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 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
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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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[Index of Commentaries by Cindy the Sacristan]
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