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Worship: What to expect when you come On your first first to San Damiano, come ready to meet a warm, welcoming group who will help you to feel at home. We're a small community, with 12-15 present at Mass most Sunday evenings. Dress is casual — we are more interested in meeting people than in seeing their clothes. Here are a few things you can expect when you worship with us. A gathered community We are fortunate that our worship space has chairs, rather than pews. We arrange the chairs in choir style in front of the altar, so there is a real sense of a community gathered to do something together. "Liturgy", from the Greek leitourgia, means "work of the people". We come to present our worship to God, rather than to watch a performance. Worship aids When you arrive, you will receive two worship aids — the weekly service bulletin and a copy of Breaking Bread, which is the missal which has our music in it. Don't worry if you aren't used to handling papers and books at worship; the people near you will be glad to help you find your way! Sit, stand, or kneel? Catholics worship with their whole bodies! However, we simplify the gymnastics for you a bit, in that we ordinarily don't kneel at Mass. The service bulletin will indicate when those who are able will stand — usually to sing, pray, and hear the Gospel reading. You will find it easy to follow the spoken invitations to stand or sit and to follow others around you. If you don't "get it right", it's not a problem. We hope you will worship in a way that is comfortable for you. Catholic gestures We sometimes use a number of gestures and movements that aren't familiar to non-Catholics, such as making the sign of the cross, bowing at the name of Jesus, etc. These are simply traditional expressions of devotion, but they aren't necessary to the worship experience. Some worshipers will use them, but others do not. Again, please do what is comfortable for you. If you want to learn more about these things, feel free to ask us! The dialogue homily Most Sundays, the homily or sermon is a conversation with the people of God who have gathered. After a brief presentation of the scriptures and some introductory thoughts, everyone will be invited to share what they have heard in the readings for the day. We invite you to participate or to simply listen as the community shares insights and wisdom. This is a great time to ask questions, as well, as we seek to understand what the Spirit is saying to us through the scriptures. Open communion At the time of the Eucharistic prayer, we all gather around the altar. We invite you to come stand with us for the prayer and to receive communion. All are welcome to share fully in this celebration of God's love! If you do plan to receive communion:
After the service After the liturgy, several people will probably want to greet you and offer a personal word of welcome. While we don't want to detain you too long, we're very interested in getting to know you. We will invite you to leave contact information, so that we can include you on our e-mail list. Feel free to let us know if you would like a phone call or visit with the pastor. But we're not going to be pushy about your involvement here. Please know that you are welcome at San Damiano for as long or as short a time as meets your needs. Most Sunday nights, a group will go out after church to have dinner and visit at a local restaurant. On the third Sunday of the month, there is a meal at church after the liturgy. We invite you to join in the food and conversation any time you are with us. |
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