Did you know that the average Catholic prays only 5 minutes a day? My local parish has over 4,000 registered families yet only about 10% of them come to mass every Sunday, though the church is overflowing on Palm Sunday, Easter and Christmas. According to a poll done by ABC a few years back 89% of Americans believe in heaven and of that percentage 85% believe they are going there and those figures included people of all faiths.
I went to our church a few years back to hear Fr. Bill Halbing preach. He is a Charismatic Preacher that explains scripture but does so in a way that gets the point across but would make even Robin Williams chuckle. He said something that has stuck with me all these years and still makes me smile. To paraphrase him it was something akin to sitting in church every Sunday makes you a Catholic just as much as sitting in a donut shop makes you a donut.
I know the readings, thou shalt not judge, lest you be judged; the entryway to heaven is a narrow gate that few shall pass through, but I also know that it is by Gods will and not mine whether I end up there or not. However I can still make some observations. I do go to mass every weekend and on those days when I am incredibly under the weather I watch The Sunday Mass on-line. Most of the time I am very focused on the altar, the readings and what is going on at the altar but I must admit there are also many a time that I am not as focused. Like this past Sunday, after a family party I went to the 5:30 mass. The sidewalk is in the process of being renovated so we can only use the side entrances which are big heavy doors that slam shut with ferociousness and announce every arrival and departure. Here it comes - my pet peeve. People walked in 5, 10, 15 minutes late with the door slamming behind them. One couple, with their adult daughter walked in during the Homily (which is after all 3 readings and the Psalm)! It was shortly after that the daughter headed to the bathroom. They do it every single Sunday. Okay, I am not perfect, I am borderline judging here and I apologize for that, but technically in the Catholic faith in order to be AT mass you have got to be there for each of the readings, throughout Communion and at the final blessing. No Catholic is supposed to step foot out of the church until the priest steps down from the altar and you should be in the church when he steps onto it. Not one doctrine of the church has changed since I was a little girl and for centuries before I was even a twinkle in my parents eyes. Technically speaking that family was at CHURCH but did not attend MASS, but they did go to Communion, which again should not be done if you did not at least hear the Gospel reading of the day. Of course they headed for the door with the Eucharist still fresh on their tongue, as did a lot of others, with the resounding boom of the door echoing through the stillness. It breaks my heart and it befuddles me. Those people can come and go as they please but I just do not get it. I crave to be near Jesus. The Mass is the mother of all prayers; it is the ultimate, perfect form of worshiping God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit for a Catholic.
I do not want to be a donut. I want Him to know that I love Him with all my heart and that I want to be with Him for all eternity. I want him to be in my heart and in my very soul. Catholics believe that when a Host is consecrated it actually becomes the body of Christ and that he is then present in the church. What an incredible gift. For one hour a week, or more if you attend a daily Mass, you can be with the Man here on earth. If you visit a perpetual Adoration chapel you can be with him here on earth. Stop being a donut and start giving him the love and devotion that he deserves and for heavens sake stop slamming the door on Him.
I went to our church a few years back to hear Fr. Bill Halbing preach. He is a Charismatic Preacher that explains scripture but does so in a way that gets the point across but would make even Robin Williams chuckle. He said something that has stuck with me all these years and still makes me smile. To paraphrase him it was something akin to sitting in church every Sunday makes you a Catholic just as much as sitting in a donut shop makes you a donut.
I know the readings, thou shalt not judge, lest you be judged; the entryway to heaven is a narrow gate that few shall pass through, but I also know that it is by Gods will and not mine whether I end up there or not. However I can still make some observations. I do go to mass every weekend and on those days when I am incredibly under the weather I watch The Sunday Mass on-line. Most of the time I am very focused on the altar, the readings and what is going on at the altar but I must admit there are also many a time that I am not as focused. Like this past Sunday, after a family party I went to the 5:30 mass. The sidewalk is in the process of being renovated so we can only use the side entrances which are big heavy doors that slam shut with ferociousness and announce every arrival and departure. Here it comes - my pet peeve. People walked in 5, 10, 15 minutes late with the door slamming behind them. One couple, with their adult daughter walked in during the Homily (which is after all 3 readings and the Psalm)! It was shortly after that the daughter headed to the bathroom. They do it every single Sunday. Okay, I am not perfect, I am borderline judging here and I apologize for that, but technically in the Catholic faith in order to be AT mass you have got to be there for each of the readings, throughout Communion and at the final blessing. No Catholic is supposed to step foot out of the church until the priest steps down from the altar and you should be in the church when he steps onto it. Not one doctrine of the church has changed since I was a little girl and for centuries before I was even a twinkle in my parents eyes. Technically speaking that family was at CHURCH but did not attend MASS, but they did go to Communion, which again should not be done if you did not at least hear the Gospel reading of the day. Of course they headed for the door with the Eucharist still fresh on their tongue, as did a lot of others, with the resounding boom of the door echoing through the stillness. It breaks my heart and it befuddles me. Those people can come and go as they please but I just do not get it. I crave to be near Jesus. The Mass is the mother of all prayers; it is the ultimate, perfect form of worshiping God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit for a Catholic.
I do not want to be a donut. I want Him to know that I love Him with all my heart and that I want to be with Him for all eternity. I want him to be in my heart and in my very soul. Catholics believe that when a Host is consecrated it actually becomes the body of Christ and that he is then present in the church. What an incredible gift. For one hour a week, or more if you attend a daily Mass, you can be with the Man here on earth. If you visit a perpetual Adoration chapel you can be with him here on earth. Stop being a donut and start giving him the love and devotion that he deserves and for heavens sake stop slamming the door on Him.
 |
| Picture taken at Holy Child Adoration Chapel on Christmas Day 2011 with a Polaroid |
 |
| Picture taken at Holy Child Adoration Chapel on Christmas Day 2011 with a Polaroid |
These pictures were taken with a little Polaroid camera. The faces in the Eucharist are exactly what the camera captured and these two pictures, as well as the man in the clouds below, were taken by Marianne Hare and are copyrighted 2011. The photo below is shown as seen still in the camera.
No comments:
Post a Comment