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. |