I’m visiting Calgary, Alberta this week for a work-related purpose.  Since I had to travel early Sunday morning, I missed the Mass that I normally attend with my family.  Fortunately, sites like masstimes.org make it easy to find a Mass to attend in another location, even if that location is in another country!  During my web search for a church, I noticed that Calgary has a cathedral, and a Mass relatively late on Sunday evening.  Perfect!  Well, it was a nice building, and the people were nice enough, but it definitely wasn’t perfect.

Maybe I’m just spoiled, but I’m accustomed to a fair amount of reverence.  The pianist, although a very good musician, sounded like he was playing show tunes.  It was difficult to pay attention to the Mass during musical pieces.  But the most frustrating part of Mass at this Canadian church was the lack of reverence shown to Jesus himself.  People crossed the altar back and forth at will without even a nod, and passed in front of the tabernacle without even giving it a second glance.  Most people seemed shocked when I knelt after the Holy, Holy, Holy, and remained there until the great Amen.  Immediately after the Lamb of God, people sat down and waited until time to get up for communion.

I know that each diocese has its own idiosyncrasies, but from what I saw, this one is just plain irreverent.  Perhaps I shouldn’t paint all Calgary Catholics with the same brush, but it seems unlikely that the Masses held at the cathedral where the bishop resides are less reverent than the Masses in the suburbs.

On a positive note, it’s nice to be Catholic, and to be able to go to church anywhere in the world and hear the same readings.  While I felt a little uncomfortable, I still felt at home.  And Calgary is actually a very nice city.  There’s great Indian food to be had!

I’ve been remiss in my posting lately. It’s summer and I try to escape the busyness of the world as much as possible during these few months of good weather. And when I say escape, I do mean escape. Escape from what? The noise!

I was raised in a small, quiet household, and so I grew accustomed to silence and solitude. I’ve had to adapt quite a bit to accommodate a wife and children, but for the most part we are a fairly quiet family. Upon returning from a restful and peaceful vacation a couple of weeks ago, I came to realize just how noisy everyday life is in our neighborhood, and in life in general.

Everywhere I turn, there is noise. Cars, planes, kids, dogs, skateboarders, baseball games, the refrigerator ice dispenser — those are just the normal sounds of life where I live. And when those aren’t enough, when we need to really “relax,” most of us add a little more noise. Television, music, video games, iPods, subwoofers, motor boats, four-wheelers, snowmobiles — all of the things that people use to relax involve some kind of noise. Why is it that most people want to make noise and listen to noise, but most of the time I just want silence?

I’m trying to discern whether I’m becoming a grumpy thirty-something man, or I just like quiet.  Am I intolerant?  When God speaks to me, it’s not in a loud, booming voice.  I have a difficult time trying to discern His will for me.  What I do know, is that I don’t generally feel His presence (although I know He’s always present) when it’s noisy.

Much of the time I feel as though I want to withdraw (with my family, of course) into some sort of rural life, away from the busy, noisy lives that we lead in the suburbs.  While I know that rural life offers an entirely different set of disadvantages, the ability to open my windows at night and sit peacefully outside seem like much greater advantages.

I know that we humans are supposed to be social creatures.  I do in fact socialize well at work.  I also know that God has commanded us to love our neighbor as ourselves.  But does that mean I have to like the noise that they make?  Let’s hear it for silence!

I remember when our pastor first talked about the new Life Teen program that our parish was forming several years ago. At the time it sounded very exciting — just what was needed to draw more youth into the church. Since then, I’ve been to probably three or four Life Teen Masses. I attend about once a year out of necessity.

The one thought that I have almost continuously during this Mass is, how can this possibly be okay with the Church? The kids dress as if they were going out to dinner at McDonalds, and they clap and dance to music that is totally inappropriate for a Mass.

What about reverence? Well, there are certainly some pious, reverent people that attend Life Teen services for the sake of their children, or because they just like the music. But I like the music too, just not at Mass! At our parish, the Life Teen band consists of all the typical rock instruments: electric guitar, bass, and drums, in addition to a piano. They play some decent contemporary music, but they are far too loud for church!

Why is it that we have to offer a special Mass just for teenagers? I understand sending the little ones off to the nursery, but why aren’t high school kids mature enough to handle the traditional Mass? Is this what we have to do to ensure that they will come? Where do we draw the line? Why don’t we offer a hip-hop Mass? How about a little Glory to God in the Highest rap?

I’m not too keen on bringing back the Tridentine Mass, but after attending a few Life Teen Masses, I understand where the Tridentine supporters are coming from. Mass is about Jesus. We should be focused on the sacrifice that is taking place, not on our dance moves. Hearing the same twelve words shouted over and over does not help anyone focus on the altar.

If the music is drawing focus away from the main attraction, doesn’t that signify a problem?

I did a Google search to find the percent of people in the U.S. who identify themselves as Christian in one way or another. I was just looking for the number, but I noted that in all cases the journalist presenting the story focussed the article on the reduction in the percentage of Christians in the United States. So much for an unbiased press. In any case, the numbers that I saw were between 75 and 80 percent.

So with the overwhelming majority of our citizens claiming allegiance to Jesus, what in the world has happened to purity? Everywhere I look, sexuality shoved in my face. I rarely turn on the television anymore, and when I do it’s usually to watch something educational, or possible a sporting event. When the commercials come on I am inundated with advertisements featuring barely clad women. Worse yet, all of the networks like to show teasers for upcoming episodes of their hit series, nearly all of which include some sort of steamy love scene. This is on a Sunday afternoon — and over the air waves because we don’t have cable! I just want to watch a college football game. Why do I have to subject myself to soft-core pornography too?

If I go to one of the ever popular drive-through coffee stands (all over the West Coast), I am usually greeted by a young woman wearing clothes that are tight enough for a ten-year-old, and cut low enough to be considered lingerie. I just want some coffee. Can’t you keep your body to yourself?

In Matthew 5:27-28 we read:

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’
But I say to you, everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”

With a country that supposedly has so many Christians, why do women dress and act so provocatively?

I can’t even go shopping for a gift at the local mall without witnessing a deluge of pre-teen girls strutting around in clothes that an adult shouldn’t even wear in public.

Purity…where have you gone?

Our Lady of Guadalupe,
Pray for Us