Finally, there are two sacraments of healing/strength. These sacraments; Penance (reconciliation) and Anointing of the Sick are a symbol of God healing them and forgiving their sins. Reconciliation is also commonly known as confession, and the confession of sins to a priest is normally a major part of the reconciliation. The sacrament is usually given to an individual but reconciliation services where large groups of people receive forgiveness without a personal confession of sins are also available.
The Anointing of the Sick sacrament used to only be for people who were near death. Since the early 1970's the sacrament has been given to any seriously ill person, on regular occasions to the very elderly even if they have no particular illness, as well as to the dying. Because the sacrament is no longer only for the dying it may be received a number of times during lifetime. We receive Jesus by anointing with oils which gives us comfort and peace in our difficult times.
Christians often use prayer in their everyday life and to help them worship God. There are many forms of worship through prayer, but most are spoken. Other ways Christians may choose to pray are a Rosary, Incense, Meditation, Candles, the Crucifix and Icons. These are called aids to prayer. Catholics may use these to help them pray, and may feel like they get more out of praying with these aids.
The rosary is a string of prayer-beads. Christians use rosaries to help them think about events in the lives of Jesus and Mary. The beads on the rosary aid them in prayer, as each bead represents a prayer. They turn the beads one by one through the fingers as each prayer is said.
Incense is a sweet smelling spice used sometimes in masses. It is used to symbolise the prayers going up to God.
Some Christians use Meditation by reciting the Bible to help them pray. They picture the scene in the Bible, and often imagine they are there.
Candles are used to symbolise many things. The light of the candles suggests truth, and the presence of God, who is truth. Some Christians find that to light candles whilst praying, helps to focus their minds.
An empty cross reminds people of the resurrection of Jesus. A cross with Jesus on it (crucifix) helps Christians to remember the suffering, which Jesus went on behalf of humanity. This may help give Christian’s the incentive to pray, after all that Jesus has done for us.
Icons are often pictures of Jesus and Christian saints. Christians think that they are windows to heaven, which helps them focus on their prayer and worship.
As there are many prayers, I will focus on just two well known prayers. Most people know these prayers, whether they are regular church-goers or not. The first prayer I will look at is the Hail Mary;
“Hail Mary, full of grace,
The Lord is with thee,
Blessed art thou among women,
And blessed is the fruit of thy womb,
Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
Pray for us sinners, now
And in the hour of our death.
Amen.”
There are two catholic teachings about the Virgin Mary which Protestants do not share. The first is to do with the conception of Mary. At the time of her conception, she was without sin of any kind, and therefore fit to give birth to the “Son of God”. This is different to the belief in the virgin birth, which means that Jesus was born to Mary when she was still a virgin. The second teaching says at the end of her life, Mary was taken bodily into heaven. Catholics consider Mary as a very important person, as there would have been no way for Jesus to be born into this earth without her.
The second popular prayer is the Lord’s Prayer/Our Father;
“Our Father,
Who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
Lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.”
In masses, there is then a short pause where the Priest speaks on his own. We then finish off by saying;
“For yours is the kingdom,
the power and the glory.
For ever and ever.
Amen.”
The Our Father (or Lord’s Prayer) is intended to help and guide Christians in their life, aiding them in everyday situations and to offer them salvation.
There are other versions of the Our Father in the Bible. Below I have given some of these versions. The first version is taken from Matthew 6:9-14;
“Our father in heaven,
May your holy name be honoured,
May your kingdom come,
May your will be done on earth
As it is in heaven.
Give us today the food we need,
Forgive us the wrongs we have done,
As we forgive the wrongs that others have done to us.
Do not bring us to hard testing,
But keep us safe from the evil one.”
The next version of this prayer is taken from Luke 11:2-5;
“Jesus said to them, “When you pray, say this:
Father,
May your holy name be honoured,
May your kingdom come,
Give us this day the food we need.
Forgive us our sins,
For we forgive anyone who does us wrong.
And do not bring us to hard testing.”
As Catholics enter the church for a mass, they dip their hands in the “stoup” which is a bowl of holy water. (see diagram on page 6) They then make the sign of the cross on themselves, The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit. This is called the Trinity. Catholics have strong belief in the trinity. Christians always have believed in one God, though they experienced God as three: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
In the first part of the mass, the priest performs the introductory rite, and Catholics reply to what he says. The mass then continues onto the Penitential rite, where Catholics ask for forgiveness for the sins that they have committed. Next is the Liturgy of the Word, where psalms are read or sung and readings are read aloud. The priest then gives a talk to the people called a Homily. After the Homily, the Creed is spoken, which is an expression of beliefs. There are two main versions of the creed; The Apostles Creed and The Nicene Creed. The Nicene Creed is used mostly, although The Apostles Creed is still used quite often as it is a shortened version of The Nicene Creed. Here are the two creeds:
The Apostles Creed
“I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
the Creator of heaven and earth,
and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord:
Who was conceived of the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He arose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty,
whence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy *catholic church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and life everlasting.
Amen.”
Nicene Creed
“We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty,
Maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made, one in Being with the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven:
by the power of the Holy Spirit he was born of the Virgin Mary,
and became man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered
died and was buried.
On the third day he rose again in fulfilment of the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
With the Father and the Son he is worshipped and glorified.
He has spoken through the Prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come.
Amen.”
After the Creed has been spoken, bidding prayers are read aloud. Everyone says the Hail Mary at this time, after the bidding prayers. After this, comes the most important part of the mass; the Liturgy of the Eucharist, and the Communion Rite which is where the bread and wine are taken to the altar and the priest transforms them into the body and blood of Christ. This is called Transubstantiation, which Catholics believe in. (see page 2)
“While they were eating, Jesus took a piece of bread, gave a prayer of thanks, broke it, and gave it to his disciples and said ‘take it, this is my body’. Then he took a cup, gave thanks to God and handed it to them; and they all drank from it. Jesus said ‘this is my blood which is poured out for many, my blood which seals God’s covenant. I tell you, I will never again drink this wine until the day I drink the new wine in the kingdom of God’.” Mark 14:22-27
Catholics are the only Christians that take this literally, and this can be seen in the prayers leading up to, and after, communion. The final part of the mass is the Concluding Rite, where the priest blesses everyone in the church. The main focus of the Christian mass is to give thanks, and to ask for forgiveness for any sins that may have been committed.
Catholic Masses take place all through the year, around special festivals and masses. The Christian year is a specific pattern of festivals which are followed by both the Catholic and Orthodox Churches. The Christian year is separated into three cycles; the Christmas cycle, the Easter cycle and Pentecost.
The Christian year begins with the Christmas cycle, and the 1st Sunday of Advent. Advent is the time when we prepare for the coming of Jesus. Much time is used for prayer and some Catholics like to fast to help them focus on their prayer. In Advent, the Church will be decorated in a different way to symbolise the significance of the festival. As purple is seen as the colour of repentance, the church altar is covered with a purple cloth, the Priest will wear purple Vestments and the church may be decorated with purple. An evergreen wreath is also very important ‘decoration’ during Advent. It has four candles, three purple and one pink. One candle is lit every week during advent, so that on Christmas Day all will be lit.
Christmas is the most widely celebrated festival, and most people exchange gifts on Christmas Day. The name Christmas came from “Christ’s mass”. Christian’s celebrate Christmas Day on 25th December. The exact day of the Jesus’ birth has never been properly identified. Traditions say that it has been celebrated since the year 98 AD. In 137 AD the Bishop of Rome ordered the birthday of the Christ Child celebrated as a solemn feast. In 350 AD another Bishop of Rome, Julius I, chose December 25th as the celebration of Christmas. There are also different views of where Jesus was born. Catholics follow the more traditional sequence of events that can be found in Luke’s gospel. This gospel includes how there was no room at the inn and that baby Jesus was born in a manger. The gospel of Matthew doesn’t mention this at all, but focuses more on the three wise men.
Here is some of the story from each of these two gospels;
“So when Joseph woke up, he married Mary, as the angel of the lord told him to do. But he had no sexual relationships with her before she gave birth to her son. And Joseph named him Jesus.” Matthew. 1: 24-26
“A week later, when the time came for the baby to be circumcised, he was named Jesus, the name that the angel had given him before he had been conceived.” Luke 2: 21
On Christmas morning, many people choose to go to midnight mass, but others choose to go to a service early on Christmas morning. Usually, families with young children will go to the early mass on Christmas morning. A major tradition for Christians is to have Christmas trees. These are decorated, representing the everlasting life of Jesus. Stars or angels are placed on top, reminding people of the events at the crib where Jesus was born. Some Catholics also like to have model cribs in their homes to help them remember why they are celebrating.
Epiphany is the last festival of the Christmas cycle. It is celebrated on the 6th January, and marks the time when the Three Wise Men visited the baby Jesus, bringing him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
The Easter cycle is the next cycle in the Christian calendar. This is the most important cycle in the Christian Calendar as it leads up to and involves Jesus’ death and resurrection. There are many festivals in this cycle including the most important; Ash Wednesday, Lent, Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday (some included in Holy Week) and Easter Sunday.
Lent is a time for fasting and spiritual preparation. Jesus was tempted into the desert for 40 days and nights (which is why Lent lasts for 40 days), and during this time he was without food. Some Catholics feel that they should fast during this period as well, to focus on the suffering Jesus went through for us. On Shrove Tuesday all the unnecessary food in the house is used up to make pancakes. Lent begins with Ash Wednesday, and mass is celebrated on this day. The palms from the previous Palm Sunday are burnt to ashes, and then the ashes are marked on Catholics foreheads in the sign on the cross. The ashes symbolise new life.
We attend church on Good Friday to remember the day Jesus was crucified. During the service the story of the crucifixion is read and Catholics pray silently. Because this is a very sombre day, no holy communion is taken. In the churches, all movable objects are removed and all permanent objects such as statues are covered.
Easter Sunday is probably the most important day in the Christian/Catholic calendar. This day is where we remember how Jesus rose from the dead. (The resurrection of Christ.)The Roman Catholics hold their main Easter service at midnight. The inside of the church is much more welcoming. Flowers are placed everywhere to show Jesus’ new life, statues are uncovered and movable items are brought back into the church. Passages from the bible are read, and hymns are sung.
The 3rd cycle in the Christian calendar is Pentecost (or Whitsunday). This cycle is not as important as the previous two cycles. Pentecost is remembered at the birthday of the Christian church. We remember that Pentecost was when Jesus’ Disciples were spreading word of God, as they had realised that Jesus was the Messiah (as he had risen from the dead.) This meant that they spread Jesus’ word further across the world, gaining more believers. By the end of the disciple’s first day, about 3,000 Jews, citizens of Jerusalem and Pilgrims had heard enough to ask for immediate baptism as new disciples of Jesus of Nazareth
There are a few minor festivals after Pentecost, such as All Saints Day. These however, are not as important as some of the festivals mentioned above.
About two hundred cathedrals and thousands of parish churches were built in a specific way throughout Europe in the Middle Ages (thirteenth to fifteenth centuries). The whole of Europe at that time was Roman Catholic, divided into local areas, or parishes. A cathedral is the large church where the bishop has his official seat. (The word ‘cathedral’ comes from the Latin ‘cathedra’, which means ‘seat’.) Later, some of these buildings were taken over by different denominations (e.g. Anglicans in England and Lutherans in Sweden); and some of the Protestants continued to build churches to the same design. As you enter the church, you may notice a small bowl of water by the door, often carved into the stonework of a pillar or doorway. It is called a stoup (as mentioned before).
You will usually find the font at the back of the church too, where babies are baptised. It is by the door, as a sign that they are entering into the Christian community. But some churches now place it at the front, to emphasise the belief that baptism brings the person fully into Church membership. When Catholics cross themselves with the holy water from the stoup, they may recall that the priest put the sign of the cross on them, in water, when they were baptised.
In the diagram shown below, no screen separates the people from the altar, and sometimes the altar-rail is also removed. In many churches the altar is brought forward so that the people can see and feel that they are involved with the priest as he celebrates the Mass. Originally, however, there would probably have been a ‘rood screen’ separating the chancel from the nave.
The diagram below shows the design of a standard Roman Catholic Church, how many are seen these days.
The Episcopal (or ruled by a bishop) churches are the Roman Catholic, the Anglican (which includes the church of England) and the Orthodox churches. The structure of the Roman Catholic Church can be seen in the flow diagram below;
The church is divided into local areas known as diocese, each of which is headed by a Bishop. (The Bishops may have one or more assistant Bishops known as auxiliaries.) The Bishop is responsible for selecting candidates for the priesthood, and only he can ordain then. He appoints priests to parishes. No one can act as a priest in a diocese without the Bishop's consent.
The government of the whole church is done by Bishops working collectively. The senior Bishop is the Pope, the Bishop of Rome.
Bishops are assisted by priests. Bishops and priests are the only ones who may offer the Eucharistic service and consecrate the Eucharist. Only a priest may forgive sins. The priest has a pastoral responsibility to look after his people when in need. Priests are responsible for an area called a parish, in which they teach the people and hold services.
A lot of Catholics would like to be able to get closer to God and help people, without being ordained. Many Catholics do this by helping out with a charity.
CAFOD is a Roman Catholic organisation. Its initials stand for ‘The Catholic Fund for Overseas Development’ and it was set up by the Catholic bishops of England and Wales 1962. It has aims very similar to those of Christian Aid, and the two charities work very closely together in many areas today. They believe that all human beings have the right to dignity and respect and that the world’s resources are a gift to be shared by all men and women, whatever their race, nationality or religion. CAFOD is a partnership organisation. They don’t just give money to poor communities and walk away, or just support projects in emergencies. They work hand in hand with local people to help them to respond to their own real needs.
Although it has full-time staff, CAFOD has no members. The idea is that CAFOD is supposed to be the Catholic Church living out one part of its faith. So every Catholic in England and Wales is a part of CAFOD, which uses the Catholic organisations which already exist – especially parishes and schools – to put its message across and to raise funds.
CAFOD makes particular use of the practice of deliberately going without food (or fasting), which is strongly rooted in Catholic tradition and which is linked particularly to prayer:
“When you are fasting, do not put on a gloomy look as the hypocrites do: they go about looking unsightly to let people know they are fasting. In truth I tell you, they have had their reward. But when you fast, put scent on your head and wash your face, so that no-one will know you are fasting except your Father who sees all that is does in secret; and your Father who sees all that is does in secret will reward you.” Matthew 6:16-18
The first Friday in October and the second Friday in Lent are set aside by Catholics in England and Wales as Family Fast Days.
These are used as special days of prayer for the poor, when those who are fit and healthy eat little or nothing in order to feel something of the suffering experienced by the world’s hungry all the time. The money which would have been used to buy food on these days is then donated to CAFOD and used in its projects around the world.
Some Christians may choose to go on Pilgrimage to feel closer to God. Most pilgrims go on pilgrimage to show their faith in God, to pray and get close to him. Visiting these places helps them to stay close to God, partly because they are devoting some of their time to God. Although Christians can pray to God in any place and at any time, some feel that being in a place of pilgrimage can help them in their prayer. They go on pilgrimages to pay homage to God and to pray, possibly for others who are ill or for friends or relatives who do not believe in God.
There are many different places to go on Catholic Pilgrimage. Some Catholics may choose to stay in the UK, and go to somewhere like Walsingham (often described as ‘England’s Nazareth’), Canterbury, Knock (Ireland) or even an ecumenical centre such as Iona (Scotland).
Many visit the places where Jesus lived, especially during the Christian festivals (Bethlehem at Christmas, Jerusalem at Easter) and the ‘Holy Lands’, such as Israel/Palestine. Other places that are popular are Rome, Fatima(Spain), etc.
Some sites of pilgrimage, such as Lourdes in France, have a history for healing physical disorders. Some people visit these places in the hope that they will be healed, or that the experience will help them come to terms with their illness and accept it. In a similar way, Christians who feel far from God might go on pilgrimages for spiritual healing.
Conclusion
Within the Roman Catholic Church, there are many different ways of Worship. In some cases, the forms of worship are the same as they were several hundred years ago. In other cases, the form of worship has changed completely. However, all these are based around the same faith. This proves that although there are many different ways to worship, all Roman Catholics have the same beliefs in God.
