Camping and Catholicism
Almost a year ago, I decided to build a teardrop camper. It took five months from October to March but,
alas, it was finally finished. My wife and I and our little dog have had many adventures exploring Pennsylvania's myriad beautiful campgrounds in the countryside.
As evangelical Christians before my conversion, it we would have been extremely difficult to obey the Lord's command to honor the Sabbath if we were away from our home church on the weekends. We would choose not go to church since the likelihood of finding a congregation with similar beliefs and worship styles was near impossible. Since becoming Catholic, we have never missed the opportunity to worship on Sunday because you can pretty much find a Catholic Church wherever you go.
What a reminder that Christ really intended for One Church, One Faith One Baptism! It seems silly that camping would reinforce my belief in the the universality of this Church, but it just makes sense that God would desire us to worship in his house wherever we travel. In two thousand years, since Jesus came and established the Church, there is a Catholic Church somewhere in every part of the world, even in the hinterlands of rural Pennsylvania!
2 Comments:
This is the most beautiful thought-that there is a Church everywhere, where we all worship the same way. I love this Church! When I was young, I thought the same everywhere was boring. Now I see the beauty in it. Every language, every country, every state.
Two years ago I was in Sydney, Australia over Easter. On Good Friday, I went to Confession and Stations in the Cathedral. The priest loved my Texas accent!
Going to Mass wherever we happen to be is a major pleasure of travel. Usually I shop online before we leave. Couple of good ones:
Vigil Mass at Mary Magdalene, Sunny Isles Fla, was all in Canadian French for the snowbirds, with a cappella singing.
You may recall Fr. Cutie in Miami, we attended Mass at his parish in Miami before his scandal broke. We'd hoped he'd be the celebrant but was not.
Mass at the Cathedral in Cuenca Ecuador, very lively, the sense of one big Catholic family.
Daily Mass on cruiseships. Easter and Christmas with readings done in English, Spanish, and Tagalog, staff and guests all together, the theater jam-packed with the faithful. Back then my sons brought their kits and would serve, and I'd cantor.
Easter Sunday Mass at St. Mary's in Charleston, the oldest parish in SC (1789).
Christmas Vigil at St. Louis in New Orleans.
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