Sunday, August 5, 2001
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Sunday, August 5, 2001 |
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When in Rome
By KEVIN PEEK
Baptisms, weddings and funerals are three separate and unique events that serve to bring together the community of family and friends like nothing else. In my three years here at Holy Trinity in Peachtree City, I have had the privilege of ministering to several of these liturgies and celebrations. It is always a wonder to see the many new faces, along with the old familiars, that come out to observe and unite in prayer. Not all are Catholic, and of those that are, there are always some who haven't been to church in a good long while. So when it comes time for the service to begin, I have taken special pains to make sure that not only do all feel welcome, but that all know what to do and when to do it. If you have never been to a Catholic service, you no doubt have at least heard the seemingly constant movements of the congregation being panned in some comedy act somewhere, or chided by those who have been and have not understood. First of all, the people are not constantly moving (at least not by the instruction of the liturgy!). Secondly, there are reasons for each of the movements; they are expressing the nature of our prayer at that moment, and aid us in remaining focused thereon. At the beginning of the Mass (the name for our service), we stand to greet the celebrant, the representative of Christ, and to give honor and glory and praise to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We then sit to hear the reading of the word of God, a sampling of the Old Testament and the New, with the Psalms and the gospels taking special place of honor. When the gospels are read we stand again, for these are the very words of our savior, present in a special way in the hearing of the word. Then we sit to hear the scriptures explained to us and applied to our daily lives. This is then followed by a period of standing during which we ask the Father for all that we need as his people, a holy nation set apart for the work of the Lord. Next we kneel, in humble recognition of the gift he has given us and is constantly renewing in us, the gift of his Son, Jesus Christ. At the end we stand, to receive our Lord in communion, and to receive our marching orders for the spiritual conquest of the world, as all Christians have been called to accomplish. However, it never fails; come to a Catholic baptism, wedding or funeral and you'll see the same thing: a large number of individuals who will sit throughout the entire service, despite being invited to join in with the liturgical movements and quietly given the next instruction early enough in time to anticipate and prepare for its completion. Now this befuddles me. One presumably gets dressed up and goes out of the way to attend such an important spiritual event, to enter into prayer with and for the individual for whom they have done all of the above, and then fails to participate to the fullness of their capability ... it just doesn't make sense. I'm not saying that every tone deaf person ought to be singing at the top of their lungs, or every stoic should be speaking in tongues clearly to each his own on some matters. But in matters that require no more than that which most of us are familiar with on a daily basis stand, sit, kneel (at least we hope kneeling is familiar and daily!), why do we lack the spirit and desire to unite wholeheartedly? I grew up in Decatur, Ga., with only one Catholic friend who didn't practice his faith regularly anyway, hence I found myself attending a great many different services in a variety of denominations. Each time, I struggled with a lack of familiarity of the people and the service itself. But my upbringing in the middle of 11 children served me well I just began to do what everyone else did when they began to do it. I figured that we are all Christians here, and that because we shared the same Lord, the same commandments and many of the same prayers and songs, I would never have to worry about being caught doing something contrary to my faith as a Catholic (save sharing communion, which by the meaning of the act and the difference of beliefs is still problematic). This served me well then, and continues to serve me today. Recently I attended Flat Rock AME Church to hear the Tuskegee Airmen on a Sunday morning, and felt welcomed and fit right in with the standing, clapping, swaying and hugging that defined the different movements and moments of their liturgy, though I had never been there before. So why is it that so many who come to a Catholic service struggle, especially when I will often detail the next action before its time? Don't say it is a lack of familiarity, or infrequent attendance; I have already shown how this can be overcome by a simple desire to embrace the tradition and practice of my fellow Christians there on the spot, and to enter wholeheartedly into the prayer. If we are ever going to be the one, unified Church that Christ called us to be at the Last Supper, than we are going to have to get comfortable going beyond our religious zones to reach out and pray and study and fellowship with those of other denominations. I wish, though, it were that easy to spot the culprit. I rather think it goes deeper, and touches on a level much more subtle and yet familiar. I don't know if other denominations experience this problem, but in a way I think it is specifically a burden that the Catholic and other liturgical churches have to bear. Many Christians, having never been accustomed to expressing their faith through their bodily posture, now are confronted by a church full of such expression and feel like something odd is going on. True, something different is going on, but do not let it be a cause for suspicion and concern, as has often been the case in the past. You see, I grew up hearing time and again from my non-Catholic friends that their parents or minister or somebody told them that Catholics were not Christian, and were therefore relegated to a level of suspicion and fear that continues to plague our relationship today, making unity, much less truly worshipping together, something difficult to attain. But this need not be so. What happens at our liturgies is simply the use of our God-given bodies (sanctified as well as our souls by Christ's passion, death and resurrection), to express our interior convictions about this relationship we now have with Him. Let this be a point of concern that is laid to rest here and now; authentic Catholics are devoutly believing and practicing Christians one cannot be otherwise. So to all those whose paths bring them into the doors of a Catholic church, welcome brothers and sisters! Please come inside and unite with your fellow brothers and sisters, as we all unite with Christ, so that as one body, we might give glory and honor to the Father. Without this understanding, we cannot ever hope to be one, and our visits to each other's churches and homes will continue to be laced with fear and suspicion. But with this understanding, we can lower the barriers, come out of ourselves, and begin to celebrate a unity that will last forever!
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