Advent blues
At Mass on Sunday, Myles asked me an extremely difficult question. I think I would have rather been asked where babies come from, or some other hard question for which I have age-appropriate responses prepared.
"Mom, why is the priest wearing blue?"
I had a feeling this question would come, especially since our catechetical program, Family Formation, really emphasizes the liturgical year and the changes of the seasons. Tempted as I was by answers funny and snarky, I just froze and told him that was a very good question. And I hoped to leave it at that.
I don't often blog about liturgical liberties that are common in the US. I really try to turn deaf ears and blind eyes to them. Contrasted, though, with recent events in China, I just feel so exasperated. In China, the Catholics are fighting for the right to do things right. It isn't a surprise what I saw at Mass (which wasn't even limited to just the blue vestments), really, but it is still disheartening.
"Mom, why is the priest wearing blue?"
I had a feeling this question would come, especially since our catechetical program, Family Formation, really emphasizes the liturgical year and the changes of the seasons. Tempted as I was by answers funny and snarky, I just froze and told him that was a very good question. And I hoped to leave it at that.
I don't often blog about liturgical liberties that are common in the US. I really try to turn deaf ears and blind eyes to them. Contrasted, though, with recent events in China, I just feel so exasperated. In China, the Catholics are fighting for the right to do things right. It isn't a surprise what I saw at Mass (which wasn't even limited to just the blue vestments), really, but it is still disheartening.
Comments
So, is blue bad?
The blue question has been kicking around so long, it's hard to believe any priest in the US has no idea about it.
Ah, ok. See, to me color has nothing to do with church. Too much emphasis on the external..
It's kind of like coming back to the US and watching TV and thinking, "Really, *that's* what you're going to do with the freedom of speech? People fight daily for the freedom of speech in other countries--should we tell them this is what there is to look forward to?"
The Bible, our deposit of Faith, the celebration of the Eucharist--these should be seen as a precious gift to be guarded as having them are thanks to hard-won battles.
I see this attitude more in some of my Orthodox Christian friends (most of them converts from Protestant backgrounds).