So what bothers me the most about the church is the lack of reverence in the church today especially here in the area I live in Ontario Canada. I am no expert but have attended mass in a few churches in Hungary and have always been well pleased with the mass the behaviour of the people and the sense of required reverence. Well yesterday I almost walked out of my church here in Burlington.
The church I attend is a mixed parish of Polish and English. I go here because the mass is done fairly well the english people are a little older so they dress and behave for the most part very respectfully. I attended another parish before that was all english but the way people acted with cell phones going off during mass. People dressed in summer like they were at the beach short shorts, flip flops etc. Then of course the applause at the end of mass and also the overall noise level before mass meant prayer and reflection was impossible at best. Priest was good but he let too much go on without addressing it and even the mass was with corners cut. So hence my choice was to attend the polish/english parish.
Yesterday after the Gospel reading I was expecting something about Advent being upon us and how we should be preparing etc. we got a fund raiser sermon with paperwork. You see the diocese is in the middle of a fund raising campaign that is raising funds to help upgrade the local parish but also other parishes within the diocese. I guess yesterday was the last day so we had an envelope we had to fill in if possible make a donation or a commitment to providing so much money per month for three years. So there is our parish priest instead of providing us with a homily instructing us how to fill in the envelope and return it in the collection basket that day. I was very upset to the point of almost walking out and in the end I refused to provide them with their envelope out of anger.
I understand the need for money and this campaign has been on going for a couple of months now and I have tried to every week provide some extra cash above our regular stipend but because of the battle with cancer I do not work and have a limited income based on disability insurance so money is limited. But to hold us what felt like hostage like being held up by a robber you can't escape put your hands up fill in the envelope and give us money!
You know I pray every week for the church as well to help it in the battle with the secular world but when you gte "held up" at mass it is hard. I am so upset I am seriously considering going back to the other parish and try to get through mass by ignoring the applause and beach goers fashion in summer and even the cell phones and tesxting during mass. It is hard all I want to do is have mass pray to our lord and spend time with our lord in his father's house. Why is this so hard to find these days?
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