So the Church is changing some of the participant responses at mass. These changes take place in November, first Sunday of Advent. It got me thinking about my Mom and the changes she saw in the Church. If I'm not mistaken she would of remembered Vatican II. Now obviously the changes I've seen so far are nothing like Vatican II. These are just minor changes to responses and words in prayers we recite at Mass, well so far as I know. It just got me thinking, my little girl will not know the responses I've always known and will be hard to break the automatic response; just like I've always known the mass as the Vatican II version. For my Mom Vatican II happened during her high school years, and for me these changes are happening much later in my life. I'm thinking about my little girl where my Mom had quite a different list of priorities at that stage in her life.
I suppose I've had some struggles of late, when it comes to faith any way. At one time I was so devout and strong in my faith. Now things are so different. I hear questions and answers and reasons. There are jokes and discussions and politics and media and of course there is always money. Of all things an episode of Little House on the Prairie got me thinking. Why do people do bad things? God gives free will and for people to choose good or evil & all degrees there of. If people choose evil that is not God's fault. Thank you Little House. If an accident occurs and one survives and one dies, the survivor might say thank God for saving me, and this statement makes one ponder why did the other person die. I don't know, things happen and we do not always have answers, at least answers are not always available to us when we first ponder the question. I don't think God creates car accidents I think those things just happen. I wonder with the media and politics and jokes and discussions if religion has become the focus and not God. People can be what ever religion that want to proclaim, but when it comes right down to it, religion is just a label. It's all about how we treat each other on this planet. Not what label we wear. I use the term God, other people use different names and some don't use any name at all. It's not about what term we use or what term we don't use, what we believe or don't believe, or if you think there is no such thing as God, again it's respect for life and for human beings. Please don't hide behind a label and say and do horrid things, for politics, for power, for money. Please just be kind to one another. And for those who do not have any label at all, don't equate religion with individuals. Please don't stereotype. Kindness, compassion, care and respect; these are qualities to build from, qualities to teach our children & qualities adults should continue to cultivate.
take care
