My MC is a Roman Catholic?

Ack... major triple post.

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Maria
http://cosmicink.livejournal.com/
A Promise Unfulfilled '06

"…therein is in writing the constant joy of sudden discovery, of happy accident." H.L. Mencken

Sorry about the multiple posts.

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Maria
http://cosmicink.livejournal.com/
A Promise Unfulfilled '06

"…therein is in writing the constant joy of sudden discovery, of happy accident." H.L. Mencken

Let me see if I can answer your questions. I've been Catholic my whole life, but I've been pretty much lukewarm about it my whole life. I've not really done any church shopping, though I know people of other faiths and have decided that I'm definitely a Catholic. I've gone back to the church in the last year-- after a lot of reading, studying and soul searching have made that choice as an adult-- so I've seen both sides. practicing and non-practicing.

1. How often do you go to church?

----I attend Mass weekly-- Sundays and then again on Holy Days of Obligation. All Saints Day (Nov. 1) being the most recent.

2. What if a person can't attend church for some reason, like an illness or not living near a church?

----Illness can get you out of your Sunday obligation but every effort for a practicing Catholic must be taken to attend every Sunday and every Holy Day of Obligation, to miss those is considered a mortal sin.

3. What's the difference between mortal and venial sins, and could you give me some examples of both?

Look here for a definition: http://www.saintaquinas.com/mortal_sin.html

------Mortal sins are done with thought and knowledge, it's not done accidentally, examples: missing Mass, co-habitating before marriage, pre-martial sex, masturbation, not honoring your mother and father, using birth control. (It's overwhelming what is considered a mortal sin.)

Mortal sins must be confessed to be considered to be in a state of Grace.

Venial Sin are not usually done with any foresight or intention. They can be confessed as well.

4. What do you do if you've commited a mortal or venial sin?

------Ideally, seek out the sacrament of reconciliation. (Confession).

5. Are there things you can't do, like recieve Eucharist, if you've commited a mortal sin and not gone to Confession?

-----You should not receive the Eucharist if you are not in the state of Grace or have a huge unconfessed sin on your conscience. You're sort of given a blanket absolution at the beginning of Mass so you can receive communion, but you should confess as quickly as possible if you've got grave sin on your conscience.

(You're supposed to received communion at least once (I believe) a year and confess at least once or twice a year)

6. How often do you pray? I don't really pray formally except for Mass. I guess I "talk" to God every so often, but I don't really pray all that much.

7. What do you pray about?
------Probably anything and everything.

8. When and how do you pray?
-------In Mass formally. When I'm praying quietly, I just might talk to God (or the particular Saint that I'm asking for help or his/her intercession. Be the latter through a prayer or novena to that saint.)

9. Do you recite the rosary?
------Only at funerals these days.

I've already tried looking for some of the answers on other sites, but the answers I got were contradictory, outdated, or just plain hard to understand.

------I have lots of info because of the novel I started last summer (before NANO) but my main character is a lapsed Catholic whose twin brother is a priest and I knew very little about what I was writing about and needed answers myself, so I started looking stuff up. In a scene I actually have my main character looking up stuff on the internet about mortal sin because her brother told her that missing Mass on Sunday's was a mortal sin. I've probably learned a lot more now, than I remember from elementary school catechism or 6 years of Catholic Junior and High School.

Feel free to PM with more questions.

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Maria
http://cosmicink.livejournal.com/
A Promise Unfulfilled '06

"…therein is in writing the constant joy of sudden discovery, of happy accident." H.L. Mencken

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Maria
http://cosmicink.livejournal.com/
A Promise Unfulfilled '06

"…therein is in writing the constant joy of sudden discovery, of happy accident." H.L. Mencken

Well let's see - I'm "non-practicing as well" but the survey looked fun (actually I've copied and pasted before actually reading the questions.)

1. How often do you go to church?

When I was younger and in Catholic school (I'm 29 now) it was still a requirement to go to church on all Holy Days (it no longer is "required"). So that was every Sunday morning, every Holy Day (including my birthday which fell on the Assumption of Mary every year), then in school we went on Fridays during Advent and did the La Posada (???) (the procession of Mary and Joseph asking for rooms in Inns near Christmas), then there was Midnight Mass on Christmas. Obviously there was also the holy days during Lent (Palm Sunday, Ash Wednesday, Holy Friday, Easter). Then there were events like marriages, confirmations, first holy communions, funerals, etc. which were also all church masses.

So basically ... at least once a week but more if there were Holy Days in that week.

2. What if a person can't attend church for some reason, like an illness or not living near a church?

Many churches have volunteer people (Eucharistic ministers?) that can go out to the sick or the far away locations to deliver the Eucharist (the body of Christ, the little piece of unlevened bread). They're not priests but they can read the readings that were gone over in mass, deliver the body of Christ and have a discussion about what the homily was about that week. I don't know if this is "typical" but there are some radio broadcast and televised broadcasts of masses (I'm not sure if this is necessarily Catholic but I think there was at least a televised broadcast of mass said by the pope every once in a while). I've never watched/heard one so I don't know if they are "Catholic" per se.

3. What's the difference between mortal and venial sins, and could you give me some examples of both?

Oh geez... I forget. But I think "mortal" is like killing people and "venial" is more like lying to your mom and dad.

4. What do you do if you've commited a mortal or venial sin?

Go to confession.

5. Are there things you can't do, like recieve Eucharist, if you've commited a mortal sin and not gone to Confession?

Ummmm... my Dad doesn't take Communion (the Eucharist) because he hasn't been to confession. (Though he hasn't taken communion in the entire 29 years I've been alive... maybe he should confess already!) There are probably rules like that but I don't remember them.

Remember - Catholics are the "cool" Christians... we're a little looser on the rules (so I've heard).

6. How often do you pray?

I pray when I'm afraid something terrible is going to happen (earthquakes, natural disasters, etc.). I also pray when emotionally compelled to. I'll still say an Our Father or something whenever an ambulance drives by. When I do go to church (which is now only on midnight mass or at "mass" events like funerals) I will pray when we reach the section of the mass where they pause for us to add our own prayers for people in our heads. (Like "Dear God we pray for the homeless, for the victims of the Tsunami, for Carol who has cancer, and also for the prayers in our hearts (silence) ... Let us Pray, Watch Over Them Oh Heavenly Father, Amen")

7. What do you pray about?

I guess mostly to avoid, shorten or end human suffering.

8. When and how do you pray?

See number 6.

9. Do you recite the rosary?

I used to in Catholic elementary school (but not in Catholic high school). In elementary school it was cool because they'd sell rosaries so we'd collect them almost like trading cards. So it was a bit of status like "Well I have a pink and purple one. Oh yeah well I have a crystal one from my Grandma that was blessed by the pope!" And we'd pray them in school masses but not in the regular Sunday mass. Also sometimes it was a "say the rosary" assignment as a result from going to confession.

Older women (in my church) would go to mass after Christmas to pray the rosary and do the Novena. But I actually have no idea what that means.

"It's good to want things." - Dinky Dean Bossetti

You've already gotten two answers, and this one might be a little contradictory, but hopefully it helps. :)

I go to church every Sunday, unless I'm too sick to drive, and every Holy Day of Obligation. In the US, those days are January 1st, the feast of Mary, the Mother of God; the feast of the Ascension, which is either the Thursday of the sixth week after Easter or that next Sunday, depending on which part of the country you're in; August 15th, the feast of the Assumption; November 1st, All Saints Day; December 8th, the feast of the Immaculate Conception; and Christmas. I would like to go to Mass daily, but my parish doesn't have daily Mass every day, and I can't go frequently enough for it to sink in as a habit. (Also, mornings suck.)

If a person cannot attend church due to illness, that's okay; they're encouraged to read the readings that will be read and to make an act of spiritual communion, which can be as simple as "Jesus, even though I cannot receive you in Holy Communion, I want you to come into my heart" or very complicated (if you're interested, I'll get my prayer book and type up a couple of the long ones). "Not living near a church", to be an exemption, means that if they have a car, the church is at least a couple hours away. If they don't have a car, then simply being out of walking distance and not having anyone who can drive them is sufficient.

Ok. A mortal sin is something that completely wrecks a soul's relationship with God. It makes it completely unfit for Heaven. A venial sin is something that damages a soul's relationship with God but doesn't totally wreck it. In order for a sin to be mortal, the sinner must have full knowledge of what they're doing, the act must be gravely wrong, and they must choose it freely. Theft is a pretty easy way to see the difference. Someone who accidentally takes something that isn't theirs is not sinning mortally (no full knowledge). Someone who is coerced into stealing is not sinning mortally (no consent). Someone who steals 50 cents out of the tip jar at a coffee shop is not sinning mortally (not sufficiently serious theft). On the other hand, someone who intentionally steals a ten thousand dollar diamond, with no coercion involved, is probably sinning mortally. Someone who dies with an unrepented mortal sin on their soul will be unable to enter Heaven and will thus be in Hell. A Catholic who is really, truly sorry about a mortal sin, but makes no effort to go to confession, puts themself in serious danger of Hell.

When someone repents of a sin, or becomes aware that what they're doing is sinful, their next step is to go to confession. Receiving the sacrament of confession with at least imperfect contrition is sufficient to remove the guilt of that sin from the person. Imperfect contrition means that you're sorry for your sin because it'll send you to Hell, or because it'll keep you from Heaven, or because it somehow harms you in this life. Perfect contrition means that you're sorry for your sin because sin is bad and sin separates you from God.

If someone has an unrepented mortal sin on their soul, they are considered not to be in "the state of grace", and may not receive Communion. If someone has repented for a sin, has not yet confessed it, but intends to do so at the earliest opportunity, they may receive Communion. Unless the sin is public and notorious (for example, in a small town where everybody knows that the mayor's cheating on his wife) not going to Communion is the responsibility of the person themself. If it is public and notorious, some pastors will refuse someone Communion, because otherwise it might seem as though the priest were condoning what the person had done. (This is not the same thing as excommunication.)

I pray many times a day. I pray when I wake up, while I'm getting ready for the day. I pray when I go to bed at night. I'm trying to get into the habit of praying before and after I eat, but it's usually easier for me to remember after than before. If I'm making a long trip in my car, or if the weather is very bad when I'm getting ready to drive somewhere, I'll pray before I pull out of the driveway. Whenever I'm reminded of it, I pray during the day, usually something quick like "I love you, Lord" or "Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner."

I pray a lot of spontaneous prayers of thanksgiving and adoration. When I know I'm doing something that isn't Christ-like (cursing at other drivers, reading things that aren't good for me, spiritually, other things that are between me and my confessor) I pray for forgiveness, or for help in stopping the behavior.

Besides the spontaneous prayers mentioned above, I'm very fond of the Lord's Prayer, and say it in either English or Latin, depending on my mood. (Praying in Latin feels more meditative.) I often pray an act of contrition at night before bed. ("O my God, I am sorry for my sins. In choosing to do wrong and failing to do right, I have sinned against You, whom I should love above all things. I firmly intend, with the help of your grace, to amend my life and sin no more.")

I do recite the rosary, but not often; it's not a practice I was raised with, and it's very easy not to remember to say it. I think I might say it before bed tonight, though :)

If you have any more questions, feel free to PM me; I guarantee I won't be offended by any of them, and I am always willing to help :)

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Uncle Cosmo, why do they call this a word processor?
It's simple, Skyler. You've seen what food processors do to food, right?

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Uncle Cosmo, why do they call this a word processor?
It's simple, Skyler. You've seen what food processors do to food, right?

Right. A Catholic is obligated to confess once a year (even if they aren't aware of any sins they've committed, there are sins of omission (not doing something they should, or doing something they should but not as well as they were able)). A Catholic is also obligated to receive Communion once a year during the Easter season (between Easter and Pentecost).

I listed the Holy Days of Obligation in my reply downthread; Catholics are obligated to attend Mass on those days and on Sundays, but not obligated to receive Communion any more than once.

Something I forgot to add (as it wasn't one of the questions) is that Catholics are bound to fast and abstain from meat (eat only one regular meal and two smaller meals which together are not the size of a regular meal, and no snacks) two days a year: Ash Wednesday (which is not a Holy Day of Obligation!) and Good Friday (which also is not). They are also bound to abstain from meat every Friday during Lent. As far as "meat" goes, fish and shellfish are not meat (though arguably eating a lobster dinner violates the spirit of the rule), and neither are eggs, milk products, or meat broth with no meat in it. Some vegetarians give up some part of their regular diet during Lent, but they aren't obligated to do so.

Many Catholics abstain from meat during all Fridays of the year. I do; it was hard to get used to in the beginning, but I don't notice it now.

It used to be the rule to abstain from meat on all Fridays of the year (except when a holy day fell on a Friday), and the day before Pentecost, Assumption, All Saints, and Christmas, unless those days were Sundays. It was also the rule to fast and abstain on all Fridays and Wednesdays of Lent, the first Saturday after the first Sunday of Lent, the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday after Pentecost and the third Sunday of Advent, and Holy Saturday (the day before Easter) before noon. (Other days of fasting and/or abstinence are all-day things, and for Catholics, a 'day' starts at midnight.)

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Uncle Cosmo, why do they call this a word processor?
It's simple, Skyler. You've seen what food processors do to food, right?

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Uncle Cosmo, why do they call this a word processor?
It's simple, Skyler. You've seen what food processors do to food, right?

"The thing is that my family is, hmm . . . "nonpracticing" I haven't been to church since I was like five and I'm not religious at all, so I have a few basic questions. I honestly don't know why I chose to make her a Catholic"

Some of us might see that as the Holy Spirit calling you home :)

Anything you want to know about what the Catholic church teaches can be found in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. http://www.vatican.va - you can search the catechism by topic really quickly. Catechesis has been pretty poor for the past 20-30 years or so (thankfully this is changing now) so there is a lot of misinformation even by sincere well-intentioned Catholics including some priests and sisters.

I find the days I start with prayer are always less scattered and more productive (which took a long time for me to admit given my independent nature). Even when the day is totally nuts, without exception I handle it better when I pray than when I don't. I do pray the rosary, sometimes when I first wake up before I get out of bed, sometimes while walking my dog, especially in the woods. I also keep a journal because a big part of prayer is also listening. Often when I go back and look the old ones I'm amazed at how often those "where did that come from?" insights were key, particularly the ones that went totally contrary to how I felt about the situation at the time. Holy Hours before the Blessed Sacrament are always fruitful, particularly when wrestling with tough questions. As far as what do I pray about - everything. Our marriage (coming up on 30 years now), our children (now young adults), other family, work, when I find myself in dangerous or potentially explosive situations a quick "Lord, tell me what to do, what to say" is essential.