Tuesday, April 16, 2013

A friend of mine practices her hobby of photographing her dog, dressing it sometimes in clothes, hats and rabbit ears for Easter.

So what could be wrong with these pictures:



I spent an hour again at St. Anthony's after swimming for, um, contemplation. And iPhone photography (see above).

I'm reluctant to label my activity prayer in any formal, structured sense, even though I said decades of the rosary, off and on, during the time. My meandering thought processes are not to be confused with contemplative prayer, either.

It was just me, asking questions about problems and fumbling around for suggestions at solutions. Like solo brainstorming, I suppose. I enjoyed the time. It was better than doing laundry1.

When I was thinking on the Third Joyful Mystery, and everything that goes along with that: the Incarnation, the Word made Flesh, and the Crucifixion - yeah, my mind went there because it's not 2 1/2 weeks from Good Friday - I had this very fleeting vision of the Eucharist on a paten being brought from the tabernacle to the nearside edge of the altar. And my head reflexively bowed before I knew what my imagination was up to.

Towards the end of my time there, I wondered, if I left Catholicism, whether my conscience would allow me to visit Catholic churches for prayer. I looked around for objects that might offend a newly non-Catholic Christian sensibility. Nothing. I was fine with the altar, the Roman Missal, the thurible at the ready. The only object that might trouble me, as it already does, is holy water. Not so much that things - as opposed to people - may be blessed2 or recalling one's baptism in a sacramental way, but the warding off part. Yes, there's evil. Yes, it affects people. But I'm hardly worth the bother3.

I came away from the time agreeing to myself that if the church secretary asks me again to volunteer to teach religious education in the parish program, I'll commit. (I'm less sure of that now, though.)

1 And I really, really like doing laundry. Not better than my swim, though.
2 We bless food. I mean, I don't, personally, or not often. But Christians do, generally.
3 Oh, I sneak dabs of holy water when nobody's looking.

2 comments:

Michael Seagriff said...

The rosary pictures are magnificent! Thanks for taking and shring the.

Mike

Moonshadow said...

Thanks, Mike. Huh, it occurred to me later that these might look like eBay ads! But this rosary is not for sale!