Catholics: a couple questions and one statement?

Question

Just got home from mass and have a couple questions.

1) When people go into the sanctuary before getting in their pew they kneel on one knee and make the sign of the cross. What is the exact point of this?

2) I am a former Pentecostal. If you were once Pentecostal do you ever have trouble not letting your Pentecostal side out? Sometimes I just want to shout or raise my hands like I did in my old church.

3) Is the sermon the priest gives the same at all Catholic churches? I know the verses are the same but I am not sure if the sermon is the same everywhere.

4) As an adult going through RCIA do I need to pick a saint at the end? If I do I am thinking St. Albert the Great as I am a scientist and my understanding is he is the patron saint of scientists.

Now to the statement:

Anyone who has known me on here from the beginning knows I used to be a rabid anti-Catholic. For those Catholics who put up with me and answered my questions (attacks) with the love of God thank you. I don't have the words to describe my love for mass and my growing love for the Catholic church. I feel like I am growing spiritually and being fed more than I have in years. To any of you who prayed for me thank you. I truly feel like God has been preparing me for this for years.

Answer 1

James O has answered your questions perfectly. As you know I am a charismatic and have the same feeling sometimes. At Mass it often results in uncontrollable tears especially at the time of consecration. I also have this same reaction at weddings and Baptisms.



As a convert I know exactly how you feel. I was an Anti-Catholic before my conversion and never wanted to be Catholic but the Holy Spirit never gave up on me. He first destroyed my pride that was well developed as a Protestant. That is a Protestants last defense to believe that the church he has chosen is superior to what Christ has founded. I was strongly influenced by the Ante-Nicene fathers that confirmed the Catholic understanding of first century theology. I came to realize how the Church 2000 years later is still the same in beliefs and practices. But the most convincing of all was when I was contemplating on Christ's passion alone in prayer. In particular, I was recalling the night before His arrest His prayer to the Father recorded by St. John:



21That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.



I realization came as a flash that the only unity that He desired could be in His Church and not one of the tens of thousands of Protestant schisms. All my life I had committed myself to be in His will but not until that time had I realized the folly and disobedience of being a Protestant.



I then came to see the unity expressed in the Holy Eucharist and saw that even though I believed I was following His commandment I was actually replacing it with a counterfeit perversion of His commandment. I immediately fell to my knees and asked for forgiveness for my ignorance and lack of desire to verify in Scriptures, as the Bereans did, the Protestant beliefs I had been taught fell before me like a house of cards. I knew then I had to be Catholic at any cost but first to go was my pride.



I developed a particular affinity to you when we first met on this forum. Looking back I realized that I saw myself in you. I remember that during the period we had our frank discussions someone posted a question that asked who would we most want to meet in person of all the people we had met on Y/A and immediately I thought of you and answered the question with your name. I still feel the same way. You have been an inspiration to me and I have been blessed to have met you and to know you as a person who loves God and seeks His face. I pray in that fact that we are kindred spirits. May our Lord bless you abundantly and continue to use you to inspire others as I have been blessed to know you.



In Christ

Fr. Joseph

Answer 2

Hi



1) You would geneflect (bend the right leg or bow) towards the Tabernacle out of the respect for who is present there. Jesus is literally present in the Tabernacle behind the altar.



2)In the Catholic Church its seen to be more reverant and by shouting etc it can sometimes take away from the devotional side. However I was at a Novena (especially for young people) and there was alot of clapping and dance with a hymn and they also had a mini play.

It just depends on the occasion.



3) The sermon given by the Priest is usually in keeping with the reading from the Gospel. Or if its a saints day they talk about that saint.



4)You choose a saints name for Confirmation

Answer 3

When we go into church, before getting into the pew we kneel on one knee,this is called making a genuflection. We do this in adoration of Jesus who is present in the Blessed Sacrament reserved in the tabernacle. It is a greeting to him.



I am a Catholic Charismatic and often feel like you!

I do raise my hands at times in the Parish Mass, at the Gloria, after the Consecration to welcome my Lord Jesus, at the Our Father and during some hymns. If I am singing 'I raise my hands to you, I give myself to you, take me in your arms etc' it seems the most natural thing to do!



As a former Pentecostal, you can still take this with you into the Catholic Church. The Catholic Charismatic Renewal may help you with all the aspects of the Pentecostal Church that you may be missing!



The sermon given by the priest is not the same in every Catholic Church.The Gospel that is read is the same and the priest will try in his homily to expand on what has been read. I always pray for the Holy Spirit to be with him at this time and also with those who are listening. He has to talk to a wide range of people who are at various stages with their walk in faith. He may also speak from his own experience.



As you are doing the RCIA you will probably be received into the Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil next year. When you are confirmed during the ceremony it is usual to accept the name of a saint, someone you can relate to and as you are a scientist St Albert is a great choice.



As to your statement, what can I say? Yes, God is always there with his love and I am sure he has been preparing you, but you have responded and said yes to hIm.



I will continue to pray for you and may the Lord be with you during this time of preparation into full reception into the Catholic Church.



God bless

Answer 4

1) Homage to jesus and adoration of Him present in the Blessed Sacrament

2) Try the Charismatic renewal (Catholic Pentecostalism) prayergroups ( which are in many parishes and in most dioceses) or the Cursillo Movement or Lifeteen Masses

3) the texts of the Bible readings from the Lectionary are the same (unless you go to Masses of different rites ) but the sermons(called homilies) are all different

4) Albertus Magnus is a great choise for a Confirmation patron and prayer partner



Welcome home! i love the mass and have been well fed in the catholic Church

My parish has bible studies and the next parish over has a Charismatic prayergroup

Answer 5

1. it to genuflect towards the tabernacle, the hosts, that are Jesus. If the tabernacle is in a different room, we are to bow toward the altar. Both to show reverence and honor toward the Lord.



2. no, not in a catholic church, it's more reserved and quiet, all out of reverence toward the Lord.



3. Each priest makes up his own homily after reading the gospel.



4. I'm not sure about this one. I was baptized into the church. But I did pick a saint's name for my Confirmation. And have a different one for my patron saint that I pray to.



Congratulations! Welcome to the Church. We are very happy to have you. Peace.

Answer 6

they kneel to to the tabernacle where the ciborium is situated and gods presence .

"every knee shall bow and every tongue confess."

the sermon may not be the same in every church even though the readings are universal, but they must be preached in the boundaries of truth.

you will eventually grow out of past habits , we oldies are now waiting for the new replies of the mass starting on 1st. sunday of advent

albert will be fine , take care and welcome

Answer 7

1) We do this because Jesus Christ is truly substantially present in the tabernacle. We are not kneeling to statues, nor to any priests or deacons near the altar, but to Jesus Christ in the tabernacle. We make the sign of the cross because this is an ancient prayer that identifies us publicly as Christians. Standing, I always make the sign of the cross immediately before I receive the Eucharist. I like to make sure I myself am in the proper frame of mind to consume our Lord. I also make the sign of the cross as a way of showing Satan - if he's watching, that it is Jesus Christ alone who I adore.



Remember that on Good Friday, we do not kneel when we enter church, for Jesus Christ is not in the tabernacle. The tabernacle doors will be open, and He will not be there. For me this is a terrifying experience, and I can barely hold back my tears when I see the tabernacle empty. Jesus Christ did not have to come to save us, but He came. I'm delighted that He came, and it terrifies me to think about what this world would be like had Jesus Never come, if there was no tabernacle ever in which Christ waits for us... a hideous thing to imagine indeed!



2) I was never Pentecostal. I was born into a Catholic family, stayed Catholic, then left the Church to wander naively, then came home about twenty tears ago. I like to sing, and I go to church by myself to sing before the Blessed Sacrament. I stand, kneel, then sit in the front pew, directly before the tabernacle. If the doors are closed, Jesus Christ is in there. I start with an act of contrition, then I sing the Gloria and many other hymns of praise.



I sing How Great Thou Art, Be Not Afraid/Pescador de Hombres, Faith of Our Fathers, Amazing Grace, Holy Holy Holy, All Creatures Of Our God and King, Softly and Tenderly and many others, maybe for 30 minutes, maybe for two hours. In "How Great Thou Art", I change "Awesome Wonder" to "Adoration", since I am in adoration at the time.



I have a great voice for singing solo - not just the only one singing, but the only one within earshot!

I trust my guardian angel to sing the right harmony to make even my voice pleasing to God.

If others are present, I let them pray in silence.



You should try what I do, sing before the Living Son Of God in church alone. You may sing well or poorly, so long as you mean what you sing. You may also moan, shout, or speak in tongues, even though I do not. I do, however, hum or whistle hymns sometimes.



I think it is good to sing to please the Lord. It also is good to sing, especially The Gloria, to make it clear to Satan that you reject Satan utterly and adore God utterly. It can be dangerous intentionally to offend Satan, but I think we should do so as often as we think of it. Satan might try to get back at you later, but he wasn't going to be your friend anyway!



3) It's not actually called a sermon, but a homily. It is different from parish to parish, and priest to priest. The priest, or the deacon if authorized by the priest or bishop, should explain the scripture readings, and explain how they apply to the life of Christians today. That's why it's a little different at each parish around the world. Not everyone needs the same explanation.



4) You may choose a particular saint, and you should give big thoughts to this matter. EWTN.com has a great section about saints. I love them all, since they have done what I hope to do, receive eternal life in the joyous presence of God. I especially love Jesus Christ's Earthly "Dad", Joseph. Joseph's courage was amazing, exceeded only by his humility and love for his family and Creator.



I think you should study Saint Anselm. He was not really a scientist, but was a brilliant thinker. His skills in Logic match or exceed those of any other mere man or mere woman ever, in my opinion. Anselm's ontological argument for the existence of God is dazzlingly beautiful. You may read all about it in Anselm's Proslogium, translated best into English by Sidney Norton Deane about 100 years ago. Anselm lived about 900 years ago.



Welcome Home!

May your studies of all sorts, in Science and in your faith, be fruitful and genuine.



I am Roman Catholic.

Peace be with you.











EDIT: Burt Ghezzi wrote a great and inexpensive book entitled "The Sign of The Cross."

He explains much about this ancient sign and prayer.

If you can not afford to purchase the book,

please provide me the name of your parish priest or parish and location.

I'll make sure the parish comes to own a copy available for lending.



Peace be with you.

Answer 8

I am glad you find peace and comfort, I am one of those not sided with Catholics, I was raised as one and I can't bring myself to believe in purgatory. I am not trying to pull you from, because I do believe that there are good Christians among the Catholics.

Answer 9

I don't really care if someone is Catholic or Pentecostal. All I care is that you worship God in spirit and truth.

Answer 10

but what about God's Holy Living Word and It's warnings to come out of her (Rev. 18:4) PLEASE reconsider!!!



In Revelation 13 and 14 John records a list of omens that will tell us just how close we are to the end. The sign that will show this nation has filled its cup of iniquity will be when it makes an image to the Papacy by uniting church and state. How much more neatly could this be effected than by the passage of a national Sunday law commanding everyone to honor a pagan day of worship? Such an event will be a direct fulfillment of Revelation 13:15-17, and provide assurance that the end of this earth's time is quickly approaching.

One author describes coming events this way: "As the approach of Roman armies was a sign to the disciples of the impending destruction of Jerusalem, so may this apostasy be a sign to us that the limit of God's forbearance is reached, that the measure of our nation's iniquity is full, and that the angel of mercy is about to take her flight." When the churches have apostasized in their abominations to such a degree that they enact legislation of a religious law which displaces God's holy Sabbath with a pagan holiday, we may leave our cities, knowing that a time of trouble will be forthcoming.

The abomination of desolation is an important subject in these last days. If we study this prophecy carefully, we will find that in each of its three fulfill-ments refers to a national apostasy by God's people that ends in their tragic destruction. We are now living in the time of the Chistian church's final apostasy, which makes of none effect the commandments of God. We need to see that we are in the midst of fulfilling prophecy and keep our eyes open for the culmination of all things.

Our only sure protection against the abomination of desolation is to give our lives unreservedly to Jesus, loving others as He loves them and worshiping Him in the way that His word teaches. The greatest commandment is simply to love God with all our heart and soul and strength. If we have such love, it will be natural for us to do all things to please and honor Him. In return, He will see us safely through the desolation that will close this earth's history just before He comes again.

Answer 11

BIBLE DICTIONARY

Faith

Faith is to hope for things which are not seen, but which are true (Heb. 11: 1; Alma 32: 21), and must be centered in Jesus Christ in order to produce salvation. To have faith is to have confidence in something or someone. The Lord has revealed himself and his perfect character, possessing in their fulness all the attributes of love, knowledge, justice, mercy, unchangeableness, power, and every other needful thing, so as to enable the mind of man to place confidence in him without reservation. Faith is kindled by hearing the testimony of those who have faith (Rom. 10: 14-17). Miracles do not produce faith but strong faith is developed by obedience to the gospel of Jesus Christ; in other words, faith comes by righteousness, although miracles often confirm one’s faith.

Faith is a principle of action and of power, and by it one can command the elements and/or heal the sick, or influence any number of circumstances when occasion warrants (Jacob 4: 4-7). Even more important, by faith one obtains a remission of sins and eventually can stand in the presence of God.

All true faith must be based upon correct knowledge or it cannot produce the desired results. Faith in Jesus Christ is the first principle of the gospel and is more than belief, since true faith always moves its possessor to some kind of physical and mental action; it carries an assurance of the fulfillment of the things hoped for. A lack of faith leads one to despair, which comes because of iniquity.

Although faith is a gift, it must be cultured and sought after until it grows from a tiny seed to a great tree. The effects of true faith in Jesus Christ include1 an actual knowledge that the course of life one is pursuing is acceptable to the Lord (see Heb. 11: 4);2 a reception of the blessings of the Lord that are available to man in this life; and3 an assurance of personal salvation in the world to come. These things involve individual and personal testimony, guidance, revelation, and spiritual knowledge. Where there is true faith there are miracles, visions, dreams, healings, and all the gifts of God that he gives to his saints. Jesus pointed out some obstacles to faith in John 5: 44 and John 12: 39-42 (cf. James 1: 6-8).

The most complete and systematic exposition on faith is the Lectures on Faith, prepared for and delivered in the School of the Prophets in Kirtland, Ohio, in 1832. Other references to faith include JST Gen. 14: 26-36; Rom. 10: 14-17; 2 Cor. 5: 7; Eph. 2: 8-9; Heb. 11: 1-40; James 2: 14-26; 1 Pet. 1: 8-9; Enos 1: 6-8; Alma 32; Moro. 10: 11; D&C 46: 13-16.

Answer 12

I would suggest that you read these before making a big mistake:



http://xathrus.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=doctrines