Mass review from Historic Church #3

Saturday evening found my family in the city where I'm now working, so it was a great opportunity to attend Vigil Mass at "St. X."  We've attended this church before, but not at the Vigil.  We quietly wondered what lay in store for us.

As we entered the church, we heard the faint sounds of guitar strumming.  Ah well, what does one expect at a Vigil mass?  Organ music and Gregorian chant? *smirk*

Soon, the musicians/band entered from the back room.  What was this?  A grey-haired band!  A pillar blocked most of my view of the side altar where they stood, but I definitely noticed the unmistakable neck of an electric bass.  I moved to the end of the pew to sneak a peek: behold! a guitar amplifier.  Truth be told, they were the least offensive folk group I've ever heard at Mass, but that doesn't say much, does it?

Otherwise, Mass was fine.  The readers were competent and I already knew that I really liked the priest.  I felt properly disposed to receive Communion, which I'm sorry to say does not always happen.

And speaking of that, I've attended Mass only twice (for All Saint's and Immaculate Conception) in my "hometown" since I stopped playing at my parish.  Both times, at each of the two churches, my ears were assaulted by the "music" presented.  It's hard to not become angry and think "they gave up ME for THIS?"  I am offended that at THE MASS, where Jesus gives us his Body and Blood, that we just throw any old thing at Him and call it "good enough."  This is the corporate worship of the Church!  Instead, the Mass is treated like some sort of Little League game, where everyone gets to play, and as long as we all have fun, it doesn't matter who wins.  Newsflash:  some of us aren't having fun, and we're all the losers.  Is it too much to ask to ELEVATE ourselves above the mundane, to give God what He deserves:  our very best?  So yeah....I wasn't able to receive Communion on either of those days, and I'm grieved by that.

So I have to admit that right about now, my faith life pretty much sucks.  That isn't to say that I don't believe; it just means that I find it terribly hard to pray, and find myself being quite pessimistic about anything happening in the Church today.  To put a positive spin on the situation, I'll say that my faith in God and the Church is unshaken, and it's not dependent on any charismatic priest/personality.  Instead, my faith will ultimately endure despite the clergy.

We've all read the interview question, "What's the most important piece of advice your mother gave you?"  Allow me to pass on my motherly wisdom:

1.  Never buy or wear cheap shoes.
2.  Never trust a priest too much (or at all.) 

The wounds of betrayal run deep.