In reviewing my website analytics, I discovered that someone came across my blog after typing this question into Google. I just wanted to provide a big old YES! You can most definitely attend any type of mass as an RCIA candidate or even as a non-Catholic. The only thing you cannot participate in is receiving the Eucharist.

While I was in RCIA, I attended daily mass quite often. I learned SO much from the homilies and was inspired to learn more on a variety of different topics. I always chose to go up and receive a blessing from the priest during mass, though if you are uncomfortable, you don’t need to do that. I always looked at it as I’ll take any and all blessings I can get :).

If you choose to go up, just cross your arms over your chest and the priest will know you would like to receive a blessing instead of communion. Or alternately, you can just stand in the pew and wave others past you. Catholics do not receive communion if they feel they have committed a mortal sin, as we must be in a worthy state to receive, so you likely will not be alone in not receiving the Eucharist.

One other note, I felt daily mass was confusing at first, as it seemed different to me than Sunday mass. It is a shortened form and sometimes they choose alternate versions of some of the things we speak aloud. Find a guide to the mass and bring it along. You may also want to pick up guidebook outside the chapel or church or get yourself a missal, which has the daily readings, as well as the Entrance Antiphon, which we say at the beginning of mass, and the Communion Antiphon, which we say at the end of mass. Just follow along with everyone else and after a few weeks, you’ll have it down pat.

Got other questions about RCIA? Shout! I would love to help.

Just like the rest of the country, here in Indiana we are still watching piles of snow melt and recovering from subzero temperatures that one day hit a high of MINUS 12! That cold, cold weather froze pipes, which then burst, around our area, including my church. Multiples pipes burst leaking water into the sanctuary, the sacristy and our day chapel. And while I know that’s not a great thing for our church, some good has already manifested itself.

I’ve been going to daily mass about 4 days each week since the beginning of the school year. Like most churches, I suspect, it’s a place of peace, quiet, serious reflection and reverence for our Lord. I never really interact much with any of my fellow mass-goers because I’m naturally a quiet person and the tone doesn’t lend itself to casual conversation anyway.

Because of the water, services for daily mass had to be moved to our religious education classroom building, while the day chapel held the items that were in the sacristy.

I am amazed at the atmosphere created within a simple white-walled classroom. When the pipes broke, it seems down came the walls of silence and separation, too… When I walked in yesterday, it still felt like an altar and chapel and appropriately reverent place to worship our Lord (quite a transformation of this room), but the tone was entirely different.

Everyone was quietly chatting and upbeat, the lights shone, and even Father, who is usually quite serious during mass, opened up sharing his characteristic dry wit, giving everyone a chuckle. I talked with some folks I’ve never spoken with before, but who I see all the time, and I felt for the first time a real part of this community, a true  member of the body of Christ. 

Such situations also remind us to be thankful of what we have. My church is in a well off community and we don’t lack for much, so even having a very nice classroom to move daily mass to is a blessing. But it’s a reminder of how truly blessed we are to have a beautiful church and day chapel to worship in.

In the classroom, there are no kneelers, so we all have to bear the slight pain that comes with kneeling on a hard floor, a not-so-difficult penance we can offer up. There is also no Blood of Christ, which I really miss. Again, it makes me appreciate being able to partake of the Blood of Christ nearly every day at mass. What a gift and one that I take for granted!

So while restoration companies and plumbers and clean up and fans galore aren’t such a great thing, every once in a while it’s good to open ourselves, be reminded of what we have and let the walls come tumbling down… just not the pipes!

For today’s post, I thought I’d lighten things up a bit! One of the real challenges of becoming Catholic is kneeling so much!

At no other church denomination I’ve ever attended can I recall kneeling, but it’s one of my favorite parts of Catholicism. It shows so much respect, reverence, humility and piety to be willing to kneel down before your God. But boy does it hurt after a while :)…

The hardest for me has been kneeling while saying the rosary. Thank goodness for padded kneelers, but even with those, after 20 minutes on my knees, these nearly 40-year-old knees ache pretty good.

Can I say I’ve found a solution for you? Not so much… At a retreat I attended, the church there did have some sort of special stool to help, but it probably would be more appropriate for the elderly rather than a healthy individual hogging one. I also try moving my knees slightly between decades of the rosary to get the blood moving again I suppose, but not sure how much that helps.

I suppose part of what we experience as children of God is suffering. Not that kneeling is any great suffering, but it’s a reminder of suffering and the pain of Christ on the cross. A little discomfort could do us all good. It keeps us humble and reminds us God is worth the sacrifice. I suppose kneeling also helps keep us in the present moment, keeps our thoughts from floating to the worries of the day and instead focused on our knees and what it is we are doing here on our knees.

I’m thinking that after a while of praying the Liturgy of the Hours (prayers that occur at regular hours during the day) and attending Daily Mass, the old knees ought to develop some stamina. Can anyone out there confirm? Any tips on developing kneeling stamina?