Any Catholics here?

[Rubyupbeat]

I am a lapsed Catholic, but dearly wish to worship in our local church. It's been so long that I have forgotten what is expected of me.
Should I make an appointment to see the priest? Or just go along to mass and see how that goes.
Also, and this is very silly I know, but I have very bad knees and can't kneel, is there an alternative for that?
Please don't give all the negative and anti God and Catholic comments please, that's not what this post is for, thank you.

I actually don’t think most working mums do have much to confess…. Unless they’re having an affair or something. They tend to be completely selfless, often working in a job and then putting children/household/ageing parents before their own needs, shopping, cooking and doing the life admin. Even if their husband is supportive, they’re often run ragged. They might snap and get impatient, but in the circumstances, who wouldn’t.
Not sure a priest needs to forgive anything!

The point is that not going to mass for years is a sin which you need to confess. It won't be a huge deal (or unusual!), but you really should confess it before you take communion. I'm sure lots of people don't, but they should!

@Bromeliads But what is the point of the "I confess" during mass then?

I'm afraid I always saw Confession as a bit outdated, even in the 1970s!

The penitential rite ("I confess...") isn't a sacrament like confession. It's there to help you to prepare yourself for mass, but it doesn't absolve you of a mortal sin that you know you have committed. Deliberately skipping Sunday mass is a mortal sin so you should confess it to a priest and receive absolution before you take communion. You shouldn't take communion knowing that you have committed a mortal sin and not confessed it.
As I said above, I'm sure lots of people do take communion having knowingly skipped mass though!

Not sure skipping mass was considered a mortal sin, at lest not since Vatican II!

I mean, eating meat on a Friday used to be a mortal sin which was clearly ridiculous. It simply cannot be in the same category as murder.

Most people skip mass because "Life" gets in the way...demands of parenting and being busy at work and just being tired.

I think God understands....

God might understand, but you’ve still got to confess it!

I think confession feels very different from just saying the “I confess” in Mass and I think it focuses the mind more.
The problem is it is mostly treated in a formulaic way by both priest and confessor.
I believe it can be powerful if it encourages genuine reflection on patterns of behaviour that are harmful. I’m not sure I’ve ever given it the time and seriousness it merits in order to receive the full benefits…

Just go. If the people in your chosen church are living their faith they will welcome you, from the heart, exactly as you are.

I'm not a Catholic but I am a Christian and I go to church every week. We don't kneel, however I can't stand as I'm disabled and I can't sing aloud either as it makes me feel really faint due to my brain injury.

God knows, and I sit there and mouth the words, singing with my heart if not my voice.

There are other people who can't stand either, the ministers always say "if you're able" when they ask us to stand for the hymns. There are probably others in your church who can't kneel.

Everyone is really kind and inclusive, and if you find that one church isn't for you, then try another rather than letting it stop you practising your faith.

I would just go along to mass if you want and then when you feel ready you can think about going to confession or taking communion. For what its worth a friends mum of mine when I was a kid would go to mass with her family every Sunday and I see her get up and take communion. Years later I found out she wasn't even a Catholic! Apparently the Priest knew but felt she was doing it in the right spirit so it was ok. Not quite sure how I feel about that but I doubt the Church will condemn you for not attending mass for a period of time, they'll just be happy to see you back!

Hi op. Just do what us other lapsed Catholics in Ireland do when we turn up for first holy communions, weddings and funerals etc. Follow everyone else’s lead! Don’t worry about kneeling just stay sitting down. No need to make an appointment with the priest at all! They’d be only delighted to see people coming back to the church!

Just go. You can sit rather than kneel, though you may have to scooch forward if the person behind you is kneeling. And yes you should go to confession before receiving holy communion.

I went to confession today ( or reconciliation I think it's now called!) luckily there was a little instruction sheet on the wall. I was a bit embarrassed to say ' It's been 20 years since my last confession' it might have actually been 40 years but I think I must have gone to confession before I got married. I did feel like I had got stuff off my chest. I forgot what my penance was immediately but I asked how often I should go. He said he goes every month but every season should be enough!

Speaking as someone who was lapsed and returned after about 20 years, I would just go and as others have suggested, the priest will probably be at the door before or after so you could introduce yourself.

If it’s been a very long time since you last went, the responses, creed etc have changed. I got an order of mass book as in the link below. Don’t worry at all about not kneeling.

https://www.worldofbooks.com/en-gb/products/order-of-mass-in-latin-and-english-book-catholic-truth-society-9781860820359?sku=GOR002379522&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=19545755187&gbraid=0AAAAADZzAICzLTBZmnmwvcUQSy9JrrjOt&gclid=Cj0KCQiA5I_NBhDVARIsAOrqIsZR1VtiEoWrxmE3CK9FaBvmQYaiFJ8n4JDVqFQ4FXQXx80sci_W4hsaAstrEALw_wcB

The ideal doesn't always match reality when it comes to confession/ reconciliation.

My experience of it is that it's not formulaic at all. More of a chat with prayers at the outset and the end, really.

As an observant Catholic, I am dismayed by this post.

The OP is humbly asking if it would be OK for her to attend Mass.

She is unsure of her welcome, and whether it would be OK for her to sit instead of kneeling as God has seen fit to visit an infirmity on her.

The answer to both questions is simply YES.

And she would be more than welcome.

Go to mass. It’ll be like muscle memory!