Nothing Compares

This may sound as criticism, but it not.  So stick with me on this one.  Remember that sacred cows make the best hamburgers.

I was engaged in a conversation today regarding the allure of non denominational churches.  I know many Catholics will relegate these churches to a minor footnote in the annals of Christianity, but it gives me pause.  The focus of the discussion was the role of emotion in relation to one's spiritual journey.  I can see how the non denoms have a point.  Yes, there is much focus on the emotional aspect of redemption.  I think as Catholics, we can learn much from this.  I know in my own life, it is easy to take the redemptive work of the cross for granted.  When one grows up in it, is surrounded by it, it becomes easy to overlook it.  I'm not the only one.  So I think that cradle Catholics tend to look with wonderment what the big deal is about.  I remember reading a book by a Catholic priest many years ago.  It was when I was "church shopping".  I was trying to find where my own personal spiritual center is.  I remember reading this book, I forget the name, and the overriding question I had was.. "what is up with this guy?  he is totally in love with God"  And I had to take a step back.  I wasn't used to hearing a Catholic priest discuss God in such terms.  I had been used to a theoretical God, the sanitized version.  This was the first time I heard a Catholic priest discuss the "wonderment" of Christianity.  Put simply, the Mystery.  His fascination with it rubbed off on me.  I discovered that, as a Catholic, I too have an emotional tie to our Lord.  I don't mean that emotions rule the day, but there is an emotional side to being Catholic.  I know our separated brothers and sisters long for his presence.  It is too easy to take for granted that God shows up every Sunday in our Mass.  It doesn't get any more emotional than that.

Maybe as Catholics, we need a refresher to the emotional side of our collective church personality.  Pause and think about what is truly happening before our eyes every Sunday.  It is just simple rote and verse, or something deeper?  Do we truly believe what we see?  Yes, He did really have to die for us.  For you, and for me.  And let's not forget the testament of the martyrs to preserve the church He left us. You want emotion?  I think we have our cup running over.   I think behind what many consider to be a dull tradition is a deep well of emotion if we only seek to lower our bucket.  There is no limit to the depth of the emotion.  We just have to look over the edge.