It’s the first Sunday of the New Year and for all my Catholics, Christians, Jews, Muslims, Mormons or however you may define yourself, I have one question to ask… Did you go to mass today?
Or was the last time you went to mass on Christmas?
When will be the next time you go to mass? Easter?
I am calling out the people who only attend mass on the major religious holidays.
Growing up in the Catholic church, I attended/was dragged to church every Sunday along with attending Catholic school from pre-school all the way through college. After all those years of prepping myself for the Catholic faith and traditions… I still have no idea what the heck is going on.
Needless to say, I did attend mass once this year while I was away at school.
To prove that I am beyond out of practice, when it was my turn to walk down the aisle and receive Communion, I responded “thank you” to the Eucharistic Minister instead of the assumed response “Amen.”
I guess this could serve as a nod to when I was a Eucharistic Minister at my all-girls Catholic high school.
My role as Eucharistic Minister was shortly lived as I was asked to step down from the position when it was brought to the attention of our Director of Campus Ministry that I took part in a party where alcohol was involved. When confronted about my weekend festivities it’s not like I could just lie about it… that would have been a sin!
Three months after my brief visit with the church I yet again found myself at the Donley family’s annual Christmas Eve Midnight Mass to celebrate our Lord and Savior, Ryan Seacrest… I mean Jesus! (They just happen to have the same birthday.)
Jesus has the most wildly celebrated birthday in the history of mankind and I can barely even get my parents to remember mine! And I have a twin!!!!
Although I do not go to mass as much as I used to, I still identify myself as Catholic, but more of a Cafeteria Catholic. I pick and choose what I want.
I don’t mind going to midnight mass every Christmas, except for the part where I do tend to nod off after a large Italian feast and maybe a glass of wine or two…. or three. But sometimes I feel like us part-time Catholics need to know our place.
For instance, my parents love showing up 30 minutes early to mass so we can get a good seat.
I mean, why? It’s the same story we have heard every year now. The one with the little baby and the three kings, we all know it! And shouldn’t those seats be reserved for the full-timers?
There is nothing like having a family walk up to their usual pew thoroughly disappointed by the wannabes that take their spot.
But don’t even get me started on the church parking lot. God almighty that is THE worst! (oops used God’s name in vain, my bad) I swear the minute you get out of there it’s like everyone is racing to get out and will scream and honk until they can get their minivan of whiny children out of there. Isn’t that pure irony of where you just were?
I know being faithful should be a full-time thing… which is great for some people! Just not for me. But it might be in the future when I need my children to grow up with some moral conscious because there is a good chance they aren’t getting it from me!
… kidding… kind of
I know very well I am putting many of my Catholic ancestors to shame right now. I can practically hear my Italian-Catholic grandmother’s sigh in her grave all the way from Pennsylvania.
But it’s my life and I am going to choose how I live it and I will not judge or condemn anyone else for doing the same… because isn’t that what religion is all about?
Happy belated birthday, Jesus! I hope you had a good one!
Cheers,
Erin
P.S. See the rest of you in hell!
Overwhelmingly Erin 