Mass Etiquette; Dos and Don’ts while at Mass

Fast:

It doesn’t even really feel like a fast anymore since its just an hour. The Church requires every communicant to begin preparing to receive Jesus by observing an hour fast (from food) unless they’re aged or sick. Won’t really cost much to give this little to receive God into your soul would it?

Come early, recollect yourself:

Sometime ago i asked on our Facebook page “When is one late for Mass” some said with confidence “When they come later than the Sign of the Cross”. I disappointed them by reminding them that the Mass actually begins with the procession. I usually advise people to make effort to be in Church at least 10-15 minutes before the actual time in order to have some time to pray and recollect; to begin the Mass in the right spirit. When it becomes a habit to arrive late, it ceases to be a real celebration for the person, and if it becomes a habit (especially Sundays) it begins to become sinful.

Eating?

It is inappropriate to find a grown person snacking or chewing gum in Church. We want to show God some seriousness and show our devotion by setting aside a perfect “God-time”. This means we’d try to devote all our attention to the act of worship, to make it as perfect as possible. The house of God is a place of prayer, let us try to keep it so. For Children? I still don’t buy the idea of snacks. If it can be discreet, and if the child is really troublesome, then its okay.

Dressing:

Be modest, don’t attract too much attention by putting on something open. We also love to think Sunday as a real celebration, keep this in mind and put on the best you have. God is holy, your body is his Temple, cover it, and adorn it moderately.

No Phones:

No cell phones; texting, chatting, calls etc. I have seen a number of people chatting over Facebook while at Mass. Then i wonder: So we really cannot give God little time anymore? What will it take to turn off our phones for an hour or two (Depending on where you live, some are as fast as 45 mins). The only justifiable case is big emergencies though, whatever it be, let it be serious and be discreet while attending to it. It is usually better to quietly leave the Church to attend to the emergency than text or receive calls inside.

Genuflection:

Upon entering the Church, every informed Catholic remembers that Jesus is present in the Tabernacle (usually indicated by some light beside it). The problem usually is that only few remember to show some respect. Genuflecting (such that your knee hits the ground) is a sign of devotion and reverence to the Lord who for love waits for us in the Tabernacle with blessing and peace.

Active participation:

Some find it hard to follow all the routines over and over again; to stand, sit, speak when needed etc. However, active participation means exactly this. In order to be really part of a praying community, we must join the Body of Christ in its movements. We are supposed to try as much as possible to join in singing, praying, and in performing all appropriate gestures while at Mass for our participation to be perfect.

Receiving Communion:

It is customary to show some reverence before, during and after communion. Before receiving, one must recollect, pray and prepare themselves. Receiving, it is advised to bow or kneel (depending on what’s customary in your area). After receiving, kneel and pray to Jesus, don’t be in a hurry, he might also have a word or two for you. It shouldn’t be heard, it could be simple movements in your soul, inspirations etc. But pray and keep still for a while. Remember to be joyful as well, when you leave mass, share this joy with everyone !

Be Charitable:

If you’re sick, be sure not to receive from the chalice. Remember to respect people close to you, do not consider yourself alone. Your neighbor might not like to be held while at mass, or even be talked to, respect it. If your child is noisy either take them outside (if crying) or to be back. Do to others what you’d want done to you.

Don’t be in a hurry:

Do not leave the Church before the Presider (the minister), the Mass ends officially when the priest leaves the Church. Even then, it is usually advised you sit/kneel in silent prayer of thanksgiving or simply gaze at Jesus in the Tabernacle, smile at him and just be joyful. After which you should leave quietly in order not to distract others.

 

You should add any more you remember in the comment section, and do not forget to share.

God bless you !

This article was inspired by Marcel LeJeune’s post on the same subject.

The Pope and the Russian Orthodox Patriarch met a year ago. Here’s what’s next.

One year ago marked a historic first meeting between a Pope and a Russian Orthodox Patriarch.

Now, the Vatican and the Moscow Patriarchate will celebrate the meeting’s anniversary with a conference at Switzerland’s Freibourg University.

The conference will take place Feb. 12, exactly one year after the meeting between Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill at the St. Marti airport at the Havana.

Christian brotherhood and unity were the focus of the 2016 meeting.

“We spoke as brothers," Pope Francis said of the meeting last year. “We have the same baptism. We are bishops. We spoke of our Churches."

Patriarch Kirill said their private discussion was conducted “with full awareness of the responsibility of our Churches, for the future of Christianity, and for the future of human civilization" and provided a chance to understand each other. He said the two Churches will work against war.

Now, one year later, Catholic and Russian Orthodox leaders will gather in Switzerland for a conference. The event is held by Cardinal Kurt Koch, president of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization, and Metropolitan Hilarion, president of the department of the external ecclesiastical relations of the Russian Orthodox Patriarchate.

Cardinal Koch and Metropolitan Hilarion both led the negotiations that led to Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill’s joint statement in Havana. At the Switzerland conference they will talk about progress and rapprochement between the two Churches.

It is probable that Cardinal Koch’s lecture will follow the approach of Fr. Hyacinthe Destivelle, who is in charge of the Eastern relations desk at the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the Christian Unity.

In Jan. 19 essay for L’Osservatore Romano, Fr. Destivelle emphasized the advances in the dialogue between the Holy See and the Russian Orthodox Patriarchate.

The 2016 meeting was not framed by theological dialogue, which is instead the competence of the International Roman Catholic-Orthodox Dialogue. Rather, it was framed instead “by the dialogue of charity, and more precisely by pastoral ecumenism."

The priest reiterated that the joint declaration between the Pope and the Patriarch was “a pastoral one." He rejected interpreting their declaration through “geopolitical lenses" and said it would be incorrect to see in them an excessive theological impact.

The declaration focused at length on anti-Christian persecution, especially in in the Middle East and North Africa. It lamented the hostilities in Ukraine. The declaration also voiced concern about the threat of secularism to religious freedom and the Christian roots of Europe.

Other topics of the discussion between the Pope and the Patriarch included poverty, the crisis in the family, abortion and euthanasia. The Pope and the Patriarch exhorted young Christians to live their faith in the world.

Fr. Destivelle also noted that the declaration drew criticisms from both Orthodox and Catholic sides.

In particular, from Ukraine the Greek Catholic Church expressed “strong reservations" focused on some passages.

The priest said more time is needed for the Havana meeting and the joint declaration to bear fruit.

As for the upcoming anniversary, Fr. Destivelle listed a series of concerts, exhibitions and even exchanges of gifts that will show strengthened relations.

He noted that Metropolitan Hilarion visited Rome four times in the last year and met with Pope Francis twice, on June 15 and Oct. 21. The metropolitan has met with other Vatican leaders. He had a June 26 meeting with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican Secretary of State, and several meetings with Cardinal Koch.

Fr. Destivelle wanted to reiterate that the Havana declaration was a “pastoral declaration" that intended to soften the polemics, even the polemics raised after the declaration was issued..

The declaration was at that time considered “Russophile" in some quarters. The Ukrainian religious agency RISU described it as such in its introduction to an interview with Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church.

Asked about his strong criticism of the declaration, Major Archbishop Shevchuk said that “some considered my words to be too harsh," but he then noted that the Pope himself “affirmed that that the declaration’s text was not infallible, that it is not ‘a page of the Gospel’."

“It should not be underestimated but it should also not be exaggerated," the archbishop said.

For Major Archbishop Shevchuk, an important result of the Havana meeting was that the Ukrainian Church began a conversation with the Holy See on these points.

“Certainly, even before this event, we always strove to inform the Vatican regarding the truth concerning the war in Ukraine," the archbishop said. “Nevertheless, after Havana, the global community was able to perceive our distress once again, by being reminded of the ‘forgotten war’ in Ukraine. Our pleas also resounded anew in the Vatican."

Archbishop Shevchuk also voiced appreciation for the progress of the Holy See, and recalled Cardinal Pietro Parolin’s trip to Ukraine. On the other hand, he emphasized that Ukraine should invest more in relations with the Holy See.

Russia too is investing much in relations with the Holy See. While in Paris for the European Meeting between Catholic and Orthodox Bishops, Metropolitan Hilarion granted an interview to Italian Bishops Conference’s news agency SIR.

In the interview, he underlined the good relations with the Holy See and in particular with Pope Francis. Though he said that another meeting between Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill is “not in the agenda," he said there are many things both Churches can do together.

“If our Churches speak joining their voices, our message is certainly stronger and of more impact," Metropolitan Hilarion said.

These are all the issues on the table that will likely be developed in the conference in Freibourg on Sunday. From Cuba to Switzerland, from Havana to the great hall of the university, many things have changed. But what has not changed is the strong desire for dialogue between the Holy See and the Patriarchate of Moscow.

Fatima nun has 15,000 pages of evidence for beatification cause

As the 100th anniversary of the Fatima apparitions approaches, Portuguese Catholic Church officials announced on Monday that thousands of pages have been gathered to testify to the holiness of Sister Lucia dos Santos – one of the original three children who were witnesses to the famous Marian apparition.

The documentation gathered for Sr. Lucia consists of over 15,000 letters, testimonies, and other documents that would support the nun’s cause for beatification. Bishop Virgilio Antunes of Coimbra, Portugal noted that these pages have taken more than eight years to track down, as they consist of personal letters and witness statements from more than 60 people.

The pages were presented at a church ceremony at Sr. Lucia’s convent in Coimbra and will also be sent to the Vatican’s Congregation for the Causes of Saints for approval, in order to proceed towards the next steps of canonization. The case will also be reviewed by Pope Francis.

Of all Marian apparitions, those relating to Our Lady of Fatima are among the most famous. On May 13, 1917, siblings Francisco and Jacinta Marto – 9 and 7 – and their cousin, 10-year-old Lucia dos Santos, took their sheep to graze near the Portuguese farming town of Fatima when they saw a figure of a woman dressed in white and holding a rosary.

After this first appearance, the Virgin Mary then appeared to the children on the 13th of every month from May until October. The message of the Fatima apparitions can be summarized primarily as a call to repentance, reparation and prayer.

In 1930, the Catholic Church proclaimed the supernatural character of the apparitions and a shrine was erected at Fatima. It was visited by Pope Paul VI May 13, 1967, and later by Pope John Paul II and Benedict XVI.

St. John Paul II had a particularly strong devotion to Our Lady of Fatima. After a harrowing assassination attempt in 1981, he credited his survival to her miraculous intervention. As a sign of his gratitude, he placed the bullet from the failed assassination in her crown.

“Pray for the brother who shot me, whom I have sincerely forgiven. United to Christ, as a priest and victim, I offer my sufferings for the Church and the world," Pope John Paul II said on that occasion.

Pope Francis is scheduled to visit Fatima in May for the 100th anniversary of the apparitions.

Sr. Lucia’s cousins, Francisco and Jacinta Marto, died at young ages from pneumonia and were beatified in 2000. Sr. Lucia died in 2005 at the age of 97 at her convent in Coimbra.

Bleeding Host in Poland confirmed to be the true body and blood of Christ

In Poland a consecrated host fell on the floor and picked up and placed in a container with water, according to the report by Bishop Zbigniew Kiernikowski of Legnica on Sunday. The falling of the host and it’s preservation occurred on the Christmas day of 2013, after the host was conserved in a container with water by the Parish Priest, it gradually began to turn to change color, possessing red-bloody stains.

“In February 2014, a tiny red fragment of the Host was separated and put on a corporal. The Commission ordered to take samples in order to conduct the thorough tests by the relevant research institutes," said Bishop Kiernikowski

The bleeding host had for sometimes now been attributed to have “the hallmarks of a Eucharistic miracle”

The final medical statement by the Department of Forensic Medicine found that “in the histopathological image, the fragments (of the Host) were found containing the fragmented parts of the cross striated muscle. It is most similar to the heart muscle. Tests also determined the tissue to be of human origin, and found that it bore signs of distress."

Bishop Kiernikowski said he believe that the Bleeding host has “a Eucharistic miracle", he told reporters that he took this case to the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. And the Vatican in April approved the findings and reports of the case and recommended the parish priest, Fr. Andrzej Ziombrze “to prepare a suitable place" for the Host so that the faithful could venerate it.

“I hope that this will serve to deepen the cult of the Eucharist and will have deep impact on the lives of people facing the Host," Bishop Kiernikowski said.

 

Rev. Sister Cecilia Maria who died with a Smiling face

Pictures of a young Argentinian nun – smiling and serene though dying from a devastating battle with cancer – have erupted on social media, with thousands sharing the images and heartfelt prayers.

Sister Cecilia Maria lived in Saints Teresa and Joseph Monastery in Santa Fe, Argentina, dedicated to prayer and the contemplative life.

She passed away early on June 22 at age 43.

After graduating as a nurse at 26 years of age, Sister Cecilia Maria made her first vows as a discalced Carmelite. In 2003, she made her final profession. Six months ago, she was diagnosed with cancer of the tongue and the disease metastasized into her lungs.

Sister Cecilia Maria (General Curia of the Discalced Carmelites).

In her time living at the monastery, she played the violin and was known for her sweetness and constant smile. In the final weeks of her illness, her condition worsened and she had to be hospitalized. From her bed she never stopped praying and offering up her sufferings with the certainty that her encounter with God was near.

Sister Cecilia Maria in her final days (Curia Generalizia Carmelitani Scalzi).

She wrote her last wish on a piece of paper: “I was thinking about how I would like my funeral to be. First, some intense prayer and then a great celebration for everyone. Don’t forget to pray but don’t forget to celebrate either!”

The discalced Carmelites announced her death as follows: “Jesus! Just two lines to let you know that our dearly beloved sister gently fell asleep in the Lord, after such a painful illness, always borne with joy and her surrender to her Divine Spouse.

“We send you all our love, grateful for your support and prayer during this entire time, so painful yet so wonderful at the same time. We believe she flew directly to heaven, but we also ask you to not cease commending her to your prayers, so from heaven she may repay you. A big hug from her Sisters in Santa Fe.”

Indian Christian martyred following shocking punishment in freezing winter pond

A Christian couple was punished for refusing to denounce their faith. The penalty for their faith is beyond cruel and resulted in one man becoming a martyr.

In the small village of Kubuaa, India, Bartu Urawn and his wife were told to deny Christ and return to their indigenous religion.

When the Urawns refused, they were forced to spent a cold winter night in a freezing pond from 5 p.m. to 10 a.m. with groups of villagers watching to ensure the couple didn’t leave the frigid water.

The couple’s son, Beneswar Urawn, told the Global Christian News: “All throughout the night, they were in the cold water shivering, and I along with 15-20 villagers were witness to the brutality.

“The villagers kept asking my father if he is ready to forsake Christ and return to the Sarna fold. He reiterated every time, “I will not deny Christ…I will continue to believe till my last breath.”

The Urawns gave their lives to God a decade ago but when the villagers realized it wasn’t a phase, they began ostracizing, threatening and assaulting the family.

 

The couple had suffered several abuses from their fellow villagers for three years before they were forced to stand in the pond up to their necks.

They were told to return to the “Religion of the Holy Woods,” which requires blood sacrifices to their most powerful god and other, smaller, ritual services to lesser gods.

Villagers once sacrificed an animal, which they forced down Urawn’s throat and forced him to drink fermented liquor.

Other times, the village assaulted Urawn and his wife while a mob attacked Beneswar, his wife and his younger brother. They were locked in their own home for hours and the source of the family’s drinking water was polluted.

Other times the family was told demons would never let them live. As the couple stood in the pond, their hands were tied behind their backs in hopes they would drown but they were protected.

Morningstar News, reported the elder Urawn fell ill and suffered two bouts of paralysis after the freezing water caused nerve damage.

Every time he began to recover, he would become ill again until he finally passed away.

Beneswar attempted to bury his father but villagers stood around the body with wooden sticks and were ready to attack anyone who attempted to bury him but the next day four Christians came with Beneswar and carried the body 6 miles for a funeral service on government land.

When the Christians returned to the village, they were told to prepare a meal for the villagers in accordance to a Sarna Dharam ritual. Beneswar refused, saying they would offer a prayer meeting instead.

His life was threatened so Beneswar and his family finally fled and found refuge in a new village over 20 miles away.

Relatives attempted to tell police of the atrocity of Beneswar’s father’s death but officials ruled it a “natural death” and suggested peace talks between the villagers and Christian minorities. The family returned home but continue to live in fear.

Please pray for Christian minorities. Pray for their safety and strength to share the Gospel of the Lord.

Why do some Catholics kiss their thumb after making the sign of the cross?

Full Question

I notice that Latinos in my parish kiss their thumb after making the sign of the cross. Why?

Answer

They actually are kissing a cross formed by placing the thumb and forefinger at right angles. Kissing the cross (as we do on Good Friday) is an ancient gesture of devotion. It implies a humble acceptance of one’s own cross in imitation of Jesus.