For example, if there is a Saturday Mass instead of a Sunday Mass on a Saturday evening, will it be considered a Sunday duty? Can you help me understand? Where does canon law say this?
In The Eucharistic Prayer, the priest calls us to lift up our hearts and the people reply, "We lift them up to the Lord." What does this mean, or more specifically, how do we lift up our hearts?
If I may, a follow-up: is there a book or other source you recommend that discusses the responses during the Mass and perhaps explains how they have changed over time?
Thanks.
Is there anything? Not like some big secret, but something that just doesn’t really come up. Can you roller skate? Did you fail your first drivers exam? Are you the youngest sibling?
Hi and happy Saturday. I work for a college and just went through the nightmare of coordinating our graduation ceremony. Somebody snuck in last night and put fireball shooters under all the students’ chairs. That was fun. It got me thinking what it would be like if I worked for the local seminary instead of what’s widely considered to be a party school.
Anyway, *that* made me wonder what it’s like to graduate from seminary. Does graduation automatically mean ordination to the priesthood? Are they separate ceremonies? Do you wear traditional student robes or more clerical clothing?
Thanks for entertaining my curiosity.
So this doesn’t relate me but someone i know, who is suing an employer due negligence resulting from chemical exposure . I am a lawyer but I am not working on this case, he works in a chemicals company.
A man I knew from school who raised was Catholic and has returned to the faith is suing his work place. He and several other colleagues were exposed to hazardous chemicals which cause infertility. He is unmarried but has 3 children from a previous relationship. He is 24 and single.
Part of his lawsuit involves a fertility test which requires a sperm sample. This in turn requires masturbation, is it a grave sin in this scenario? 4/5 of those exposed have demonstrated they are now infertile despite having children and being in their 20s and 30s.
I've been changing up some meds I'm on and I've been more susceptible to panic attacks that come on without much warning. Right after the homily I felt the heavy breathing start and excused myself as soon as I knew it was happening. I went out to my car and by the time I was all good, the mass had ended. How does a situation like this work in terms of the Sunday obligation? Should I have gone back to a different mass later in the morning?
Hello, this is basically just me venting about my diocese and the way they handle reconciliation.
I’m 18, and have been “Catholic” for about 3 years now, but was only baptized and confirmed this past Easter Vigil.
I love the faith and every element, but I am seriously fed up with the mismanagement of it (possibly just in my diocese). I’ve driven to multiple parishes in my County, and attended 7 confession periods in the last two weeks, all of which ended with me waiting in line for over an hour, and the priests ending confessions with half of the participants being unable to confess.
The times for confession are also ridiculous, with times often being one day a week for only an hour at the most inconvenient hours.
I’ve tried scheduling a confession, as I’ve been in a state of mortal sin and unable to receive communion for weeks now. All parishes in my area say they aren’t able to hear confessions outside of normal hours, including the typical “30 minutes before daily mass” most parishes have.
I’m actually so sick of waiting for confession, just to never get the chance, and then only receiving a blessing at mass. I’m seriously upset about the state of our faith, the priesthood is such a crucial and important task, but the priests in my area seem to not care at all about the parishioners and their reconciliation.
Every single time, spanning days and hours, spanning parishes, the priests give the same old “we’re done, sorry” and then just lock up and leave on the dot. I’ve asked priests as well, and they always say they are heading home (not an event or meeting). There HAS to be some vindication in the priesthood, enough to hear every last confession regardless of business. Our priests have been martyred just for doing their jobs in the past, but now they don’t even offer confessions to those asking, and rather choose comfort.
Is there anything I can do to fix these problems as a layman? It seems unless some priest is willing to sacrifice his entire life just to hearing confessions (something they all signed up for but whatever) it doesn’t seem like my diocese can be spiritually renewed.
It almost feels as though Catholicism is a placeholder in my community, not the heart of it fully representing the faith, it’s just a bunch of buildings that do the “typical Catholic things”, as opposed to communities building Saints through sacrifice and brotherhood.
It makes it difficult to even share Catholicism with friends and family, because it’s as if I’m telling them how crucial confession is, and then even someone so willing of attending as me isn’t even able to go.
Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.
Throw away and changing some key details because idk who is on Reddit.
This whole story is turning me off to the religion and I find myself saying for the first time, “I hope my children find the strength to leave the church one day”. I hate this thought and I don’t want it but maybe I do, not sure.
I live on the east coast in the US. For Mother’s Day, the parish that I’m registered at is planning to offer Mass intentions next Sunday for mothers- deceased and living. I went to go sign the name of my mother. After I wrote it, I noticed at the top “requested offering $25”. I asked the man running it if it was necessary and he said that everyone has paid. I crossed my mom’s name off the list and apologized. We then asked a priest where the money was going and he said to buy flowers for moms on Mother’s Day at the church. I told them i don’t feel comfortable paying for prayers (I also can’t afford that at this point in my life). They said it’s not just prayers, it’s a Mass intention. I said it still feels wrong because it’s elitist and i compared it to the reformation. The priest had left at this point and a deacon came running up to me and said that the money for a prayer intention made it a legally binding contract between God and the church and without it, he would have no obligation. I was told an unpaid Mass intention is not legally binding. I asked about the poor and he said the church will have mercy on them but this is the churches teaching and that teaching was given by the Holy Spirit and God to the people who wrote it. He also said it’s contractual under canon law. I asked if we could agree to disagree and he just kept attacking me and accused me of not believing in purgatory and saying there are a lot of souls in hell and it left a bad taste in my soul. I’ve tried to leave the church multiple times but I just can’t and idk why. I really would like to leave it now though. He made me feel like I’m going to hell and that I’m not Catholic for not supporting fully every aspect of Catholic dogma (such as the canon law he referenced). It ended with him saying to go put my moms name on the list again if it’s that upsetting but the pain of crossing it out if ripping me apart. My mother is severely ill and I thought it would be nice to have everyone hearing her name and praying for her but I only have $30 to my name at the moment and I have children. Is this spiritual abuse? Is this really true?
I'm curious what the overall consensus is amongst priests. I recently read that the Synod had two (married but not according to Catholics) gay men speak. I am rather happy about it, but most Catholics I know aren't, to say the very least.
God forgiving our trespasses is tied to repentance. If we properly repent, vow never to sin again, and detest the sin, God may forgive us our trespasses.
However, I have been told we are called to forgive others without condition. By saying the Our Father, we are apparently making a commitment to forgive those who trespass against us no matter what.
Whether or not they have repented, whether or not they have vowed to never do it again, whether or not justice has been served.
"If you forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses".
Are we required to forgive those who wrong us, continue to wrong us, and never make any attempt to stop wronging us, while justice has never been served, lest God not forgive us?
Hi there, I’m a thirty year old Catholic man from Upstate NY. I’m gay (celibate) and have considered joining the priesthood. I’ve been told I can’t join because my sacrifice of marriage would be “incomplete” since I’m not straight. Is this true? If so, how is that fair at all?
I sacrificed marriage and parenthood when I chose to become Catholic. I gave up any chance of romance or having a child of my own. It’s beyond insulting to hear that my sacrifice is worth less than a straight man’s. So what if I don’t feel attraction to women? Is it not the emotional sacrifice and suffering that counts?
I was married in a civil ceremony 3½ years ago. I knew my marriage would be invalid, but did not understand the full extent of what invalidity meant. I am just now understanding that I am cut off from all sacraments, including absolution through confession. Even still, I don't want to go through convalidation.
[ Context: I watched how my father's denied anullment attempts affected his Catholicism - unable to participate in the Eucharist he stopped practicing Catholicism and ultimately converted from Christianity to another faith. I erroneously thought that by not having a sacramental marriage, I could avoid everything my father went through. To be fair, ALOT was going on around the time we were married so I was not thinking as logically as normal ]
I am struggling because I do not view my marriage as sinful. Yet, I know this is not about my views, but instead the Church' s laws and teachings. Part of me is like: If I'm in mortal sin anyway (and can't get absolution), then I might as well pray about it, participate in Eucharist, and let this be between me and the Lord. But I also know that would be another mortal sin.
Have you all spoken with or counseled folks in similar situations, people who don't want to be married in the church, but otherwise want to participate fully? How have or would you counsel them? Would it just be better to leave the Church then be living in mortal sin under Church teaching?
(I know what my parish priest would say, because my mother was also in an invalid marriage since my father's first marriage was not annulled.)
EDIT (since thread was locked before I could reply to last post) : I acknowledge how confusing/ illogical it sounds. I myself am confused, which is why I'm here on Reddit. I do understand the sacrament of marriage. I understand that it is a vocation. I think the fundamental issue is that I do not feel that the church needs to be involved in my marriage. My beliefs on marriage do not align with church teaching. Hence, why I chose not to have a sacramental marriage. My concern is not around having to go through an annulment to remarry (because I'm not trying to get divorced or remarried. I intend to be with my spouse for life), it's more about the church having the authority to dictate something like that. I feel like it's about principle. I suppose I feel uncomfortable with the church's authority in this matter despite everything I've been taught.
My lack of understanding was around the repercussions of having an invalid marriage. As stated in the original post, I did not realize that I would be cut off from all sacraments, including confession. Since I am not in grace, I have also stepped back from the parish ministries that I previously participated in. I did not realize how isolating my decision would be. However, I still fully support my decision. That's why my original question was, would it be best for me to leave the church? Because, at this time, I do not see myself changing my views on the church's authority over marriage. If I want to participate fully in a faith community, then I am realizing that cannot happen in a Catholic community. I was trying to see if any priests had spoken with parishioners, who feel the same way about the church's teachings on marriage, as I do. I wondered if this was something that people really struggle with. But it seems like, most people go the convalidation route, if available to them.
In all of the Catholic sub credits I constantly see people either admitting that they have been taking communion for a long time immortal sin, arguing that they are allowed to take communion when in a state of mortal sin, or being told for the first time ever that they can’t *by other lay people* As well as this I know many people in my personal life I know dont bother with confession or dont believe in xyz really being a sin who take communion, and i have NEVER seen a priest tell anyone this or mention it to a congregation. Why? Should this not be taken more seriously?
I know about FSSP being focused on the old latin mass, but is there any community that focuses on doing the Novus Ordo in Latin only?
Have you made any plans for your own funeral? What is it like to think about your own having attended so many?
Every time I see the Pope, he's wearing very ceremonial looking clothes which I assume have a specific meaning for his office. I'm curious to know if he would be allowed to wear something similar to a regular priests garb (black suit with a clerical collar) or even street clothes while in public. If not, does he have a private dress code?
(Obviously no one knows what he wears when hes alone, but if he was say seeing his doctor or something else private)
I know cardinals, bishops and other roles in the church also have specific clothes, so are they also allowed to "dress down"?
Good evening, Fathers. As there was a permanent Diaconate ordination in my archdiocese today, something crossed my mind. If his wife passes away prematurely, I understand that he must then live a life of celibacy. Is he eligible to become a priest? if so, will he have to go through the entire seminary program of approximately eight years?
I have six plastic rosaries, each packaged separately in small clear baggies, bought in bulk. Do I have to remove them all from their individual wrappings or can the priest bless them as is?
I've heard pretty much two takes on this from different Catholics. The first line of thinking is that God destroyed Sodom & Gomorrah because of gay people. The second is that it was destroyed because it was unwelcoming and didn't help the poor despite its riches.
Which of these is the "correct" understanding according to Catholicism? If it matters (maybe does?) I'm asking as a woman in an 11-year same-sex partnership who sometimes thinks of going to Church but always ends up being too afraid.