Happy Easter

Note: This is a post about my feelings on church/religion as of right now, with some politics thrown in. I apologize if this offends you, so if you are easily offended, you might want to skip this post.

This was the first year that I haven't gone to church for Easter. Even when I was a senior in HS, traveling in Europe with my school's choir, I made it to Mass for Easter. We were in Paris, singing at a church, so it just worked out that way.

I didn't go to church for Christmas either. I haven't been to a Mass since my wedding day. That'll be 6 months on the 29th. I don't know what it is...why I haven't been. My Catholic guilt is telling me that I'm horrible and I really need to suck life up and go...but the other parts of me are saying it's no big deal.

Before the wedding, I went pretty regularly...as I didn't want the priest to get his stole in a knot and forbid me and DH to marry under his roof. But before that...ehhh, I went about once a month.

I have an issue with a few things that are church-related: my parish priest, my parish, Catholicism, and religion in general.

My parish priest--he did a craptastic job with our wedding ceremony. We met with you, how many times before the wedding day? At YOUR insistence? And you couldn't say anything original about us? The only thing that you did throw in was how you hoped that DH and I would both be returning to the parish. This was only because you knew that DH was thinking about switching rites--from Roman Catholic to Byzantine Catholic, as he was raised in but not officially a member of--LONG story. Really just rubbed me the wrong way, as if he was just checking off numbers in his quota of marriages performed and bodies in Roman Catholicism.

My parish--I keep getting these letters and pamphlets about how they need money. Fine. I understand that all organizations need money for operating and repairs and all of that, just like my household does as well.

What I don't understand is, if the church was going to need a new roof this year, why did we build a huge parish center and new rectory about 5-10 years ago? It was obvious that we'd need a new roof eventually and those things weren't dire needs...they should have saved the money for the repairs and made do with the old rectory and offices. Talk about screwy priorities.

And while we're on the topic of saving money, why is the building committee sending out SLICK, GLOSSY packets of info about the repairs needed, the new organ that's needed, etc???? It looks like something my COLLEGE sends out regularly! Seriously? Do we really need to seduce people into giving money with pretty pictures and nice paper? Then, in the packet, they suggested an amount that your "family" should donate, tailored to your individual situation. They told me I should give $1,000. Hahahahahaha, right. I just gave you FIVE HUNDRED to get married there. No way. They "asked" my parents for $5,000. Too funny.

It just makes me sick. There are people in our town, in our parish even, who are ill, hungry, jobless, etc...who could use some help. They are not concerned with our church having the latest acoustics for the organ, or that the driveway/parking lot is cracked. We are only worrying about ourselves (as a parish) and not taking care of the members of said parish. Where's the social justice in this?

Currently, I'm reading this book, God's Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn't Get It by Jim Wallis. Fascinating book. Really makes you think about our country, your faith (esp. if you're a Christian).

Jim is a Protestant minister (forget which denomination, sorry!) who says that the biggest problem with this country is that the politicians do NOT practice what Jesus preached, and what's most ironic, is that many of these politicians call themselves Christians. We're sending billions of dollars overseas to fund an unjust war that Jesus would not approve of, while we let single moms work 2 or 3 jobs to attempt to put food on the table for their children. Where's the justice in that? How can we help to save the world when we can't even save ourselves? Jim is dead on with his arguments.

It's sad that within my parish, we are not thinking in a Christ-centric manner. We take collections up for far away missions (which yeah, is a good thing) but there's so much that needs to be achieved here, at home, in our parish. Let's start working on our own homes before we involve ourselves in everyone else's business.

Oddly enough, this reminds me of something personal that happened over the weekend. My parents hosted a dinner on Saturday for my mom's side of the family, since we couldn't get everyone together for Easter. My mom's twin brother, my uncle, is a great guy. He'd give you the shirt off of his back if you needed it. He also likes to give unsolicited advice, under the guise of helping out. He didn't know that DH lost his job (all he'd heard was that it might be a possibility, but I guess my mom never filled him in on the rest). So he asks DH how the job is going and all of that, and then DH told him what happened...and then my uncle thinks he has to be the savior and starts suggesting places/jobs for DH. Thanks, but DH has that stuff under control.

My uncle tends to do the same for my brother, who does need some help in the job arena. BUT, wait a minute Uncle! Let's concentrate on the problems in YOUR home first...like your son, who is 18, might not graduate from his prestigious prep school, has never worked a job in his life...or your wife, who is a raging alcoholic and has been one for years and continues to embarrass herself, you, and your children every chance she can get???

WORK ON YOUR OWN HOUSE then you can come "fix" mine. Of course, I just grinned and took it all in. I wish my parish and my Church would stop grinning and taking it all in...and actually stand up and do something about it. Maybe there are more efforts in other parishes...but mine is so "suburban" and lazy.

I do believe in Jesus and God and all of the theological and dogmatic beliefs of the Catholic Church...but I guess I'm so, disillusioned with it as an institution...between the sex abuse scandals and embezzlement and all of that GARBAGE...it's no wonder I don't feel at home at Mass any more. Especially as an American, who's political and legal rights often butt heads with the laws of the church. Especially as a woman, who has so much say in her country, but does not have full rights in her own religion.

This post seemed to head in many directions...so to wrap it up: We need change, first at the local, grass-roots level, then let's work on everyone else.