lot of psalms and hymns. The only thing that was familiar to me was the Eucharist.
Baptism and communion are two rituals practiced in Christianity for the purpose of affirming a commitment to the religion. Communion is when Jesus is remembered by the drinking of wine and the eating of bread as it represents the body and blood of Jesus Christ. This is something that is always celebrated every week at a Christian service. The spiritual aspect of communion is when Christians consume the Eucharist in belief that it is the blood and body of Jesus. This shows that the Christians are still devoted to god and his disciples are continuing to do what he asked of them. The historical meaning of Communion is recreating the meal of the Last Supper. The Last Supper occurred on the night before Jesus's death with his disciples following the resurrection of Jesus the next day. The Last Supper was when they had a traditional supper of Jesus the night before his crucifixion. Over the centuries, Christianity has evolved by forming different denominations with varying customs and practices, although, they still all believe in the Bible, the Trinity, and the teaching of the Nicene Creed. The three main branches of Christianity are Catholic, orthodox, and protestant. Other major denominations include, Angli...
Only through the words of consecration, “This is my Body… and this is my Blood”, can we truly experience the fruits of the Eucharist. This is only possible through God’s accordance with the Scriptures, Sacraments(the Eucharist in this case), minister(priest or bishop), and the people of the Church(The Body of Christ). Just like Jesus and his disciples during the Last Supper, all of the members of the Mass join in intercession in order to properly bestow power upon the Sacrament of the Eucharist. As the priest serves as a representation of Jesus, we serve as his disciples.