Help bored!

[revert_jen]

I didn’t know being late was bad. I thought making it on time to get communion was all that counted?

I was brought up that if you weren’t there for the beginning of the Gospel (in time to make the little crosses on forehead, lips, and chest along with everyone else) it didn’t count and you should go to a later Mass. But that could just have been my Dad.

Anyway, I don’t do that whole confession thing, it’s just not for me. I haven’t been to confession since they made me go when I was a kid and I got confirmed. I’d recently thought about it though, so I said prayer askin God to give me a sign if he wanted me to go to confession. He didn’t give me any kind of a sign, so I figured I’m ok not to go.

In the words of a famous comedian:

[SIGN]Here’s your sign![/SIGN]

(Sorry, I just couldn’t resist )

God is not a vending machine. Sometimes when you ask Him for stuff, He says “No.” How about you ask Him for a sign if you are supposed to continue avoiding confession? There is no question. In the same way that it is not necessary to ask God for a sign that you shouldn’t steal from someone, it is not necessary to ask God for a sign about going to confession. You have to go. But in case you don’t believe me, there’s the sign above.

I guess if I get a sign, I’ll think about going, but it’s been almost a couple months and nothing.

A couple of months and the wind has never blown? Wow.

See, there’s two problems with asking for a sign.

One is that we ask for a lot of stuff that isn’t good for us, and because it isn’t good for us, God says No. It is not good for you to depend on personal revelation to determine whether you should obey the rules of the Church. You have to obey them all and not expect God to issue a personal invitation. God not giving you a sign doesn’t mean you don’t have to obey the same rules as everyone else, just that God doesn’t think it’s good for you to get a sign.

The second problem is that we determine what the signs are. So, if I ask for a sign about something I want to do, the shape of a cloud would be enough to convince me. But for something I don’t want to do, a mystical neon sign hanging from the firmament might not be enough. And I think that the vast majority of us don’t enjoy confession. I know that there are a lot of times when people actually feel a spiritual lightening after confession, but frankly I think there are a lot more times when people don’t feel anything of the sort. (It doesn’t make any difference to the effectiveness of the sacrament whether you feel anything or not.)

I searched around on the net for some ways to make things better. I read that some Church’s have drums, electric guitars and key boards…that’d be kinda neat and would help mix things up.

Nope. Mass will NEVER successfully compete wth a concert as entertainment. It’s not supposed to be entertainment. It is an obligation because (among other reasons) you need to be focused on something other than your immediate environment at least once a week. Nobody wants to hear it–I certainly didn’t when I was younger–but the thing that has to change to make Mass interesting is you, not the Mass. Pay attention to the prayers. Look at the saints names in the Eucharistic Prayer and (outside Mass) find out what their lives were like. Contemplate God in His Real Presence on the altar. Read the books that others have suggested here so you know what the different parts of the Mass are for and what they mean.

And if none of that works, go to Mass anyway, and pray for the grace to want to go.

Someone asked me what I find boring, I thought of something else. When that lady stands up and sings some lines and then everyone in the Church sings back at her…one day they didn’t sing, they just read it and it was 5 times faster that way. They should just read it every week, I’m gonna suggest that as well.

The idea isn’t to get through Mass as fast as possible. The (sung) responsorial psalm is an ancient tradition that we have inherited from the Jewish liturgy. Psalms is the only book of the Bible that we can say as a prayer from ourselves, rather than reading as teachings to us or history. In the Mass, we pray the scriptures together as a congregation in the responsorial psalm, and because it is important, it is more solemn and beautiful if it is sung.

And if all that will satisfy you is the shortest Mass possible, might I suggest getting up (or staying up?) for the first Mass of the day? If there’s one at about 7:00 am, it’s probably the shortest one of the day, quite possibly by a lot. It would be better than sugesting that the entire congregation should do withut a sung psalm because you personally find it boring.

And I’ll admit, sometimes I don’t want to go to Mass either. I’d rather sleep in or hang out in my PJs than get dressed and go to Church. But fortunately for me, the Church has said I have to go, so I don’t have to waste a lot of brain-power figuring out whether to go. And although frequently (well, most of the time now, but it used to be a lot less) I am very glad I went, and feel spiritually refreshed and nourished afterwards, sometimes I don’t and it doesn’t lessen my obligation to go.

If nothing else, the mere act of going to Mass when you don’t feel like it is good for you because it builds up your will power to do the right thing regardless of your personal inclinations. That is something that will be a great help to you in all aspects of your life.

–Jen

 

[Evan]

That’sa some serious stuff. Maybe I should ask for another to sign to see if that stuff applies for me.

Here is someone else who asked for a sign to be sent.

Luke 16:19-31 "Now there was a certain rich man, and he was clothed in purple and fine linen, living in luxury every day. A certain beggar, named Lazarus, was laid at his gate, full of sores, and desiring to be fed with the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table. Yes, even the dogs came and licked his sores. It happened that the beggar died, and that he was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died, and was buried. In Hades, he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far off, and Lazarus at his bosom.

He cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue! For I am in anguish in this flame.’

"But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that you, in your lifetime, received your good things, and Lazarus, in like manner, bad things. But now here he is comforted and you are in anguish. Besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, that those who want to pass from here to you are not able, and that none may cross over from there to us.’

He said, ‘I ask you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house; for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, so they won’t also come into this place of torment.’

"But Abraham said to him,
‘They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.’

"He said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’

“He said to him, ‘If they don’t listen to Moses and the prophets,
neither will they be persuaded if one rises from the dead.’”

Perhaps you should look to the Bible for a sign: Try the 10 commandments or the Passover meal in Exodus 11 and 12

 

[choy]

I didn’t know being late was bad. I thought making it on time to get communion was all that counted?

the truth of the matter is the Church hasn’t prescribed what parts of the Mass are the most essential, although i’m under the belief that the entire Mass from opening prayer to final blessing is essential. i guess the Church doesn’t want to make people turn around and head back home if they’re 2 minutes late, nor say if there’s a specific part of Mass thats the most important that makes people want to miss the other parts that doesn’t seem as important.

i guess being late is okay if its unintentional or really can’t be avoided. but one should come to Mass with the intention of being there for the entirety of it

 

[Cristiano]

I would recommend you read these three works:

amazon.com/Spirit-Liturgy-Joseph-Cardinal-Ratzinger/dp/0898707846

amazon.com/Letter-Spirit-Written-Living-Liturgy/dp/0385509332

amazon.com/Lambs-Supper-Mass-Heaven-Earth/dp/0385496591/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_1

Do not forget the “original” The Spirit of the Liturgy.

amazon.com/Spirit-Liturgy-Milestones-Catholic-Theology/dp/0824517776/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1277310448&sr=1-1

 

[Cristiano]

…Anyway, I don’t do that whole confession thing, it’s just not for me. I haven’t been to confession since they made me go when I was a kid and I got confirmed. I’d recently thought about it though, so I said prayer askin God to give me a sign if he wanted me to go to confession. He didn’t give me any kind of a sign, so I figured I’m ok not to go.

I guess if I get a sign, I’ll think about going, but it’s been almost a couple months and nothing. …

That’sa some serious stuff. Maybe I should ask for another to sign to see if that stuff applies for me. I dunno, cause I asked beforer and didn’t receive a sign. In the past, I’ve asked god for signs and he’S given them to me. Like one time I asked God to give me a sign if I should break up with my girlfriend and it got really windy out, so it was a pretty obvious sign friom God and I broke up with my girlfriend. I have other examples where }od gave me signs, but that’s the best one.

I’ll ask God again if confession is for me, but I’ll make sure I’m outside…that way God will have more things to give me a sign with.

I’ll come back later and let you know what happens.

Just buy the Catholic 8-ball and you will get the answers that you need!

(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)

 

[CDNowak]

That’sa some serious stuff. Maybe I should ask for another to sign to see if that stuff applies for me.

IF - Technology News

Technology News

ihasafunny.com

“Here’s your sign”

Seriously, if you wish to consider yourself Catholic you must adhere to what the Church teaches, not subjective “signs” that you con interpret how you please.

 

[Livingthedream]

I read through everyones posts and I’d like to say thanks a lot, as I’m learning a lot from you all.

The only thing I don’t agree on is the whole asking for a sign thing. The way I figure it, if God really wants me to do something, he’s gonna let me know…that’s Gods way with me. God and I have an understanding and the whole sign thing is our way.

So, I did what I said I’d do…I went in my backyard, had a seat and prayed to God, asking him to give me a sign. I prayed , ’ God, if I should confess my sins to a priest, let me know by giving me a clear sign’.

I then sat for 35 minutes and waited…nothin happened, no sign, the wind didn’t even pick up…a bird didn’t even fly into the backyard…nothing. I respect all the advice I got, but I’ve got to go with God on this one. I didn’t get a sign, so its clear that I don’t have to go to confession.

Ive read on this thread that theres not much more that can be done to improve Mass and make it more interesting for me. I read through all the links, which I thought were good, but it comes back to the fact that I’m still bored to tears for that whole hour. I wish it were 20 minutes, that’d be cool. I guess its just the way it is and I’ll just have to get used to it.

I thought about bringing my ipod and listening to some music, but I figured that would be frowned on.

thanks everyone, your all very helpful.

 

[Bbigam]

I read through everyones posts and I’d like to say thanks a lot, as I’m learning a lot from you all.

The only thing I don’t agree on is the whole asking for a sign thing. The way I figure it, if God really wants me to do something, he’s gonna let me know…that’s Gods way with me. God and I have an understanding and the whole sign thing is our way.

So, I did what I said I’d do…I went in my backyard, had a seat and prayed to God, asking him to give me a sign. I prayed , ’ God, if I should confess my sins to a priest, let me know by giving me a clear sign’.

I then sat for 35 minutes and waited…nothin happened, no sign, the wind didn’t even pick up…a bird didn’t even fly into the backyard…nothing. I respect all the advice I got, but I’ve got to go with God on this one. I didn’t get a sign, so its clear that I don’t have to go to confession.

Ive read on this thread that theres not much more that can be done to improve Mass and make it more interesting for me. I read through all the links, which I thought were good, but it comes back to the fact that I’m still bored to tears for that whole hour. I wish it were 20 minutes, that’d be cool. I guess its just the way it is and I’ll just have to get used to it.

I thought about bringing my ipod and listening to some music, but I figured that would be frowned on.

thanks everyone, your all very helpful.

Tantum ergo and some others have had great, faithful responses. I’m glad you find our responses helpful. But the whole “God and I have an understanding, and He hasn’t given me a sign” thing is, no offense, way off base. It’s a way of rejecting the authority of the Church and making it all about just you and God. I’m not saying you mean to do this, but God gave the Church authority and He’s not undermining that. Have you considered that us here talking to you about Confession and pointing you to the teachings of the Church might be the very sign that God is sending you? Seems a bit clearer than wind blowing.

Please, for the good of your soul, do not receive Communion again without going to Confession first. One thing about being in a state of mortal sin, especially for such a long time, is that it deadens the conscience so that you no longer sense as clearly your need to Confess and receive absolution. Go do it, sincerely and with true contrition, and you’ll feel so much better and you’ll see what you were missing and how important it is!

 

[Praline]

Maybe if you go to this site and listen to Father Larry Richards’s talk on the Mass. It is called “The Mass Explained”.You can download it and listen to it. That may help you.

catholicity.com/cds/mass.html

 

[CDNowak]

OP is no longer with us, fyi.

 

[LilyM]

I read through everyones posts and I’d like to say thanks a lot, as I’m learning a lot from you all.

The only thing I don’t agree on is the whole asking for a sign thing. The way I figure it, if God really wants me to do something, he’s gonna let me know…that’s Gods way with me. God and I have an understanding and the whole sign thing is our way.

So, I did what I said I’d do…I went in my backyard, had a seat and prayed to God, asking him to give me a sign. I prayed , ’ God, if I should confess my sins to a priest, let me know by giving me a clear sign’.

I then sat for 35 minutes and waited…nothin happened, no sign, the wind didn’t even pick up…a bird didn’t even fly into the backyard…nothing. I respect all the advice I got, but I’ve got to go with God on this one. I didn’t get a sign, so its clear that I don’t have to go to confession.

Ive read on this thread that theres not much more that can be done to improve Mass and make it more interesting for me. I read through all the links, which I thought were good, but it comes back to the fact that I’m still bored to tears for that whole hour. I wish it were 20 minutes, that’d be cool. I guess its just the way it is and I’ll just have to get used to it.

I thought about bringing my ipod and listening to some music, but I figured that would be frowned on.

thanks everyone, your all very helpful.

I hope you’re still reading this thread, my friend.

God DID let you know loud and clear. He sent His only Son to earth. His only Son (Jesus) founded a Church (the Catholic Church) which He gave the authority to bind and loose in His name, promising to ratify in heaven whatever it bound on earth. And that Church, in His name and with His authority, has bound YOU to go to Confession when you commit mortal sin. What else do you need?

Remember His own saying to those who asked Him for signs - '“An evil and unfaithful generation seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it except the Sign of Jonah the prophet. Just as Jonah was in the belly of the whale three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights.” (Matthew 12: 38-40).

You, my friend, have already been given that sign, but choose not to heed it. And it is foolish and more than foolish to ask for more.