Sunday, Sunday

Sometimes I can sit through an entire Mass on Sunday and not remember anything that occurred. Being a cradle Catholic as they call it, I guess that the words spoken and the prayers that are recited are second nature and that I stopped a long time ago really thinking about what it all means. As I have 6 siblings, one sister and one brother go to church every Sunday along with my parents, myself and my two sons. I have another sister who pops in every once in a while and another brother who joins us when he passes through town. We usually go out to lunch together after 10:30 Mass. It is usually a large group of people since my Brother has five children (who are now all adults) and my sister has four chilren (teenage and above). The place we go will have one very large table waiting for us every Sunday.

I was experiencing a bit of vertigo today so when I was in church, I had to keep my head straight and look at the ground. Maybe that made me listen better to what was going on. The pastor, who usually does not hit his mark during his sermons, started it off today by saying that we have too much of the world with us. I knew exactly what he meant by that and my ears immediately perked up a bit. He talked about how we let this world dictate to us what is important instead of remembering the word of Jesus Christ as he taught us what was important. There are two different dimensions. There is the word of God and there is the word of the world. The word of the world presents to us that what is important is Power over others, and the best things that money can buy. The word of God is all about love and that love is the only thing that matters. If choices are made in our life that are based on the word of God then we are always in tune with our created and we were created for HIS purpose. God has a purpose for us and when we are are living for HIS purpose, we are truly happy. However, we live in a world that pretty much throws in our face what we need to be happy. That pretty little picture is the best job, the most money, the best education, the best house, the best car, the best grade etc. and it doesn't matter how you have to get it. How many people get the great job at the expense of others. Or better yet, what if that "great" job makes you compromise your principles and beliefs or tears you away from your family. How many people push their children to go to college, a prestigious on, when the children are not really ready to go. How many people buy that big, huge expensive house and won't invite others over because of the fear of something getting broken. It is all about what the world tells us what is important. The more we listen to what the world tells us, the more the word of God diminishes. We think we are going to the top of what this life has to offer by listening to this world instead of striving to go to the top of GOD's purpose and plan for our life.

We, as a people, are missing the mark in so many ways. I often wonder why I bite my lip when I hear of someone losing weight, making a big promotion or getting accepted into a certain school. I used to think it was jealousy but I now realize that it is because I honor accomplishments that have to do with the purpose of God. I will honor the person who loses weight when I see that the reason for gaining it in the first place is first recognized, treated and prayed for. I will honor the person who makes a big promotion if they use the promotion to bring others closer to GOD. You see where I am going with this.