Dad Revisited

I was made aware of a phrase a few years back that I hadn’t heard before- the CAPE Catholic. These are the folks who come out at specific times, most notably when we are either having a party or giving something away. CAPE stands for:

• Christmas- Yeah baby… I mean, yeah Baby! The biggest baby shower ever. Billions of people worldwide get together to sit for an extra-long mass, many of them so late at night they can’t keep their eyes open. There are usually a lot of singers and extra altar servers, visiting priests, extra lay ministers, and even the occasional pageant with kids and some animals. (I mean sheep and donkeys, not the parents fighting over pews.)
• Ash Wednesday- Going to church in the middle of the day and in the middle of the week is highly unusual for most folks, even the more devout. What is the draw? We leave our jobs and go before the priest so he can put a dirty thumbprint in the middle of our forehead.It’s not just dirt from anywhere- it’s left over from another party from last year! Awesome! Year-old dirt.. er… ashes.
• Palm Sunday- The party which supplied the dirt/ashes for Ash Wednesday. Everyone gets together to symbolize the return of Jesus to Jerusalem. As he entered the city, the faithful gathered and waved palm fronds, also spreading them out before him to create a path. What makes this interesting is that many of the people who come out (including me) would probably not have come out for the original event. (“Jesus? I remember him. Always found him a bit… preachy.”) The ashes are the remains of burnt palms from the previous Palm Sunday.
• Easter- In my opinion, the granddaddy of them all. This is the big one. Longest mass, most miraculous events, intense music. Heck, the guy rolled away a stone, died, rose to heaven, and forgave most everybody who did him wrong. You have to love the bonnets (and depending on the town, there are some serious bonnets) and the little boys in their communion suits. You also must consider the fact that somewhere along the way we got a bunny in the mix. I don’t know where he came from, but it sure is strange.

Chuckling aside, it’s great to see everyone, no matter when they last came. I can not in good conscience throw stones, as I would be one of them were it not for a professional commitment, and the pledge to be better in my faith to better guide my children. As a lay minister, however, I take my mission seriously. It is my job to make the guests and parishioners feel welcome, to lead them in faithful song, and to hopefully inspire them to return again.

Here is hope that no matter what your faith, no matter what your record of attendance, and no matter whether you worship in a House or in a house, you find the joys and solace of faith this season.