Well I always feel a bit intimidated to post about my Christmas and Easter Mass Experience. Now since I have gone up North to work and not having a catholic Church on the Reserve, I end up attending Sunday Mass and the occasional Weekday Mass through internet mass sources. I do realize that there are those that can not make the trek to chruch every Sunday due to poor health and other issues. But those are not the people I have an issue with.
I do apologize to those of you who thought this would be a Northern story but this is just a rant that i have rolling about in my brain at the moment and wanted to get it off my chest.
Its the Cafeteria Catholics that get my goat. These are he individuals, that pick and choose what things they will follow from the dogma of the Catholic faith, they pass judgment about how the rules do not respect human rights. They are the ones that secretly support abortion, gay marriage and premarital sex. Now don't start thinking that I have anything against gay people, I definitely do not, neither does the Pope. But what the Catholic Church has issue with is acting upon that lifestyle and thinking gay marriage would ever be sanctioned by God. I won't out rightly ever tell anyone in a gay marriage that they are doing anything wrong, that judgment is not mine to make. But my dear Cafeteria cathoolic aquaintences will be out there protesting and support them. well that is their choice and they will answer for that on their judgement day too.
These Cafeteria Catholics also feel that giving God 1 hour a week out of 168 hours is far too much for God and the church to ask, they know deep down they are wrong but still they try to validate their position by saying things like "Oh worship God in my own way" or "I don't need to be in Church every Sunday to show God I respect and love him." The very fact that thay have these excuses handy shows that on some level they know they should be there.
Then 2 times a year these people flood into the Church. They are loud and rude and act like they have some kind of entitlement. While others are trying to pray and connect with God, they are speaking out loud and disturbing the reverence of the mass for those around them. sadly the priest not wishing to offend them tip toes around them and is careful that the sermon does not offend the 2 time a year crowd. Perhaps they will eventually change and be overcome with the spirit of Christ and realize they have been merely spectators in their faith, or maybe not.
As for me, i am committed 100%, When I am here in town I attend Mass every Sunday and often attend daily masses as well, I go to confession, and pray as often as I can for myself and others. I try as best i can to give to charity and do charitable works hopefully on a daily basis. Yes it is a lot, but with 2012 upon us already, I'm not taking any chances, its not hurting me to be devout, so I wonder why so many people think of their pleasure first before they think of pleasing God?
I do welcome all the cafeteria crowd to Mass this very Holy day, and do hope it has some special meaning for you. But please remember there are some very serious Catholics in the church today and tomorrow that would appreciate you showing some reverence when in church. Silence before mass would be a great gift you can give to these people. Perhaps you did not realize it before, but now you know. save the chatter for the end of Mass and let the rest of us pray in ppeace.
Merry Christmas to everyone.
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Monday, December 19, 2011
I'll Be Home for Christmas
Well as the years progressed and I learned a few more things about the reality of life. I soon realized that not everyone can be with those they love during the holidays. Being self professed historical researcher I decided to find out why Ol' Bing was singing such a sad song. I was pleased to discover the following:
The song is sung from the point of view of an overseas soldier during WWII, writing a letter to his family. In the message, The tells the family that he will be coming home, and to prepare the holiday for him including requests for "snow", "mistletoe", and "presents under the tree". The song ends on a melancholy note, with the soldier saying "I'll be home for Christmas, if only in my dreams.
So the song changed in my mind, and when Christmas came around tears now formed in my eyes as i thought not only of my brothers but of all the brothers putting their lives on the line for us, leaving wives, children, and other family and missing those warm happy holiday moments.
Then I came to work in the Web (Webequie Ontario) and was separated from my children for 4 months at a time and the ache I felt was unbearable at times, and now the song tore at my heart with the desire to be with those I held in my heart but unable to physically hold. It is sad that my employer does not understand the emotional strain many of us carry with us, and realize its not a desire to flee the Reserve, just a desire to be with those we love. My employers are with their loved ones everyday, we are on an island that you can walk from one end of the community to the other in about 20 minutes, its not a long way to go to see your kids, mother, grandparents. For many of us who work in the Web, it more than a quick flight to Thunder Bay, like me, many must wait for a connecting flight to Southern Ontario and long drives before they can be with family. Often the weather works against us and with delayed and cancelled flights, well dear old Bing can be heard somewhere in our sub conscious mind.
So to all those away from their families at Christmas, my prayers and love go out to you, as you say to yourself "I'll be home for Christmas...if Only in my dreams....."
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