Mood: Pensive ...
Music: "Have a Nice Day" - by Bon Jovi

Spent lots of money today. And on manga, no less!

Seriously ... cannot give me a paycheck! I'll spend it all within a week!

But to be fair - it was Detective Conan! And I lurvvvvvvvve the adorable chibi-Shinichi to bits! And I've never once missed a single volume!

And it was on sale. =P

So ... with the gushing on bishi manga guys aside ...

Went to SIC today for evening Mass. First time in seriously God knows how long since I last stepped inside. Sure ... passed by plenty. Sat outside ... plenty.

Just didn't step in.

I don't like SIC anymore. So many reasons why there's just nothing inside my heart that connects me back to (ironically) the church I grew up in. Some obvious. Some not so obvious.

But I can get into that another day.

So anyway, apart from the fact that SIC's change A LOT since I last took a good look at it, Mass was pretty much same ol same ol. The usual liturgy, eucharist, thanksgiving ...

Don't have to go through the whole process now, do I?

Surprisingly good sermon, though. Usually priests - *ahemahemOCLimahem* - like to talk a lot. Spend at least 20-odd minutes digressing on a single point and very often not even making sense in the process. Which, of course, results in me getting the pants bored off me.

Yes. I don't like sermons. Add that to the loooooooooooooong list of things I already don't like.

But today's was good. The priest - dammit, didn't get a name! - was short, sweet and to the point. Bless him. And he was funny, too. Don't get too many funny priests nowadays, 'cept maybe Rev. Simon Yong.

Who, in a scarrrrrrrrrry way, reminds me of Dr Tang.

*shudddddders*

But I digress too. Damn it.

So. Short, funny and meaningful sermon. Just the way it should be. Made me want to stand up and yell out, "BRAVO!"

'Course I didn't. There's only so much humiliation old fogey like me can take.

The thing that made me write this entry, though?

It was time for Communion. And as usual, the lector was going on about how the Eucharist was a cherished moment, yada yada yada.

Then - THEN - she says:

"Please be reminded that Holy Communion is only for Baptised and Practising Catholics who are prepared."

.....

Dude! They added another prerequisite for Communion now?!!!

It's just so sad to see how they're limiting Communion. I thought that when Jesus meant for His Body and Blood to be for everyone.

And not just a limited few. The elitist class - high culture, as Ann (who's so influenced by Yeoh's class it's scary!) might put it.

Seriously ... what's going on?!

First Communion was limited to baptised Catholics.

Fine, fair enough.

Then, when they decided that wasn't enough, they changed it to baptised AND practising Catholics.

Practising ... just what exactly is THAT supposed to mean?

No, you Catholics who visit here ... don't answer that. I know what it means. It was just a rheotorical question.

So fine. 2 prerequisites ... what else do they need?

Oh yeah I forgot ... a third one.

Du-oh!

So now apparently it's baptised, practising AND prepared.

Wow ... what next? Baptised, practising, prepared AND sin-free (i.e. just went for Confession)? Soon there'll be more - baptised, practising, prepared, sin-free and celibate. Baptised, practising, prepared, sin-free, celibate and boring. Baptised, practising, prepared, sin-free, celibate, boring and lifeless.

My gawd ... the list goes on and on and on ...

Yes, I'm mocking my religion. I'm mocking the fact that there are conditions to receiving the Body and Blood of Christ. I'm mocking the fact that before Communion, I have to go through a whole spiritual interrogation first.

And I'm mocking the fact that THE CHURCH IS BECOMING ELITIST!

What happened to welcoming people with open arms? Someone forget that part? What about we're all brothers and sisters in Christ? Someone deleted that little bit without me knowing?

Geez ... and they say the Protestants are bad ...

*sighs heavily*

Never mind me. I'm just being thoroughly pissed off.

As always.

Laterz!

~ Kat ~