Now that I'm feeling mostly better, I shall continue my comments on Fr P's three suggestions for this Year of Faith. And it is one with which I agree: make Sunday Mass a priority. I do. The first thing I do when planning a trip that involves a Sunday is to check around for Catholic Churches...and if my older son is with me (or if he is on a trip with his Dad), I am then increasing the level of difficulty by needing to find a Mass with confession prior. Why is that so hard to find? Very few parishes offer this. The last time my son was off without me, I made arrangements for him to have confession before Mass. I think most priests will accommodate this if asked, but I wonder how many people will actually ask? But Sunday Mass -yes! Make it a priority. It should be the first thing for that day - all other activities must take second fiddle to the one primary "activity" for Sunday (or Saturday anticipatory). Our island parish only offers one Mass each Sunday, at 1pm. Many people complain it is inconvenient - so they don't come. All I have to say to that is then it must not be very important to them - then I suppose the next question is how do we make it important to them? How do we get people to understand WHY God should be first in their lives? How do we get people to look at us, look at us knowing we are Catholic, and have them wonder what it is we have that makes us so joyous? And then leave them wanting to have what we have - to desire that which we desire. To think: I want what they have...and to somehow give them the impetus to enter those doors and simultaneously open the doors to their hearts. Well, that's another blog post :-)!!
But back to Fr P's suggestions. He also stated that we should stay at our Parish (territorial), even if the priest was a heretic, the singing was atrocious, etc... At one level, I agree - Christ is present, the Mass is valid, Jesus is fully present in the Eucharist; we should stay and effect change from the inside. Sure. Sounds good. But what if what used to be the favorite part of your week is now something you almost dread? What if your love of the Liturgy causes you to cry every time you step into this particular parish church for Mass? What if you have children who begin to parrot back the incorrect/incomplete theology the parish priest preaches? Luckily my older son is old enough to discuss these things, and my younger son is too young to really pay that much attention. With children involved, it changes the dynamics a bit. Much prayer, and thought, have gone into my decision to go to another parish. I realize that I feel too new, too unsure of myself - that I just don't have the strength to stay here and battle. Another time, sure, but not now. I need to be nurtured in my faith, to be helped along. And when I get that, you know what? I AM able to participate in Mass at my territorial parish - even with "Gather Us In" or "Abba, Father" being sung; even with questionable theology spouting from the priest's mouth; even when we are usually the only family kneeling - not holding hands - kneeling for communion - staying afterward to pray...if I can nurture my faith elsewhere, at parishes where the Liturgy is loved, respected and cared for, then I find I do have more strength and I'm sure that one day I will have gathered enough strength to try to make changes here. But now, right now, I just can't...even though it means I travel approximately 3 hours one way to the next nearest Parish. It is worth it. I am fed - and from that nourishment I can begin to give back, to teach, to "fight the good fight."
Go to Mass! Go to confession! You'll be amazed at what transpires in your life if you consent to making these a priority.
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