Wow. I’m feeling pretty rotten now. We very seldom can come to Mass as we only have one vehicle and my husband works on Saturdays and Sundays. And when we do, since my son with special needs is not accustomed to going, he tends to make a scene (he has special needs). He absolutely insists on trying to genuflect, but he is very uncoordinated with leg braces so it becomes a long, distracting thing for everyone. And he doesn’t quite understand whispering so he tends to talk a bit loudly throughout. And during the sign of peace part, he wants to shake hands with everyone and if we try to break him off when its time for the Lamb of God… well, another little scene. And there is no crying room or such to retreat to.
Our Priest wears sandals or even flip flops and shorts under his vestments so I guess even he can’t make it off Nicea’s list. We have no air-conditioning in our tiny church, and when it reaches 109 degress, who can blame him? But he sorta strips off his vestment as soon as he reaches the back of the church. I go so seldom, but I’m sure I’ve worn sandals myself. And my son, 14 years old, wears shorts – he overheats and it is so much easier with the leg braces.
I try to tell myself that my dingy clothing (we are pretty stressed financially), and unruly child and all will be forgiven by the others in our church because they know we are only doing our best. But then I read this list of judgments and I wonder who in our parish is judging us similarly? If it was just a cranky old person, the kind that routinely throw dirty looks at others, I could shrug it off - we have had to do it often enough. But if Nicea works for the church… well, that puts another spin on things. Perhaps we really aren’t welcome and the only reason no one’s talked to us about it is they are being polite?
I am not offended. I am profoundly disturbed. Nicea makes me feel unwelcome and unloved. He/she makes me feel judged not worthy to be a Catholic.
My Mom is Jewish. Once we were camping with the Girl Scouts, and she was assigned to drive the little Catholic girls to Mass on Sunday. We were 4 days camping, no bathing, smelly and dirty/dusty. My mother respectfully stood in the back of the church (she would have stood outside, but it was cold). The Priest was just starting Mass, welcoming everyone and saw my mother standing in the back. He walked down the aisle and took her hand and drew her to a pew in front. She muttered, “no Father, I am Jewish and very dusty and dirty.” He just laughed and said, I know a Man and a woman who had the same afflictions, and they are the reason I am here. Come… you are our guest and you are welcome."
My mother never forgot that Priest. She retold the story to us over and over. When I converted to Catholicism, I worried how my Jewish mother would take it. She just smiled and said if I “had” to be a Christian, thank God I chose to be Catholic!
Do you think there are still people like that in our Church? Or is Nicea becoming the norm?
It is better to go to church/attend mass however you are dressed than to not attend at all.
). Not sure it applies to people who like me whose bulk of received calls and messages consist of notices regarding group thesis, upcoming class presentations, term paper deadlines, canceled/moved classes (and with my professors, that happens a lot).
I am not sure how that pertains to my comment…