The Contemporary Catholic Church

The Mass called the Lord's Supper or the breaking of bread, also known as the Eucharist, -- was celebrated by the first Christians in late afternoon and was joined with a regular meal called an Agape.

Toward the middle of the second century, the Sacramental Meal had become an "independent rite" and was celebrated on Sundays in the morning which included a service of reading and the clergy's preaching.

Sunday was identified as the Lord's Day as it served to commemorate the day of Christ's Resurrection as well as the day on which the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles at Pentecost.

In their attitude toward worship the early Christians stood apart from pagans and from the Judaic observance. They followed St. Paul's characterization "you are temples of the living God" (2 Corinthians 6:16). The place where they worshipped had no particular importance. It was usually a large room in the member's homes. The focus was on worshipping and praying. However their numbers grew, and so large and spacious buildings took the place of simple rooms. The "House Church" gave way to churches and cathedrals and the house church waned in popularity.

In an effort to recreate this experience, our church is inaugurating a renewal of House Church Worship. Each House Church is a small group of people, meeting and worshipping a convenient time and place. As our Lord remarked, "for wherever two or three come together in my name, there I am with them" (Matthew 18:20).

The House Church Program is an effective way to enhance individual spirituality through an integration of regular personalized small group worship with the ongoing study and discussion of the Word of God. Worship services can be arranged in any language which is the vernacular for the group.

Anyone interested in starting a House Church is invited to contact us and we will be pleased to discuss their group's needs and desires to serve their common requirements of corporate worship services.