Feeling sinful?
Feeling sinful?
There is a reason I am posting this....first of all it's funny... (yes by all means read the article - it's great)...
Secondly and most importantly I find myself often challenged to change my perceptions.
Case in point, about the clergy. I am at a crossroads a lot in my life. Born and raised a Catholic, I struggle with concepts, with edicts, with doctrine - but then unlike other (some certain) people, I don't know anyone who doesn't - we are, after all, the last time I checked, humans - at least most of us are. So yeah there are things I don't agree with, things I will never agree with. Yet I find myself going to a church where I feel welcome, where I love the people I've met and where I find a lot of understanding and compassion.
On Good Friday, I attended mass with my beloved husband. We have gotten to know several couples and the priests at our parish. One priest in particular is a joy to behold - he is in my humble opinion, the essence of joy. He showers us with his exuberance, he is hysterically funny as well as incredibly intelligent. After mass, we were all standing around socializing and talking about the time of Lent and how we had to wait until Sunday to resume what we had 'given up'. He told us that at exactly 1 minute after midnight, he and another priest (a friend of his) from a parish in the next town would be at Steak and Shake feasting on burgers smothered with cheese and bacon and sucking up milkshakes. He invited us to tag along.
So my husband and myself invited the other couple there (that we are friends with) over to our house to wait until midnight for our 'feast'. We like this couple and I actually work with the wife. We had a great time talking together. 15 minutes before midnight, we all left to drive up the road to meet with our parish priest, another family from our parish, and yet another priest at the neighborhood Steak and Shake.
I haven't laughed this hard in months. We had a blast. We ate (I did not, much to the chagrin of our priest) east any red meat, told them not to put the bacon on my sandwich and only had a child's sized shake -but feast we did and not just with our bodies but with our minds and spirits in communion. This to me is the essence of faith - it has nothing to do with books and doctrine, with rules, but with open hearts and minds. Hell, I even got into a lively debate with my parish priest which I vow to continue the next time we meet. All the while I was able to do this with my husband - something I would have never done with my past exes and something that made the evening all the more wonderful. As a child if you'd have told me I could have this much fun with our parish priest(s) I'd have thought you were nuts....
So yeah you can sin, and you can be pretty sure you can do it in good company and then...after you decide to 'clean up your act' you can turn to God (or whomever you decide will help you the best), and unburden yourself...it feels good - just like eating burgers and having a milkshake after midnight.....
There is a reason I am posting this....first of all it's funny... (yes by all means read the article - it's great)...
Secondly and most importantly I find myself often challenged to change my perceptions.
Case in point, about the clergy. I am at a crossroads a lot in my life. Born and raised a Catholic, I struggle with concepts, with edicts, with doctrine - but then unlike other (some certain) people, I don't know anyone who doesn't - we are, after all, the last time I checked, humans - at least most of us are. So yeah there are things I don't agree with, things I will never agree with. Yet I find myself going to a church where I feel welcome, where I love the people I've met and where I find a lot of understanding and compassion.
On Good Friday, I attended mass with my beloved husband. We have gotten to know several couples and the priests at our parish. One priest in particular is a joy to behold - he is in my humble opinion, the essence of joy. He showers us with his exuberance, he is hysterically funny as well as incredibly intelligent. After mass, we were all standing around socializing and talking about the time of Lent and how we had to wait until Sunday to resume what we had 'given up'. He told us that at exactly 1 minute after midnight, he and another priest (a friend of his) from a parish in the next town would be at Steak and Shake feasting on burgers smothered with cheese and bacon and sucking up milkshakes. He invited us to tag along.
So my husband and myself invited the other couple there (that we are friends with) over to our house to wait until midnight for our 'feast'. We like this couple and I actually work with the wife. We had a great time talking together. 15 minutes before midnight, we all left to drive up the road to meet with our parish priest, another family from our parish, and yet another priest at the neighborhood Steak and Shake.
I haven't laughed this hard in months. We had a blast. We ate (I did not, much to the chagrin of our priest) east any red meat, told them not to put the bacon on my sandwich and only had a child's sized shake -but feast we did and not just with our bodies but with our minds and spirits in communion. This to me is the essence of faith - it has nothing to do with books and doctrine, with rules, but with open hearts and minds. Hell, I even got into a lively debate with my parish priest which I vow to continue the next time we meet. All the while I was able to do this with my husband - something I would have never done with my past exes and something that made the evening all the more wonderful. As a child if you'd have told me I could have this much fun with our parish priest(s) I'd have thought you were nuts....
So yeah you can sin, and you can be pretty sure you can do it in good company and then...after you decide to 'clean up your act' you can turn to God (or whomever you decide will help you the best), and unburden yourself...it feels good - just like eating burgers and having a milkshake after midnight.....
posted by Colette at 7:03 PM
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