It happens every Sunday. The Church will stand up after the consecrstion of the host. We will recite the "Our Father" (my daughter saying it slower and more forcefully than most). The choir will sing the "Agnus Dei" (by far my favorite hymn; especially when it is sung in Latin). Then comes the ackward. My family will bring down the kneelers once again and kneel, sometimes inconveniencing others in the pew with us. My son fidgets next to me and does a sitting kneel, where his posterior is fully supported by the pew, while his knees "rest" on the kneeler. I remind him that "God is up there" and he quickly falls into form. My family is usually alone in this action. Kneeling isn't normal anymore.
I feel bad that I am making my pewmates move or stand ackwardly, but I feel worse standing. I feel like I am dishonoring God. I fully understand that I should partake in the communion and act in accordance with the rest of the group...but "God is up there."
It wasn't always like this, see. When I was younger, I fully, intellectually understood the fact that Jesus was the Eucharist. I could wrap my head around that truth and receive him every Sunday without any mental reservation. I don't know that my heart was in it, though. I went through the motions like the rest of my Catholic brethren; but I can't say that I really understood that "God was up there."
If I did; if I realized that truth, wouldn't I act in accordance? Would it be possible to truly recognize divinity on the altar and not kneel? We kneel for kings and royalty. We bow down to those we see as superior. Why wouldn't we then, throw ourselves prostrate on the floor in the presence of God?
This truth hit me hardest as I was listening to Catholic radio one day. I don't recall the program that I was listening to. It was either "Catholic Answers" or "Right Here, Right Now." The host of the program mentioned that a friend was attending a mass with a Muslim. During the consecration, the Muslim turned to the friend and remarked that the host was the reason why he couldn't be Catholic. Because, if the he truly believed that the host was God, he would be on his knees in a heartbeat.
The truth hit me right between the eyes. I wondered what I would do if God was in front of me. I pondered how I would react if Jesus was really in front of me. I realized that if I stood in the presence of Our Lord, I would throw myself on the floor because I would be unworthy of even meeting his eyes.
I then realized that I encounter God at every mass. This was our initiation into heaven. We get a small glimpse of it every time we partake in the bread and wine (worthily, I might add). I realized that I never had to wonder what it would be like if I encountered Jesus, because I have encountered him so often. I see him at the mass because "God is up there."
Ever since that moment, I have been dedicated to keep my actions in line with that understanding. That is why we kneel. It's because "God is up there."
We are truly blessed as Catholics. In fact, we are a bit spoiled. We have an opportunity that no other group has the opportunity to share in. When we go to mass, "God is up there." When we pray, "God is up there." When we leave to go about our days, "God is up there." I hope you are mindful of that the next time you are at mass. Because it is an awesome feeling knowing that "God is up there."
12/9/2014 0 Comments "God Is Up There"
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12/8/2014 0 Comments On The Immaculate ConceptionToday is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception amd a glorious day it is. I chose today's topic because I think the Blessed Virgin Mary, aside from authority, is probably one of the most contentious aspects of Catholicism.
The main reason the Blessed Mother is such a contentious figure is because she seems to distract us from Jesus and from God. The title, Mother of God appears to assign her some sort of special power, as if she were a God, herself. The devotion, the glorification, the emphasis is almost undeserved because she is NOT God. She is only a woman. How could she be special? These thoughts and more flew through my mind tonight as I entered church for mass; the statue of the Blessed Virgin standing prominantly in front of the pews. Now, it might seem like I have a problem with the Blessed Virgin; but I don't. I love her above all other women and turn to her for guidance often. She has always been a hard part of Catholicism for me, though, because I dont ever want to worship her. There is a fine line between hyperdulia, special veneration for the Blessed Virgin Mary, and latria, or worship. As Catholics, we are often are accused of latria towards Mary because she is such a big part of Catholicism. And it's easy to see why. We have rosaries, statues, saint cards. You will find her in every Catholic Church and almost every Catholic home. The Blessed Virgin Mary is a game changer. And today was our chance to showw the world why she is so important. As I listened to the first, then the second readings, her story came to life. The new eve was standing in front of us in all her glory. As the gospel was read and we turned to the homily. That was where my prize was. Father said, "As the angel speaks to her, he addresses her with the title, Full of Grace. How dare he call her 'Full of Grace' before the first coming of Jesus. How dare he call her that before Jesus' sacrifice." That is when I realized just how amazing she is. She was the only person in history who was full of grace and she was full of grace before Jesus came to save us. I didn't hear the rest of the homily because I was blown away by our Blessed Mother. Not only was she immaculately concieved, she also had to agree to God's will; and she did. Today is only a small part of Mary's story. I hope you found some time to worship today and are having a great advent. 11/24/2014 0 Comments God Is Not Dead*Spoiler Alert* Some Major Issues The following scenes were the ones that killed it for me. And if I am being honest, it isn't the scenes so much, as it is the characters. The classroom scenes were so unrealistic. While there are many instances of similar scenarios, the idea that a professor would really make such a big deal about a student not signing a piece of paper that says "God is dead" was a little hard to bear. Yes, I know that university professors are overwhelmingly liberal and I would wager that most are athiest, but it doesn't follow that a professor would be so...illogical and so unlikeable. I get it. His character is a villain, but he is so much of a villain and comes across as so pompous, that it is surprising that any of the other characters like him. And it think it's stupid that he makes such obvious mistakes in his logic. The other character that ruins the movie is the reporter. She is so blatantly anti-Christian, but we never really understand why. Her antics come across as cheap, reaching, and completely emotional. She is always on the attack and always casting stones. Her questions for her stories are riddled with allegations and misnomers. By the end, I was praying that she wouldn't have a conversion experience because I didn't like the character at all. Here I am hoping that this person misses out on salvation because they have little, to no, redeeming qualities. The last character that ruined the movie for me was the girlfriend. She was such a nag and had little of value to add to the plot. She wanted her boyfriend to compromise his values and was upset when he didn't. Then she broke up with him. This would have been fine if she had a compelling reason, but it didn't add up. She was mad from the start for nothing. I was glad when they split up because I knew I wouldn't have to see her anymore. Overall, the villains do more harm to the movie than good. These aren't the Lokis of the world that would tear it down but at least make you feel that it is justified in its own way. These aren't the Jokers of the world that frighten you enough that you root for their demise. What made them frustrating as characters is that, in the end, we are supposed to love them. We should be relieved that they made their conversions or at least be happy for them. Instead, I was relieved that their conversion meant that they were no longer a plot point. Major Wins While the movie could definitely use some adjustment in the character department, there were definitely good points. I loved the way that they showed people living for the Lord. This is a major sticking point for me because, I think this is what hurts Christianity so much. We preach God's word, but if we don't live it, we come across as hypocrite and ruin the name of God. Additionally, I appreciated how much the movie emphasized God's timing. There was so much in the movie that hinged on being at the right place at the right time. And while, I can't say that I wholeheartedly agree with that view, I love hearing stories of people who missed something by 2 minutes and happened to be at a place where they were needed because of this. This movie does a great job of this and I appreciated it so much, especially at the end. Overall All in all, I liked this movie. It isn't the best, but is a good, solid view. I don't know that you will come out with any major epiphanies, but you will get to see a heartwarming movie that tries to get across God's message of love and forgiving. I give it 3.5/5. |