Catholic worship
Catholic ChurchThe Catholic Church is a community of baptised believers in Christ that is led by the Pope. The Catholic Church teaches that the Pope has special authority that descends from Jesus himself. are expected to attend Mass (Christianity)A Roman Catholic service of worship that involves receiving Holy Communion. each week as an offering of themselves to God. The Mass recalls the Last SupperThe meal that Jesus had with his disciples the night before he died where he gave them bread and wine to symbolise his body and blood. of Jesus with his discipleA person who follows and learns from someone else. before his death when he gave them bread and wine and told them to do this in remembrance of him (1 Corinthians 11:24).
Besides a memorial of past events it is also a sacrificeThe act of giving something precious to another person or to God., as many Catholics believe that during the Mass the sacrifice of Jesus is re-presented and re-enacted.
The Mass has two main parts:
- the liturgy of the Word (focused on the BibleThe holy book of Christians split into two sections: Old Testament and New Testament.)
- the liturgy of the EucharistA service celebrating the sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, using elements of bread and wine. (Holy CommunionCentral liturgical service observed by most Churches, recalling the last meal of Jesus.)
In the first part, people express sorrow for sinAct of rebellion or disobedience against the known will of God in Judaism, Christianity or Islam., listen to Bible readings, hear a sermonReligious teaching usually given verbally to a group of believers., recite creedA summary statement of religious beliefs, often recited in worship. and offer prayers for the Church and the world.
In the second part, bread and wine are offered to God, consecratedBlessed or made holy., and received by the congregation. An important prayer said during this part is the Lord's PrayerThe prayer spoken by Jesus to his disciples, starting with the words , also called the 'Our Father', which was taught by Jesus himself.
Features of worship
- hymnA religious song giving praise and worship to God. are sung throughout the service and the people respond to the prayers by following the missalBook containing words and ceremonial directions for saying Mass in the Roman Catholic Church..
- A priest leads the service, but lay personMember of a church who are not ordained, eg those who are not priests or ministers., including children, serve on the altarA table used for Eucharist, Mass, Lordâs Supper. Some denominations refer to it as a Holy Table or Communion Table. and read some of the readings and prayers.
- Some Masses, particularly for young people, include multimediaThe use of several types of media outputs from a computer in order to give the user a richer and more interesting experience., modern music and dance. More traditional services may use Latin and Greek for some of the prayers and have traditional hymns accompanied by an organ and choir.
- Catholic churches have a crucifixA Christian aid to worship that recalls Jesus's death and resurrection. A crucifix has the body of Christ on it, but a cross is plain. on the altar and candles that are lit during Mass. One candle, the sanctuary lampA lamp, usually red, placed in a prominent position in the sanctuary of a Catholic church to indicate the presence of the Blessed Sacrament in the tabernacle., is always lit as a sign that Jesus is present in the bread that remains in the tabernacleIn Judaism, the portable shelter for the Ark of the Covenant, which held the laws given by God to Moses and was used by the Israelites during the Exodus. In Christianity, a cabinet on the altar in some churches that holds the sacrament (bread or host) for Holy Communion. between Masses.
- Churches often have statues of Mary (Christianity)Mother of Jesus; also referred to as the (Blessed) Virgin Mary or Our Lady. and some saints. Catholics do not worship Mary or the saints, but ask them to pray to God on their behalf. This is known as intercessionAsking God to help others who need it, eg the sick, poor, those suffering in war..
Other services may include penitential serviceA service during which people show regret for their sins and seek God's forgiveness., saying the Divine OfficeThe set prayers said throughout the day by priests, monks and nuns. together, and ecumenical serviceA service involving different denominations of Christians worshipping together. with other Christians.
Catholics may also gather to say the rosaryA string of beads used as a method of prayer or meditation, for example by Buddhists and Roman Catholic Christians. together. This consists of the following prayers: an âOur Fatherâ, ten âHail MaryA prayer to the Virgin Mary, based on the words said by the Angel Gabriel.â and a âGlory Be to the FatherA common prayer.â repeated five times.