CHURCH

BIBLICAL POINT OF REFERENCE:

"So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone. Through him the whole structure is held together and grows into a temple sacred in the Lord; in him you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit."

~Ephesians 2: 19-22

What do you think about before you go to Church for the weekend? What about after? More importantly, what do you think about during Church? How do you see Church in your life? Good? Bad? Unnecessary? Helpful? Why do you go to Church? Because your parents tell you that you have to? Because it's a part of your weekly routine? Or, dare I say, because you want to? I'm asking these questions because I think we all ask them at some point in our lives, probably a lot when we're younger, less as we get older, and maybe more as we become adults and get to decide for ourselves if we even go to church or not regularly. As a new adult who has had to make these kind of decisions for just under two years, these questions are coming back to mind - not that I've ever been able to give myself a straight answer. To the first set of questions, all I have to say is that it is okay to be distracted in Mass - or rather, it is normal to get distracted while sitting in Mass. Oftentimes, I don't even know I'm distracted until we begin a different part of the Mass or until its time to stand up or sit down. Now, we should all be striving to think about what each part of the Mass means when we're in the middle of it, but believe me - I get the struggle. To the second set of questions, the answer varies with each person, but if we are talking specifically about Christian and Catholic girls, I hope that you all see going to Church every weekend as a good thing that is entirely necessary and helpful in your lives. I know I feel this way, but I was fortunate enough to grow up in a home where my parents helped me see that truth, and I always had the support of my siblings as well in finding what that truth really means to me. But if you weren't so lucky, let me say this: Going to Church is not about you, it's about God and His sacrifices for you. It's about praising His unfailing love for all of us, so that one day we might have the privilege of being with Him for eternity. We should see Church as a way for us to show God our love for Him before we get to Heaven. I hope you'll use that small piece of reflection to dig deeper into the Mass and find God's truths. Finally, to the third set of questions, I think everyone has a different reason for why they attend Church (if they attend Church), and I'm not saying there is one exact or right answer. To be clear, however, you should not attend Church for the priest that preaches there, for the food they serve at brunch afterwards, or for the sake of your family going. You should attend Church for two reasons: 1) God, and 2) your soul. Do not waste the opportunity in front of our Lord to ask for forgiveness and come to love Him more fully. I know we all struggle with this, but we can also all rely on each other to hold everyone accountable. I hope you will all do so with me. Your Laughing Sister, Callahan

Check out the PRAYER quotes page for more inspiration!