Catholic Magpies…

… most of us aren’t Carthusians or Trappists. The normal lay Catholic hasn’t reach such levels of spiritual discipline. So tell me why, why, why do so many liturgists and church decorators think we need to have such an austere worship environment?

I get accused all the time of Catholic Snobbery. I idolize the ritual of liturgy. The pretty is more important to me than the prayers of the mass.

I think it’s been clearly established, and well documented, I have spiritual ADD and the attention span of a gnat on Red Bull. It’s all that pretty that keeps me engaged in the mass. The smells, the moving chant, the fancy vestments all keep my senses engaged enough to keep my hapless brain focused for one whole hour. Yes, it’s that bad.

I am a Catholic Magpie. Shiny things attract me. Shiny things hold my interest. Ecclesiastical Bling keeps me focused on the liturgy. It has nothing to do with snobbery and every thing to do with my human weakness. It is not simply a matter of liturgical preference but purely a matter of spiritual necessity