Pages

Sunday, March 9, 2014

I love springtime!

Today, I had the opportunity to attend one hour of church. Due to the timing of various other things that happened today, the only hour I could go to was Sunday School. Typically, if I can only go for an hour, I choose sacrament meeting or Young Women's, but this time I didn't really have a choice.

When I arrived at the church, sacrament meeting was still in progress, so I awkwardly stood out in the lobby. I didn't want to walk into the chapel (please tell me that's what it's called...) cuz then my friends would see me and my being there would no longer be a surprise. So I stood there waiting.

Background info: we have a TON of snow. It's been super crazy ridiculously cold. Until this week.

I didn't wear a coat to church. (I wore one to mass this morning, but that's not the point). It was 40 degrees this afternoon when I left my house. It made me super happy. Standing in the lobby awkwardly, it totally felt like springtime, even though there's still a ridiculous amount of snow. And I don't know if it was cuz of the weather or cuz I was standing in the church (hearing the last speaker's voice but not quite catching all the words), but I felt simultaneously peaceful and excited. D'you know that cabin-fever-it's-finally-above-32-degrees-outside-so-we-don't-have-to-wear-coats feeling? It was that, only spiritual.

Image source
I think this feeling points out a good way to relate springtime to churchy stuff, but first we have to look at what mass was about this morning.

As of Wednesday, March 5, Catholics are celebrating Lent. "Celebrating" is totally not the right word for it, though. It's a season of "drawing closer to God," but they do it in a very somber way. Like giving stuff up, fasting every Friday, no meat on Fridays, give to the poor (not a bad thing in and of itself, but added to everything else and you find yourself dwelling on the plight of the less-fortunate), etc. Today's readings were about Adam and Eve eating the fruit (sinning, the Original Sin, in Catholic theology) and the consequences. I totally forget what the homily was about, but the atmosphere of the entire mass was dark and pensive. Adding to that, I have a cold and am in the middle of some major mental gymnastics in considering an issue very close to my heart. Very blah morning.

But then I came home and did some homework so my mom would let me go to church, changed, and off I went! I believe we left me standing awkwardly in the lobby :)

Sooo if we use an analogy here, the Catholic part of my brain (I was raised Catholic for 16 years, I definitely still think like a Catholic even though I consider myself a Mormon) is stuck in winter. Catholics approach Easter through Lent, as if we they are dreading the pain of the Atonement. But Mormons! They We seem to be in springtime already! We look to Easter with joy, being grateful for what has been done for us. The March lessons are about the Atonement, yes? In Sunday School today, not a single moment seemed somber, dark, or Lent-ish. We did all get quiet and reflective right at the end, when the teacher showed a video:


I know we were all quiet and reflective because we felt the Spirit, though. It was a happy "quiet and reflective."

I love springtime. Winter is good and necessary for the Earth to prepare for the coming year, but springtime is awesome. Both are valid lenses through which one can examine Easter and the Atonement. I believe there should be some element of quiet and respectfulness when discussing the Atonement, and the Catholic faith is good at that. But "men are that they might have joy," so we needn't focus on the quiet reflectiveness to the exclusion of all else.

I would not be the person I am today without my Catholic upbringing, but I am a Mormon. I know it. I live it. I love it. 

In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

<3 Marie-Rose

*NOTE* I am not hating on Catholics. I'm not trying to say that they're hopelessly depressing. I guess it comes across like that, though.... Every once in a while, I need a reminder of why I'm a convert, why I'm no longer Catholic. Stuff like this helps. Catholics have a lot of good things to offer in their faith, but I have found the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints to be true. (isn't there a conference talk where the guy says that other faiths have good things, but asks people to see what our church can add? Anyone know the talk?)

4 comments:

  1. Three things
    #1 Yes it is called the chapel.
    #2 I totally know what you are talking about but I can't for the life of me remember what talk it is. I'll think about it and let you know if I remember.
    #3 This is a fantastic post. I am impressed with they joy you find in going to church and the effort you put into attending. Growing up in the church I have never had to fight my way to church so I am impressed with the dedication you have to it even though it's not easy. Makes me want to appreciate my time at church even more. You rock
    -Whit

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Awww, thanks :) you just made my night :) and you gave me a new post idea! "Why church shouldn't be boring," coming soon! :D

      <3 Marie-Rose

      Delete
  2. first of all.... YOU WEREN'T WEARING A COAT IN 40 DEGREE WEATHER!!??? WHATTTTTT!???? ........................................... I am an Arizona Girl through and Through. It Gets HOTT here and we are used to it... But anything Under 70 degrees and we BUNDLE UP! I literally had a hard time concentrating for a minute and had to stop and think about how cold I would be in 40 degree weather with no coat haha! It's Mid 80's here in AZ right now and I'm still throwin' on a light coat in morning & night!

    But besides that - I loved your post :) This will be my first Easter Season going to church/being a member and I am EXCITED! I know what you mean about things being somber in other churches meetings... I was never religious before but I was alwats kind of searching for something. I went to many different services with my friends who were of different religions. On my trip to Europe with the music group I was with we gave allot of concerts in allot of different cathedrals and churches. The LDS church definitley has a unique spiritual feel to it as opposed to other churches. (although some of the cathedrals in Europe are BREATHTAKING to look at).

    Okay I kind of lost track of where I was going with this comment so I will just stop now haha
    keep it up girl :)

    xoxo
    Dani
    http://mormonshine.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh my, 80 degrees?? I'm so jealous! I'm definitely not a southern/western/warm weather girl. Over the past two months, the lowest AIR TEMP I remember hearing about was -30 some. Windchill got colder. Positive 40 felt like 70 to us on Sunday :)

      This Easter, I won't be able to go to church and stuff, but I'll be a member by Christmas! (although, due to family traditions, I might not be able to get to a church building) I'm so excited for when I can actually go to church every Sunday. It's gonna be awesome.

      I kinda know what you mean about European cathedrals; although I've never been to Europe, my grandpa went to Rome a few years ago and seeing the pictures he took and listening to him talk about it.... There's a cathedral-ish basilica thing (I can't remember what it's officially classified as) in DC that I got to visit once and it was super awesome. The mosaics and stained glass and everything... Plus, it was springtime, so all the cherry trees on the grounds were in full bloom :)

      <3 Marie-Rose

      Delete

Dear People Who Comment,

You are awesome. That is all.
<3 Marie-Rose