Sunday, October 5, 2008

Back to Church

Today was the first Sunday of the "catechistic year." This means the period of the year in which children attend catechism. It starts in October and ends in early June.

My family is Catholic, but not particularly devout. A great many Italians (though certainly not all) care that their children receive all the key sacraments: baptism, first communion and confirmation, even if they do not themselves attend church regularly, or, in many cases, at all. We attend for the length of the catechistic year...and then go on religious vacation.

One day while I was visiting a friend, the local priest stopped by to bless her house. He asked why he hadn't seen her at mass. She explained that she was a believer, but not an attender of mass. I chipped in that my family are believers, but only seasonal attenders...during the catechistic year.

I'm not sure if that makes us hypocrites...or just religiously lazy?

8 comments:

Marcel said...

Hi! Thanks for yor interesting blog! I have read your last two months of entries. It is really an insight view on live in Molfetta! I will keep track of your postings :) regards from Marcel

USelaine said...

First of all, this photograph is gorgeous! The light, colors, textures, the flames!

As for religion, I've always believed that you always have access to God, and no one can grant it or withhold it. Whatever serves you to celebrate that access is entirely up to you.

Nice post.

Kathleen McQueen Wright said...

I love the photo!
I was raised Catholic but have left the catholic faith.


I agree with Uselaine

Ming the Merciless said...

When we were kids, my family and I would only go to church once a year, during midnight mass before Christmas Day.

Faith and religion are very personal things. Just because you don't attend church doesn't make you any less good of a person than people who attend church every weekend.

Saretta said...

I agree with you guys on the whole religion issue!

Marcel - welcome to my blog!

tr3nta said...

Great light...

Chuck Pefley said...

I think rather than hypocritical or lazy it simply indicates that you think for yourselves and make your own decisions based on your needs, rather than external rules (which may or may not make sense).

Saretta said...

Chuck - it makes a lot of sense to me! ;-)

Thanks, Trenta!