{"id":3625,"date":"2007-01-05T13:57:48","date_gmt":"2007-01-05T13:57:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/viamedia\/2007\/01\/salutaris.html"},"modified":"2007-01-05T13:57:48","modified_gmt":"2007-01-05T13:57:48","slug":"salutaris","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/viamedia\/2007\/01\/salutaris.html","title":{"rendered":"Salutaris"},"content":{"rendered":"

We went to Mass today, Katie and I – noon Mass – she’s still out of school, doesn’t start until next week. (Although she *does* have a Debate meet tomorrow somewhere in Indy for which she must be at school at gulp <\/em>5 AM to catch the bus). <\/p>\n

She was surprised at how crowded it was – well, it was noon, it was downtown, and it was (is) First Friday. But it was packed, and it occurred to me that this is one of the great untold stories of U.S. Catholicism – the numbers of folks who attend daily Mass. I’d like to see a team of reporters and photographers hit some downtown churches across the country for their schedule of weekday Masses, from 6 AM on, to see the numbers of folks there, and even to talk to a few, to take some photographs.  It would give flesh to the story, to the story of Catholics are taking their faith seriously, who are leaving the house extra early or skipping lunch so they can go to Mass, hear the Scriptures, and be joined in Communion in, through and as the Body of Christ. We fuss and feel guilty constantly comparing ourselves to Protestant megachurches and yes, yes, yes, we have much to learn about wrenching<\/em> Catholicism out a quagmire of our pervasive M.O of  "Catholic identity" rather than "Catholic faith." <\/p>\n

But think about it – I was just contemplating the numbers in Fort Wayne, knowing the various parishes a little bit, knowing their numbers – I’m sure at least a couple thousand Catholics went to daily Mass today, not counting the school children. At least. <\/p>\n

That’s not a meaningless number. That’s a lot. <\/em>That’s a lot of Catholics choosing to take their faith seriously, knowing Whose Presence will nourish them, whose call they will hear, and will, like Philip and Nathaneal<\/a>, respond to the best they can, in faith, through the rest of their day. <\/p>\n

And that number doesn’t even count the many who would like <\/em>to go, but for one reason or another, cannot. <\/p>\n

There were several young people there, which also surprised Katie, as well as a few families. Diverse, in that marvelous Catholic way. A couple of Christmas carols, vibrantly sung, resounding off the curved walls of the moderne, yet very nice chapel, Benediction following, with more vibrant singing of O Salutaris Hostia<\/em><\/a>, naturally,  one of the type of moments that always moves me because all the older people, of course, can sing it without their books.<\/p>\n

There are many weaknesses in our Church today, just as there always have been. But one of the things I always tell people who are wondering – where’s my vibrant Christian life among Catholics? Where’s the intentionality? – is go to daily Mass. Perhaps you should find it in other places, too. We can admit that. But plug yourself into weekday Mass and the communities that gather there, you just might find yourself feeling a little less despondent, and your eyes opened just a little bit more to the presence of Jesus in the world around you. Even, to the cynics, in the Church. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We went to Mass today, Katie and I – noon Mass – she’s still out of school, doesn’t start until next week. (Although she *does* have a Debate meet tomorrow somewhere in Indy for which she must be at school at gulp 5 AM to catch the bus). 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The Catholicism comes from her side. Amy grew up in a number of places - Indiana - Washington, DC - Lubbock Texas - Arlington, Virginia - DeKalb, Illinois - Lawrence, Kansas - and Knoxville, Tennessee, where the family settled in 1973. She attended Knoxville Catholic High School, then the University of Tennessee where she majored in history. She received an MA in Church History from Vanderbilt University, where she wrote a thesis on the changing role of women in 19th century American Protestantism, and the ways Scripture was used to justify those changes. She worked as as a teacher in Catholic high schools and a Parish Director of Religious Education and started writing for the diocesan press - the Florida Catholic - in 1988. Amy has written columns for Our Sunday Visitor and Catholic News Service at times over the past twenty years. Her articles have been published in venues ranging from Our Sunday Visitor to the New York Times to Commonweal. She has written 17 books. 18, if you included the as yet tragically unpublished novel. Amy has five children, ranging in age from 26 to 4 and was married to Michael Dubruiel, who died unexpectedly in February 2009. 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