What we seek in our faith today...

Cindy has been busy this week attending end of year lunches and dinners with various parish groups. In between discussions about low-fat foods and calories, an interesting conversation arose regarding the Apocalypse Readings of the last few weeks of the Church year.

Amidst the babble of chatter and mature humour it became clear that the ladies present felt those particular Readings came from someone's nightmares a very long time ago. The ladies all agreed that many of the Old Testament Readings are dismal, grisly and depressing. Of course as you would expect the conversation amongst these mostly aged ladies then turned to the fact that few of their children now attend church regularly. Some of the ladies were happy their children had made a choice to be married in the Catholic Church. However many of them, as with Cindy, had a child who not only married in an open-air venue, but they adamantly did not want to be married in the Catholic Church.

For the ladies, the chance to verbalize their thoughts over a lunchtime Chardonnay, was a beautiful expression of group grieving. Well that is how Cindy felt anyway. The sense of community was palpable. The sadness of mothers knowing their daughters and sons had chosen a path for their future lives so different to the upbringing their parents had striven so hard to hand on to them. Where is Christ in the lives of their children today? Most agreed their children had grown into generous adults very thoughtful of other people, but somehow the consumerism mentality of our current times, is as much a part of them as religion was to the ladies when the same age as their children.

Cindy read the excellent article by Wendy just a few days ago on Catholica, telling us about the mixed marriage of her parents. Cindy's own parents had a similar story but with a happier ending. Her parents married at the tender age of 21. Her Dad was a Catholic and his relatives would not attend the marriage because he was marrying a Protestant — albeit a good church-going Methodist. Cindy's Mum was orphaned when she was four, but none of her relatives would come to the ceremony either because she was marrying a Catholic. The ceremony was attended only by two witnesses who were friends of the couple. So it came to pass that in 1936 Cindy's parents were married by a priest with the unfortunate name of Father Sobb. The ceremony took place in the sacristy or 'dressing room' as Wendy so aptly named it. Although a virgin, her mother was told to wear grey because she wasn't Catholic. What a horrible sin of arrogance and discrimination on the part of the Catholic Church? A sin repeated over and over by a clergy following the company rules during those years prior to Vatican II.

Her Dad did not go near a church for the next 20 years. The children, Cindy and her sister, were sent to the local convent school as that was the condition of the marriage being allowed to happen in the first place. Interestingly enough, when Cindy's parents reached their 40's and a few health scares later, her mother decided to become a Catholic and her Dad returned to Church. It was one of those unexplainable miracles that happen between couples when even their children do not understand just how when and why such an amazing event came about. But it was a wonderful catalyst of harmony for the family. Suddenly Mum was also "one of us".

Perhaps her Dad was haunted by the thought that death might come and he would be considered to be in mortal sin, and hell is a long time? Her mother's faith was not built on 'fear of a vengeful God' though but rather centered upon 'a God of consolation'. That Catholic faith she embraced was an enormous comfort to her when she was widowed aged sixty. The remaining seventeen years of her life were lived in harmony with God and her faith.

Suggestions for more inspired readings...

Back to the lunches — some of Cindy's friends felt strongly that if those Old Testament Readings were scrapped, it would be a good move for the Catholic Church. In their place suggestions were offered to replace them with inspired writings by some of our modern mystics. Thomas Merton, Richard Rohr and Henri Nouwen were three names touted but most Catholics have their favourite writers. Cindy loves the Celtic Spirituality of the book 'Anam Cara' by John O'Donohue. In one sentence this book says more about our faith that anything most people gain from an Old Testament reading. Maybe the theologically trained scholar might enjoy those readings, but the average Mary Jane and Joe Blow in the pews, just get depressed and switch off. This is 2006 for goodness sakes!!

Cindy asks if you have ever had a nightmare that left you trembling? Did you wonder what that strange dream might have meant for you in your life? Possibly, like Cindy, you never figured it out. For many of us, some of those old words in the Readings are like that. They leave us feeling tired and edgy, and we never figure out any relevance from them for our lives today.

The point Cindy wants to leave with you, is the suggestion that maybe as Catholics we need to regularly find spiritual reading that nurtures our spirit. Even the Divine Office is a puzzle to the uninitiated. For Cindy — wife, mother and spiritual friend — a good spiritual author who speaks her language is a treasure. Two lines can touch her spirit and cause her heart to quicken.

Cindy is throwing away some of the old books she has gathered over the years, realizing they do not speak to her at this stage of her life. Like Wendy, she once enjoyed reading the lives of the saints — for example Maria Goretti. Now Cindy wonders why virginity was almost a necessity for sainthood?

Cindy leaves you with a quote from Anam Cara (meaning soul friend) by John O'Donohue. This book is a wonderful suggestion for a Christmas gift.

Photo Credit:
Luis Flores, Viña del Mar, Valparaiso, Chile. Sourced from stock.xchng

Cindy

Cindy the Sacristan is the pseudonym of one of the long-time members of our community. In real life she has spent many years in a voluntary capacity as sacristan in a large outer suburban parish.

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