Catholic Churches are not the most inviting in my experiences. I guess Protestant churches have more of a community feel. I think Catholicism focuses more on the suffering of Christ while Protestant churches are centered around the joy.
I think it’s interesting that you say this. For me, the Protestant churches I attended in the past felt welcoming at first because everyone was
interested in me, but once the interest wore off and someone “newer” came along, I felt sort of … disillusioned. It all felt rather superficial, shallow. At the Catholic Church I have now attended for years, friendships took longer to develop, but also tended to be deeper, closer, and longer in general. Part of that is my own character growth, but I think it’s also because I finally realized that emotion isn’t necessarily a good way to measure the value or depth of relationships, community, or love. Emotion changes like the wind, regardless of truth.
When I came to the Catholic Church, it was partly because I wanted to know Christ more deeply. I wanted to really love Him, not just be “in love” with the idea of Him. In my Protestant churches, they tended to “gloss over” the uncomfortable parts, ignore or minimize suffering and focused mostly on being
happy… but I was looking to be truly
joyful. Minimizing those struggles and sufferings meant I had a happy, but rather superficial relationship with God. I couldn’t really begin to know and love Christ as deeply as I want to, until I began to understand some of His suffering, and suffer with Him.
I’d rather know both the joys
and sufferings of Christ, and I have that in the Catholic Church. I have found that it’s possible to have joy
even through suffering or unhappiness. Spiritual joy is not about always being happy. That took me a while to learn.
I find that the Mass can certainly be less emotional than most of the Protestant services I attended in the past… but I also find Mass to be more real, more joyful, more relationship-oriented, and more Biblical than any Protestant service I’ve been to. I don’t always “feel” something when I step into a Catholic Church, but I
know Christ is there in a special way. I’m not sure I can explain it any better than that.
I think it also helps to remember that Mass is not really considered the time and place for socializing in Catholic Churches (whereas in some Protestant churches, it’s highly encouraged–to the point that some have even feel a bit intrusive to me). But that doesn’t necessarily mean that Catholic Churches
aren’t welcoming or inviting! When I’m more involved and get to know others in the parish, I find it’s easier to
feel welcome and included. The more you reach out to help others, the more likely you are to feel a sense of community and connection with others.
But here’s the thing: the Church also requires
me to take that first step and be responsible for my own journey, not to expect others to come lead me by the hand (nor drag me along when I’m reluctant). I am treated as an adult. I know where I need to go, what I need to do–but I have to be the one to do it. There are guidelines and answers to questions and prayers and spiritual advice when I seek those things out, but no one’s going to “sell” it to me or check to make sure I do my homework. It’s up to me, because ultimately, I must be the one to choose to follow Him or not.
I love that about Mother Church. :heaven:
