Another Rant... Are you in THAT MUCH of a hurry?

As many of you know, I am a practicing Catholic.  Lou is, also.  This past Saturday, he went to the 4:00 PM Mass at St. John Bosco, our parish.  I went on Sunday morning to the Carmelite Monastery in Philadelphia.  Our rant is thus:  And here's the warning, if you're easily offended, STOP reading now.  If you read on, and it applies to you, and you're offended, GOOD.

Lou, as I stated, went to the Saturday Mass at 4 pm which is heavily attended at St. John Bosco.  I mean HEAVILY attended.  I will assume most people are going because of their obligation, or because they want to, or whatever.  Here's the point...

The good God gave us life, blessings.  We have enough to eat, a roof over our heads, and are clothed.  Most of us have good families and wonderful friends, and people we love, who love us in return.

What God has for us is LIMITLESS, unconditional and absolute love.  Think of how your dog loves you, but make that love boundless and eternal. You could leave the dog after scolding it, and then come back five minutes later, and guess what, that dog still loves you.  You can leave God after sinning, and then come back after thirty years (as we did) and guess what, that God still loves you.  Maybe that's why GOD spelled backward is DOG.

Think of how you feel if you see someone you love that you haven't seen in a long time.  You hug, kiss, smile, laugh, and are joyful and happy.  When we walk into God's house, I like to think He is happy to "see" us.  I like to think that if I make a visit to the Adoration Chapel, it's like a surprise visit to someone who really REALLY wants to see me.  It's my way of "befriending" God and keeping a close relationship with Him.

Here goes...  WHY must people go to Mass, go to Holy Communion, which is reception of God Himself, and head STRAIGHT for the door to get out as if someone were chasing them?  What, you can't stay for the last FIVE minutes to receive the blessing?  Are you in THAT much of a hurry to just get out of the parking lot?  If a missed friend came to see you and made you happy, and you give of yourself to them, why would you be happy to see them RUN full speed out of your house?

Well, I think for a person to go running out of the church with Communion still in their mouths is not only disrespectful to the Sacrament, but it is, in my opinion, downright sacrilege.  What, are you SO damn much in a hurry to beat traffic out of the church lot that five more minutes are going to really matter?  And to leave without the blessing?  Seriously, are you SO important that you can't give God five more minutes?  After all He has given you?  Really?  He gives unconditional love, and you can't give (not even) an hour?  Wow, you must really think you're important.

My childhood pastor at St. Barnabas Church, Father Joseph LaRue, would STOP on the altar and call you OUT.  "Hey Mister, WHERE do you think you're going?  SIT DOWN."  Sometimes I think it's a shame that the fire codes prohibit locking the doors.

Think about what you're doing the next time you think that five minutes is going to REALLY matter.  What are you rushing back to?  Work?  House full of noise?  House full of chaos?  Housework?  You can't WAIT to get back to that, huh?  You afraid you're going to miss Early Bird at Warminster West or the Red Lion?  Suck it up, cupcake.

By the way, at the Carmelite Monastery, NO ONE leaves till after the recessional hymn.

OK, rant over.  (for now).