Hello again, all, and Happy Monday night to you all! It is winter in Naperville and the snow has indeed begun to fall…so excited. Who cares if it ends up being this EPIC SNOWSTORM that, by reading Facebook statuses, one would think is going to end the world? Snow is awesome, and that’s that. SO THERE. 🙂
Well, it was another long weekend, but still rewarding nonetheless. Saturday was epic…stayed in bed until 12, did some homework, played some Call of Duty with my friend Roger, and just chilled out. A much needed relaxing day. Then Sunday was Discernment group at the usual 8pm Mass at Peter and Paul.
Father Burke had some other stuff to do, so Fr. Dennis Spies led the discernment group at the John Paul II House in Joliet. What an awesome guy…so down to earth and open about his personal call to priesthood. It was also nice to get to know some of the other guys there as well. Nothing like making some friends who are travelling the same road. God is so great like that, you know? Just when you think you’re truly alone and are getting more confused than ever…PLOP! There’s a friend. What a nice man, that God.
As I sat in Mass on Sunday night, I saw a lot of young people there, which was totally cool to see. But as I watched them…it was blatantly apparent that they weren’t saying anything..just sitting, standing, kneeling…all with this look of great despair! Like they were being TORTURED! AHH! OH NOO!! PARTICIPATING AT MASS!!! The horror, my friends, is overwhelming.
Most people say that MASS IS BORING. Well, yeah, most anything is boring when you sit there pouting for an hour. “That’s what’s wrong with the Catholic Faith! Mass is boring!” No, no. That’s what’s wrong with the approach to the faith and, really, anything in life. We will get out what we put in; our approach is everything. No matter who we are, I believe that God approaches us with nothing but love and the hope we will open our hearts to his Divine Mercy. But the moment we approach God in a hostile way, that’s the same way we see him; hostile, mean, cold…
The nice thing about God is that we can act this way forever and turn to him one day with honest love and he will take us back. Too bad we can’t all have friends like that, huh?
This is what I tell kids my age at school when they complain about Mass or are curious about why Mass is the way it is:
So you and God are friends, right? Yeah talking on the phone at home or texting or IMing is real cool and all but, come on, how much fun is it if you never hang out? Since it probably feels like God is ALWAYS at your house (he is, you know! He goes EVERYWHERE with you!) So isn’t it nice, especially when he’s always asking, to go over to his house at least once a week? I mean, come on, some good story time and he even feeds you! Now what’s better than a nice home cooked meal with friends?
So, you did it! You’re at God’s house and he’s telling some stories from this book he wrote and you’re just kind of…there…wondering who’s winning the games that are on today (most likely its not the Bears and most CERTAINLY not the Cubs), maybe checking some texts here and there. Could you be more rude? Someone who has nothing but respect for you invites you to dinner and you can’t even join in the fun? You just sit in the back silence?
The Mass requires our active participation because this our chance to celebrate all that God is and all that God can do together as a family in Christ. Private prayer time is really cool and so vital to a life with God, but it is not enough. We must gather in prayer as a family of Christ; share this Holy Supper with our brothers sisters with whom God has plopped us.
I love to immerse myself in what’s going on; just the way Jesus did with the fishermen. I think Jesus wore a purple bathing suit (its the color of royalty, after all) and just jumped right in that water to call those fishermen. He immersed himself in what he was doing. Now that I have figured out how to do this, I could not be happier with the way things with my faith are going.
So, please, stop what you’re doing. If you’re too busy to pray, you’re too busy. As I tell people on my floor, God before COD (Call of Duty). Nothing should stand in someone’s way of coming to Mass, service, lecture, or whatever your denomination calls it. We are one family, one body in Christ. So grab your towel, wipe away those sins, put on your swim suit and jump in to the Body of Christ!
SO TONIGHT.
Let’s pray together, yeah?
If you’re reading this…join in with me.
+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Tonight, we pray for each other. For the sons and daughters of God of any denomination who wish to share their faith with those around them.
Tonight, may we all find the courage to just leave it all behind, if only for an hour, and jump in to the life that Christ has planned for us.
Tonight, may all who find they are shielding themselves from the light of Christ come to move their hands from their eyes and see the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
May the Blessed Mother constantly intercede for us tonight, tomorrow, and forever.
Hail Mary, full of grace
The Lord is with thee.
Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb: Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
Pray for us sinners,
Now and at the hour of our death-
AMEN.
God bless you all.
RA
