16
votes
Why do Catholic laity cross themselves three times before the Gospel is read?
Before the Gospel is read, a Catholic makes signs of the cross, with the thumb, on his or her
forehead,
mouth, and
heart,
which represents that the Catholic must
understand the Gospel,
proclaim it, ...
- 36.3k
11
votes
Why do Catholic laity cross themselves three times before the Gospel is read?
Why do Catholics sign themselves three (3) times just before the Gospel is read?
To understand the significance of this tradition, let us take a look into its origins.
Concerning the making the ...
- 61.5k
11
votes
In Catholicism, is skipping weekly Mass a mortal sin?
Yes, willfully skipping mass is a grave (mortal) sin. The key word here is willfully - being physically unable to attend, sick, or having other (legitimate) obligations is a valid excuse for not ...
- 7,754
10
votes
Accepted
In which languages could the Tridentine Mass be said?
If by “Tridentine Mass” the O.P. means the Mass promulgated by Pope Pius V in 1570 (probably better termed the “traditional Roman Rite”), which was used widely in that form until the liturgical ...
- 13.2k
9
votes
Accepted
When does the obligation to attend Mass begin?
[UPDATED, substantially revised, and corrected]
The short answer is that the obligation to attend Sunday Mass begins when children reach the age of reason, age seven at the earliest.
Children become ...
- 13.2k
9
votes
Why do Catholic laity cross themselves three times before the Gospel is read?
Contrary to what you say about missals, the rubrics in my missal (The CTS New Daily Missal) say that before the reading of the gospel, "He [the deacon/priest] makes the Sign of the Cross on the book ...
- 191
8
votes
Accepted
Can a Uniate (Eastern) Catholic priest celebrate the Mass according to the Latin Rite?
Priests and bishops of the Eastern Churches in full communion with the Bishop of Rome may concelebrate at any celebration of the Eucharist in any rite, including the Latin Rite, provided they have the ...
- 13.2k
8
votes
In which languages could the Tridentine Mass be said?
Another exception to Athanasius' answer is Mass in the Ordinariate Use, published in Divine Worship: The Missal in 2015.
This order is in traditional-language English ("thee, thou" etc), and it's ...
- 13.7k
8
votes
Accepted
Can a priest validly celebrate a mass without anybody else present?
May a priest validly celebrate a mass without anybody else present?
The short answer is: Yes.
The General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) says, “Mass should not be celebrated without a ...
- 61.5k
8
votes
Where in the Bible does the greeting ("Dominus Vobiscum") used at Mass come from?
It is directly pulled from the Bible.
Based on my answer to this question: As far as scripture goes, the salutation is from Ruth 2:4 and 2 Chronicles 15:2 in the Vulgate.
In Ruth, the phrase appears ...
- 918
8
votes
Is it a sacrilege to take communion in hand?
Is it a sacrilege to take communion in hand?
The short answer is no! However some may believe otherwise.
If it were sacrileges, the present teaching do not reflect that to be the case. Rome allows ...
- 61.5k
6
votes
In which languages could the Tridentine Mass be said?
If we count the lawful liturgical variants of the Tridentine Mass such as the Dominican Rite and the Carmelite Rite and permission given to some Religious Orders, we able to see that the Holy See has ...
- 61.5k
6
votes
In which languages could the Tridentine Mass be said?
Portions of the liturgy were permitted to be celebrated in Native American vernaculars.
- 193
6
votes
Do the Orthodox and Catholic Churches allow participation in each others' services?
From a Catholic point of view, there is no problem with (a) a Roman Catholic attending an Orthodox Divine Liturgy and receiving communion or (b) an Orthodox attending a Roman Catholic mass and ...
- 3,793
6
votes
What is the purpose of attending the mass and going to Confession?
As far as why individual Catholics participate in the various liturgies and sacraments, there can be all sorts of reasons, from the highly religious to the merely social or cultural. The Church does ...
- 18.3k
6
votes
Accepted
Do Orthodox churches offer daily Mass?
The short answer is yes, they do.
In the Eastern Orthodox Church, what is called "Mass" is usually referred to as "Divine Liturgy" or "Liturgy", although I have seen a Prayer Book from the Antiochian ...
- 5,468
6
votes
Accepted
Is a Roman Catholic allowed by Church law to receive sacraments from other Churches in full communion with Rome?
In short: yes, you can validly receive any of the sacraments in any Church that is in union with Rome.
From the Code of Canon Law:
Can. 844 §1. Catholic ministers administer the sacraments licitly ...
- 496
6
votes
What exactly was the earliest start time of a Catholic mass before 1957? - What means aurora?
"Aurora" in Latin means "dawn", as opposed to "sunrise" (which is "ortus solis", the rising of the sun). This would mean, more or less, the period at which the sky was visibly bright.
The reason for ...
- 18.3k
6
votes
What should a priest who commits a mortal sin just before Holy Mass do, if confession is not available?
What should a priest who commits a mortal sin just before Holy Mass do, if confession is not available?
The priest in question must make a perfect act of contrition as best he can and must go to ...
- 61.5k
6
votes
Why do the faithful have to say "And with your spirit " in the Catholic Mass?
The simple answer is that "thy spirit" is a Hebraism for "you" (to be specific in this case, "you," but more 'endearing,' 'elevated,' or 'prayerful;' cf. Lk. 1:46). St. ...
- 8,095
6
votes
Accepted
Why do Catholic people not partake of Mass every single day?
If the Douay Rheims bible states this for Matthew 6:11 : “Give us this day our super-substantial bread.” Why is it, therefore, that Catholics not attend Mass every day?
The short answer is that many ...
- 61.5k
5
votes
Why do Catholic laity cross themselves three times before the Gospel is read?
Having been a lifelong Catholic, I have only picked this up through seeing other people do it. That being said, I have always seen it as being symbolic of keeping the Gospel in my mind, on my lips, ...
- 489
5
votes
Funeral Mass vs. Mass for the Deceased
Yes, a Requiem Mass (Missa pro defunctis) can be said for the soul of a deceased person, and Requiem Masses needn't be accompanied by a funeral/burial.
Sometimes, Requiem Masses are said with a ...
- 36.3k
5
votes
How did the Catholic Church function logistically/liturgically prior to the invention of the printing press?
From Herbert Thurston's Catholic Encyclopedia article "Missal" (§ "Origin of the Missal"):
The printed Missal of the present day, reproducing in substance the manuscript forms of the latter part of ...
- 36.3k
5
votes
Accepted
According to Roman Catholic teaching, did Martin Luther's alterations to the order of the Mass invalidate his consecration of the elements?
Martin Luther's alterations to the order of the Mass did not invalidate his consecration of the elements. If his Mass was invalid, it would have been through some other reason such as a lack of ...
- 61.5k
5
votes
Is holding hands and forming a circle around the altar during eucharistic prayer allowed?
Is it permitted to form a circle around the altar and hold hands during the Eucharistic Prayer?
The short answer is: No.
When I was in the major seminary, we would gather around the altar once a ...
- 61.5k
5
votes
How universal are the "color" masses in the Catholic Church?
How universal are the “colour” Masses in the Catholic Church?
It would seem that that the so called "Colour Masses" are not universally commemorated, but are somewhat popular in some countries and/or ...
- 61.5k
5
votes
Where in the Bible does the greeting ("Dominus Vobiscum") used at Mass come from?
St. Paul words to Timothy are alluded to: "The Lord [Dóminus] Jesus Christ be with thy spirit [cum spíritu tuo]. Grace be with you [vobíscum]. Amen." (2 Tim. 4:22).
By "you" and "your spirit" are not ...
- 8,095
5
votes
Does liturgical abuse make a mass invalid?
Does liturgical abuse make a mass invalid?
The short answer is: It will depend on the situation.
I can feel your anguish in your present situation. However the only thing that could possibly make ...
- 61.5k
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