Peasant Catholics

Yesterday evening as I was sitting in Church, I was thinking how there were not many people in attendance for the Mass of the Feast of the Assumption. Well, why should there be? It was technically not a Holy Day of Obligation.

I remembered how when I was a child before Vatican II, the churches were packed on Sundays and Holy Days. Yes, the non-thinking sheeple were afraid to miss Mass. A criticism bandied about was that they really didn't believe and just went out of fear of mortal sin.

I ask you, was this such a bad thing? No matter what the reason, they came to mass and, I think most of them, went to confession on a regular basis. I call them "Peasant Catholics" because they were not great theological thinkers but knew what was right to do.

Maybe many of them did not understand the Latin and maybe they were counting the minutes until Mass was over. But they were still receiving graces! Yes, they went to Mass out of obligation but don't we do many things out of obligation? We go to work, we pay taxes, we take care of children, etc. Obligation is not always a dirty word.

Now, though, there is no obligation. Yes, the Church still says it is a mortal sin to miss Mass but too many people ignore that. Why? Because Catholics are very rarely reminded that missing Mass is a sin and, if you die in a state of mortal sin, you will go to hell. Well, in the spirit of Vatican II I freely assume my role as an involved lay person and remind my fellow Catholics that this is indeed a mortal sin.

But what do I know? I place myself in the category of a "peasant Catholic". No, not that I go mindlessly to church but I have simple faith and try to follow what was taught to me oh so many years ago. I pray that others follow.