Sunday Mass At St. Lawrence Catholic Church

Two weeks ago I went to Sunday Mass at St. Lawrence Catholic Church. The service started at 8:00am and lasted about an hour and a half. Early in my childhood I went to a Catholic Mass with one of my cousins, but since I was so young I was not able to fully understand the differences between Catholic and Protestant Christianity. Subsequently, I do have a slight amount of exposure to Catholic Christianity. At the beginning of the Mass there was a procession of the priest and ministers carrying a decorated cross through the middle isle. The ministers were on the right and left hand side of the priest, as well as behind him. Many of the ministers were younger, about in their teenage years. They were also carrying crosses, candles, and a censer
Next is an opening prayer called the Collect, which could have been where the word “collect” came from, considering this prayer is meant to collect all the prayers of the people in the church. The Collect often contains descriptions of what God is and what he has done. The Second part of the Mass begins with the Liturgy of the word. Every word and phrase used in these passages are from the Bible. The first reading of the Liturgy is often, but not always taken from the Old Testament. After the first reading, everyone prepares for the Responsorial Psalm. These psalms are taken from the book of psalms in the Old Testament. When the song is over there is a second reading that is usually taken from the letters of Paul in the New Testament. The last song of the Liturgy is chosen to remind us of what we have listened to and to help us receive the words of Jesus. These readings are frequently read by volunteers in the congregation. During the homily the priest walks up to the podium to give a story, which follows with parts of the gospels he is proclaiming. Homily would be equivalent to a Protestant Sermon. The Priest will have a story that many in the congregation can sympathize with in their everyday life. Usually these stories are about faith, what to do and not do, examples of people who have done the work of Jesus. At the end of the Homily
This is used to recap on the teaching that were told during the readings and gospels. The Eucharist begins with the gifts and offering of money to the church to sustain the Catholic community. As the bread and wine are being prepared the congregation starts a prayer giving thanks to Jesus for the gifts that they are about to receive. The gifts that are going to be given to everyone are the flesh and blood of Jesus Christ. Another prayer is said to forgive the sins of everyone, so that the congregation has a pure spirit for the blessings of Jesus to be given to them through the bread and wine. After the multiple prayers the communion began. I do know that people who are not baptized by the Roman Catholic Church are not allowed to join in communion, therefore I did not go up to the front of the church to be given the flesh and blood of Jesus. I also know that it is required every congregation to distribute wine during communion. This is, in my opinion, an odd piece of tradition which is surprisingly not been given second thought in the Catholic religion. To end the Eucharist, a prayer is called the Communion Prayer given to thank Jesus for the gifts that were given and to forgive the Lord for our