I was Catholic

Fine and cloudy, then sprinkles; fine rain; dreary; colorless sky. I wanted a fiery Sunset.

Right now I feel that the entire world is concentric. I feel that everybody has an opinion that they are ready and willing to share. I was with a group of friends being goofy but I refused to have any alcoholic drinks. When pressed about this, I explained my new policy of not drinking on Saturday night if I am going to morning Mass. At this point I must add this bit of personal trivia, I also do not drink the night before I travel especially on airplanes and trains. In reality this is my personal quirkiness or foible.

When one member of our party learned that I was Catholic everything briefly changed. A seriousness descended. I prepared myself for the worse, then realized that was in itself silly. So, all I could do was listen. I did say that I was not going to debate Church teaching.

I think because I had affected a mocking somewhat sarcastic supercilious tone throughout the evening and peppered my conversation with words like organization, determination, obedient, horizontal, tangent, predicate, prevaricate, perpetuate and because I probably looked as if I was ready to say something truly irreverent but truly thought provoking what was stated by a young New England Catholic resonated with me.

In short there was a concern that the Church spends too much time being political and not enough being pastoral. A couple of examples were given. I conceded that I was able to see this position. But, I could neither truly vigorously support or attack this position.

And I wondered if other young educated American Catholic’s think that the Church’s pastoralism is lost behind the Church’s politics.

After this conversation, I decided to walk home. The rain had stopped. On the sidewalk there was a wet bunny head with floppy ears. I could hear an oppressive thump, thump peppered with a lot of profanity and I knew someone was listening to rap music.

I wondered if it easy to forget that which the mainstream media chooses not to show us.

It is difficult being an active listener. It is equally difficult being an active, loving Christian trying to move closer to God. Both require patience, wisdom, work, and hope.

And like everything else in life, they both require prayer. Lots of prayer.