First Mass
I went to my first ever Catholic mass yesterday. It was the day of my good friend Monica's confirmation. I grew up in an area with more Catholics than Protestants and had many friends who were Catholic growing up, so I'm not sure how I avoided it this long.
I found that most of the clichés you hear about mass are true. It's overlong, overly liturgical, and often times downright boring. The communion portion in particular seemed interminable. However, when it came time for the priest to deliver his homily to those who had just been confirmed, I gained a newfound respect for the Catholic Church.
The priest spoke about things I had rarely or never heard in the evangelical church I grew up in, and I had certainly never heard them all addressed at the same time. He spoke about the dehumanizing effects of war, obliquely referencing the current news about the apparent Haditha massacre. He talked about the evils of racism and intolerance. He implored his newly annointed saints to seek social justice in their communities. I thought it was truly inspiring, and in the days of the ascendence of the Christian right, somewhat shocking.
Hell yeah mass sucks.
Sometimes homilies are good, sometimes they're bad. If a priest knows his shit and if he does them right, then they're really socially stirring and not all fire-and-brimstone "kill all abortion supporters, rid us of the interloper o lord" or what have you.
"The communion portion in particular seemed interminable"-haha. That's true, but keep in mind it was about 300 of us catechumen plus anyone who is a practicing catholic that got to receive it. About the homily, your not the only one who was impressed, my mom, dad, and I were as well. Like your friend James said, the priest was one who knew his "shit". I am truly delighted you came to support me, and to also hear that you gained a new respect for the church.
p.s. Jason, you suck.