attended a mass recently..not catholic..have a question

[Sumwear]

Get me a religious order make a surprise visit. Or better yet, make a surprise visit to a religious order.

You guys know what I'm talking about:

 

[bill5]

Feelings are subjective and God's precense doesnt depend on our ability to sense him.

Feeling his presence is a true blessing and should be appreciated greatly when it's experienced, but not to feel such precense does not imply we've been abandoned or anything.

Exactly.....

Glaring doesn't help one bit trust me I've tried

You need lessons; I can help A lack of subtlety is key. Generally I agree they're clueless, but once in awhile someone "gets it." And let me add some people do have a clue and take their kids to the lobby/etc if they can't quiet their kid down. I so want to applaud when they do

Yeah I'm with you there. I feel like such a jerk for getting a bit frustrated

arghhhh! Please don't! THEY are the ones being jerky! This is not on you at all but that drives me nuts ie people feeling guilty for observing and acknowledging the obvious and calling a spade a spade (if only quietly to themselves).

 

[Gnarwhal]

arghhhh! Please don't! THEY are the ones being jerky! This is not on you at all but that drives me nuts ie people feeling guilty for observing and acknowledging the obvious and calling a spade a spade (if only quietly to themselves).

Ha, I actually tweeted about it because I had no other way to vent my frustration. It's not a perpetual issue, but some random Sundays there parents decide to bring their tots to the 8am "Traditional" Mass, but given their (and their kids) demeanor, they don't seem to be the type to appreciate this Mass anyway, they seem more like the type who would prefer the Mass with the piano and guitars and whatnot.

The last time I was frustrated though, these parents who looked about in their 30s came in with three kids that were probably six and under. The dad just sat there with the oldest on his lap, while the middle sat between the parents and screamed, cried, yelled and dropped all kinds of toys on and under the pew. The mom carried the youngest who was also making plenty of noise, and all the mom did was kiss the kids on the cheeks when they were being obnoxious. No discipline whatsoever. The dad didn't do a THING.

I'm normally not one to be critical of parenting, but when you don't discipline your kids at all I get frustrated.

/rant.

 

[bill5]

Yep. Hardly uncommon, I'm afraid.

Anyway, sorry all, didn't mean to derail. Goodness knows this kind of thing occurs in all denominations.

 

[katerinah1947]

Get me a religious order make a surprise visit. Or better yet, make a surprise visit to a religious order.

You guys know what I'm talking about:

Hi,

I watched your top video.

YOU HAVE STUPEFIED ME.

The old definition.

The one that causes one to sense God.

Historically, it is one method, that God also used to tell people the truth about Him.

Stupefication, is how I think it was spelled back then.

LOVE,

 

[WarriorAngel]

i attended a thurs mass, so may be different attending on a sunday..know is usually more in attendance on sunday at my church...went to an ol chapel. was neat inside. just seemed almost robotic/hypotic came away feeling depleated..felt nothing inside..I even prayed a couple times on my own..but nothing...couldn't tell what folks were saying...all the stuff folks were saying was suppose to be prayers...but it was so monotone...anyways..just curious did I pick a bad day? are services usually that meh...I go to church to feel rejuvenated...uplifted...and to learn something..or add to my knowledge...sorry i rambled on..do you guys feel the spirit...how when you are reciting prayers the whole time...other than the reading someone did at the beginning...again no life...and the taking of communion at the end

Sunday Mass you get a fuller effect.
Although i loved going to daily Mass when i lived closer in the city.

 

[WarriorAngel]

I'm glad others take the liberty to say this as it often feels as if I'm a horrible human being for getting ticked off by kids at Sunday mass.

Another thing I really dislike about Sunday mass is how the same disrespectful, mindless people have their cellphones ringing and annoying the crap out of myself, other parishoners and our priest every week.

This horrific behaviour is nonexistent at weekdays which is good.

I simply keep my eyes on them and when i do the shhhh - they stop.. every time.

 

[ml5363]

Firstly, welcome to Christian Forums, and welcome to One Bread One Body - the Catholic Forum! Also, I'm glad to hear you had an opportunity to go to Mass!

Daily Mass can often be pared down compared to Sunday Mass, so that may be part of it. But in all fairness, if you're going to a Catholic parish expecting an exuberant show like Hillsong, that's just not going to happen. As the ancient Church that Christ founded, we engage in the oldest forms of worship that focus on reverence for Christ.

Something else to think about, should we be going to church because of what we can get out of it? You mentioned you go to get rejuvenated and uplifted, but perhaps how we feel afterwards isn't the point. Maybe we our objective to be to give glory and honor to God and let everything else sort itself out.

I know when I go I feel the Holy Spirit more completely than in any Protestant service I've ever been to (and I'm just now converting to Catholicism, having been a Protestant for the first 28 years of my life). I feel as though I'm actually, literally, tapping into this living stream of consciousness within the worship since it's been essentially unchanged since the time of Christ and the Apostles.

I do not go to church to feel uplifted..I go to hear a message, to read scripture and guidance of how to be more like christ...to stay on the right track..to worship god..while i am there, I feel the holy spirit and that uplifts me to know he is present with us. The world is a terrible and evil place..church is a safe place to feel closer to god and feel comforted by...

did not feel this at mass...it was so monotone..like one 30 min string of chants..which most you couldn't understand..even though I had a guide in front of me ...the lords prayer was the only thing i recognized...at least expected to feel the presence of the holy spirit..but did not..even after a couple prayers...

 

[ml5363]

Feelings are subjective and God's precense doesnt depend on our ability to sense him.

Feeling his presence is a true blessing and should be appreciated greatly when it's experienced, but not to feel such precense does not imply we've been abandoned or anything.

when i feel his presence , i am uplifted and blessed..but also know he is trying to speak to me thru the sermon..teach me something..something I need to work on... do more, or turn from..or to say I am just here...

 

[ml5363]

We exist to love and to serve God... we are NOT about how uplifted we feel and how rejuvenating mass is that is not how we feel the holy spirit. The holy spirit is what moves us to worship God in the first place. It is what moves us to serve God by taking his word and his love to others. It is the holy spirit who moves our hearts towards God. If you want to experience the holy spirit go before God recognising your sinfulness that you have wronged God offended him and your not worthy to even be in that church let alone before him in the eucharist let the spirit move you to repentance and know your salvation lies within the faith and sacraments of the church founded by Christ.... if your just looking to feel uplifted and rejuvenated the world offers you many avenues by which to loose yourself in... drugs promiscuity alcohol sports fast cars money. Catholicism is much deeper and if your merely looking for the superficial you will never understand catholicism

feeling the holy spirit speaking to me is much more powering and blessful than worldly things that the outside offers...I will stick with Jesus thanks

 

[ml5363]

I have attended some daily masses that were "good", but most have been generally poor. The Priests have seemed detached, little response from the pews, no music, no homily, mostly going through the motions. In general, daily Mass is not the best place for a non-Catholic to get the feel of a Catholic Mass.

Curious as to why you went to a weekday Mass, as you are not Catholic? Have you gone to a Sunday Mass?

yes, this is what I was trying to figure out...was this an off day or a typical day...I was chatted with a catholic friend..we were talking about beliefs...and art...i asked if all catholic churches are depicted like in the movies..the elaborate decor and such..she said not really but your older chapels would...so she invited me to a mass...her church she attends is simple , so we decided to attend the one downtown from the 1800s..since she had never attended there either and her old priest was also there...i agree to attend if she agreed to visit mine..she had only been to lutheran and catholic...so we did a thursday since she said she couldn't miss hers on sunday...and i knew hubby wouldn't take our 3 kids alone...lol was an experience but was very underwhelming...felt like god was limited in that service...since it was so robotic..that he couldn't present himself..but anyways..

 

[Gnarwhal]

I do not go to church to feel uplifted..I go to hear a message, to read scripture and guidance of how to be more like christ...to stay on the right track..to worship god..while i am there, I feel the holy spirit and that uplifts me to know he is present with us. The world is a terrible and evil place..church is a safe place to feel closer to god and feel comforted by...

did not feel this at mass...it was so monotone..like one 30 min string of chants..which most you couldn't understand..even though I had a guide in front of me ...the lords prayer was the only thing i recognized...at least expected to feel the presence of the holy spirit..but did not..even after a couple prayers...

Are you trying to say that Catholicism lacks the Holy Spirit because it's not happy-clappy like a Pentecostal church? Cause there's over a billion of us who would disagree...

 

[Godlovesmetwo]

Did you know there's a service for just mothers and bubs? It's called crappy nappy.

 

[bill5]

I go to church to feel rejuvenated...uplifted...

I do not go to church to feel uplifted..

???

Anyway, I suggest you try a weekend Mass. I agree they are usually quite different. If it's the same, perhaps try a diff church. Or perhaps Catholicism simply isn't for you, and that's no crime. People come to God in various ways and through various denominations.

 

[mea kulpa]

There is no salvation outside the catholic faith

 

[Godlovesmetwo]

look out, Bill's dissecting posts again...

 

[Godlovesmetwo]

There is no salvation outside the catholic faith

Thank God for that!

 

[Albion]

.

 

[katerinah1947]

There is no salvation outside the catholic faith

Hi,

Except for a meaning way outside of the normal meaning of Catholic, what you say is not correct.

If you mean that in one way shape or another, all people are Catholic, then yes you are correct.

LOVE,

 

[bill5]

Thanks kat, I wasn't going to bother, frankly.