Mass....and Religion
For a variety of reasons, I decided to go to Mass today.
For those that don't know, I'm a Catholic, self-described as 'non-practising' for a few years now, for reasons which would take up another chapter and a half in this post, so i will leave it for now....
Anyway, I went to Mass today. At St Patricks Cathedral, Stobswell, Dundee. a 5 min walk from my flat, in the freezing fog this morning, visibility 2 metres; passing council workers sweeping up leaves and shopper's rubbish and the odd bit of vomit near the pubs, past the butchers open early for xmas orders to be collected, past the newsagents selling macaroni cheese pies with half price christmas cards, into the church i walked up the steps behind a 4ft tiny man with a walking stick wearing a 'tammy' and gloves.
Nice church. Big. Lovely woodwork and stained glass. Stained glass windows on my side a few panes were broken, so kept my coat on. could see your breath after saying 'amen'. Eavesdrop to 'the regulars' gossiping about the 'new neighbours' who were about to move in, did Ron know anything bout the 'hart's?' big family, but there's 2 names on the door, don't know the mcCarthy's. hmmm.....
Anyway, mass starts. I look around. Silver hair rebounds off the woodwork. I'm the youngest one there by a couple of decades. Apart from the altar boys, and the priest looks about 50ish. No families. No babies crying and people in the row behind making faces at them to keep them entertained. They still say 'our father who art in heaven'. still answer the gospel reading with latin. Hymns: only know one. the rest are based on Emmanuel and latin. etc. etc.
This really is Europe. Some things are comforting, familiar. the priest sings....'through him, with him, in him....' the crib is up. Peace be with you. a smile as you turn around.
But they wonder why young people are leaving the church? The Pope still advocates no contraception, still judges against gay people, still judges...
I think back to my primary school and early teenage school masses.....
Tongan choir, a capella. one family taking up a whole pew. kids playing with toy cars on the top of the pew. Irish catholic nuns in habits singing heartily. the Christmas pageant. packed church. feeling faint, stuffy. too hot.
maybe it's just too cold for Christmas.
I think as an organised religion, Catholics have a lot to offer. But if European Catholics keep on like that, they'll keep wondering why the churches are a third full of silver-haired people on a sunday morning, why the numbers keep dwindling,why the doors are only open when mass is on.
just an opinion, like.
For those that don't know, I'm a Catholic, self-described as 'non-practising' for a few years now, for reasons which would take up another chapter and a half in this post, so i will leave it for now....
Anyway, I went to Mass today. At St Patricks Cathedral, Stobswell, Dundee. a 5 min walk from my flat, in the freezing fog this morning, visibility 2 metres; passing council workers sweeping up leaves and shopper's rubbish and the odd bit of vomit near the pubs, past the butchers open early for xmas orders to be collected, past the newsagents selling macaroni cheese pies with half price christmas cards, into the church i walked up the steps behind a 4ft tiny man with a walking stick wearing a 'tammy' and gloves.
Nice church. Big. Lovely woodwork and stained glass. Stained glass windows on my side a few panes were broken, so kept my coat on. could see your breath after saying 'amen'. Eavesdrop to 'the regulars' gossiping about the 'new neighbours' who were about to move in, did Ron know anything bout the 'hart's?' big family, but there's 2 names on the door, don't know the mcCarthy's. hmmm.....
Anyway, mass starts. I look around. Silver hair rebounds off the woodwork. I'm the youngest one there by a couple of decades. Apart from the altar boys, and the priest looks about 50ish. No families. No babies crying and people in the row behind making faces at them to keep them entertained. They still say 'our father who art in heaven'. still answer the gospel reading with latin. Hymns: only know one. the rest are based on Emmanuel and latin. etc. etc.
This really is Europe. Some things are comforting, familiar. the priest sings....'through him, with him, in him....' the crib is up. Peace be with you. a smile as you turn around.
But they wonder why young people are leaving the church? The Pope still advocates no contraception, still judges against gay people, still judges...
I think back to my primary school and early teenage school masses.....
Tongan choir, a capella. one family taking up a whole pew. kids playing with toy cars on the top of the pew. Irish catholic nuns in habits singing heartily. the Christmas pageant. packed church. feeling faint, stuffy. too hot.
maybe it's just too cold for Christmas.
I think as an organised religion, Catholics have a lot to offer. But if European Catholics keep on like that, they'll keep wondering why the churches are a third full of silver-haired people on a sunday morning, why the numbers keep dwindling,why the doors are only open when mass is on.
just an opinion, like.
posted by Rosa at 6:33 pm
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