Catholic Mass

mrsmig said:

Receiving the Host in hand was even later than Vatican II - I want to say we started doing that in the late 1970s. When I made my First Communion, standard practice was to kneel at the altar rail and receive Communion on the tongue. No one kneels to receive Communion now (one stands), and altar rails are rarely seen in Catholic churches now.

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I'm guessing this is regional by diocese or by church because not the case in my area.

My hometown church hung onto the communion on the tongue thing longer than that. Maybe our priest was old-fashioned.

As a lapsed Catholic, I haven't attended mass regularly for years, and pretty much go on automatic pilot (amazing how the responses do linger with you) when I do attend for a wedding, funeral, etc. But when my eldest niece made her first communion a few years ago, I paid much closer attention to the Communion ceremony, and was really surprised at how many people took the host in their hands -- I think it was most of them, except for the older people.

I've been to numerous southern baptist churches and a couple English masses and one Latin mass. There is a world of difference between them. I highly, highly recommend that you get yourself to a Latin mass, pronto. Watching one online will do in a pinch, but in person will be a better experience and someone may be willing to talk to you afterwards and point you to some resources. Sit in the back and go through the motions as you feel is comfortable for you/respectful to others, but don't go up for communion.


Funny aside: The first English mass I went to, the priest announced prior to communion that they wouldn't be using a common cup due to some recent illnesses, and some of the older members were visibly upset, speaking up from the pews to clarify that it was still blessed(terminology?) and wanting to know how it was going to happen if he wasn't going to do it the "right" way. It freaked my little germaphobe self out to know that it was normal for everyone to drink from the same cup.

Do you live very rurally? I get that. Usually you can look them up in the yellow pages, though.

Oh! yes, definitely do NOT go up for Communion! That is a privilege reserved strictly for those who've made their First Communion ceremony in the church!

As I recall, that involved a fair bit of education, instruction, etc. I vividly remembering attending church school every Tuesday afternoon. Indeed, if I'm remembering correctly, on Tuesdays we got out of regular school a little bit earlier to go. My (public) elementary school was overwhelmingly Catholic -- most kids were descended from Irish, Polish or Italian Catholic immigrants who'd come over two or three generations before. I was exotic because I had a Spanish last name (though I also have Italian and Polish in me)! At the time, that didn't seem remarkable to me -- now it does.

Anyway. You do not get to participate in the communion ceremony without going through that. The host tastes terrible, so don't feel like you're missing out.

CapnJack said:

Yeah. Bit of a small town.

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I'm sure you can find the closest Catholic church. Look online.

CapnJack said:

Yeah. Bit of a small town.

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There are many many videos of the mass online.

Including the complete Latin mass filmed in the 1940s.

CassandraW said:

Oh! yes, definitely do NOT go up for Communion! That is a privilege reserved strictly for those who've made their First Communion ceremony in the church!

As I recall, that involved a fair bit of education, instruction, etc. I vividly remembering attending church school every Tuesday afternoon. Indeed, if I'm remembering correctly, on Tuesdays we got out of regular school a little bit earlier to go. My (public) elementary school was overwhelmingly Catholic -- most kids were descended from Irish, Polish or Italian Catholic immigrants who'd come over two or three generations before. I was exotic because I had a Spanish last name (though I also have Italian and Polish in me)! At the time, that didn't seem remarkable to me -- now it does.

Anyway. You do not get to participate in the communion ceremony without going through that. The host tastes terrible, so don't feel like you're missing out.

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I didn't know this the first time I went to a mass, but, after a moment of panic and indecision, elected to stay in my seat because I was shy (worrying the whole time that I might be snubbing something important). Found out later that it was taboo and have never been more relieved to be shy, haha.

mrsmig said:

I read somewhere that at services at the Vatican, you're no longer allowed to take Communion by hand. Apparently people were pocketing the consecrated hosts as souvenirs.

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You never know. Maybe they were keeping it for a snack later, or to feed the little ones at home.

I've known Churches that allow adults who haven't gone through First Communion to go up for a blessing (I guess that's the best way to call it). They signify that they're not accepting Communion by crossing their arms over their chest (hand on opposite shoulder). But sitting in your seat during communion is always a good option if you're not sure.

I'm almost suspecting that they might be worried, not just about treating the host as a cookie, but that people might be playing with, or desecrating the host. People playing vampire-hunter RPGs, or messing around with 'magic', etc. In a small congregation, the priest would know the regular parishioners, and who was eligible to take Communion. In a large congregation, or a well-known church, less likely.

On our family's brief foray into church-going, that was one thing my parents specifically warned me and my sister about: we were NOT to go up front when everyone else did. And my mother shot my father a dirty look that said "And don't even think it would be funny to encourage them to go!" Neither of my parents went, either, but that was more of a matter of principle, I think.

CassandraW said:

as likely as that anyone else would have, I would think. There are plenty of descendants of Irish Catholic immigrants down south.

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In "GWTW", the O'Hara family is Catholic. It comes into the story when one of the parents (I think) is buried, and (I think it's Melanie) adds some extra bits to the funeral service so that the Protestant neighbours don't find it too strange.

frimble3 said:

In "GWTW", the O'Hara family is Catholic. It comes into the story when one of the parents (I think) is buried, and (I think it's Melanie) adds some extra bits to the funeral service so that the Protestant neighbours don't find it too strange.

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It's Ashley. He throws in some Episcopalian stuff.

As a young boy, probably about 8, who would have normally been in the kid church room, but since I was sick, I sat in real church with my parents (that church being a Baptist church), they decided to have communion. Baptist communion was not like Catholic communion. It was Welch's Grape Juice and saltines. And they were passed around on a platter. I'd never been in real church before, so I figured they were refreshments and grabbed a handful. Swallowed those suckers in no time.

I'm probably going to hell.

Haggis said:

I'm probably going to hell.

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Well, yes, but not for that. There are so many other things.

CassandraW said:

Well, yes, but not for that. There are so many other things.

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You mean like the time they were passing the donation platter and I put my dime in and took out fifty cents?

Haggis said:

You mean like the time they were passing the donation platter and I put my dime in and took out fifty cents?

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that would be one of the things, yes.

CassandraW said:

that would be one of the things, yes.

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But I apologized to a Chaplain about 15 years later.

Did you give him forty cents?

Lookit the pretty butterfly.