Gray Afternoon of the Soul

I write these 'Sunday morning' posts on Saturday, then set them to get posted a little before 8:00 a.m. in my time zone. That lets me take a deep breath, think about what I've written, and even then obvious typos slip past me. Which is another topic.

A Cold, Damp, Dreary, Day

Right now, it's not one of those 'picture postcard' days here in Sauk Centre. The sky is a uniform, dim, damp, gray mass. It's been not-quite-raining off and on all day, refreshing the grass and the street's little reflecting ponds: but not my spirits.

Earlier, the vault of heaven's oozing patterns of ash and slate seemed to bleakly proclaim "be cold, and know that life is damp." Weather forecasts for tomorrow promise more of the same.

I feel like staying inside, where it's warm and dry.

I don't feel like going to Mass tomorrow morning.

But I will, anyway.

When I Gotta Go, I Gotta Go

It's not that I'm so 'spiritual' that I'm 'moved' to go. I'm a practicing Catholic, and we've got something called the Sunday obligation. If possible, I have to go to Mass each week. It's 'in the rules.' (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2180-2183)

If I can't go, there are backup procedures. (Catechism, 2183) Sometimes I've done 'none of the above,' generally when I was really sick. But those are rare occasions. When it's time to go to Mass, I go to Mass: partly because it's an obligation.

Sunday Obligation, Not Sunday Fear

So, am I 'burdened with care,' worried that an OCD God will smite me, casting me into the pit because I've occasionally missed Mass? Hardly.

That's not because I think Hell doesn't exist, or that God wouldn't let anybody go there. I'm a practicing Catholic, so I have to make long-range plans. Really long range plans, since I'm going to live forever. I'll get back to that.

'Spiritual Hygiene,' Sort of

I decide to join my neighbors in the parish church each Sunday, and the occasional Saturday late-afternoon, because I think it's a good idea. I also think flossing and brushing my teeth is a good idea, and I've been over that before. (October 20, 2010)

An Obligation, a Privilege, and a Blessing

Once in a while, I find great emotional satisfaction in the experience of Mass. Quite often I enjoy moments of beauty.


Mass at Our Lady of the Angels, Sauk Centre, Minnesota. April 8, 2012.

But that's 'frosting on the cake.' Each week I have the obligation - and privilege - and blessing - of being with my Lord:

"...we'll be celebrating Mass that day at Our Lady of the Angels Church, here in Sauk Centre.

"Which means that, as I understand it, we'll be at the Mass at St. Peter's Square, too, and the Passover meal we call the Last Supper, and Golgotha - in a way. (Catechism, 1326, 1330, 1545)"
(April 23, 2011)

That, in my considered opinion, is a pretty big deal.

Feelings: Nice, But Not Essential

I hope that I'd have the good sense to fulfill my Sunday obligation even if I never got an emotional 'zing' out of the process.

Emotions are okay: and very much a part of being human. By themselves, emotions aren't good: or bad. It's what we decide to do with them that makes the difference. (Catechism, 1767) I've been over that before. (March 17, 2009)

As a practicing Catholic, it's okay if I feel all warm and fuzzy about going to Mass. It's also okay if I don't. It's even okay if I go hours - days - years - without feeling 'spiritual.' Provided that I keep soldiering on, doing what I'm supposed to:

"...Catholics recognize a prolonged dry period like that as the dark night of the soul - a name that comes from "The Dark Night," by St. John of the Cross, which described and discussed this part of a soul's growth. ... Many saints, and many Catholics who haven't been canonized, went through that experience. I can't think of one who was given as long a dark night of the soul as Mother Teresa's, though...."
(August 26, 2009)

Living Forever: Good News, Bad News

I'm going to live forever. So will you. It comes with being human, and it's not something we can get out of.

Living forever doesn't mean not dying. My body will die somewhere in the next few decades: assuming that the Last Judgment doesn't come first: which seems a bit unlikely, and that's yet another topic.

When I'm dead, I won't be a living human being. I'll be a dead person: someone whose body is dead. But the part of me that's spirit, the part that God made when I was conceived, can't die:

"SOUL: The spiritual principle of human beings. The soul is the subject of human consciousness and freedom; soul and body together form one unique human nature. Each human soul is individual and immortal, immediately created by God. The soul does not die with the body, from which it is separated by death, and with which it will be reunited in the final resurrection (363, 366; cf. 1703)."
(Glossary, Catechism of the Catholic Church) [links added]

Living forever is a sort of good news, bad news, proposition. Like I said earlier, I need to make really long-range plans: because how I spend eternity is up to me:

• Hell exists
  (Catechism, 1033-1037)
  • "...This state of definitive self-exclusion from communion with God and the blessed is called 'hell.' "
    (Catechism, 1033)
• Heaven exists
  (Catechism, 1023-1029)
  • "Those who die in God's grace and friendship and are perfectly purified live for ever with Christ...."
    (Catechism, 1023)
• My final destination gets sorted out at my particular judgment
  (Catechism, 1021-1022)

Decisions, Deeds, and Death

I decide whether I want to be united with God in Heaven, or stay away from the Almighty in Hell. It's more than 'really believing,' though. What I've done about my faith counts, too:

"Death puts an end to human life as the time open to either accepting or rejecting the divine grace manifested in Christ.⁵⁹² The New Testament speaks of judgment primarily in its aspect of the final encounter with Christ in his second coming, but also repeatedly affirms that each will be rewarded immediately after death in accordance with his works and faith. The parable of the poor man Lazarus and the words of Christ on the cross to the good thief, as well as other New Testament texts speak of a final destiny of the soul-a destiny which can be different for some and for others.⁵⁹³

"Each man receives his eternal retribution in his immortal soul at the very moment of his death, in a particular judgment that refers his life to Christ: either entrance into the blessedness of heaven-through a purification⁵⁹⁴ or immediately,⁵⁹⁵-or immediate and everlasting damnation.⁵⁹⁶

"At the evening of life, we shall be judged on our love.⁵⁹⁷"

(Catechism, 1021-1022)

Being all 'on fire' with faith, without doing something about it, doesn't make sense to me. Maybe because I've read this sort of thing:

"See how a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.

"And in the same way, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she welcomed the messengers and sent them out by a different route?

"For just as a body without a spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead."
(James 2:24-26)

That bit from James gets me into faith and works: and that's yet again another topic.

Somewhat-related posts:

• Praising God anyway
  • "Celebrating Mass, Flossing My Teeth"
    (October 20, 2010)
  • "Dark Night of the Soul? No, More Like a Dim Monday Morning"
    (July 19, 2010)
  • "What a Beautiful Day! And Thank God for Rain"
    (June 9, 2010)
  • "Really 'Spiritual' Experiences: Those are Okay"
    (April 22, 2010)
  • "Mother Teresa of Calcutta: She's No Princess Di"
    (May 8, 2009)
• Emotions
  • " 'Religious People aren't Reasonable?' "
    (December 18, 2011)
  • "Sunday Obligation, Rules, Emotions, and Me"
    (October 9, 2011)
  • "You think You had a Bad Day? Elijah, Jezebel, and a Reality Check"
    (January 16, 2011)
  • "Faith With a Cold"
    (October 18, 2010)
  • "Death, Judgment, Heaven, Hell, and Warm Fuzzies"
    (August 8, 2010)
• Faith and works
  • " 'Love Thy Neighbor:' Putting Faith Into Practice"
    (February 5, 2012)
  • "Charity in Truth: Freedom, Responsibility, and God"
    (January 30, 2012)
  • "Talents, 'the Outer Darkness,' and Interest-Bearing Bank Accounts"
    (November 23, 2011)
  • "Being Saved, the Narrow Gate, and All That"
    (October 26, 2011)
  • "Getting Involved in Constructing a Better Future? Sounds Like a Plan"
    (September 21, 2011)
• Last things
  • "An Eternal Life I can Live With"
    (August 27, 2011)
  • "Hell, Heaven, Character, and Culture"
    (June 23, 2011)
  • "Apocalypse Whenever"
    (June 14, 2011)
  • "Living as if God Matters"
    (June 12, 2011)
  • "Particular Judgment, Last Judgment, and Weekend Grilling"
    (May 22, 2011)

Sunday Obligation, Rules, Emotions, and Me

My new schedule says I'm supposed to write something about "being Catholic" today. The first one, last week, "Ancient Style and Today's Discussions at the 'Vatican Science Academy' " (October 2, 2011), was about part of the Catholic Church that focuses on one of my interests: the Pontifical Academy of Sciences. That, and the Church's clerical uniforms: very briefly.

I don't stay focused on one topic: not easily. And that's another topic.

Desperately Seeking a Topic

This week I thought I had something to write about when I heard the second reading at Mass: Philippians 4:12-14, 19-20. That's the one that starts:

"I know indeed how to live in humble circumstances; I know also how to live with abundance. In every circumstance and in all things I have learned the secret of being well fed and of going hungry, of living in abundance and of being in need. I have the strength for everything through him who empowers me."
(Philippians 4:12-13)

Chewing it over, I remembered that I'd posted about wealth, poverty, and getting a grip, before.¹

Besides, I'd be likely to start rambling about my checkered job history. I've been a sales clerk, beet chopper, radio disk jockey, office worker, and there I go: starting to ramble.

A King; Guests, Invited and Otherwise; and Being Prepared?

A few minutes after that bit from Philippians, Father Statz was talking about Matthew 22:1-14, the parable about a king and wedding guests. It's not one of those 'comforting,' feel-good parables. Not for me, anyway. There's the start of a discussion of it in footnote 1 of Matthew 22.

He mentioned, again, this statistic: 27% of Catholics (in context, I'm guessing that's Catholics in America) go to Mass each week. That's probably why we have three extra Masses on Easter and Christmas: to handle the 'Easter and Christmas' folks.

I'm glad, in a way, that so many folks apparently feel like going once or twice a year. And that's not what I'll be writing about, quite.

Church on Sunday: What's the Big Deal?

I go to church each Sunday because I have to. It's in the rules: Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2180-2183. Sometimes I go late Saturday afternoon: which the bishops in this country say is okay in their territory.

I'm a convert to Catholicism, so maybe you'd expect me to be rabidly gung-ho about the spiritual ecstasy I feel each and every Sunday. That's not gonna happen, for several reasons:

1. I think there are quite enough gushy impression pieces about the beauties of the Mass
2. I'd have a hard time keeping a straight face while writing something like that
   • No criticism intended to folks who write and enjoy that sort of thing
3. I don't have that sort of glorious-visions-and-heavenly-voices 'mountain top' experience
   • Which is fine by me
   • I'd be a little suspicious if my faith was based on emotional highs
     • More than a little suspicious

I think that Catechism of the Catholic Church, Article 3 | The Third Commandment, is a pretty good place to start learning about why the Catholic Church makes such a big deal about 'church on Sunday:'

"The Sunday celebration of the Lord's Day and his Eucharist is at the heart of the Church's life...."
(Catechism, 2177-2179)

There's more: Catechism, The Sacrament of the Eucharist, for starters.

Maybe I should feel like a hyperventilating teenager at a rock concert each time we celebrate Mass. I don't know. But I go, when possible, because I'm supposed to. And because no matter what my emotions are doing at the moment: for at least a few minutes each week, I'm with my Lord at the Last Supper, and Golgotha, and beyond.

I think it's worth the hour it takes each week.

Somewhat-related posts:

• The Eucharist
  • "Corpus Christi, and Running into Walls"
    (June 26, 2011)
  • "The Road to Emmaus, and Rome, and Sauk Centre, and - - -"
    (May 8, 2011)
  • "Celebrating Mass, Flossing My Teeth"
    (October 20, 2010)
  • "Catholics Invented Transubstantiation Like Newton Invented Gravity"
    (September 21, 2009)
• Sunday obligation
  • "Sunday Obligation, Kids, and Consistency"
    (July 16, 2011)
  • "Called to Holiness, Not Stupidity"
    (February 6, 2011)
  • "Sunday Obligation and Getting the Job Done"
    (October 9, 2010)
  • "Sunday Obligation, Recovering From Surgery, Wild Weather, and Martha"
    (July 17, 2010)
  • "Sunday: I've Got Lots of Time for Reflection Today"
    (January 3, 2010)
  • "Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, 2009: A Reflection"
    (June 28, 2009)
    • Guest post
  • "Working on Sunday: At Growing the Christian Interior Life"
    (January 2, 2010)

---

¹ I even had a post titled, "Success, Wealth, Poverty, and Getting a Grip." Bottom line, as nearly as I've been able to find out:

• It's okay to be
  • Rich
    • What matters is how a wealthy person deals with it
  • Poor
    • What matters is how a poor person deals with it
• Money
  • Isn't
    • Good
    • Bad
    • What matters is what each of us does with what we've got
• Love of money is
  • Idolatry
  • A really bad idea
    • 1 Timothy 6:10
    • Hebrews 13:5

A few decades ago, one of reasons folks were supposed to loathe and detest the Catholic Church was that we stole from the poor and gave to the rich. Specifically, those men in the Vatican.

As propaganda, it's surprisingly effective. Partly, I think, because St. Peter's in Rome is an amazing work of architecture, the Vatican's museums and libraries store treasures collected over two millennia, and you're not likely to find a headline about Catholics doing something nice.

Part of our mandate is to care for the poor, which the Church handles by having a few folks coordinating whatever work needs doing: and 'boots on the ground' in most places where local authorities let us in. More:

• "Charity, Nuns, and an Overloaded Helicopter"
  (April 28, 2011)
• "Bishops, Congress, and the Poor"
  (February 18, 2011)
• "Money isn't Everything: But it Helps"
  (April 10, 2010)

As far as being okay with the Church having St. Peter's as headquarters? I'd much rather be explaining why I didn't fuss about a fraction of 1,000,000,000 or so Catholics' resources getting spent on a visible reminder of my Lord's church in the world; than why we had the Pope celebrating Mass in a pole barn.

More:

• "Timothy, Amos, Money, and Getting a Grip"
  (August 4, 2011)
• "Passing Through Status Symbol Land"
  (May 14, 2011)
• "Wealth, Poverty, Stereotypes, and Snidely Whiplash"
  (March 8, 2011)
• "Success, Wealth, Poverty, and Getting a Grip"
  (September 27, 2010)
• "Wealth, the Vatican, the White House, Corporate Headquarters, and Cultural Values"
  (February 4, 2010)

Good grief, this footnote is long enough to be a post by itself. And that's yet another topic.

God Kept Me From Going to Mass?!

Yesterday, about 6:00 p.m., we stopped our RV at a toll booth outside Pittsburgh. Then the alternator failed. My son-in-law maneuvered us to the side of the Interstate, roughly a thousand feet away. Doing so burned out the emergency start cable, but put us in a slightly safer position. Also one where a tow truck wouldn't have as much trouble picking us up.

I wrote about that event in my Through One Dad's Eye blog.

"Providential?" Maybe

It's a good thing that the alternator gave out at that particular point. Our plan had been to have #2 daughter take over driving around that time: which would have had her behind the wheel when one of the front tires blew out. Maybe both. Those tires had worn out since we set out for Pennsylvania. Much more quickly than expected.

Looking at the happy coincidence that kept us from a highway-speed blowout, I could have said: "It's providential!" I didn't, partly because I've been around too many folks who say that sort of thing. A lot. And, in my opinion, often inappropriately.

Take, for example, the (hypothetical) woman who's wondering if some man is 'Mr. Right.' Her friend is happily married to a man from, say, Ohio. The possible 'Mr. Right' is also from Ohio. The woman, elated, says: "It's providential!"

Maybe: But I'm inclined to think her maybe-beau being from Ohio is more of a coincidence.

On the other hand, our alternator failing in time for us to notice overly-worn tires - and before #2 daughter took the wheel - was a possibly-life-saving coincidence. She has sterling qualities, but none of my daughters have have experience as truck drivers. My son-in-law does.

Am I going to say "it's providential" that he was behind the wheel when the alternator stopped? Particularly since that got us off the road before one or both front tires blew out? I'm not sure. But I thanked God for getting us out of that situation, anyway.

Like bumper-sticker theology puts it: coincidence is God's way of performing miracles anonymously.

Here's what the Catechism of the Catholic Church has to say about divine providence:

"The witness of Scripture is unanimous that the solicitude of divine providence is concrete and immediate; God cares for all, from the least things to the great events of the world and its history. The sacred books powerfully affirm God's absolute sovereignty over the course of events: 'Our God is in the heavens; he does whatever he pleases.'¹⁶² And so it is with Christ, 'who opens and no one shall shut, who shuts and no one opens.'¹⁶³ As the book of Proverbs states: 'Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will be established.'¹⁶⁴"
(Catechism of the Catholic Church, 303)

"Jesus asks for childlike abandonment to the providence of our heavenly Father who takes care of his children's smallest needs: 'Therefore do not be anxious, saying, "What shall we eat?" or "What shall we drink?" . . . . Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well.'¹⁶⁷"
(Catechism, 305)

There's more, about providence and:

• Secondary causes (Catechism, 306-308)
• The scandal of evil (Catechism, 309-314

And there's more. There always seems to be more.

Bottom line? Looks like it's reasonable to think that divine providence was involved in letting us find out about those about-to-blow tires when we did. Not that I think we're supposed to assume that God will take care of vehicle maintenance for us, like some celestial chauffeur. And that's another topic.

Missing Mass, Getting a Grip

We'd planned to celebrate Mass with a parish in Steubenville, Ohio. Spending part of Saturday evening on an Interstate shoulder, and then Saturday night and part of Sunday morning in a parking in Monroeville, Pennsylvania, made that impossible. I'm disappointed about missing our Sunday obligation, but not all that upset. Certainly not considering that we may have avoided a very serious accident.

All three of us are practicing Catholics. That means we're supposed to celebrate Mass with our fellow-Catholics weekly. If possible.

• Is a Catholic's Sunday obligation important?
  • Yes (Catechism, 2180-2183
• Is missing Mass on Sunday unforgivable?
  • No (Catechism, 2185)

We hadn't celebrated Mass on Sunday because the Pep Boys parking lot was close to a street, a road, and a Chinese buffet/Hooters, but not all that much else. As far as we knew, there wasn't a parish withing walking distance: and even if there was, I was stuck in the RV. The stairs that make it possible for me to get in and out are powered by the engine - which wasn't working.

We didn't plan to be stuck in that parking lot, I figure God knows that, so like I said: I'm not all that upset.

Was it "providential" that we failed to meet our Sunday obligation today? That feels less likely - but I suppose it's possible. Speculating about that involves so many 'what ifs' and 'maybes,' though, that I don't think there's much point in trying to figure out what God was up to.

What were folks who live in North Dakota and Minnesota doing in a Pennsylvania parking lot? I've posted about that before.

More about the trade show and me:

• "Catholic Marketing Network Trade Show"
  Starting a Small Business Without Losing My Mind

Related posts:

• "Bad News: Or, Rather, Good News"
  (August 6, 2011)
• "Sunday Obligation, Kids, and Consistency"
  (July 16, 2011)
• "Called to Holiness, Not Stupidity"
  (February 6, 2011)
• "Providence, God's Tender Kindness, and Training a Mule"
  (September 24, 2010)
• "God Flooded My House?!"
  (September 21, 2010)

Sunday Obligation, Kids, and Consistency

Sunday is a pretty big deal for Catholics. Or, rather, it should be.

Kids, Parents, and the Sunday Obligation

Last Sunday, the priest at Our Lady of Angels, here in Sauk Centre, shared what he's learned from children in the parish. Particularly as they're approaching their first Sacrament of Reconciliation ("Confession," for short), some of these kids are quite worried: because they haven't been going to Church every Sunday.

I'm not going to rant about how 'unfair' it is that

1. The Church has rules
2. Things I don't like exist
   • Whether I want them to or not
3. The Church expects children to learn

That sort of attitude would be silly. Take #2, for example. It doesn't matter whether or not I like getting regular dental checkups. I go, anyway: and sometimes catch problems while they're still minor.

I've posted about the Sunday obligation before:

• "Sunday Obligation and Getting the Job Done"
  (October 9, 2010)
• "Working on Sunday: At Growing the Christian Interior Life"
  (January 2, 2010)

What's important, though, is what the Church has to say about Mass, Sunday, and acting like God matters.

There's quite a bit in the Catechism about the Sabbath and Sunday - which aren't the same day. My Lord rose from the dead on the day after the Sabbath.¹ (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2168-2188)

There's also an explanation of the Sunday obligation - the rule that says that Catholics should gather and celebrate Mass once a week, on Sunday. (Catechism, 2180-2183) Here in America, an early-evening Mass on Saturday counts as meeting the Sunday obligation. And that's another topic.

It's Not About Rules

The Catholic Church has a reputation for having lots of rules. There's something to that: but the Church isn't 'about' rules. It's about my Lord, and the worship that is His due. The way I see it, the rules are what happened as successors of Peter dealt with human frailty and folly over the last two millennia.

Back to the Sunday obligation, parents, children, and a parish in the early part of the 21st century.

These children know about the Sunday obligation. Their parents sent them to classes where they learned that it's important to come to Mass each week. Unhappily, their parents haven't been taking them to Mass.

The Kids are Okay

These children are okay.

They're thinking, which is good; they know what the Church teaches, which is good; and they understand personal responsibility, which is good. Their knowledge and understanding isn't the same as what they may have decades from now, if they keep learning about their faith: but they understand the basics.

Father Statz, the parish priest, doesn't seem to like having to deal with this sort of issue: and I can't blame him for that. The kids know they're supposed to go to Mass on Sunday. Their parents won't take them. They can't disobey their parents; they can't determine family policy; Father Statz doesn't have the authority to change Church policy; and he can't tell the kids that the Sunday obligation doesn't matter.

So he reassures the children that the fault isn't theirs, tells them that they mustn't disobey their parents - - - and a parish priest shouldn't have to be in this sort of position. In my opinion, of course.

A Little Consistency?

I don't have to imagine what it's like to be someone who isn't Catholic. I can remember the experience. I was raised in a mainstream Protestant church, and converted to Catholicism as an adult.

I can, sort of, imagine what it would be like to be someone who doesn't want to be Catholic.

But someone who claims to be Catholic, even sends the kids to 'Catholic class:' and doesn't act as if the Church matters?! To me, that makes about as much sense as someone claiming to be a golfer, sending the kids to golf lessons: and never going to the golf course.

Kids Notice

Maybe the children of that hypothetical ersatz golfer would grow up to be avid golfers. I wouldn't count on it, though.

I think kids notice their parents. A lot. That's hardly an original thought - but it's important. If mom and dad say that something - like golf, or God, or gardening - is important, the kids will hear the words. They'll also see what mom and dad do.

If their parents' actions don't match the worlds: Like I said, I think kids notice.

Related posts:

• "Family Values: Addams and Otherwise"
  (July 12, 2011)
• "Living as if God Matters"
  (June 12, 2011)
• "Joseph's Bones, a Promise, and Passing the Word"
  (December 20, 2010)
• "Kids Don't Learn Faith: They Catch It"
  (September 15, 2010)
• "Blessing My Daughter, and the Domestic Church"
  (July 15, 2010)

---

¹ Sunday is the 'eighth day of the week,' sort of. More to the point, it's the day of the week on which Jesus stopped being dead. (Matthew 28:1, Mark 16:2, Luke 24:1, John 20:1)

Called to Holiness, Not Stupidity

I didn't get to Mass today. Or yesterday, when the rest of my family celebrated Mass. The Super Bowl is, indirectly, responsible for the latter. Soo Bahk Do class was rescheduled to 1:00 this afternoon, to give folks time to get home for Super Bowl coverage — which would have made for a very tight midday schedule today.

Maybe not the best reason in the world for using the option Catholics living in America have for counting a late Saturday Mass as fulfilling the Sunday obligation — but it's accepted. ("Apostolic Letter Dies Domini of the Holy Father John Paul II to the Bishops, Clergy and Faithful of the Catholic Church on Keeping the Lord's Day Holy" (May 31, 1998))

I'd particularly wanted to celebrate Mass this weekend, since we were doing the St. Blaise blessing. His feast day was February 3 — and the blessing of the throat is part of our regional Catholic culture — not just ours, of course. There's more about St. Blaise in the sidebar of a St. Blaise novena on the EWTN website.

Does that mean I have some superstitious notion that magic candles will ward off sore throats? No. I've been over this sort of thing before:

• "Mary MacKillop, Saints, News, and Miracles"
  (October 17, 2010)
• "If Catholics are Superstitious, How Come We're Not Allowed to be Superstitious?"
  (August 18, 2010)
• "Mother Teresa of Calcutta's Sandals; Relics, and Minnesota"
  (July 25, 2010)
• "Superstitions, Catholicism, and a Really Bad Experience With the Ark"
  (July 13, 2010)
• "Miracles, Mass, Bread and Wine"
  (June 7, 2010)

I like to participate in the St. Blaise throat blessing — and was particularly looking forward to it this year, since there's been a bug going around. Several members of my family have been coughing and sneezing — and I haven't been feeling all that hot, myself.

Which is odd, since yesterday I was running a fever of over 100° F. That was good news, in a way, since it explained why I was feeling the way I did. I figured it wasn't a particularly good idea to celebrate Mass.

Sunday Obligation, and Getting a Grip

Maybe you've heard somewhere that Catholics think we'll go to Hell if we don't go to church every Sunday. That's — almost — true. Sort of. In a way.

The Sunday obligation — to celebrate Mass each week — is important. It's central to the Catholic faith. The Catholic Church says it's very important. The Catholic Church also says to not be stupid about it. Not in so many words: but that's the gist, from my point of view.

If you want a more detailed — and authoritative — discussion of the Sunday obligation, check out what it says in the Catechism. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, Article 3 | The Third Commandment, 2180-2183, particularly 2181)

Where was I? Running a fever. Right. I figured maybe a good night's sleep would fix me up, and I could celebrate Mass today.

I could have gone — but my fever was a little higher than it was yesterday. Throat blessing or no throat blessing — I figured it'd be prudent to stay home. Which I did.

Considering how cold I've felt, off and on, today: I think that was a good decision.

Am I happy about skipping Mass? No.

Am I scared silly that God will strike me down for skipping out? Ah, no: and that reminds me of another post I've been meaning to write. Which is another topic.

Aiming at Holiness, Working for Health, and Using my Head

Instead of wringing my hands in histrionic agony, I went online and got a list of today's readings (Isaiah 58:7-10, 1 Corinthians 2:1-5, and Matthew 5:13-16). I've read those, thought about what I read, took it easy today, chatted with #1 daughter — who's been visiting for the weekend — and gave my body a chance to deal with whatever's ailing it.
Maybe that doesn't sound 'spiritual.' And that's yet another topic.

The bottom line, as far as I'm concerned, is what I've said before in this blog: We're called to holiness, not stupidity.

Related posts:

• "Catholicism: Obligations, Penance, Fasting; and Cartoons"
  (December 18, 2010)
• "WikiLeaks, the Vatican, Al Qaeda, and Lizard People"
  (December 14, 2010)
• "Solemnity of All Saints, Plugged Ears and a Sore Throat"
  (November 1, 2010)
• "Sunday Obligation and Getting the Job Done"
  (October 9, 2010)
• "Sunday Obligation, Recovering From Surgery, Wild Weather and Martha"
  (July 17, 2010)

Solemnity of All Saints, Plugged Ears and a Sore Throat

Today is the Solemnity of All Saints. It's a Holy Day of Obligation - usually. The Catholic Church has bishops at a national level decide how many days of obligation - when Catholics are required to celebrate Mass - they have in their territory.

Here in America, the bishops decided to drop the obligation for this feast - this year. Something to do with this day falling on a Monday.

Just as well, in my case. My household had a big weekend: #2 daughter and her husband, their dog, a kitten, and #1 daughter were here. As my father used to say, "and a good time was had by all." On the other hand, I fell asleep sitting down here on the first floor last night. This afternoon, my ears are still plugged up and my cold has turned into a sore throat.

'It could be worse,' but I probably should have stayed inside today anyway.

Which didn't keep me from checking out today's readings at the usccb.com website: usccb.org/nab/110110.shtml. They're:

• Revelation 7:2-4, 9-14
• 1 John 3:1-3
• Matthew 5:1-12a

So, I've read the readings, written this post. And now, I'm going to get some rest.

What?! Not going to Mass? On the Solemnity of All Saints?!!

First, the bishops in this country waived the obligation for this year.

Second, I'm dealing with at least one sort of infection that should stay minor if I'm smart.

Third, we're called to holiness: not stupidity. I've written about that before.

Related post:

• "Sunday Obligation, Recovering From Surgery, Wild Weather and Martha"
  (July 17, 2010)

Celebrating Mass, Flossing My Teeth

I went to Mass last Sunday: and expect to do so again next Sunday. I'm a Catholic, so it's something I have to do. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2181)

It's not like anybody's going to hunt me down if I don't go, though.

I also "have to" brush and floss my teeth on a regular basis. Again, there are alternatives.

But if I chose to stop cleaning my teeth regularly, I'd start experiencing some memorable taste sensations: followed by discomfort, distress, and (most likely) missing teeth.

So, I brush and floss regularly.

If I chose to stop attending Mass regularly - and skipped the Sacrament of Reconciliation/Confession - I wouldn't get bad breath. At least, not because I was ignoring spiritual maintenance. I would, however, start collecting a serious buildup of crud in my soul.

That's not speculation: I'm a convert, and I remember 'before' and 'after.'

So, does that mean that I feel all Saved and Cleansed each Sunday morning: shouting "Hal-le-lu-ya!!" all the way down the aisle?

Hardly.

I don't get all gushy about flossing my teeth, either. But I do it, anyway.

Come to think of it, wouldn't it be a trifle disturbing if someone got emotionally worked up over dental hygiene?

Just Another Sunday Morning

By the time my family and I get to Our Lady of the Angels church, here in Sauk Centre, folks have usually started saying a before-Mass Rosary. I join in, picking up wherever they're at. As far as I know, there isn't a rule about that - It's just a habit I've picked up.


Before Mass at Our Lady of the Angels, Sauk Centre, Minnesota. October 17, 2010.

I took that photo before Mass started last Sunday. Nothing special going on: apart from the pre-Eucharist Rosary.

"Eucharist," by the way is an older - and somewhat more technical - term for what we usually call "Mass" in this country. ("Glossary of Church Terms," Office of Media Relations, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops)

And that's another topic.

Not-entirely-unrelated posts:

• "Photos and Faith in Sauk Centre"
  (August 22, 2010)
• "Catholic Vestment Colors: Symbols of Our Beliefs"
  (July 23, 2010)
• "Colorful Catholics: Vestment Colors For Every Season"
  (July 22, 2010)
• "Sunday Obligation, Recovering From Surgery, Wild Weather and Martha"
  (July 17, 2010)
• "Miracles, Mass, Bread and Wine"
  (June 7, 2010)
• "Working on Sunday: At Growing the Christian Interior Life"
  (January 2, 2010)

Sunday Obligation and Getting the Job Done

This post is about the Sunday Obligation and this Catholic family. But first, a little background.

Water Damage: Bad News/Good News

About an hour after midnight on September 17, 2010, a pipe burst in the laundry room of my house, flooding three rooms on the ground floor and two in the basement. (September 21, 2010)

That sentence tells you a few things:

1. We've got
   • Indoor plumbing
   • At least five rooms in the house
   • A room that's used mostly for washing clothing
2. There's been a mess to clean up

So much depends on how a person looks at a situation.

Looking at item number one, my family and I are doing wonderfully well. My father and my mother spent parts of their childhoods in a world of outhouses and pumping water out of a cistern or well by hand. Quite a few folks still live that way.

Looking at item number two, my family and I have had a little setback. We haven't gotten bills for the cleanup and repairs - but it'll probably run far into four figures. Make that five. Even with insurance, this is going to make a dent in the household finances. But, we'll manage. And that's another topic.

Here's how an unplanned indoor water feature and the Sunday Obligation connect:

Working on Sunday, Rules, Principles, and Decisions

I've written about the Catholic Church's Sunday Obligation before. (August 16, 2009) Essentially, we're 'not supposed to work' on Sunday. There are exceptions. Some folks, like those who are on duty in hospitals, law enforcement, emergency services, or critical infrastructure, simply can't leave their posts. Somebody's got to be on watch 24/7/365. And the Church recognizes this.

Then there's just what "work" is. Turns out, the prohibition focuses more on "servile work." Which I've discussed before. (January 2, 2010)

All of which led to a decision that had to be made today.

The fellow who is putting a new floor down asked me if we had a problem with his coming in tomorrow: Sunday. Some folks, in his experience, don't like anyone working on their place on that day.

I'm not too crazy about the idea myself.

I said 'okay,' after checking with my wife to see if there was a scheduling issue involved.

Religious Scruples, Cultural Values, and Where the Buck Stops

What?! Here I claim to be a Catholic, and I let somebody desecrate the Sunday Obligation?!!

Whoa. Let's turn the volume down a bit.

1. I'm not entirely convinced that what this construction specialist does is "servile work."
2. He asked if he could come back tomorrow to wrap up one phase of the job
3. He's not the only contractor working on this project

There's a plumber who may be ready to get the toilet back in working order on Monday. If we don't have the site ready for him: his schedule's disrupted - and that disruption will ripple out through the folks he's connected with.

If all that sounds like I'm concerned about keeping the work flow going: you're quite right. I'm a Catholic, but I'm also an American - and many of us place a high value on getting things done in a timely fashion. Think of it as a case of upholding cultural values.

Then there's that Matthew 22:36-40 thing. How 'loving' would I be toward these neighbors of mine - the fellows who are working at getting my house back in working order - if I make it harder for them to get their work done?

On the other hand, I take the Sunday Obligation seriously.

Bottom line? I made the point about Sunday being a day of rest - but acknowledged that there were practical considerations and gave him the green light to come in and finish a critical phase of the job.

Was that a mistake?

Maybe. I don't think so, but I've been wrong before. If it was, the decision was mine. Like it or not, I'm the head of this household, and the buck stops here.¹

What's the Big Deal?

The Sunday Obligation is a serious matter. As a Catholic I'm expected to celebrate Mass once a week - unless there's a really serious reason for not doing so.

On the other hand, as I've written before, we're 'called to holiness, not stupidity.' (July 17, 2010)

I had the opportunity today to present my faith as something with rigid, impractical rules - or as something that takes the lives of other folks into consideration. I chose to make at least two other folks' lives a little less difficult.

It's not an effort to be "nice," although that's involved.

I think that Christianity has enough bad press as it is. (See "Crowbar for Christ in Colorado?" (October 7, 2010)) If I can accommodate a reasonable request and make a point about how Catholicism works: I'll do so.

About tomorrow morning's Mass? It's a Polka Mass - and that's another topic.

Related posts:

• "Sunday Obligation, Recovering From Surgery, Wild Weather and Martha"
  (July 17, 2010)
• "Working on Sunday: At Growing the Christian Interior Life"
  (January 2, 2010)
• "Sunday? Sabbath? Day of Rest?"
  (August 16, 2009)
• "Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, 2009: A Reflection"
  (June 28, 2009)

---

¹ It's the Ephesians thing - all of it - and I've discussed that before. (September 24, 2009)

Sunday Obligation, Recovering From Surgery, Wild Weather, and Martha

My #3 daughter had surgery on her jaw on Thursday. She's doing about as well as you'd expect, for someone who had part of her head taken apart and put back together.

Called to Holiness: Not Stupidity

The point is, she won't be going to Mass tomorrow. Yes, Sunday is a 'day of obligation.' We're expected to help celebrate the Mass on Sunday - and, since we live in America, we can count the Saturday evening Mass as the Sunday Mass. I'll get back to that.

Is my #3 daughter sinning, because we're not hauling her to church tomorrow? I really don't think so. Yes, it's a day of obligation. We're supposed to celebrate Mass.

On the other hand, the Catholic Church is - the occasional excessively-earnest fellow notwithstanding - practical.

"The Sunday Eucharist is the foundation and confirmation of all Christian practice. For this reason the faithful are obliged to participate in the Eucharist on days of obligation, unless excused for a serious reason (for example, illness, the care of infants) or dispensed by their own pastor.¹¹⁹ Those who deliberately fail in this obligation commit a grave sin."
(Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2181)

There's more in the Catechism, about what we're supposed to do with our time on Sundays. (Catechism, Article 3 | The Third Commandment, 2180-2183)

I suppose I could argue that recovering from an operation isn't, technically, an "illness," but I try to be practical, too. That two-item list starts with the words, "for example." I'm taking them at face value. Besides, we've arranged for a Host to be brought to her, after Mass: according to the rules of this parish, diocese, and the rest of the hierarchy.

As I wrote, in "Catholics and the Common Cold," "We're called to holiness - not stupidity."

Rained Out

One of the high points of my year is the Sinclair Lewis Days Parade here in Sauk Centre. It's a fairly major Saturday evening event here. It generally takes about an hour for the parade to pass any given point.

I was particularly looking forward to this one, since the parade route was back on the street where I live. And this year, I was set up to 'webcast' the parade as it went by.

So, we had rain. Quite a lot. The real excitement happened in the afternoon, though, when the sirens went off, warning of a strongly-rotating cloud headed our way. That was the second time this week.



Happily, nobody seems to have gotten hurt - and I haven't heard of property damage. Still, those clouds were - impressive.

More about that sort of thing:

• "Tornado Warning, a Storm, and Secondary Causes"
  (July 14, 2010)

Mary, Martha, and Me

This week's Sunday Gospel reading is Luke 10:38-42, the account of Mary, Martha, Jesus and chores. Father Statz had the deacon time two minutes of silence in today's Mass. I went to the 'Sunday' Mass that's at 5:00 Saturday afternoon, along with my son and #1 daughter. This way, if my wife is up to it (that's another story), she can go to Mass tomorrow morning - and there will still be folks here at the house, to look after #3 daughter.

Where was I? Mary. Martha. Jesus. The deacon's watch. Right.

We'd been told to think about what we're anxious about during that two minutes of silence. I came up with a list that included technical issues with my computer, how my schedule would work if I had about 32 hours every day - or didn't have to sleep, and diabetes.

Okay: so I'm anxious about many things, like Martha. What did Jesus tell Martha?

"The Lord said to her in reply, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. ¹⁵There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.' "
(Luke 10:41-42)

Maybe I should remember that advice, take a deep breath, be quite for a while - and listen.

Catholics and the Common Cold

My family and I have been having a cold. I'm pretty sure it's the same bug that's had us all coughing, croaking and sneezing our way through life for the last week or so.

I'm quite ready for it to be over.

By the way: I'm 'backdating' the time of this post a bit, to make it show up on Wednesday. Which, as far as I'm concerned, it still is. And will be, until after I go to sleep. Which should be a few minutes after I stop writing this post.

Where was I? Catholics. Colds. My family. Got it.

Sacraments and the Common Cold

What we've got is an annoyance: nowhere near serious enough to warrant a sacramental anointing of the ill. (Catechism, 1511-1519) It's just one of those things that we muddle through, blowing our noses as needed.

Doesn't feel very 'spiritual,' does it?

I've gotten the impression that 'religious' folks would be expected to exorcise the cold: rather along the lines of what witch doctors did in the old movies.

Exorcisms are done - very, very rarely and with great care. (Catechism, 1673) But that's if - and only if - there's demonic involvement.

When it comes to the rhinovirus and its cousins: we rest, drink plenty of fluids, and wait for our bodies to deal with the infection. And go on with our daily routines as best we can: prayer included.

I've missed a few Masses because I was too ill - or might infect others. Catholics are required to go to Mass on Sunday: it's that 'Sunday obligation' you hear about sometimes. But there are common-sense exceptions to that rule. (Catechism, 2181)

Bottom line? We're called to holiness - not stupidity.

Posts About Palm Sunday and Blogging, in Another Blog

Noted and linked:

• "See you in a week!! "
  A Catholic Mom in Minnesota (March 28, 2010)
• "Palm Sunday "
  A Catholic Mom in Minnesota (March 28, 2010)

Hats off to A Catholic Mom in Minnesota, for taking Holy Week off:

"I am not going to blog this week so that I can give myself more fully to this Holy Week...."
(A Catholic Mom in Minnesota)

I don't plan to go offline on blogging entirely this week, but I think that ACMM is setting a good example.

Maybe I can at least throttle back a little.

It is Palm Sunday, by the way. I intend to do a better job than usual of using this day for 'reflection, silence, cultivation of the mind and meditation' to further the growth of this Christian's interior life.

Related post:

• "Working on Sunday: At Growing the Christian Interior Life"
  (January 2, 2010)

Sunday: I've Got Lots of Time for Reflection Today

I wrote about Sunday's being a time for reflection, silence, cultivation of the mind and meditation yesterday. ("Working on Sunday: At Growing the Christian Interior Life" (January 2, 2010))

Today's Sunday, and I've got' lots of time for reflection.

The temperature inside me is 100 degrees Fahrenheit, and outside it's gotten up to nine below zero on the same scale: up from -19° earlier this morning.

I decided to miss Mass today. I've got company: the rest of the household's down with something, too. Catholics are supposed to go to Mass on Sunday: Every Sunday is a holy day of obligation. But it's not as simple as that. The rules for this sort of things are, over-simplified: Be devout, but don't be stupid.

Well, like I said: Now I've got lots of time for reflection.

Working on Sunday: At Growing the Christian Interior Life

Holy days of obligation and servile work came up, briefly, in yesterday's post. (The Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God: Yeah, It's Kind of a Big Deal)

Again, holy day of obligation is "a day when Catholics must attend Mass and refrain from servile work, and Episcopalians must take Communion" (holy day of obligation, Princeton's WordNet).

That's clear enough. (WordNet is a secular resource, by the way - and a pretty good online dictionary)

But what's "servile work?" That's a little more complicated:

"(submissive or fawning in attitude or behavior) 'spoke in a servile tone'; 'the incurably servile housekeeper'; 'servile tasks such as floor scrubbing and barn work'
"(relating to or involving slaves or appropriate for slaves or servants) 'Brown's attempt at servile insurrection'; 'the servile wars of Sicily'; 'servile work' "
(servile, Princeton's WordNet)

Going really literal, I could say that since I'm not a slave (my surname may mean "slave," but that's another topic), and I'm not particularly submissive in behavior, and don't work in a barn or scrub floors, I can work on Sundays.

I could say something like that, but I think that'd be missing the point.

Checking around, online, I get the idea that most people who use the term "servile work" assume that everybody else understands what it means. Or, maybe it's a term that's too rarely used to warrant much discussion. Either way, I didn't come up with anything that was from what I consider a reliable source.

"Working on Sunday:" That I found discussions of.

Why Sunday? Why Not Worship on the Sabbath?

Since I'm a Catholic, I recognize Saturday as the sabbath. And Sunday is the big day for worship each week.

"Jesus rose from the dead 'on the first day of the week.'¹⁰⁴ Because it is the 'first day,' the day of Christ's Resurrection recalls the first creation. Because it is the "eighth day" following the sabbath,¹⁰⁵ it symbolizes the new creation ushered in by Christ's Resurrection. For Christians it has become the first of all days, the first of all feasts, the Lord's Day (he kuriake hemera, dies dominica)-Sunday:

"We all gather on the day of the sun, for it is the first day [after the Jewish sabbath, but also the first day] when God, separating matter from darkness, made the world; and on this same day Jesus Christ our Savior rose from the dead.¹⁰⁶"

(Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2174)

Which is why dates running down the left side of most calendars in this country are Sundays. It's the first day of the week.

Okay: That's why we have Mass on Sunday. Every other day of the week, too: but Sunday's is the one we're supposed to get to, if it's at all practical.

What's the score on "servile work" on Sunday?

Working on Sunday: The Catholic Church has Rules About That

One thing that American culture's stereotypes almost have right about Catholics is that we have rules. Lots of them. If you're looking for a church that preaches salvation through warm fuzzies and feeling spiritual, without a lot of practical restrictions on your behavior: This isn't it.

(I think it's a really good idea to get on board with the Catholic Church, but I can't 'make' you. And wouldn't try. My job is to deliver the message. What you do with it is your responsibility.)

As a Catholic, I recognize that there are - when you boil it all down - two rules:

"...You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind...." and "...The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.'..."
(excerpt from Matthew 22:36-40)

I suppose they're more 'principles' than 'rules.'

Applying those two basic principles to what people do 24/7/365 that makes for all the rules.

So, Catholics have a lot of rules to follow. I must be some kind of conformist, right?

Hardly. I've written about that before: "I'm Not Awed by Authority, I Don't Conform Easily: So I Became a Catholic?!" (September 19, 2009). I don't particularly like conforming to some leader's idea of what is and isn't appropriate. But when the leader is God, I think it's a good idea to follow.

Sunday, the Sabbath, and All That

A little more, about why Sunday is a big deal:

"Sunday is expressly distinguished from the sabbath which it follows chronologically every week; for Christians its ceremonial observance replaces that of the sabbath. In Christ's Passover, Sunday fulfills the spiritual truth of the Jewish sabbath and announces man's eternal rest in God. For worship under the Law prepared for the mystery of Christ, and what was done there prefigured some aspects of Christ:¹⁰⁷

"Those who lived according to the old order of things have come to a new hope, no longer keeping the sabbath, but the Lord's Day, in which our life is blessed by him and by his death.¹⁰⁸

"The celebration of Sunday observes the moral commandment inscribed by nature in the human heart to render to God an outward, visible, public, and regular worship 'as a sign of his universal beneficence to all.'¹⁰⁹ Sunday worship fulfills the moral command of the Old Covenant, taking up its rhythm and spirit in the weekly celebration of the Creator and Redeemer of his people."
(Catechism, 2175, 2176)

So, what's that "outward, visible, public, and regular worship" of God? Going to church on Sunday is part of the picture, but there's more. Quite a lot more, actually: there's a lot more to that part of the catechism than these excerpts.

'Don't Work on Sunday' - Isn't that Kind of Negative?

The idea that we shouldn't do servile work on Sunday isn't as negative as it sounds. It isn't so much an instruction to not work, as it is an exhortation to make sure that the important work (in another sense of the word) gets done:

"Just as God 'rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had done,'¹²¹ human life has a rhythm of work and rest. The institution of the Lord's Day helps everyone enjoy adequate rest and leisure to cultivate their familial, cultural, social, and religious lives.¹²²

"On Sundays and other holy days of obligation, the faithful are to refrain from engaging in work or activities that hinder the worship owed to God, the joy proper to the Lord's Day, the performance of the works of mercy, and the appropriate relaxation of mind and body.¹²³ Family needs or important social service can legitimately excuse from the obligation of Sunday rest. The faithful should see to it that legitimate excuses do not lead to habits prejudicial to religion, family life, and health.

"The charity of truth seeks holy leisure; the necessity of charity accepts just work.¹²⁴

"Those Christians who have leisure should be mindful of their brethren who have the same needs and the same rights, yet cannot rest from work because of poverty and misery. Sunday is traditionally consecrated by Christian piety to good works and humble service of the sick, the infirm, and the elderly. Christians will also sanctify Sunday by devoting time and care to their families and relatives, often difficult to do on other days of the week. Sunday is a time for reflection, silence, cultivation of the mind, and meditation which furthers the growth of the Christian interior life."
(Catechism, 2184-2186)

"Sunday is a time for reflection, silence, cultivation of the mind, and meditation which furthers the growth of the Christian interior life."

Has a sort of monastic feel, doesn't it? Pretty good advice, though.

I started this post to help me follow up on an impression I'd gotten yesterday, that I ought to review my Sunday habits and the idea of "servile work."

I haven't done "servile work" in one sense for a long time. I'm a writer and artist, so my work is mostly digging up information, sorting out ideas, and creating images. I love what I do. Which made it easy for me to let quite a bit of work spill over into Sunday.

Tracking down facts and arranging ideas didn't feel like "work," since it's something I like doing. And I'm not too worried about what I've done, since I see the myriad facets of creation as the work of God. I could rationalize that I've been 'reflecting' on God all the time, and just go ahead with business as usual.

That's probably not the best idea. Like I said, I'm not too worried: but I also think it's time for re-tooling my habits.

I've already been holding off writing the Sunday post for my Sauk Centre Journal until after sunset on Sunday. And, as of this week, I've gotten the three daily posts for another blog's Sunday quota written and programmed for posting Sunday morning.

But that's just 'not working:' making room for something more important.

I've put "Sunday is a time for reflection, silence, cultivation of the mind, and meditation which furthers the growth of the Christian interior life" on a sheet of paper and set it at (sitting) eye level, to the left of my desk.

That, alone, won't make a difference: but now I'll be reminded of what Sunday's about at fairly frequent intervals. And, I trust, see to it that I hang out with my family, reflect on the wonder and glory of God, and work at growing this Christian's interior life.


'Christian interior life' sheet, fresh from the printer. January 2, 2010.

Posts about work, rules, or whatever:

• "Animals: Yeah, the Catholic Church has Rules About Them, Too"
  (August 17, 2009)
• "Help Abort or Be Fired: A Nurse in Brooklyn"
  (July 26, 2009)
• "The Roman Catholic Church isn't a Democracy"
  (February 19, 2009)
The Catholic Church Won't Even Let People Kill Themselves" (January 28, 2009)
• "Catholics Not Allowed to Read Bible!! Catholic Church Banned Bible Ownership!!"
  (January 27, 2009)
  • (No, not really: but you may have heard that)
• "The Catholic Church: Authoritarian, Which Isn't Necessarily a Bad Thing"
  (October 2, 2008)

More:

• "The Eucharist: Source and Summit of the Life and Mission of the Church"
  Synod of Bishops, XI Ordinary General Assembly, The Holy See
  Particularly
  • The Eucharist in Various Situations in the Church

Sunday? Sabbath? Day of Rest?

What gets said in the Sacrament of Reconciliation / Confession is not public information. However, since this is my own experience, I think I'm on solid ground.

Some years ago, while in the confessional, I brought up a point that had bothered me. I was concerned that I was guilty of sloth. I was acutely aware of the degree to which I was not working with high efficiency for my employer.

Turns out, I didn't have much to worry about. The priest, who had served in a couple of countries, said that he'd never encountered an American who had a problem with "sloth" in that secular sense.

We've got our troubles, as a culture, but lack of productivity isn't one of them. Sloth is "A culpable lack of physical or spiritual effort; acedia or laziness. One of the capital sins (1866, 2094, 2733)."
(Catechism of the Catholic Church - Glossary)

A Day of Rest? I Can't Work?!

This is probably true in other cultures, too: but in the northern Midwest, where I was born and now live, quite a few people need to be told to stop working. Like on Sunday.

What's all this 'Sunday' and 'Sabbath' Thing?

Sabbath:

"he Sabbath or seventh "day," on which God rested after the work of the "six days" of creation was completed, as recounted in the opening narrative of the Bible. Creation is thus ordered to the Sabbath, the day to be kept holy to the praise and worship of God. Just as the seventh day or Sabbath completes the first creation, so the "eighth day," Sunday, the day of the week on which Jesus rose from the dead, is celebrated as the "holy day" by Christians--the day on which the "new creation" began (345-349). Thus the Christian observance of Sunday fulfills the commandment to remember and keep holy the Sabbath day (2175)." Catechism of the Catholic Church - Glossary)

There's more. There always seems to be more.

"Just as God 'rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had done,' human life has a rhythm of work and rest. The institution of the Lord's Day helps everyone enjoy adequate rest and leisure to cultivate their familial, cultural, social, and religious lives."
(2184)

There's quite a bit about the Sabbath in the Bible, too: Genesis 2:2, Exodus 20:11, Exodus 31:15: and Deuteronomy 5:15, for starters)

Since it's Sunday, I'll leave it at that, and get on with cultivating my "familial, cultural, social, and religious" life. What's my excuse for writing this post on Sunday? First, I enjoy writing, so this isn't 'work,' it's 'fun.' Second, more seriously, I figure that researching and writing this has been putting in time on cultural and religious aspects of my life.

And, I've already been to Mass.

Which is another topic.

Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, 2009: A Reflection

Readings for June 28, 2009, Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time:

• Wisdom 1:13-15; 2:23-24
• 2 Corinthians 8:7, 9, 13-15
• Mark 5:21-43 or 5:21-24, 35b-43

---

Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

By Deacon Lawrence N. Kaas
June 28, 2009

"Little girl, I say to you, Arise." Could the words of Jesus bring home to each of us a special meaning. For we, too, are called to rise with Jesus even in our bodies at the end time. I can handle that alright and I pray that you can too. Something has been bothering me! This is ordinary time, supposedly nothing special, just ordinary. So that being the case, why are you here? Sometimes I look at you from this vantage point and wonder, why are you here? Do you even know why you are here?

Many years ago now I was bringing Communion to an old gentlemen and as time went on I learn from him that he had grown up on the plains south west of here and He commented one day that they didn't get to church very often because they lived 18 miles out and had to come in by horse and boggy. Then one day he asked me the question that people my age and older often ask, why am I still here. What would you tell Him? Finally I answered that maybe God was giving him added time for all the times that he couldn't be a part of Sunday Mass. I think of him often and wonder why I didn't ask him to share with me why the Mass was important to him even though he was far from it at times. It must have been or he wouldn't have told me the story.

Another time visiting and older man after he had had an operation and I was telling he that if he couldn't make it to Mass because of the operation not to worry. Wow! I have never missed Mass my whole life and I'm not about to miss Mass now! Why didn't I ask him to share why the Mass was so important to him?

Why are you here? Why is the Mass important to you?

As recent as 2 weeks ago Father McGuire was here and at the 8:45 Mass at West Union the little ones were putting up a royal protest. When the little one fuss I lean to Father and say. The little ones are praying in tongues, or, this parish isn't died yet. But this time there was a real protest, but Father kept on talking as if it didn't bother him at all, he maybe talked a little louder. Why is it important that parents bring the little one to Mass? A good habit is a habit worth keeping, right?

Why do many people of Kenya walk for miles to be a part of the celebration of the Eucharist. What do they know that maybe we don't know? For some it is an all day outing. Sure there is fellowship in the going and coming, but is that what motivates them?

I look out from here at all your faces and at times I see people here that I've not seen before or people who seem to be in the wrong church, and others are missed because they are not here. Sometimes I'll even call attention to that fact, I haven't seen you in church, is every thing OK? Sometimes I'll even get a little harsh and demand that you cut that out, your soul is worth too much to jeopardize it by not fulfilling your Sunday Obligation.

That brings up the rule for obligation to assist at Mass. It is serious matter to not fulfill this obligation for we are to assist at Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of obligation set forth by Holy Mother Church. You are exempt only for serious reason, sickness, need to care for someone who is ill and so on. I need to make this point too: If you have been missing Mass without serious reason you must go to Confession before receiving Communion. Simply put, no argument, that is the way it is.

Why are you here? Who did you come to see?

He took the child by the hand and said to her, "Talitha Koum," "Little girl, I say to you, arise!" Did you read the scriptures before coming here and wanting to see in the rising of the little girl to be an image of your own rising? The word is a living active communication to us, to the world, from a Loving and Forgiving God. Why wouldn't we want to hear that? Why wouldn't we want to experience that Love?

We come here, to this church, not because we have to but because we want to experience the Love and Sacrifice of the Living God. How can this be explained? God the Father so Loved the world that he sent His only Son to Redeem us and to teach us of the Love of the Father and the Son and of the Holy Spirit. To show us in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass Their Eternal plan for all of humanity. It is all here in it's Eternal Perfection, the One Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. To be a part of it is to already be on threshold of Heaven

What happens here in a few minutes is the Representing of the Passion, Death and Resurrection of our Lord Jesus. We are not Crucifying Jesus again but we are making Present what happened 2000 years ago. So in other words we are here with Mary and John at the foot of the cross. We don't have to work to hard to look up into the eyes of Jesus and see the Love displayed there even for his executioners. For He Himself said, we are to Love our enemy's. Think of that for a while and then ask if you have a good reason to miss Mass?

Sometimes when I teach, I will ask, when does the Mass begin in your obligation. There were times when Agnes was still with me that she would say, "you can't go out looking like that!" What! Maybe my shirt didn't match or the color was wrong. I never was able to real come to terms with that. Or she would say, "let me look at you before you go." That's good to relate to the children because we should be very aware of Who we are going to see and are going to Receive. In other words how you dress has a lot to do with giving witness that you know Who you are going to see and Who you are going to receive, that being the living God.

You will note that we are answering the question of why you are here! But I want to pose another question, do you expect to see a Miracle? I do! Father Harden would say that a Miracle is a sensibly perceptible effect, surpassing at least the power of visible nature, produced by God --. Every time our priest takes bread and says, this is my body and wine this is my blood a miracle has taken place. In the language of the church this is called, Transubstantiation, the complete change of the substance of bread and wine into the substance of the Body, Soul and Divinity of Christ. In my thinking if there is a blasphemy it is the denial that this is so.

Sometimes I think too: of all the Masses that have been said in this church over the years, daily and weekend, funeral's, wedding's, anniversary's etc. Each Mass is not a single Mass in the ordinary sense because each Mass is a representing as I said to you earlier, so we know have each single Mass a whole of the Passion, Death and Resurrection Christ, not time and time again but one time 2000 years ago. I don't know if I'm explaining this very well, but I would want you to understand that each Mass does not stand alone but is in reality ever Mass ever celebrated. So when we come to this church, with the eyes of Faith we are seeing a collage of every Mass ever said here. An overlapping picture diary that fills this sanctuary.

So the question has been answered at least in part, we come to see, to hear, to receive. Who: is the most important part of the answer. To hear and to see God in Jesus Christ, to witness a Miracle, to Receive Jesus in Holy Communion. Finally to leave here filled with the wisdom and power of God to become a Holy people. For Jesus commands us to be Holy as the Father is Holy.

---

'Thank you' to Deacon Kaas, for letting me post his reflection here.

---

More:

• "Reflections from Sauk Centre's Our Lady of the Angels Church"