TO THE EDITOR:
I remember a conversation I had in 10th grade with a teacher, Brother David, as I struggled through various philosophical traditions that lead away from the church, about what it meant to rigorously follow out these alternative paths.
He said something to the effect that, "We will pat you on your back and wish you travel well. We'll be here when you get back." So, he was right. I got back and the church was still here. So, from lapsed Catholic to observant Catholic, was I.
In the beauty of St. Paul Church, surrounded by the wonderful painted glass icons, the tones of the restored organ and melodic voices of the choir, it is easy to be an observant Catholic. And with a baby and then toddler, the time was part child wrangling and part worship. As our daughter grew, so did all of our attention spans and the more and more observant we became, from home Advent wreaths and crèches, to Lenten fasting and almsgiving.
Only by judging myself against some human “ideal” of beauty, in voice, or dress or other mundane attribute, could there ever be imperfect worship. Each of us, in all our imperfections, reaches beyond them through the act of worship, through even the dullest and most tarnished efforts.
We will never be fit, nor worthy, nor owed any of what we are given. But we can participate in creating the divine in our lives everyday, through the simplest acts or worship, whether those take places at Mass, in our homes, as volunteers or just neighbors. And all it requires is for us to stop observing and just participate.
Sean Hagberg, Ph.D
Cranston
