Unenthusastic Catholics

I hate to be critical, but hey, that's what this whole blog is pretty much about, critiquing the churches and my own thoughts on the matter.

One thing that sort of pushes me away from Catholicism and has pushed me away in the past is that lack of enthusiasm for the faith by its followers.  I have attempted to listen to Mass on the radio, or watch it on TV and have turned it off because the spiritual leaders look or sound like they are epically bored and just want this ritual over with.  Or I've tried to speak with some Catholics and they shy and shrink away, or change the subject, or their personal life is no where near what it ought to be as a professing Catholic.

Thankfully, lately I have encountered more enthusiastic Catholics.  I recently listened to Mass on SiriusXM and I was pleasantly surprised at how vibrant the service was.  The reader of the liturgy reading read with gusto and joy.  But when Cardinal Dolan went through the Eucharist, you could tell he was in reverence and not just getting through some ritual.

I really urge any Catholic who happens to read this to examine themselves and make sure they aren't "dead through ritual."  Even in the Protestant churches we are urged to not become too comfortable and too ritualistic and mechanical and on auto-pilot about our faith and faithful participations.  Anything with a lot of repetition can become auto-piloted far too easily in our human nature.

When my husband encouraged me to seek, I told him that I refuse to attend a spiritual dead church.  IF I chose to become Catholic, I would not join a lethargic church, or a dead church, or a superstitious church, or a sleeping church.  I would want one alive in the knowledge and understanding and faith in what is actually going on and what they actually believe.  I'm not saying charismatic, jumping up and down, swinging from a chandelier....I'm just saying with joy, reverence, and worship should Mass be celebrated!