RYAN: I am kind of nervous.
SARAH: Nervous? Why?
RYAN: I don't know. I never went to a church before.I was not raised as a Christian, so I don't know what to do.
SARAH: Don't worry. You don't have to do anything.All you have to do is listen. You will enjoy it.
RYAN: Maybe. I know I agreed to go with you, but now I don't feel right about it.
SARAH: Listen, Ryan.Catholics welcome people who aren't Catholics to visit the church.You don't have to pretend to be Catholic. It's okay if you just come to listen.
RYAN: Really?
SARAH: Yes. We are kind and welcoming people.It is not a secret society or something like that.
RYAN: Alright. But will we sing?
SARAH: Yes, but you don't even have to sing. If you want to sing along, you can.
RYAN: I don't know the words.
SARAH: There is a songbook. All the words are in the songbook.Many people have to read the words.
RYAN: And will I go up to the front to have the bread and wine?
SARAH: No. That is something only true Catholics do.So if you come to the church as a visitor, you only listen to the service.But you shouldn't go up to the altar for the bread and wine.Only after someone joins the church, then they go up for the Eucharist.
RYAN: Eu-char-ist? What is that?
SARAH: That is the special word for the ritual of the bread and wine.The Catholics call it the Eucharist.
RYAN: It doesn't sound like an English word.
SARAH: It's not. It's an ancient Greek word. It means "gratitude."
RYAN: Alright. Well, I feel more comfortable now.Now I understand I am welcome as a visitor.
SARAH: Of course you are. I wouldn't ask you otherwise.
雷恩:我有點(diǎn)緊張。
莎拉:緊張?為什么?
雷恩:我不知道。我從來沒有去過教堂。我并不是在基督教的教導(dǎo)下成長的,所以我不知道該如何做。
莎拉:別擔(dān)心。你不必做任何事情。你只需要聆聽就可以了。你一定會(huì)喜愛的。
雷恩:或許吧。我知道我同意跟你一起去,但現(xiàn)在我感覺有些不對(duì)。
莎拉:聽著,雷恩。天主教歡迎不是基督徒的人來參觀教堂。你不需要裝作是天主教徒。你來聆聽是沒有問題的。
雷恩:真的嗎?
莎拉:是的。我們是很親切而且歡迎民眾的。不是一個(gè)秘密社會(huì)或著其他的組織。
雷恩:好吧。但是我們會(huì)唱歌嗎?
莎拉:是的,但你不一定要唱。如果你想要一起唱的話,你也可以。
雷恩:我不知道歌詞。
莎拉:是有歌本的。所有的歌詞都在歌本里。很多人都是要看歌詞的。
雷恩:我要到前面去領(lǐng)面餅及酒嗎?
莎拉:不用。那是真正的天主教徒做的。如果你到教堂是一個(gè)參觀者的身份,你只需要聆聽彌撒就可以了。但是你不可以到祭臺(tái)前去領(lǐng)面餅及酒。只有加入教會(huì)的人,他們才可以去領(lǐng)圣體。
雷恩:圣--體?那是什么?
莎拉:那是一個(gè)特殊的字用來稱呼在儀式上的面餅及酒。天主教稱為圣體。
雷恩:聽起來不像是英文。
莎拉:不是。它是一個(gè)古老的希臘文。意思是“感恩”。
雷恩:好的。嗯,我現(xiàn)在感覺舒緩多了。我現(xiàn)在知道我是受歡迎的參觀者。
莎拉:你當(dāng)然是呀。要不然我怎么會(huì)邀請(qǐng)你。