A Shout-Out to the G-O-D
I wasn't raised in a family who went to church. I always believed in God but never had a practicing faith. As a child I went with my sweet cousins to their church and as a teenager I dabbled here and there in different churches in my area. I wasn't sure what I was looking for and if I am being honest with you, which of course I can be since we are all life-long friends now and we can tell each other anything, I was probably looking for the church with the cutest boys (hangs head in shame). I went to a couple of churches where I swear there were people eating the heads of live chickens...maybe that's an exaggeration, but there were a couple of "get thine self the H-E-double hockey sticks out of there" churches.
My husband was raised Catholic. He went the whole nine yards in parochial school (save for one year in kindergarten where we officially met...more on that in a later blog post; I'll keep you in suspense). When we started dating and talking about marriage, it was apparent that he desired to raise his future children in the Catholic faith and seeing that I was not of any particular religion, I went to mass with him a few times to decide if it was a good fit for me too. For someone who had never been to a mass before, I quickly came to realize that there are a lot of rules; a lot of standing up and sitting down, recited prayers, shaking of neighbors hands while saying "Peace be with you", which still makes me weirdly uncomfortable, I don't know why. I even mistakenly followed Steve up to the altar during communion and when it came time to partake in the "body of Christ" where you are supposed to say "Amen", I said "Thanks"...dead giveaway that I was a traitor. I'm surprised they didn't throw holy water on me right then and there and watch me sizzle and melt away like the Wicked Witch from the Wizard of Oz. But luckily they are a forgiving faith and allowed me to start the classes to become Catholic. After a year of studying the faith, one "real deal" communion and a dunk of the head, wham bam thank you ma'am I was a fortified, gen-u-wine Catholic.
When our children were born, they were all baptized in the whole pomp and circumstance celebratory way. Our boys attended parochial school starting at preschool (where the prim and proper preschool teacher's jaw dropped to the floor on their first day when they ran over to the toy police cars and both started singing, "Bad Boys, Bad Boys, Watch Ya Gonna Do..." from the TV show, COPS, so that was an awesome way to start their Catholic school careers). We attended mass regularly, the boys and Ella had their first communions. We were the typical Catholic family.
When our boys were in 6th grade and Ella was in kindergarten, we made the decision to pull them out of parochial school to enter the mainstream public school system. We live in a great area with an incredible school district and it was a decision we have not regretted for a second. What we came to realize after we didn't have to go to church in order to keep paying a parishioners tuition rate, was that our church didn't have to consist of 4 walls with an altar and stained glass windows. Church is wherever you want it to be. Sure, the fellowship is nice and when our kids were younger, it was a great way to socialize after mass in the parishioners hall but now that our kids are older and we aren't under any obligation to attend mass, we celebrate God in our own way. I don't believe God cares where or how you pray to him, as long as you have faith and turn to Him in time of need.
You know what they say, being in a garage doesn't make you a mechanic any more than being in a church makes you a Christian. To me, church is a wide open field, a quiet room, a warm, sandy beach. Our holy friend, J.C. is all-encompassing and he'll take your prayers and faith anyway he can get it.
Can I get an Amen?
Peace be with you.....I'd shake your hand if I could.
Mama P
My husband was raised Catholic. He went the whole nine yards in parochial school (save for one year in kindergarten where we officially met...more on that in a later blog post; I'll keep you in suspense). When we started dating and talking about marriage, it was apparent that he desired to raise his future children in the Catholic faith and seeing that I was not of any particular religion, I went to mass with him a few times to decide if it was a good fit for me too. For someone who had never been to a mass before, I quickly came to realize that there are a lot of rules; a lot of standing up and sitting down, recited prayers, shaking of neighbors hands while saying "Peace be with you", which still makes me weirdly uncomfortable, I don't know why. I even mistakenly followed Steve up to the altar during communion and when it came time to partake in the "body of Christ" where you are supposed to say "Amen", I said "Thanks"...dead giveaway that I was a traitor. I'm surprised they didn't throw holy water on me right then and there and watch me sizzle and melt away like the Wicked Witch from the Wizard of Oz. But luckily they are a forgiving faith and allowed me to start the classes to become Catholic. After a year of studying the faith, one "real deal" communion and a dunk of the head, wham bam thank you ma'am I was a fortified, gen-u-wine Catholic.
When our children were born, they were all baptized in the whole pomp and circumstance celebratory way. Our boys attended parochial school starting at preschool (where the prim and proper preschool teacher's jaw dropped to the floor on their first day when they ran over to the toy police cars and both started singing, "Bad Boys, Bad Boys, Watch Ya Gonna Do..." from the TV show, COPS, so that was an awesome way to start their Catholic school careers). We attended mass regularly, the boys and Ella had their first communions. We were the typical Catholic family.
When our boys were in 6th grade and Ella was in kindergarten, we made the decision to pull them out of parochial school to enter the mainstream public school system. We live in a great area with an incredible school district and it was a decision we have not regretted for a second. What we came to realize after we didn't have to go to church in order to keep paying a parishioners tuition rate, was that our church didn't have to consist of 4 walls with an altar and stained glass windows. Church is wherever you want it to be. Sure, the fellowship is nice and when our kids were younger, it was a great way to socialize after mass in the parishioners hall but now that our kids are older and we aren't under any obligation to attend mass, we celebrate God in our own way. I don't believe God cares where or how you pray to him, as long as you have faith and turn to Him in time of need.
You know what they say, being in a garage doesn't make you a mechanic any more than being in a church makes you a Christian. To me, church is a wide open field, a quiet room, a warm, sandy beach. Our holy friend, J.C. is all-encompassing and he'll take your prayers and faith anyway he can get it.
Can I get an Amen?
Peace be with you.....I'd shake your hand if I could.
Mama P
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