Catholics
dirt track date -- Saturday, July 06, 2002 -- 02:29:01 PMSo why the hell haven't you left the church yet? I have church-shopped off and on for decades, and have never found anything comparable. I disagree with most of the church's teachings, but then so do most other Catholics I know. In what other religion can you cheerfully ignore the official line but still be welcome? I guess that's why I haven't left.
What about you?
This thread is tagged: faith, religion(All users will see what tags exist for a thread. Please tag carefully!)
So I just got a call from a friend who hasn't been to mass in two years. I've been on her case about it and she just asked me to meet her at mass at 9:30! So I guess I'm skipping mass at the high school and will meet her there.
I might give up dessert. I truly enjoy that and it's a good reminder.
Why don't just do good deeds instead? I'm sure Jesus would approve. Like God cares that you give up cake, candy etc. Horsehair shirt shit.
Egan won't be missed, even my mother had what to say about him. Good bye, sourpuss!
I say this every year but it bears printing again. The years I have given up things I loved were the years that I felt most acutely prepared for the celebration of Easter.
I typed in TPW in the address bar, not fully knowing if I would give it up for Lent or not. When the home page loaded, I had been logged out. So. I'll see everyone after Easter.
Good for you, chlucy! See you at Easter.
Actually, sacrifice is pleasing to God.
As he looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. "I tell you the truth," he said, "this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on. -- Luke 21:1-4
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. -- Romans 12:1
Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. -- Ephesians 5:1-2
The spiritual discipline exists to remind the observant of Jesus' sacrifice.
Thank you for posting those Diva.
I'm going to give up wine. Well, alcohol actually, but only wine counts since I wouldn't miss any other alcoholic beverage.
There is a self-serving element there--I want to peel off some weight--but I figure if I contribute what we spend on wine to a food bank it will make up for the self-serving part of the sacrifice.
Today is no meat, right?
I thought it was light food, smaller meals than normal and nothing between meals rather than no food at all. That's how we've always done it. I had peanut butter and cereal for lunch and it will probably be pancakes for dinner.
I'm giving up spousal gatekeeping for Lent.
I think I need to give up procrastination for Lent. It's something I really enjoy and am very good at, and my life right now is such that it's no big deal if I procrastinate until the cows come home. Getting off my ass will be a considerable inconvenience and will certainly keep me in mind of the season.
Hmmm, maybe a bit less of the potty mouth might be in order for Lent. . . . .
=)
So, having given up persecuting Catholics for Lent, I have decided that if you don't go to Mass at least a couple times a month, and if your spouse doesn't go and your minor children don't go, you aren't Catholic, and I can persecute you as a backslider.
I haven't checked with that German guy on this, but it's my current canon.
I couldn't believe it when I went to Mass last night . . . there was noplace to park. The church was packed. If only they could do that on Sundays. Father said if he had known so many people were going to show up he would have taken up a collection!
I work in a nest of Catholics, and everybody said Ash Wednesday was packed at their church as well. Nothing like Lent and a good old fashioned economic panic/depression to get people back into church.
But on weekday holy days, most people can only make it to the 5:30. (8:30a being our other option.) Regular mass is split between 2 Saturday services and 2 Sunday services. We have 5:30 mass every weekday, and there are generally quite a few cars in the lot when I pick Augs up from school.
I'm going to have to quit posting in this thread and start up in the Frozen Chosen thread, for I have found my church home.
After years of soul searching and being on the fence, I've decided I have to find another faith community where I can wholeheartedly join in and not be forced to ignore or excuse things that I find objectionable. After years of prayer and contemplation and struggle, I found this community. It is a 20 minute walk from my house to church, and it sounds trivial but when I lived in an apartment complex of Orthodox Jews I learned how wonderful and peaceful it is to walk to your place of worship on the Sabbath.
The final straw for me was this: Oregon Jesuit Province files for bankruptcy
The number of abuse claims is simply shocking. And the method for dealing with abusers was to dump them on Native villages in Alaska--where they continued to prey on children.
I knew at least three of the Jesuits named in various documents--one was my pastor for ten years.
I'm just sick at my stomach for all of the people that were hurt by these men. I can't continue to tithe and support the power structure that decided that this coverup was the best way to further the mission of the church, and I can't support the power structure that insists on a vow of celibacy and thereby attracts closet cases with a loathing of their own sexuality into the priesthood.
And the Nazi pope and his Holocaust denier bishop was the final nail in the coffin.
A heretic! A heretic! In our very midst!
Something to meditate on during Lent: Should Catholic hospitals perform abortions, if the only alternative is to close?
Vatican Backs Excommunications Stemming From an Abortion
...
This won't bring DTD back to the RC church, but:In Letter to Bishops, Pope Admits ‘Mistakes’
In which the Pope and Vatican curia basically say, "oh shit! we should have been reading the internet all along!! News gets out so fast that way!"
It's infuriating that the mother and physicians of the girl mentioned above were excommunicated, but not the rapist.
I think many are either leaving or at least staying away from Mass from my Parish due to the new music director. I know three of us feel that way. She's made it much more like a musical and less like a Mass. I don't like it, but I've still been going regularly, almost treating attendance like a built-in penance.